Upgrading the sound system on your Jeep Wrangler TJ

skrelnik said:
I would actually steer you in a different direction. A five channel amplifier and either a 6.75" or 8" Kicker subwoofer for the center console. An 8" will fit with a little tweak.

This is what's needed to fit an 8"

1) Pioneer sells an 8" sub woofer box that can fit into the center console with a little mod. Link below.

2) Buy an 8" Kicker sub.

View attachment 165391
Pioneer(R) UD-SW200D 8" Downfiring Enclosure for TS-SW2002D2 Subwoofer - Walmart.com
Free 2-day shipping. Buy Pioneer(R) UD-SW200D 8" Downfiring Enclosure for TS-SW2002D2 Subwoofer at Walmart.com
www.walmart.com

You need to cut this one piece out.

View attachment 165392

Looks like this afterward.

View attachment 165393

No speaker installed, but you can see what it would look like.

View attachment 165394
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After getting the jeep out of the barn for a ride over the weekend (1997 Sahara) I took a closer look at the console (without factory sub) and it looks much smaller than I thought, not much room for a sub.
Think I am moving back towards a slim line sub under the rear seat.
 
duckalot said:
After getting the jeep out of the barn for a ride over the weekend (1997 Sahara) I took a closer look at the console (without factory sub) and it looks much smaller than I thought, not much room for a sub.
Think I am moving back towards a slim line sub under the rear seat.
Click to expand...

Is the center console without subwoofer a different size? It's your call what you ultimately do, personally I do not use a speaker in the center console and have a dual 10" box in my back which has a quick disconnect clip so I can easily remove, when needed.

That 8" is a great alternative and I am going to try to make one to possibly use or sell on the forums...one of the days, add it to the list of projects.
 
kmq102 said:
Has anyone installed Sound Ordnance B-8PTD into the factory consol with subwoofer? I am looking for ideas how to secure it.
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@fourpointzero - did this install. Hopefully he can chime in with how it was secured.

I also found this blurb:

I won't lie, it is a PAIN to get the console positioned just right without knocking the sub over onto the parking brake. I unbolted the shifter column and moved the seats to give myself as much room as possible. The sub does not sit straight up, it leans slightly towards the parking brake once the console is installed. It does not rub anything and does not rattle. I considered installing polyfoam for better sound but I'm not sure it's needed.
The sound is a HUGE improvement! I can rattle the rear view mirror if I am so inclined, but turned down it adds the subtle deep bass that was missing with the stock woofer.

You need to copy and paste this into the web browser. Our TJ forum does not allow direct link to the other crappy wrangler forum because those dicks blocked any references to this forum.

https://www.wranglerforum.com/threads/easy-console-8-sub-upgrade-sound-ordnance-b-8pt.208917/
 
I would look at open air subs, which tend to have a beefier frame and work well even in open trunk area shelves. Making the sub enclosure sturdier and ensuring this enclosure is as vibration free as possible will ensure not only that you enjoy your music fully, but also that no parts are flying off in the near future. I know my OCD won't let me drive in peace if I feel something vibrating or hear a buzzing sound constantly next to me.
 
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Ephry73 said:
I would look at open air subs, which tend to have a beefier frame and work well even in open trunk area shelves. Making the sub enclosure sturdier and ensuring this enclosure is as vibration free as possible will ensure not only that you enjoy your music fully, but also that no parts are flying off in the near future. I know my OCD won't let me drive in peace if I feel something vibrating or hear a buzzing sound constantly next to me.
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No buzzing for me. Maybe you’ll have a different experience, but thus far, this modification has been purely pleasant.

For the record, if you want annoying loudness and bass that bangs 10 feet or further from your Jeep, this isnt the way.

Still, it can be heard and felt inside the Jeep.
 
fourpointzero said:
No buzzing for me. Maybe you’ll have a different experience, but thus far, this modification has been purely pleasant.

For the record, if you want annoying loudness and bass that bangs 10 feet or further from your Jeep, this isnt the way.

Still, it can be heard and felt inside the Jeep.
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That's great. I don't think I used the word ensure enough on my post LOL.

I may tackle the sub later in the summer, but it is definitely a thought.
 
Ephry73 said:
That's great. I don't think I used the word ensure enough on my post LOL.

I may tackle the sub later in the summer, but it is definitely a thought.
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I’ll tell you, it’s one of the things I did for my Jeep where I thought, “Why the hell did I wait so long to do this?” after hearing it. Sounds so nice in contrast to the lack of bottom and volume. Particularly when driving with the top off. You’ll definitely enjoy it.
 
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fourpointzero said:
I’ll tell you, it’s one of the things I did for my Jeep where I thought, “Why the hell did I wait so long to do this?” after hearing it. Sounds so nice in contrast to the lack of bottom and volume. Particularly when driving with the top off. You’ll definitely enjoy it.
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Can you confirm the fit in my 1997 Sahara with 5 speed and console without any factory sub?
Thanks
 
duckalot said:
Can you confirm the fit in my 1997 Sahara with 5 speed and console without any factory sub?
Thanks
Click to expand...

I cant confirm, because I dont know the dimensions of the 97’s console. But I suspect they’re the same as the one’s with the factory sub. Only way to find out is remove your console and measure the inside dimensions. Compare it with Crutchfields specs.
 
Working my way through a recent 05 TJ Rubicon purchase. The first thing I did was upgrade the stock stereo. After doing a lot of looking at head units I settled on the Alpine iLX-W650. It had 95% of what I wanted (only missing piece was HD radio) in a head unit and it's less than 1/2 the depth of most other units on the market. I wanted modularity as well. You can add a amp to the back of this unit and it's still not as deep as a standard "disk" unit.

61137190521__7BDE9A9B-44DD-4700-A1D6-D4181C5BBF09.jpeg


Installation was pretty quick all things considered. I cut the sub-dash section out (necessary for a 2-DIN size unit) with a reciprocating saw and a metal blade. Other than the minor surgery everything went as planned.

The reason I wanted some modularity was I've had a lot of experience in upgrading stock sound systems in various cars over the years and sometimes just a good clean amp will really up the game for stock speakers. In this case I'd say the this was the case for me. I plan on looking to upgrade the sound bar speakers in the future but at this point the system is improved significantly.... so it will slip to a little later in the overall plan of work for the TJ.
 
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Rooscooter said:
Working my way through a recent 05 TJ Rubicon purchase. The first thing I did was upgrade the stock stereo. After doing a lot of looking at head units I settled on the Alpine iLX-W650. It had 95% of what I wanted (only missing piece was HD radio) in a head unit and it's less than 1/2 the depth of most other units on the market. I wanted modularity as well. You can add a amp to the back of this unit and it's still not as deep as a standard "disk" unit.

View attachment 168158

Installation was pretty quick all things considered. I cut the sub-dash section out (necessary for a 2-DIN size unit) with a reciprocating saw and a metal blade. Other than the minor surgery everything went as planned.

The reason I wanted some modularity was I've had a lot of experience in upgrading stock sound systems in various cars over the years and sometimes just a good clean amp will really up the game for stock speakers. In this case I'd say the this was the case for me. I plan on looking to upgrade the sound bar speakers in the future but at this point the system is improved significantly.... so it will slip to a little later in the overall plan of work for the TJ.
Click to expand...

Nice set up when you add the Power pack amp.
 
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Rooscooter said:
Working my way through a recent 05 TJ Rubicon purchase. The first thing I did was upgrade the stock stereo. After doing a lot of looking at head units I settled on the Alpine iLX-W650. It had 95% of what I wanted (only missing piece was HD radio) in a head unit and it's less than 1/2 the depth of most other units on the market. I wanted modularity as well. You can add a amp to the back of this unit and it's still not as deep as a standard "disk" unit.

View attachment 168158

Installation was pretty quick all things considered. I cut the sub-dash section out (necessary for a 2-DIN size unit) with a reciprocating saw and a metal blade. Other than the minor surgery everything went as planned.

The reason I wanted some modularity was I've had a lot of experience in upgrading stock sound systems in various cars over the years and sometimes just a good clean amp will really up the game for stock speakers. In this case I'd say the this was the case for me. I plan on looking to upgrade the sound bar speakers in the future but at this point the system is improved significantly.... so it will slip to a little later in the overall plan of work for the TJ.
Click to expand...

The iLX-207 has HD radio. That's what I've been contemplating on.
That screen does look good there!
 
Akitadog said:
The iLX-207 has HD radio. That's what I've been contemplating on.
That screen does look good there!
Click to expand...

It's well worth it you have a good reception in your area. HD radio is a night and day difference over standard, like CD quality vs the quality from a pirated/copied CD.

Also look for the BT streaming quality. My Kenwood has an aptX chip so I stream my Spotify through Bluetooth because the Spotify App does not utilize the aptX chip and the quality is so much better with the aptX chip. The new release of Kenwood's mostly have BT 4.0 which is very good.
 
I've never found any head unit to have even decent quality BT when playing music. I have a high end Kenwood in my truck and it's a little better than the Alpine but barely noticeable.

If you want to match the quality of audio with the rest of the set up you should connect via usb.

HD Radio is something you can workaround with streaming through iHeart Radio and others that result in similar digital quality and actually allows you to listen to the radio of your choice well outside HD radio range.

For me, the ability to add the Amp to the Alpine unit was a big factor in my decision. The depth of the unit makes wire management easier as well.
 
Rooscooter said:
I've never found any head unit to have even decent quality BT when playing music. I have a high end Kenwood in my truck and it's a little better than the Alpine but barely noticeable.
Click to expand...

Which model Kenwood do you have? My Excelon 702 has the Qualcomm aptX chip which really helps out, not like FLAC by any means, but tolerable. The difference between the 702's Bluetooth and Spotify app is night and day. I play lots of CDs though, and I'm now making the move to an SSD external hard drive to store my CDs.

Rooscooter said:
For me, the ability to add the Amp to the Alpine unit was a big factor in my decision. The depth of the unit makes wire management easier as well.
Click to expand...

You can add an amp to just about any head unit. I have a for sale ad up right now with one of three amps remaining. I used all three in the Jeep at one time or another, and the PP 52DSP connect directly to the stock head unit and stock speakers, five channel amp with built in DSP.

Lots of ways to build, I used to have an Alpine head unit with the Tune-It app, do you use that?
 
skrelnik said:
Which model Kenwood do you have? My Excelon 702 has the Qualcomm aptX chip which really helps out, not like FLAC by any means, but tolerable. The difference between the 702's Bluetooth and Spotify app is night and day. I play lots of CDs though, and I'm now making the move to an SSD external hard drive to store my CDs.



You can add an amp to just about any head unit. I have a for sale ad up right now with one of three amps remaining. I used all three in the Jeep at one time or another, and the PP 52DSP connect directly to the stock head unit and stock speakers, five channel amp with built in DSP.

Lots of ways to build, I used to have an Alpine head unit with the Tune-It app, do you use that?
Click to expand...

I think Tune-it is dead. No option on the new Head Unit.

As I noted in the original post the Alpine does everything I need. Not having HD Radio was the only draw back but for an extra $100+ it wasn't worth it when I can digital radio feeds of just about every station in the nation another way. Yes, you can add the amp to all Alpine units however this is the one you can add it to and still be smaller than almost all other double Din's. That was a driving factor because I didn't want to find another place to mount the amp if I thought I needed it.

If I have a USB connection I'd never use Bluetooth for audio. I installed a USB outlet in the dash (next to the rocker switches for the lockers) and just connect when I get in the Jeep. My phone is a 128GB model so I have all of my downloaded music there and then I also use Spotify, iHeart etc. for additional content.

BTW....What's a CD?.... ;)
 
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