if you install a seperate amp i would run 16 awg to the speakers from the amp. i just got finished doing it to my 99 and it really was not that bad at all. it is just a bit tedious fishing the speaker wire through the boots in the doors where all of the other wires go. i just used a coat hanger and some electrical tape and that did the trick.

 

that looks great many mods.

i'm gonna install the speakers myself in a few weeks to get my tax return. i may end up putting the sub in at the same time if i get as much back as i hope

 

Just installed Infiniti Reference speakers, 4 inch in the rear doors, and 6.25 inch, in the front. Even using the stock radio, it sounded much better than stock.

mochoajr

 

just wait till you change the head unit!

im still on stock speakers and man.. its incredible. cant turn the volume up too high yet as im afraid to blow them. cant wait to have worthy speakers to match...

 

There have been many threads about all of this. If you are not mechanically inclined, see if there is another 4Runner owner living near you who is experienced and willing to help you, otherwise try your best to find a good install shop, but I don't have much faith in these stereo shops. I too did not want to use an external amp so I used a more efficient speaker. The Reference Series speakers are more efficient than the Kappa's. I used the 6002si (shallow mount), but you could use the 6002i speakers too without a problem. The 1001t tweeters are 1" and if you do it right you can install them to look factory. I used the 5002i (5.25") speakers and made an adapter out of plywood and they fit beautifully. I got the template somewhere on this board and modified it to improve the fit. I would like to try another set of 6002's sometime, but that is a very controversial subject here. I am very fussy about wiring installations, but if you know something about soldering, if you have a good crimping tool and have products like shrink tubing, ring and spade connectors you should be all right. TAKE YOUR TIME AND BE NEAT. Also, if you are a novice, the CRUTCHFIELD installation manual is a good primer. Have fun.

 

My rig has the infinity reference series component speakers up front. The tweeters have been blown in them for a while, and I don't run my system at excessive volume. Others have reported similar problems with bad tweeters from them. They are very good speakers for highs and lows though, if you dont get some bad tweeters. My personal preference is for a slightly meatier mid-range, so I am not terribly happy with the infinities. I want to get new speakers front and read, but I don't really know who makes the speaker I am looking for.

I replaced my circa 98 alpine head unit with a new nakamichi CD-400. The Nak is phenomenal by comparison. I have not yet been in a vehicle with one of the new super high end alpine head units yet, or with similar amps, speakers, or sub for that matter, so I can't make a really fair comparison. The CD-400 is priced around the range of the new high end alpine head units. One thing I really like about my nakamichi is that it looks like it was meant to be in my 96 limited. The face is black, and when the display is set to green the illuminated ring around the volume knob complements the illuminated rings around the ignition and cigarette lighter very nicely. Another thing I really like about it is that it is free of all the gimicky useless features you see in most of the new head units these days.

 

My tweets are fine so far and I agree with you 100% about the mid-range deficiencies of the Reference Series speakers. I have heard from audiophiles that Boston Accoustics makes great speakers.

 

I want to update my installation information on the two BassLink subs I have in the back of my 4Runner (see pic). Configuring them to fire out instead of up has proven to create a top heavy condition so that they topple over sideways when I whipping around in those high-G turns, so I am going to make another bracket that will be a quick disconnect and will tie the two units together. When I get that done, if anyone cares, I will post another picture.

 

I want to emphasize a point that we were half heartedly discussing in this thread, and that is how important it is to be patient and continue to experiment and study the equalizer and crossover settings on the Alpine head units. I am constantly working to figure out how one adjustment affects another and every day I come up with something that makes a difference and every day the sound reproduction improves. Every day I learn something new about how to interplay the various settings, one with another, so … do not give up thinking that what you have is as good as it is going to get or that you need more power and bigger speakers. That maybe true in some applications but if you have the Mosfet amp with 60x4 or 50x4 watts of power and some good efficient speakers, you will be amazed at how much you can get out of one of those Alpine headunits. I am sure there are better decks but most of us are in the $300 - $500 range and Alpine makes a smokin’ unit IMHO.

 

I have an Alpine headunit as well, the cda-9811. What settings do you currently have on your 9813? I'm still in the testing phase, and would like some ideas on how to get the most out of my headunit and speakers. What kind of amp do you have? I'm also trying to get the most out of my amp (mrd-m300), and I think I've almost got it.

 

Javin -
I do not have an amp because my unit has the internal amp, but I doubt that matters that much, although you can potentially get much better sound out of your system with external amps depending upon the speakers you use and the specified crossovers of those speakers. I also have the two BassLink self-powered Subs so, again, I do not need an external amp. I will try to explain where I am with my settings but it is not a short answer and is still a work in progress.

The first thing I did is to make up some sheets of paper to record settings on. I pretty much used the format on the i-Personalize website. For the EQ settings I put three on a page and there are six presets so I am using two pages. It looks like this:

EQ PRESET #1
Band 1 2 3 4 5
Width
Level

For the Sub, Front, Rear Crossovers I did the same with all six on one page:

Sub Rear Front
Freq
Width
Level

I looked at the characteristics of my speakers as they relate to the accoustics of my 4Runner interior and decided that I am weak in the midrange area I also looked at where various instruments and vocals fall within the frequency range.

Vocals and voices fall into varioious freq ranges:
Male vocals - 500Hz
Vocals - 2kHz
Human voices - 3kHz
Human Voices (Hot) - 8kHz - 12kHz

You can analyze other areas and instuments in the same way.

The 1000Hz range is an area of critical concern because it can create annoying sounds made by snare drums, cymbals, bells, etc. Cymbals are also emphasized at the higher end around 5kHz and 16kHz. Obviously, the lower end is where your bass sounds reside so you have to decide where you want the peaks to be within a range and how those frequencies spill over on to each other. The width and slope (boost or cut) will directly effect where the strongest sounds within frequency ranges are heard. I can go on and on but there is information available on the web and if you do some homework and start thinking about it you can start to make sense of it all.

Let me give you some starting points that work for me ... right now.

Band 1 2 3 4 5
Freq 80 200 630 2.5 8

Freq 100 500 1.2 3.2 8

Freq 160 630 2 5 12.5

Now you need to play with the width and slope. You want to end up with a pretty much flat line but I am now playing with variations within areas that create annoying sounds that fight within the listening area by cutting level and narrowing width, not necessarily together but lets say cutting the low end level and narrowing the high end width.

As for the crossover settings, I know my front 6.5" speakers are at about 80Hz and the 5.25" rears are at about 125Hz. The 10" subs are at about 80Hz. I am learning that I cannot set the front and sub levels the same or they fight each other so I am playing with settings like this:

Sub Rear Front
Hz 63 125 80
dB/Oct 2 0 4 (next setting try reversing these settings)
dB 0 0 0

Hz 80 125 80
db/Oct 4 0 2 (next setting try reversing these settings)
dB 0 0 0

Hz 100 125 100
dB/Oct 2 0 4 (next setting try reversing these settings)
dB 0 0 0

I am still working on these settings. Remember, when you change one thing it most likely has an affect on other settings in your EQ.

I tried spacing the settings charts in this post but the final results do not recognize the spacing so I hope you can make sense out of it. I think the important thing to do is to learn the frequency ranges where various musical instruments fall and work around that according to what YOU hear. Also, the time delay feature in the Alpine decks can really help you realize a bakanced and centered theatre. These settings are strictly my own preferences and I am still working on seeing how good I can get the settings. Sometimes I make headway and other times I take a step back. Although I am not an audiophile, I am very pleased in general with my progress. Good luck and have fun.

 

Wow, I think the 9813 has a lot more settings to mess with than the 9811. I am also using the MOSFET insternal amp, 50x4, for my 4 speakers...the amp I was speaking of is for my sub. Thanks for input and suggestions. I think I'll start playing with the settings from the starting points you gave me. Thanks again!

 

It is my pleasure and I hope I am helping. I love this stuff, although I know nothing about it. I also think there is value in sharing our experience and progress with equipment like this, just as with engine and suspension parts. I have to restrain myself from wanting bigger and better equipment; I mean after all, how good can you make Lawrence Welk and Peter, Paul and Mary sound?

I admit it takes effort to sit down and type out the amount of information I gave you but my attitude is, if it helps and if I get feedback it is worth it. Keep in mind what I said about "fighting". The sounds emanating from the various speakers should create an overall balance and complement each other instead of standing out as almost unrelated sounds. I think, when it comes to subwoofers, kids go for that chest thumping ear throbbing sound that smacks you on the back of the head instead of what I like which is to be immersed in the sound with the feeling that it is wrapped around you instead of coming from any one location. However, the sound stage should have its main thrust coming from in front of you.

 

Haha...I'm not looking for the " ear throbbing sound" in which you described for subwoofers, but rather "the sound with the feeling that it is wrapped around you." I feel I'm lacking midbass. I think it might be due to the foam baffles I installed with the speakers...I might have to make a cut out for better bass response. I'm also planning on installing some vibration damper. I can hear a lot of rattles from the component speakers in the doors alone, which might be contributing to loss of midbass response. My choice right now is second skin. I can get a good deal on a 50 sq ft roll of damplifier for about $70. Any experience with vibration damping/sound deadening?

 

I have used a lot of Super Dynamat which can easily add tons of weight to a vehicle, but have never used Second Skin. If I were doing the doors, I would opt for one of the spray insulation materials like that sold at PartsExpress. The rattles are something to definitely cure mechanically, but the mid-base loss might be a matter of tuning. I really can't say for sure but I was able to make marked changes in my areas of weakness through tuning alone.