What are your EQ settings on your factory head unit?
- Thread starter Vtx531
- Start date
Which line of infinitys? I understand they have lower impedance which may sound even better with a stock HU?
In the past I also tried some Kenwood KFC speakers because they are inexpensive but have a high dB rating. They sounded really crappy though.
Keep this in mind though.... high end speakers can sound just as bad if the HU lacks the power to drive them.
Look at Crutchfields website. I believe you can build a system based on a stock HU. It will give you recommendations.
Definitely, but we are talking about the factory head unit and 4 aftermarket speakers, not a giant amp and a 12 speaker system. The factory head unit unless it has major issues won't cause terrible sound out of some aftermarket speakers.
The Infinitys were Kappas installed in 2012. Bass response was comparable to the polks, but the midrange was smoother and more full. You could turn the mid up a bit more without it sounding tinny. They are still working great today in my wife's 2001 TJ. I used the matching 5.25s in the dash with the metal adapter plates.
If you buy the Polk DB525's Crutchfield includes the adapter plates for the fronts and the pigtail wiring so you don't have to cut anything. Personally, I've run 6.5's in the pods and went back to 5.25's, because, 1. I also wanted to retain the factory grills, and 2. they are literally 6" from your ear. You aren't going to gain much with a bigger speaker in that location. Add some polyfill to the sound pods and dial the fader down for the rears to improve your sound stage a little. Without a subwoofer you won't get the full range of music, so it's a compromise.
CSC5 in the dash of the Jeep. It started with the stock HU, but I replaced that with a Jensen "Heavy Duty mechless" unit.
I honestly can't tell you the difference between the stock speakers and the Kickers with the stock HU. The stock HU had a blown CD player, and thus I couldn't play "my music" in the thing to be able to tell. But the combination of the new HU and speakers was so good that I put new 4x6 Kicker CSC in all 4 places on my old Mercedes, and I can tell the difference. That car already had a newer (2016) aftermarket HU in it, but I figured after 36 years, it was time to replace the speakers!
Here in Florida, if you want something besides Country, Rock, or religious on broadcast radio, you're SOL. No classical stations whatsoever, no world music, no easy listening. I stuck a Belly Dance CD into the stock CD player and not only didn't it play, but it also wouldn't eject! It stayed there until I removed the unit and extracted it the hard way...
Yep, put some polyfill in - and some self-adhesive sound mat too if you have it. In my case, I actually have to bias the fader rearward "1 notch" to get the best sound. That's because the old Jensens I installed, although they sound fantastic, don't have quite as good of sensitivity as the Kickers in the dash. I also very unscientifically added ports to the sound bar enclosures so the speaker wouldn't be pulling a vacuum/compressing air with every beat. It does make a difference - I'm able to A/B the sound with my thumbs covering the ports!
After all this talk, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just leave everything as it is and add a cheap all-in-one sub like I had back in the day. Walmart has one for $80.
I have cheap speakers and HU in my boat and they didn’t sound good until I added a cheap all-in-one 8” sub under the passenger seat and then all of the sudden it sounds awesome (to me).
I have cheap speakers and HU in my boat and they didn’t sound good until I added a cheap all-in-one 8” sub under the passenger seat and then all of the sudden it sounds awesome (to me).
Here’s where I am today, I recently ordered the following:
1. Set of four speaker wiring adapters
2. Radio wiring harness adapter with sub outputs
3. 3D printed 5.25” dash pods
1. to experiment with different speakers
2. to experiment with or without a sub and I can tap into the harness for an amp if I want to mess around with that later down the road
3. to experiment with dash speakers in a pod enclosure, or can just use it as a mounting bracket if I don’t glue on the back pod part.
I wish there was somewhere I could buy the polk speakers locally. Hate to buy them online and have to worry about return shipping if I’m unhappy. Best Buy says “Get it in 13 days” wtfWell I will be very interested in your analysis
Mine was doing that after sitting for a few years. I ended up using electrical contact cleaner on the volume knob and it works fine now. I did remove the radio and partially disassembled it to do this.
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