Greetings,

I have a 96 4Runner SR5 with the 6 speaker/stock amp setup.

I removed the stock tape deck and stock amp, and installed a new Pioneer DEH 3200-UB


My 4runner has 216k miles on it, and although it's in good condition I don't want to spend a ton of money on it. However replacing the head unit alone did not provide the upgrade in sound quality I was hoping for.

I am thinking about replacing the front 6.5" speakers for now, and possibly replacing the rear 4" speakers with an adapter and some 5.25" speakers in the near future.


I've been reading every post about upgrading speakers in 4runners I can find, and it seems a lot of people suggest putting component speakers up front.

A few questions for all you knowledgeable people:

• I feel comfortable replacing the stock speakers with coaxial speakers, however I am not a very handy person. Is it a large jump in difficulty to install component speakers in comparison?
• Can I safely assume that the tweeter will fit in the stock tweeter location?
• Will I notice a big difference in choosing component over some nice coaxials? I am going to be using the head unit listed above to power the speakers...at least for now.

Here are the component systems I'm currently looking at:

• Kicker 08KS6502 KS-Series 6.5-Inch Component System with 1-Inch 25mm Tweeter
• Infinity Reference 6030cs 6.5-Inch 270-Watt Two-Way Component System

And here are the coaxial ones I might get if I decide it's not worth the extra hassle to install the component system:

• Polk Audio DB651 6.5-Inch Coaxial Speakers
• Pioneer TS-A1683R Speaker - 4-way - 50W (RMS)

Any help, tips, suggestions, etc would be greatly welcome! Thank you

 

It's a little more difficult to install comps you have to choose a [dry] location for the crossovers and run two sets of speaker wire into the doors if they don't already have them.
that being said you can probably use the same locations that Toyota did for the factory hardware (IDK I'm not familiar with the factory 6 spkr sys.)

If you have the door tweets in the Mirror backing plate after market ones might fit you'd have to measure too be sure. If you don't then yes you most likely can attach your new ones to the flat backing plate but it is a compromise location yes it looks good but there is a slight degradation in sound quality... from an audiophile perspective you generally want to have the tweets within about a foot of the mids (door speakers) for max quality because ideally you want the highs and mids to reach your ears at the same time. With the speakers further apart there is a delay that creates a sonic imbalance but most folks would'nt be able to tell the difference.
Again measure the space to be sure there are some tweets that are actually quite large.

Coaxials are OK but they can't hold a candle to Components the highs are much crisper and the mid ranges are cleaner with the comps. That being said there are some excellent coaxials out there... It comes down to material/build quality
I'm running JLaudio comps but their coax is excellent too the sound was just a little "clearer" with the comps. I used to be a musician so I'm a little ocd about that kind of thing LOL

I would advise you to talk to a few different audio shops... bring a long a CD of music you know really well and audition the speakers using the same HU you have if possible.
It will sound different in the board in the store but it will give you an idea...
Big box stores are not the best places to try this, they are generally too noisy but if it's all you have close by do the best you can... Get what sounds best to you and make sure there is a guarantee/warranty. Some audio shops will let you try the speakers in your car for a few days and return them if you don't like them but they generally want to do the installs to ensure no damage to the equipment.
Hope this helped

btw welcome to the family

 

Thank you for your reply aviator. I'm thinking about going with a component system, the only thing that worries me and trying to replace all the wiring instead of using the stock wires (which I would do if I were to install coaxial speakers).

I'm thinking I should get the Kicker component system I listed above because the description seems to say I can install them as component or as coaxial.

"Three sizes of KS Systems offer ultimate flexibility by providing multiple installation options for the end-user. Desiring a conventional component system setup? KICKER Systems offer the kind of high-end directional sound sought by audiophiles. Want a drop-in coaxial upgrade for the doors? Simply remove the bullet-phase plugs in the woofers' center and screw in the tweeters for a simple, quick solution to coaxial sound and audio realism."


I figure if I get those and are having trouble setting them up as a component system I'm not totally screwed, as I can install them as coaxial instead.


One other question. Do you happen to know anything about Dynamat or other "padding" used with speaker installs? Are they worth the additional cost? Does the brand really matter?

 

Never looked at the kicker speakers but the dual use option sounds like it could be a money saver.
New, heavier gauge wiring will def. improve the sound quality the factory stuff is really too small for the job even with the factory set up. And you can use the existing wires as "pull" wires to fish the new ones into the doors.

I used B-quiet on the doors and it makes a diff. the doors are heavier and close with a nice clunk as opposed to the smash/clank they used to. It's a lot quieter in the truck now. It really makes a difference.
B-quiet is supposedly a better product in testing and is cheaper than the dynamat to boot. You use it to replace the plastic weather shield
I also sprayed the inside of the outer door skin with a thick coat of asphalt undercoating to help deaden the reflectivity of the door metal.
This is the idea behind the Dynaspray product only it costs a LOT less (like 1/6th the price per can).
If you do this make sure you don't get any spray in the window tracks or door lock mechanisms (not hard just be careful spraying). If you decide to seal the doors with a product make sure you lubricate all the locks with a good long lasting product and clean and silicone protect the plugs on the elec. window/locks if you have them, once you seal the doors its a PITA to get the stuff off and get back in to the door guts.

As for brand there are basically two in the audio game Dynamat and B-quiet having talked on the phone to both I found B-quiet the friendliest and most helpful.
for door sealing some folks have tried the adhesive "Ice and water shield" sheets sold at Lowes/HD etc. [I think its a Grace product] Its a similar product but without the metal heavy foil layer of the audio products so it would be slightly less effective but if you are on a tight budget it might be worth looking at.

 

just a heads up on the kicker speakers, if they are anything like the kicker ss components that i am running you still have to use the crossover in coax mode. the little plastic "bullet" in the middle of the speaker that you see in the picture can be removed and the tweeter threads in its place. with my sets you still have to use the crossover.

 

Thanks again for the help.

I ended up going with the Pioneer TS-A1683R mostly cause they were only $50 on buy.com and should be easy to install =)

Would it still be worth replacing the stock wires if I'm powering the speakers with my Pioneer DEH-3200UB?

And you said you used b-quiet AND an asphalt spray? Would the spray alone without b-quiet make a big difference?

 

Good to know. I ended up not getting those anyway, and I'm glad I didn't now cause I don't know where I would have stuck the crossover lol.

 

I would say the spray alone would help... forgot to mention make sure the drains in the bottom of the door don't get clogged with the spray so any moisture in the door can still drain otherwise the door will rot out...

As for replacing the stock wires... I'd say do it that way if you decide to add an amp later you're good to go... on the other hand if you're not really comfortable messing with that stuff just leave it the stock wire will probably work if all you're using is the HU..

 

i put 6.5 in infinity in my front doors and rear panels heres some pics it only took 2 days lol i had to take my sweet time to get them to mount perfectly. all i had to get was 1/2 inch speaker spacers for the fronts and some nuts and bolts for the rear speakers. instead of screwing into the plastic i just trimmed out the existing speaker box traced the location on the rear panels and dremeld the plastic, drilled holes for the speakers and bolted them right in. after posting this i realized urs is a 96 my bad

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50860077@N03/