Factory Head Unit/New Speakers

[Duffyjr]

Originally Posted by RTexasF
I did it on my '08 RAV4. It worked out very well. As money allowed I followed up with s JL Audio Cleansweep, JL 100 watt per channel amp, and a Bazooka sub I had from the previous vehicle. The initial results were undoubtedly positive but the additions after the speakers brought it all to life.

I paid a pro shop to do all of this and tune the amp, I don't have the smarts for all the wiring.


Which JL Audio Cleansweep did you use? Those seem a little expensive.

 

[RTexasF]

Quote
Which JL Audio Cleansweep did you use? Those seem a little expensive.


At the time there was only one which is now discontinued. Yes, it was expensive but I wanted excellent audio while keeping the OEM head unit. The entire installation was done with stealth in mind. Looking in the windows reveals nothing out of the ordinary. The Bazooka in the rear is hidden by a retractable rear compartment cover.

Here is what I have:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-jEQQo15YxsI/p_136441DSP/JL-Audio-CL441dsp-CleanSweep.html

 

[Duffyjr]

Originally Posted by RTexasF


Quote
Which JL Audio Cleansweep did you use? Those seem a little expensive.


At the time there was only one which is now discontinued. Yes, it was expensive but I wanted excellent audio while keeping the OEM head unit. The entire installation was done with stealth in mind. Looking in the windows reveals nothing out of the ordinary. The Bazooka in the rear is hidden by a retractable rear compartment cover.

Here is what I have:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-jEQQo15YxsI/p_136441DSP/JL-Audio-CL441dsp-CleanSweep.html

I guess by the time you buy a decent head unit and all the harnesses needed to make all the factory chimes, steering wheel controls and siriusxm working that isn't to bad and I"m with you on everything looking factory for all the thieves out there, if I decide I need more power this it they way I will go,.
Thanks for the link.

 

[The_Nuke]

The replacement speakers should be 4 ohm (3 is okay, 2 could cause problems) and have a low RMS wattage value. Your factory headunit likely puts out 15 watts RMS or less, so a speaker designed to work with that will be better than one that expects 30+ watts RMS.

For this application, you probably won't get much extra value by going with the higher end brands. Just make sure the impedance and RMS wattage match your current setup, and that will give you the best chance of success here.

 

[Duffyjr]

Ended up being the speakers. I had my mech install the Infinty's I linked to in my original post. All I can say is wow, what a difference. For now I'm happy with the factory head unit, it has plenty of volume for me. I was worried about the lack of low end but to me the factory speakers were boomy or muddy, the new ones have a very tight low end which might seem like less bass to some and the highs are much smoother.

The whole thing costs me $320 which was $160 cheaper than the audio shop quoted me, most of this was labor, my mech only charged me $137.50 to install them, 2.5 hours.

Thanks for all the replies!

 

[Papa Bear]

 

[RTexasF]

Well done, congrats on the upgrade.

 

[SevenBizzos]

Nice. Yeah, speakers are a first week replacement on older cars. Decent ones really make a difference.