So, I blew a speaker in my truck...

[mrsilv04]

Well, when they're 9 years old...

I'm going to start upgrading one item at a time. It is a 2004 Chevy Silverado Ext. cab. It has the steering wheel controls as well.

The door speakers are 6.5", and the speakers for the extended cab are 4x6's. That's all that it has right now. I am willing to do minor mods, but I'm not going to cut the truck up over this.

I've blown the driver's door speaker. Looking at these right now. These will install by redrilling the mounting holes in the door.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A0LYU2S/

This is a 4 way speaker. Pioneer sells the same speaker in a 3 way model. Is a 4 way overkill? The way that GM has this truck set up, these are the speakers that are doing the most of the work, and I assumed a 4 way would be the way to go. Am I wrong?


Next would be the rear door speakers.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A0M0PXA/

At this point, I have $110 invested in speakers, adapters, and foam speaker baffles for the rear speakers.

Head unit would be after that (along with the $50 adapter to reconnect the steering wheel controls). I'd like to use a double DIN unit to keep it the same size in the dash. Are there any drawbacks to that strategy?

Right now, this is the head unit that I'm considering:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113DPX500B/Kenwood-DPX500BT.html

Along with the head unit, I'd make provisions (run the wiring) to add a future sub box under the seat in the extended cab area.

I'll be doing all of the labor myself, and at this point, I've spent a little less than $400.

The head unit will need an aux input for my XM Roady 2 satellite radio.

So.... where am I making my mistakes? It has been 20 years since I've put an aftermarket car stereo in. Some things have changed, but some are still the same.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Does it have the Bose system? My 2004 does and when I put my Pioneer head unit in, I had to get some controller box with it because of the Bose system. All the original speakers still work fine so far.

 

[gregk24]

My dads silverado blew out all 4 speakers, he doesnt even turn them up loud.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
My dads silverado blew out all 4 speakers, he doesnt even turn them up loud.


Yeah, sure.

 

[mrsilv04]

No Bose system.

But I forgot to mention that it does have factory tweeters installed in the front doors.

For some reason, that's how the local dealer ordered them. It is the stock head unit (CD player), but with the steering wheel controls and tweeters in the doors. Bose systems have the tweeters in the A pillar, IIRC.

 

[eljefino]

If you substitute a 4-way for a 3-way the crossovers will take some volume away (all else being equal.) Of course you could and probably should do both front speakers as a pair anyway so they sound the same.

 

[sciphi]

I would order from Crutchfield, if nothing else to get everything needed in 1 order. Their tech support is top-notch, too. I needed help matching wires installing a Bluetooth radio into our Fit, and their tech walked me through it. As much as I like Amazon, for the small premium Crutchfield offers a better equipment and support package IMO.

 

[JustinH]

I have been ordering from Sonic Electronix for years, they are very good.

 

[Spazdog]

I've used those 4 ways before. Couldn't really make out much difference over an okay 2-way:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113KFC1620/Kenwood-KFC-G1620.html?tp=95#customer-reviews-tab.

....but for a few dollars more, you could get Polks.

 

[mrsilv04]

Unfortunately, buying everything from Crutchfield will add about a $100 premium, on less than $400 of equipment.

I'm just not seeing the benefit right now.

 

[dparm]

Unless you are going to replace the tweeters AND cones in BOTH doors with timbre-matched component speakers, I would just find a used OEM speaker.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Unless you are going to replace the tweeters AND cones in BOTH doors with timbre-matched component speakers, I would just find a used OEM speaker.


This is what I'd do, especially if you're leaving the head unit stock. I'm not audiophile, but I've done a few iterations (stock HU, aftermarket speakers; aftermarket HU, stock speakers; etc.) and the worst combination was the stock HU with aftermarket speakers. In more than one car, the stock HU just couldn't put out enough juice to make the 2-way and 3-way speakers enjoyable, and you'll risk damage if you raise the volume to compensate.

As a comparison, the stock speakers in both my old Toyota, Ford, and Subaru sounded much better with a new, more-powerful HU, putting out maybe 22W RMS.

Another thing I noticed going from stock to aftermarket HU and speakers, was that, without an amp (a lot of aftermarket speakers can and should be fed a lot more juice than an aftermarket HU can put out,) the sound was not at all well-rounded, with mismatched highs, mids and low-range frequencies. In fact, Polk DB coax's lost a lot of low-range, though I got used to it and actually prefer'd the mellower mids and silky highs it produced compared to the muddled stock speakers. Personally, I'd rather better clarity/fidelity than booming base, but that may not be every one's preference.

Case in point, a lot of the hoodlums around here have their stock base turned all the way up to the point where every one in a 2-block radius can hear how distorted and muddled it sounds. I've heard similarly bad multi-thousand $ systems, too, so...

 

[mrsilv04]

To clarify --- I am going to replace the speakers in *both* front doors... not just the blown one.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
To clarify --- I am going to replace the speakers in *both* front doors... not just the blown one.


Great. Replace the tweeters as well. Go for a component system with an external crossover. Find a local car audio store and listen to as many as you can, then buy what you think sounds best. Everyone's ears are different.

If the truck has rear speakers, replace those too. Typically OEM speakers have very low impedance (1 or 2 ohm) so that the head unit's built-in amp can drive them. If you run aftermarket speakers (typically 4-8 ohm) up front with OEMs in back, it will be very bad for the amp.

 

[mrsilv04]

OK... I'm learning. Now going to use a component system for the front speakers. It only makes sense to replace what is there, since it came from the factory with components in the front doors.

And I'll replace the rear speakers as well. The speakers will be on this paycheck. I'll try that for a while, but I'm betting that there will be a new head unit will be on my next paycheck.

 

[mrsilv04]

I went to Best Buy tonight...

Wow. Was that ever a colossal waste of time. They barely had any speakers mounted in the display.

Are they in $$$ trouble again?

 

[Jimmy9190]

It is tough sometimes at Best Buy. Maybe try a different location if there is one and it's not too much trouble to get by there. Some Best Buy stores have a good car audio display, some don't. I guess it all depends on the individual store's management. Best Buy typically does not put splits (separate component speakers) on display. It could be too much trouble or maybe they want to keep the displays simple.

I went to a Best Buy today too. I find it weird and difficult that they have 9 or 10 different radios and about as many pairs of speakers on 3 different display boards, yet only one radio in each board is actually connected so you can hear how it sounds. I can understand though that many manufacturers put the same guts in each of their different decks, they all have the same power output, tone controls, USB/Ipod features, same radio tuner and presets, etc. The difference is in the smart phone, blue tooth, Pandora, app control features, etc that each different deck has. I guess the cost of the display is lower and it is easier to maintain but it is still aggravating.

You might do better to stop by a good independent car audio shop. You will generally get better service there but the prices may be higher. If you buy from Crutchfield, you could give them a call and see what they recommend for your truck. Crutchfield has a good return policy if you need it, 60 days but they deduct shipping from your refund.

 

[mrsilv04]

This is why that I tolerated the stock head unit and speakers in my truck until now. It's too much of a hassle to replace it.

We used to have a local car stereo shop... it was "the place" when I was in high school in the late 80's. Kids that I went to school with, would go there and spend several hundred dollars of Mommy and Daddy's money in one visit. I think the money pit brand that they sold was Nakamichi.

I used them one time, and had them install a pair of speakers, and they (in their infinite wisdom) shorted out my head unit. Then they got to remove my head unit, send it in and pay for the repairs, and then reinstall it.

And that was the first and last time I ever used them for anything. They don't even do car stereo anymore. I'm not sure how they're still in business today.

The local car stereo shop that we have now, also sells 24-26-28 inch rims, and all sorts of trashy car bling. I don't go there.

 

[gathermewool]

If you're not going to be installing a new head unit or wiring in an amp (using high-level inputs feeding off of your speaker wires,) then I'd recommend against a component system. With that said, I'm not familiar with your setup, and could be wrong. It could be that your OEM HU is really robust, but I doubt it.

Also, and please don't take this the wrong way, but if you don't have the spare cash in your recreation fund, then it might make more financial sense to unplug the blown speaker until you can find an OEM replacement for cheap online or at the junk yard.

 

[gathermewool]

In case you're still looking, these are on sale at Best Buy for cheap:

Pioneer A-Series 6.5" 3-Way

RE: CRUTCHFIELD:

With so many Youtube videos and How-to's online, I'm not so sure paying the Crutchfield premium is still worth it, at least for me. Back when I was in highschool, with limited funds (whatever I made at the construction yard over the summer, and then the local gas station when I was old enough to drive myself to work for the late shift) and experience (or experienced friends,) I ended up paying the additional money for at least one component from Crutchfield - some Polk speakers or a Pioneer HU, I can't recall.

Being a newb, I remember being on the phone with the Crutchfield support guy for over an hour trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with my setup. I didn't want to short anything out, so I was wary of hooking the battery back up until I was sure. The support guy was amazingly patient and knowledgeable, and walked me through the setup until I was satisfied I hadn't screwed anything up. In that scenario, I was happy to pay the premium. Now, with a base level of ICE knowledge, no way.