What do I need to do to get more volume out of rear speakers?

Exactly what the thread title asks... How do I get more volume to the rear speakers? New HU? Amp?

I have crappy base 2020 Audio 8" screen. I've installed Kicker DS 6x9 & 6.75 & Subaru tweeters up front. Since installing I'm not impressed with the overall volume (have to crank to max to get serious noise), now too much highs, and still no volume from the rears. If I move the fader more to the rears then it seems as though the fronts get muddy and the volume gets way less... IMO

Was looking at installing key180 but to my understanding that will not help volume from the rear...? Ie. make it more surround and not front staged...


TBH I'm trying to gauge whether I'm gonna remove the 6x9 & 6.75 and just leave it with the stock speakers & Tweeters or spend more money to get it sound like how I want (ie more volume especially from the rear).

Cheers...

 

Which speakers do you have? Any amp or just the headunit?

 

I have crappy base 2020 Audio 8" screen. I've installed Kicker DS 6x9 & 6.75 & Subaru tweeters up front. Since installing I'm not impressed with the overall volume (have to crank to max to get serious noise), too much highs, and still no volume from the rears. If I move the fader more to the rears then it seems as though the fronts get muddy and the volume gets way less... IMO

Was looking at installing key180 but to my understanding that will not help volume from the rear...? Ie. make it more surround and not front staged...


TBH I'm trying to gauge whether I'm gonna remove the 6x9 & 6.75 and just leave it with the stock speakers & Tweeters or spend more money to get it sound like how I want (ie more volume especially from the rear).

 

A new headunit would improve your overall volume level compared to the stock HU. A new head unit and an amp would give you the greatest flexibility. You can then choose an amp that would suit your power desires. There are a lot of highs coming from the front now because the tweeters are producing sound themselves, then bouncing that sound off the windshield. This raises their volume around 3db more than everything else ( i actually think its more than 3db. I have cut 3db and they're still a bit overpowering). When you use the fader, you are transferring volume to a speaker with no high frequency capacity (I have an access cab and those have no tweeter, just a woofer. This may be different with a double cab.) so the sound becomes muddy. As long as you put tweets in the stock dash location, you will have overbearing highs. You would only be able to fix this with the ability to independently lower the gain of the tweets ( a dsp or seperate amp channel) or take them out of the dash and mount them elsewhere. The 6x9s you have are 3way, so you would be fine dumping the dash tweets. If you get a new headunit, I would recommend one that supports iDatalink Maestro and get a Maestro module (this retains factory functions embedded in the stock HU as well as steering wheel controls). If you want rear fill, i would get new speakers for the rear as well.

You do have options.

1) New HU
2) New HU+amp.
3) Stock HU + line output convertor (Audio Control LC2 or LC6 or JL Fix) + amp

IMO, upgrade it all, dump all the stock parts. They really are terrible. You should look into Fast Rings as well, they help tremendously if you have any gap between the door panel and the mounted speaker.

 

Interesting post. Most people mainly care about the sound in the front. The easiest solution is to fade output more to the rear. Have you tried to use the fade and balance controls to isolate each speaker individually to see if they are they all working correcty?

 

Thanks for your input. I’m really not trying to go for a crazy awesome sound system, I’d be happy with a simple overall better sound.

After installing the tweeters I was really impressed with the dramatic change so I ordered the door speakers. Since installing the door speakers the quality has improved but the volume has gone down, also the rear speakers still only get like 20% of the HU power/volume no matter the fade. I understand it’s all designed for front stage.

I think your first suggestion is likely the way to go. Stock HU seems to put 80% power to the front and 20 to the rear. Installing rear speakers really made no difference. I’m presuming an aftermarket HU will balance the power between the front and rear and likely have enough power in the built in amp to make me happy.

 

I had the same issue. Get a new head unit. The stock unit does not have enough power for aftermarket (real) speakers. Sounds much better and is plenty loud. X2 on Idatalink
Maestro.

 

x2

 

I have had no problem with volume from the JBL system. Though I am going deaf from all the loud noise I aloud throughout my life. Just a word of advice from a old guy.

 

Amp to power all speakers should correct the problem .getting a new head unit is a waste of money to get minimal sound upgrade since even aftermarket head units only put out so much wattage . While a amplifier with give you the wattage u need to push the aftermarket speakers .

 

For more volume you need an amp, plain and simple. Replacement speakers will improve the quality, not the volume. Sound deadening will make the most of the "volume" as it makes things quiet. You don't really need rear speakers for the sound stage, but it's nice for passengers..

 

He’s tried that based on the first post. The audio does get much quieter if you fade to back.

 

Which is the reason if your going to tap into an audio wire.. always use the fronts on the Tacoma's.. The signal strength is much greater for the front channels as opposed to the rears.

 

a new head unit with 4x 50 watts RMS is a good start

 

Following....I have the same issue on my 2020 Pro JBL system. The JBL in my 2017 Limited was hundreds of times better than the 2020. I don't know why???

 

I also have a 3rd 400wx4 channel amp for the tweeters, and a crossover under the front seats. I have 6.5in SKAR AUDIO mids in the doors, and 3.5in SKAR AUDIO supertweeters. 3x 10in SKAR AUDIO VD-10 subs.

 

I did the same low-cost speaker upgrade with Kicker tweeters and had the same issue. I added the Kicker Key and went through the calibration, and I love it. It will boost the rear and clean up the sound a bit. I like the stock HU features and didn't want to spend a ton on a new HU to try and recreate that, plus you might still need an external amp to get additional volume.

 

Personal preference. I know it’s designed to be front staged but I prefer to have volume from the rear not just fill.

 

Tbh I went and edited the first post with more information as he was posting that

 

so if I add the kicker key 180 or 200 for example I understand that will give me more volume but the ratio of power from the head unit will still be 80-front/20-rear.

So with the amp, the rear now instead of getting 5 amp pushing the rears I might get 20 for example? The amp still will not even the power distribution to 50/50% but because the rears will get more power, if I then use the fader I will now get more volume from the rear... correct?