Speaker upgrade

So while at the car stereo/alarm store to remove the Karr alarm from my truck, conversation got to the sound system in my 2023 DCOR.
We talked about what I was unhappy with.

Wired CarPlay I have to use a dongle to use wireless. The problem with it is it was cheap (under $35) and fails to connect sometimes or drops connection.
He has a fix for that. He has a device that connects to back of HU in dash & will work like a factory wireless would. He can convert the apple play plug to a standard USB to charge phone.

Power. He asked at what volume I listen & I say pretty low to medium. Never turned up so loud you can't carry on a conversation. Do you like boomy base? HELL NO! You like clear high's, soundstage & detail? Yes! He said head unit will accept a small amp that mounts behind the hu but I may not need it based on my listening. He said there is only 1 issue with the head unit & that's a lack of power. I said I want detail, if I'm listening to an acoustic guitar, I want to hear his fingers sliding on strings if that's there. I want to be surrounded by sound in an immersive experience, not blasted out of the truck. I listen to alot of guitars, slide & some jazz. I don't do top 40.

He recommends doing upgrades in stages. He installed the system in my 2009 Tacoma (Pioneer DVD head unit. MB Quarts components & crossovers, no amp & was very happy with that.

He says the back seat speakers are pretty much worthless, I would need an amp for those. No one sits back there so I care more about the dash & front door speakers.

Option 1 would be new new 6x9 Pyle 3 ways in front doors, sound deadening in door & some sort of cone box behind speaker to direct sound into cab. He would disconnect the rear speakers to give the 4 speakers more power if I want. That's my call, he can leave them hooked up too but I'll probably never hear them.

Option 2 is option 1 but replace the dash speakers too. If I did that, may have to do Kicker for the dash mount. He's looking into that.

Option 3 would be 6x9 component speakers in door & dash with crossovers. Lows & mids to doors, highs to dash.

He said #3 would be his recommendation with the amp optional.
Any input? I've not heard of installing the 4 speakers like this but I'm very interested in hearing your take on this.

He likes the Pyle but can use MB Quart like he did in my last truck. He sells alot of brands but has his favorites. He can do Focal when I pointed to that box but he said I better be sitting down for that price LOL.

He said option 1 would be like night & day over the stock door speakers.
Option 2 is good too but biggest upgrade is doors. Dash could be done if I want improved sound. Option 3 you are kinda all in. Door speakers would need to be ordered as a component w/ crossovers.
He leans towards component speakers with separate crossovers like my other truck he did.

Thoughts? I probably won't do anything until after Christmas but will do something.

 

As with anything, it depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go down. I prefer quality sound and prefer to be immersed in it. So I started with Kicker speaker replacements. I was happy, but not satisfied. I found the HU could not power the 6x9's well, so I installed an Alpine Power Pack amplifier behind the HU. This helped, but still lacked bass for a complete sound. So I installed a 10" sub with a small amp behind the rear seats. I was satisfied for a while. I have since removed the HU and replaced it with a Kenwood DMX1057XR and removed the Alpine Power Pack ( the Kenwood has the same power output ) . Now I find the system sounds great.

I did find with the stock HU, the rear speaker outputs were nonexistent. Even with the amp.

I have been looking at replacing the speakers again, to something with better clarity. And improve sound dampening while in the doors.

 

i would also suggest option #3 of a component speaker set.

i've also never heard of anyone liking or recommending pyle speakers. in the speaker game, they're bottom feeders, cheapest price, cheapest quality, cheapest sound. and that's from someone that put together a front speaker system for less than $200...

 

For about the hundredth time connect fronts to rear it’s much louder and sounds better.

 

Thats what I did with the Red Wolf harness so no factory wires were cut. I also went with the Subaru tweeters and Kicker KS speakers in the front and rear. Sounds better to me for around 250 dollars. I'm leaning towards an amp but not anytime soon.

 

Can you expand on how you did this? I’m really not a fan of music always hitting me in the face like it does in this truck.

 

The music would be all around you then. So it would still be loud in the front and the back. You may want to fade it to the back now as it is if you don’t like it loud in the front. But rears don’t do much.

You may need to replace rear speakers then amp those and fade it to the rear more if you want it louder in the back.

 

I started out with a new HU and a 5-channel amp under the drivers seat powering the factory speakers. Still sounds like crap, so now I have to go all the way and get better speakers, add sound deadening to the doors, and add a sub.

 

That was one of his suggestions too. Also suggested the amp & component speakers/crossovers in rear if I wanted. I really don't care about the rears right now.
I have 0 interest in changing the head unit but not opposed to adding an amp to the back of it.

On brands- he offered several besides the Pyle. Yamaha, Infinity, Alpine, Kicker, JL Audio, JBL, MB Quart & Focal
I mentioned Pyle because that's the one he has in stock as a component set-up. I also mentioned MB Quart. Others either don't offer them or he has to order them. I'm probably leaning towards the MB Quart because I have them in my 2nd gen & like them.

 

Sound dampening in doors was the first thing he recommended.

 

I just put the Kicker Key 200.4 amp, Sound Ordinance 8 " powered sub, DS18 tweeters, Infinity Reference 6x9 front speakers and Infinity Reference 6x5 speakers in the rear.
Sounds pretty good to me for the money I spent.

 

First thing I did was the Kicker Tweeter plug & play upgrade, and it was night and day on imaging.

Only thing lacking now was Bass. I didn't want am Amp & Sub Box in the back, so I put in an 8" underseat Powered Sub, (wired to the rear speaker wires behind the HU). Now I have pretty decent Bass. Not great Bass that a box would give me, but surprisingly decent Bass. And because the Sub is powered, using the signal from the rear speakers was perfect. (and can control the volume of the bass)

I never bothered replacing the front door speakers, as they are efficiently paired with the head unit, so get full volume without distortion. They sound fine paired with the tweeters.

** Now they make a 10" underseat Sub. I may buy and put that under my seat someday, and put my 8" Sub under the passenger seat


Kicker 10"

$360 Kicker 46HS10 Hideaway Compact Powered Subwoofer, 10"

https://www.amazon.com/KICKER-46HS10-Compact-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B083M9HR4D?crid=3I41T0V092Q0G&keywords=10+powered+subwoofer+car&qid=1702083983&sprefix=10"+powered+sub,aps,107&sr=8-5

Boss 10"

$110 BOSS Audio Systems BASS10 Amplified Car Subwoofer - Low Profile, 10" Subwoofer, Remote Subwoofer Control, for Vehicles Needing Bass with Limited Space, Remote Subwoofer Control

https://www.amazon.com/BOSS-Audio-Systems-BASS10-Amplified/dp/B08SZC681D?crid=3I41T0V092Q0G&keywords=10+powered+subwoofer+car&qid=1702083983&sprefix=10"+powered+sub,aps,107&sr=8-3&th=1

 

for the 75th time, it sounds better to disconnect the rear speakers and run full active to the front speakers like a real audio system.

 

You mean, literally going to my stock SR5 disconnect, the two rear speakers, and put the fade all the way to the front speakers? For the 2000th time ? Help lol Back

 

I like the powered sub option, will the 10" 's fit under both seats?

 

Option 3. I started with Option 2, then on a whim I got rid of all of my aftermarket fronts and went components. It was night and day all over again.

Only if you mod the passenger seat. Here is the weirdest quirk I have found about the Tacoma - the passenger seat has a strange cross-bar underneath that reduces any clearance. I have no idea why. The driver's (non-powered) has no such bar. Any 3 inch sub box will fit under the driver, I have the Cerwin Vega 10" and enjoy it much more than I thought I would for a budget compact.

Lemme tell you, if I have had a rough day at work, I crank my aftermarket seat heater and then I pump the volume on some Metallica's One or another double-bass drum kicker, and hey, free butt massage on the commute home.

 

I disconnected my rear speakers and never looked back (pun intended). Now my front components speakers image nicely. Soundstage is near the upper part of the windshield just below the visors but it’s still a nice effect. I would highly recommend this setup.

I run a modest Alpine 5 channel amp but the Sony HU is set to ‘front 2 way’ so I have precise control over the (Audio Control) tweeter and mid bass loudness, crossover points, equalization etc.

Now for the 1,000,000th time, Plye and MB Quart are not the brands they used to be. You can do better.

 

I'm running Kicker Key 200.4, Key 500.1, JL Stealthbox, Focal RCX-165, Focal RSE-165, factory head unit. Also have inner doors and back wall sound deadened with second skin damplifier pro.

Sounds really clear with very good bass. Wish I had apple car play and possibly gone with 6x9 components or even 3 ways with a bigger amp and new head unit. The 6x9's would provide more mids/base, but the Focals are very clear and sound darn good for the price.

Don't get Pyle. Kicker speakers are meh imo too. I would look into CDT speakers or possibly something from Polk, Alpine or others.

If you're on a budget I would do deadening, head unit and then speakers. Amps and subs would be last recommendation.

This little 8" powered sub pounds and will fit in the storage cubby. Under $300 too.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_575P3008P/Rockford-Fosgate-P300-8P.html

 

I'm also on the RSE's. They are indeed awesome on the highs and mids, but I'm glad I have something filling in the lows to help their weak spot. That's what I get for getting a set of cheap Focals, but, they are still Focals, and wow are they clear where it counts.

 

Dont know, but think the 10" will NOT fit in the passenger side, but that's just my guess. I believe the drivers side is slightly bigger.

You can take the measurements from the Subs below and measure under your seats.

They appear to around : 14” x 12” x 3" give or take...