Upgrading the sound system on your Jeep Wrangler TJ

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that...🤣

Yes, with modifications. I had to break out the ribs and also melt the plastic cover for the amp (I’m still using the factory amp for the time being). You can see that in the picture at the tip of the pen. Obviously, if you use a different amp you won’t have to melt that piece.View attachment 227766
Lol that's good to know
 
If I had a nickel for every time I heard that...🤣

Yes, with modifications. I had to break out the ribs and also melt the plastic cover for the amp (I’m still using the factory amp for the time being). You can see that in the picture at the tip of the pen. Obviously, if you use a different amp you won’t have to melt that piece.View attachment 227766
Lol that's good to know.

I'll prolly just cut it out flat and 2 part epoxy some abs flat across.
 
I also had to melt & reshape another area to accommodate the magnet. This is inside the top when the enclosure is sitting upright. It is under the storage area when the console is in place. You can see it at the top of this picture.
06FF8972-2D29-4EE1-84D3-09893CA6FF53.jpeg
 
Coming back to this. Do I need to do anything different with the way I have my sub wired? I have terminals on both sides of the sub just like this:View attachment 227762

you might be able to see both sets of terminals a little better on this second picture.
View attachment 227763
Do I need to run a wire from the unused positive terminal on one side of the sub to the other unused positive on the other side and do the same with the negatives?

You have a 4 ohm DVC Skar subwoofer but which amplifier did you purchase? Is the amp's sub channel a 2 ohm or 4 ohm?
 
I’m using the stock amp.

If I remember correctly the stock amp is rated at 1 ohm and 70 watts, so while not a wise choice to use, you should wire in parallel as you mentioned.

The unused Pos should be wired to the used Pos, that is connected to the amp. The unused Neg should be wired to the used Neg, that is connected to the amp.

Your sub will, in theory, pull 2 ohms when wired like this. See picture:

Screenshot_20210220-202840.jpg
 
The factory sub had 2 positive and 2 negative terminals. And there were 2 positive leads and 2 negative leads coming from the amp. I basically wired the new sub the same as the old sub.

Even though there are 2 positive terminals and 2 negative on each side, there is only 1 wire coming from each terminal. And the terminals seem to be 1 piece if you look at the bottom.

I couldn't attach the pictures but you can see them at this link. Picture #5 & 6
https://www.skaraudio.com/products/evl-65-inch-car-subwoofer
 
The Kenwood KMM-X704 was in stock at Crutchfield earlier today now its Temporarily out of stock again lol
 
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:
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.
Quick one on this Chris. I can't find those speakers in the UK so looking for something comparable. Do they need to be Marine rated? I have a soft top on my Jeep so if it rains the top goes straight on. Is the marine rating just for those who leave their TJ topless no matter the conditions :ROFLMAO: ?
 
Quick one on this Chris. I can't find those speakers in the UK so looking for something comparable. Do they need to be Marine rated? I have a soft top on my Jeep so if it rains the top goes straight on. Is the marine rating just for those who leave their TJ topless no matter the conditions :ROFLMAO: ?
No need for marine rated speakers. You could get some BLAM speakers, that’s what I replaced my Polks with. Not cheap, but amazing speakers if you’re an audiophile.
 
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No need for marine rated speakers. You could get some BLAM speakers, that’s what I replaced my Polks with. Not cheap, but amazing speakers if you’re an audiophile.
How do they compare to the Polks? I hate that term 'audiophile' but yeah, I do like my sound lol. Usually playing vinyls at home so prefer a warmer more natural sound than those basey systems that rattler your car.
 
How do they compare to the Polks? I hate that term 'audiophile' but yeah, I do like my sound lol. Usually playing vinyls at home so prefer a warmer more natural sound than those basey systems that rattler your car.

You can't even compare them.

The Polks are a great budget speaker, but the BLAM speakers are otherworldly.

The BLAM speakers have what they refer to as the "French sound" which is much warmer and natural.

I liked this old system, but my new system (on my new TJ) has just about $3000 into it. I am a huge audiophile though and I like good music, so it was worth it to me.
 
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You can't even compare them.

The Polks are a great budget speaker, but the BLAM speakers are otherworldly.

The BLAM speakers have what they refer to as the "French sound" which is much warmer and natural.

I liked this old system, but my new system (on my new TJ) has just about $3000 into it. I am a huge audiophile though and I like good music, so it was worth it to me.
$3k... wowza! Thats a lot of dolla for a TJ sound system. I would have thought a system like that wouldn't be able to flourish in something like a TJ. Which model did you go for?
 
$3k... wowza! Thats a lot of dolla for a TJ sound system. I would have thought a system like that wouldn't be able to flourish in something like a TJ. Which model did you go for?

I'm currently running:
That amp alone is around $1000 I believe, so there's a big part of the cost there.

There's also other bits and pieces, but that's the major stuff.
 
Nice, I'll take a look. Been doing some reading up on BLAM. Sounds like great stuff. Thanks for the tip.

They are amazing speakers! Ones I wouldn't have known about if it wasn't for @skrelnik and Don Aman of Unexpected Creations. He's the guy who put my stereo system together for me. It cost a lot, but man do I have some seriously good sound!
 
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