Upgrading the sound system on your Jeep Wrangler TJ

[Badgers]

I see a lot of questions about how to get a better sound system from your Jeep Wrangler TJ. People will often dismiss the TJ as being a vehicle with poor sound dynamics to begin with, and while this is true to some degree, I can tell you that the sound system I have in my 2005 TJ Rubicon is absolutely killer, and it didn't break the bank either!

At 65+ on the highway with the doors off and the top off, I can hear the sound loud and clear without any issue at all. I have my subwoofer volume set at 6 (out of 12) and the subwoofer volume on the amp only turned to half way. Yet the bass still kicks like you wouldn't believe!

Here's what I am using for my setup:

• Kenwood KMM-BT322 Digital Media Receiver
• Kicker CompRT 6.75" Subwoofer
• Kicker PXA200 Amp
• Polk Audio DB522 Speakers (for rear sound bar speakers)
• Polk Audo DB462 Speakers (for front speakers)
• Polyfil Stuffing (for rear sound bar speakers)

Some of the components I bought from Crutchfield, while others I got from Amazon.

But that's it, literally. I mounted the amp underneath the front center console (it's a very tiny amp) and the subwoofer is mounted in place of the factory subwoofer (which some TJs came with). The amp powers the subwoofer alone, and the speakers are driven off the head unit.

This sound system is no joke, I mean it. I was expecting it to be a little better than stock, but I wasn't expecting it to be this good. If you crank the volume all the way up to 35 (the highest it goes), it's deafening.

I highly recommend this setup to anyone who is looking to improve the sound in their TJ without breaking the bank. This is all you'll need, I can promise you that.

So while this isn't a "how-to" guide in terms of installing it, I feel like this is a fantastic setup at a price that won't leave you broke.

Hey Chris,
Thanks for all you work keeping this forum going.

I see a lot of questions about how to get a better sound system from your Jeep Wrangler TJ. People will often dismiss the TJ as being a vehicle with poor sound dynamics to begin with, and while this is true to some degree, I can tell you that the sound system I have in my 2005 TJ Rubicon is absolutely killer, and it didn't break the bank either!

At 65+ on the highway with the doors off and the top off, I can hear the sound loud and clear without any issue at all. I have my subwoofer volume set at 6 (out of 12) and the subwoofer volume on the amp only turned to half way. Yet the bass still kicks like you wouldn't believe!

Here's what I am using for my setup:

• Kenwood KMM-BT322 Digital Media Receiver
• Kicker CompRT 6.75" Subwoofer
• Kicker PXA200 Amp
• Polk Audio DB522 Speakers (for rear sound bar speakers)
• Polk Audo DB462 Speakers (for front speakers)
• Polyfil Stuffing (for rear sound bar speakers)

Some of the components I bought from Crutchfield, while others I got from Amazon.

But that's it, literally. I mounted the amp underneath the front center console (it's a very tiny amp) and the subwoofer is mounted in place of the factory subwoofer (which some TJs came with). The amp powers the subwoofer alone, and the speakers are driven off the head unit.

This sound system is no joke, I mean it. I was expecting it to be a little better than stock, but I wasn't expecting it to be this good. If you crank the volume all the way up to 35 (the highest it goes), it's deafening.

I highly recommend this setup to anyone who is looking to improve the sound in their TJ without breaking the bank. This is all you'll need, I can promise you that.

So while this isn't a "how-to" guide in terms of installing it, I feel like this is a fantastic setup at a price that won't leave you broke.

Hey Chris,
Thanks for all your hard work keeping the forum relevant and expandable. Wanted to ask how this stereo setup is working a couple years down the road from when you posted. Anything you would change?
I found this pro installer has three great youtube videos onTJs as well.

Cheers and thanks in advance.
-Badger

 

[Chris]

Hey Chris,
Thanks for all you work keeping this forum going.

Hey Chris,
Thanks for all your hard work keeping the forum relevant and expandable. Wanted to ask how this stereo setup is working a couple years down the road from when you posted. Anything you would change?
I found this pro installer has three great youtube videos onTJs as well.

Cheers and thanks in advance.
-Badger

I sold the vehicle and replaced it with a new TJ, so I can’t say. I put a new sound system in this one that run me about $2500, so there’s not really any comparison unfortunately. This new sound system is a true audiophile system.

 

[skrelnik]

Hey Chris,
Thanks for all you work keeping this forum going.

Hey Chris,
Thanks for all your hard work keeping the forum relevant and expandable. Wanted to ask how this stereo setup is working a couple years down the road from when you posted. Anything you would change?
I found this pro installer has three great youtube videos onTJs as well.

Cheers and thanks in advance.
-Badger

Those guys are entertaining for car stereo guys.

If you have specific questions the forum has lots of members with experiences.

I have gone through numerous upgrades and would be happy to throw you some tips but what are you looking for and budget?

What part of New York are you in upstate, west or down state?

There is an audio installer near Rutgers that I highly recommend it you need any install help or if you want to buy any parts, he has stuff that is not at your local store, or at Crutchfield.

 

[Badgers]

Those guys are entertaining for car stereo guys.

If you have specific questions the forum has lots of members with experiences.

I have gone through numerous upgrades and would be happy to throw you some tips but what are you looking for and budget?

What part of New York are you in upstate, west or down state?

There is an audio installer near Rutgers that I highly recommend it you need any install help or if you want to buy any parts, he has stuff that is not at your local store, or at Crutchfield.

I recently purchased a 2001 60th year with that sub in the console. My budget if generally flexible, I'd probably be looking at at mid to higher range set up. Any tips you came across during your upgrades would be welcome. Also interested in what equipment you prefer.

I'm in the City, so Rutgers is easy to access. Any chance you can pass along their contact details?

 

[Rooscooter]

I've dropped about $550 on a new system and I love it.

Alpine iLX-w650 double din head unit.
Blam Audio 6.5's in the sound bar and 5.25's in the dash.
A USB outlet in the dash

I went with the Alpine unit for a couple reasons. First I don't need anything that plays DVD/CD's, and this unit is only about 3" deep so it makes for an easy install. Second, there is an Alpine amplifier that clips on the back of the unit that adds another 40 watts RMS to the system if you need it.

The BLAM speaker idea came from Chris's epic set up.... I was able to find them in the UK for a total of $165 total delivered vs $200- $300 a pair here in Phoenix! These specific speakers have very high sensitivity and are truly amazing to listen to at low and high volumes. I may tackle the sub when I add sound deadening this fall.

For the type of car it is I feel that the system I have is perfect. I might add the amp to the head unit at some point but the system has plenty of power for top off 50mph driving now .

 

[skrelnik]

I recently purchased a 2001 60th year with that sub in the console. My budget if generally flexible, I'd probably be looking at at mid to higher range set up. Any tips you came across during your upgrades would be welcome. Also interested in what equipment you prefer.

I'm in the City, so Rutgers is easy to access. Any chance you can pass along their contact details?

Congrats on that purchase, post a picture of it. The Jeep is not audio friendly, but you can make it perform very well.

As you know you, you can spend a lot on audio, so you could go simple with a good brand 5.25" coaxial, 6.5" coaxial, Kicker 6.75" subwoofer and 5 channel amplifier.

You could spend more and turn that 5.25" coaxial into a separate 1" tweeter and 5.25" mid. That is what I did, and relocated the tweeter to the a-pillar trim. This would give you more options to pair speakers, and improve the sound. The 6.5" coaxial and Kicker 6.75" would still be used, and you would want at least a 5 channel amplifier, and drive the 6.5" coaxials off the head unit.

Amplifier: I am a big fan of the Audiotec Fischer amplifiers with built in DSP. They are pricey but very good at what they do, and come in many configurations. Or you could get a basic amplifier without a DSP and save a bunch of money. Don is a whiz at these, and if you are close he could do the install and tune the car for you. Tuning is difficult, but one can learn.

Don is the owner, and here is the website. He is also the forum admin over at DIYMA.com. @Chris recently purchased a bunch of stuff from him so he can speak to the experience.

https://unexpectedcreations.com/

 

[sahara.v1]

When I purchased my Tj I dropped 1k (this is cad) into a new system. I use a cheap Sony DSX A415BT head unit to power to sets of JBL 9 series 5.25" component speakers which are now discontinued. ( i bought the last 2 off Amazon.ca ) the filters are sitting loosely in the speaker cavities.
Finishing this off i have a shallow JBL 10 in the back which doesn't take up too much space. The sub is powered by a JBL stage amp sitting under the drivers seat.
I have the tweeters sitting in the dash like so.

In the sound bare i used boom mat speaker cups and have not yet placed the tweets.

Overall I am super impressed with the sound. It is super high quality and im not sure how much better it can get in a jeep lol.
I have it tuned to my preference. One thing I will note is the EXTRA BASS button. This is super duper handy for when the windows are down or the roof comes off, so that you dont need to go into the settings to turn it up. As soon as something opens up you lose a bit of the low end and the extra bass is super handy. All you need to do is give it a click and it get significantly deeper. The extra bass has two different volumes. I normally use one with the windows down and 2 with the roof off.

Overall am super super impressed and will recommend a component system to anyone as it will greatly improve not just your sound but the feel and your ride as well

 

[Ephry73]

Overall am super super impressed and will recommend a component system to anyone as it will greatly improve not just your sound but the feel and your ride as well

View attachment 178566

I really like the tweeter location. What bases are those?

 

[sahara.v1]

I really like the tweeter location. What bases are those?

I assume you're talking about the mounting of the tweeters? The speaker set came with a few different tweeter mounts mounts and I chose to use this one. It has a little pivot point so I can angle it wherever I chose and is flush mounted. I hole cut just a tiny bit smaller than the mount and filed away just enough so I could pop it in. There's no way its coming out without much force and possibly damaging it. This way I didnt need to take the whole dash apart.

 

[skrelnik]

I really like the tweeter location. What bases are those?

A lot of tweeters come with install gear, but this place sells some good quality stuff. They are built for specific tweeters so you must input your tweeter brand. They can also be custom made if not listed.

https://www.pods-tweeters-midrange.com/

 

[Badgers]

Congrats on that purchase, post a picture of it. The Jeep is not audio friendly, but you can make it perform very well.

As you know you, you can spend a lot on audio, so you could go simple with a good brand 5.25" coaxial, 6.5" coaxial, Kicker 6.75" subwoofer and 5 channel amplifier.

You could spend more and turn that 5.25" coaxial into a separate 1" tweeter and 5.25" mid. That is what I did, and relocated the tweeter to the a-pillar trim. This would give you more options to pair speakers, and improve the sound. The 6.5" coaxial and Kicker 6.75" would still be used, and you would want at least a 5 channel amplifier, and drive the 6.5" coaxials off the head unit.

Amplifier: I am a big fan of the Audiotec Fischer amplifiers with built in DSP. They are pricey but very good at what they do, and come in many configurations. Or you could get a basic amplifier without a DSP and save a bunch of money. Don is a whiz at these, and if you are close he could do the install and tune the car for you. Tuning is difficult, but one can learn.

Don is the owner, and here is the website. He is also the forum admin over at DIYMA.com. @Chris recently purchased a bunch of stuff from him so he can speak to the experience.

https://unexpectedcreations.com/

Thank you so much for your help. Will give Don a call this weekend and see what we can put together. Any general suggestions on the head unit (watts per channel, etc)? That idea to separate the tweets is great, I never considered that. Also was wondering where you sourced your amp from? I only can find these on ebay coming from Europe. Really appreciate your thoughts and advice.

 

[Badgers]

I've dropped about $550 on a new system and I love it.

Alpine iLX-w650 double din head unit.
Blam Audio 6.5's in the sound bar and 5.25's in the dash.
A USB outlet in the dash

I went with the Alpine unit for a couple reasons. First I don't need anything that plays DVD/CD's, and this unit is only about 3" deep so it makes for an easy install. Second, there is an Alpine amplifier that clips on the back of the unit that adds another 40 watts RMS to the system if you need it.

The BLAM speaker idea came from Chris's epic set up.... I was able to find them in the UK for a total of $165 total delivered vs $200- $300 a pair here in Phoenix! These specific speakers have very high sensitivity and are truly amazing to listen to at low and high volumes. I may tackle the sub when I add sound deadening this fall.

For the type of car it is I feel that the system I have is perfect. I might add the amp to the head unit at some point but the system has plenty of power for top off 50mph driving now .

That Alpine looks like quite a nice head unit. I think living in New York, it might get jacked quickly . What a sweet deal you found on those speakers, I'll be on the look out for those. Nice touch with that USB, I'd like to do that as well. Really does sound like you have a great setup and can still be improved with a sub. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Badgers]

When I purchased my Tj I dropped 1k (this is cad) into a new system. I use a cheap Sony DSX A415BT head unit to power to sets of JBL 9 series 5.25" component speakers which are now discontinued. ( i bought the last 2 off Amazon.ca ) the filters are sitting loosely in the speaker cavities.
Finishing this off i have a shallow JBL 10 in the back which doesn't take up too much space. The sub is powered by a JBL stage amp sitting under the drivers seat.
I have the tweeters sitting in the dash like so.
View attachment 178569
In the sound bare i used boom mat speaker cups and have not yet placed the tweets.
View attachment 178572

View attachment 178573
Overall I am super impressed with the sound. It is super high quality and im not sure how much better it can get in a jeep lol.
I have it tuned to my preference. One thing I will note is the EXTRA BASS button. This is super duper handy for when the windows are down or the roof comes off, so that you dont need to go into the settings to turn it up. As soon as something opens up you lose a bit of the low end and the extra bass is super handy. All you need to do is give it a click and it get significantly deeper. The extra bass has two different volumes. I normally use one with the windows down and 2 with the roof off.

Overall am super super impressed and will recommend a component system to anyone as it will greatly improve not just your sound but the feel and your ride as well

View attachment 178566

View attachment 178570

Great set up, thanks for your reply. Love that you recessed those tweets and the amp seems to have a perfect location. I've seen a bunch under the back seat, but the front seat makes more sense. What kind of box do you have that shallow JBL 10 in?

 

[sahara.v1]

Great set up, thanks for your reply. Love that you recessed those tweets and the amp seems to have a perfect location. I've seen a bunch under the back seat, but the front seat makes more sense. What kind of box do you have that shallow JBL 10 in?

Its not currently in the jeep as im wrapping it but I believe it was .50 cubic feet that was required for a closed box in the spec sheet. I'll have it facing down so I have more room for my camping gear

 

[skrelnik]

Thank you so much for your help. Will give Don a call this weekend and see what we can put together. Any general suggestions on the head unit (watts per channel, etc)? That idea to separate the tweets is great, I never considered that. Also was wondering where you sourced your amp from? I only can find these on ebay coming from Europe. Really appreciate your thoughts and advice.

Don sells the amplifiers, there are only a few US distributers for the German/Euro speakers, but you may find them online with some serious searching like @Rooscooter did.

I have bought a couple from Don over the years, and he just sends to me, and he has very good prices and does not oversell, he actually under sells unless you ask for what else can you show for a couple bucks more. Plus if you go to his shop, he will set it and tune it. The cost of install is cheap man, like you will be surprised. Everything around us in NYC is a rip-off, but I was so surprised by Don's services and prices.

I love my Micro Precision 5.28, and I could not find any real reviews online, but the company that makes them, I went to their Facebook page and was blown away.

I love the tweeters up high on the dash.

 

[Badgers]

That's a fantastic look. I leaning towards doing a similar set up, and the prices seem so reasonable comparative to what NYC offers. Thank you for the advice

 

[Rooscooter]

Don sells the amplifiers, there are only a few US distributers for the German/Euro speakers, but you may find them online with some serious searching like @Rooscooter did.

If you are adventuresome you can find the Blam Speakers here: In Car Tec
They are in the UK. The prices are in Pounds and include VAT that you will NOT PAY at checkout since you are not a citizen. Shipping to the US was 25 Pounds. With the exchange rate I was able to get a pair of the 130C's (5 1/4")and a pair of the 165C's (6 1/2")for a total of $168 US delivered. It took 8 business days to get therm and they came FedEX.

Put them in the basket and then input your address and it will recalculate minus the VAT and add the shipping. You'll need to check the exchange rate to get the final cost depending on the daily Pound/Dollar rates. Today that set up is $189. At AudioExpress in Phoenix they are $600.00!

These speakers are fantastic and sound better than anything you can touch for less than $200 but I'm not sure any car speakers are worth $600 for 2 pair but at least they have free shipping.

 

[Badgers]

If you are adventuresome you can find the Blam Speakers here: In Car Tec
They are in the UK. The prices are in Pounds and include VAT that you will NOT PAY at checkout since you are not a citizen. Shipping to the US was 25 Pounds. With the exchange rate I was able to get a pair of the 130C's (5 1/4")and a pair of the 165C's (6 1/2")for a total of $168 US delivered. It took 8 business days to get therm and they came FedEX.

View attachment 179055

View attachment 179056

Put them in the basket and then input your address and it will recalculate minus the VAT and add the shipping. You'll need to check the exchange rate to get the final cost depending on the daily Pound/Dollar rates. Today that set up is $189. At AudioExpress in Phoenix they are $600.00!

These speakers are fantastic and sound better than anything you can touch for less than $200 but I'm not sure any car speakers are worth $600 for 2 pair!

If you are adventuresome you can find the Blam Speakers here: In Car Tec
They are in the UK. The prices are in Pounds and include VAT that you will NOT PAY at checkout since you are not a citizen. Shipping to the US was 25 Pounds. With the exchange rate I was able to get a pair of the 130C's (5 1/4")and a pair of the 165C's (6 1/2")for a total of $168 US delivered. It took 8 business days to get therm and they came FedEX.

View attachment 179055

View attachment 179056

Put them in the basket and then input your address and it will recalculate minus the VAT and add the shipping. You'll need to check the exchange rate to get the final cost depending on the daily Pound/Dollar rates. Today that set up is $189. At AudioExpress in Phoenix they are $600.00!

These speakers are fantastic and sound better than anything you can touch for less than $200 but I'm not sure any car speakers are worth $600 for 2 pair but at least they have free shipping.

For this price I'll adventure like Marco Polo. I'll trust you on the BLAM sound, I was looking at those Audison Prima 5.25s that are 200+ per pair before. This is a great deal you found. Did you have any fit issue with raised center? Your tweets, the Micro Precision 5.28, you buy those from them directly? Also wondering what did you do with your factory console sub set up? Did you go with that kicker replacement? I find so many variations of that. This is great information, and I thank you.

 

[Rooscooter]

For this price I'll adventure like Marco Polo. I'll trust you on the BLAM sound, I was looking at those Audison Prima 5.25s that are 200+ per pair before. This is a great deal you found. Did you have any fit issue with raised center? Your tweets, the Micro Precision 5.28, you buy those from them directly? Also wondering what did you do with your factory console sub set up? Did you go with that kicker replacement? I find so many variations of that. This is great information, and I thank you.

I didn't go the component route.... I bought the coaxial in both sized. No issue with fit in either location. I bought the dash pods to install the 5.25's and had the 6.5's installed in the sound bar without an issue.

I can't speak to the Audison Prima's but in looking at what goes into a speaker I'd say that exclusive dealer networks cost a lot more than the speaker materials and labor. While I really like the BLAM speakers and will buy them again if I get a similar deal, I'd never pay $300 for a pair of them. Dealers love the Euro exclusive brands. BLAM is that right now but in Europe they seem to be more of a commodity brand. I found similar pricing in Denmark and even Thailand for them.

I haven't done the sub yet. Once it cools down here in AZ I'm going to sound deaden the entire Jeep. I'll get to the sub when I pull the seats/console for that effort. Right now I'm looking at just swapping out the speaker itself. I don't need a huge sub for what I listen to. Working with the settings on my head unit I've been able to get respectable performance out of the stock sub actually.

 

[skrelnik]

For this price I'll adventure like Marco Polo. I'll trust you on the BLAM sound, I was looking at those Audison Prima 5.25s that are 200+ per pair before. This is a great deal you found. Did you have any fit issue with raised center? Your tweets, the Micro Precision 5.28, you buy those from them directly? Also wondering what did you do with your factory console sub set up? Did you go with that kicker replacement? I find so many variations of that. This is great information, and I thank you.

I got the MP 5.28 tweets from Don. They are not mass produced so tough to find anyone that sells this brand and that keeps many units in stock.

Currently my center console has an 8" sub that is not in use. I need to add an amp to power it up. I do have a dual 10" sub box in the rear cargo area though. It has a quick disconnect so I can remove when needed, but I want that 8" to fill that void when the dual 10"s are gone.