Limited 2019 Speaker Upgrade tips

I’m contemplating whether to post my 2019 Limited with JBL speaker upgrade experience- it has been eye opening e.g. sonic electronics and Crutchfield are not 100% foolproof when picking/buying speaker However Crutchfield has Amazing customer service! Anyone looking for dos and don’t etc let me know

 

I finished off my front 6x9 speaker install with this little touch:

 

Please post your experience so that others can learn from your trials and tribulations

 

So my journey began bc my front dash speakers were cracking distorting at volume 30 so bad that I was losing my mind. I thought I might just do the entire Amp- Speaker upgrade like I’ve done on couple boats with JL Audio stuff. I found out quickly that such a venture would be over $2-3 grand bc of two things- you need to keep the JBl Amp in the car- AND the speaker wires are 18 gauge which can nicely handle only 75w rms and so you should really upgrade speaker wires. ( I will admit 75w rms is more than enough for 85% of us) Remember, every great sound systems need good quality AMP-Speakers AND Wires! I’d use 12-14 gauge if it was easy to run like in a boat and one simple Amp.. so I began to mull my options…

 

Why are you contemplating? More knowledge for us all is always a good thing.

Which speaker did you get? How to the sound?

 

I’m new to Auto tunes so I made an intial mistake bc Sonic Electronic claimed the little JL Audio 2 1/2” speakers worked. And SO lesson one- when Crutchfield or Sonic say a speaker works in your car they are only referring to if speaker fits the existing factory hole/space. I checked before installation and I realized i needed to know the specs of speakers and the JBL system, esp Impedance- and the JLs were 4 ohms. It took two separate searches and two calls to confirm the JBL system in 4Runner is a 2 ohm system- the JLs are 4ohm.. Loss of volume for a currently medium power system would not work. After a search to find 2ohm dash speakers- which are 2”” ended with 3.5” Audio Connects. Installation was easy but required cutting of existing factory speaker metal harness. Tip 2: Sonic DOES NOT include the correct direct connect wiring harness with their speakers! -I cannibalized old and new too get dash speakers in.. it happened again when I purchased 6.5” speakers a couple weeks later from Sonic. Additionally. If not for Crutchfield tech support I’d have been done.. during cannibalizing I needed to connect Purple green-light blue wires together to black/whites from new and old
wires- I couldn’t figure which one was positive and which were negative.. Sonic Tech had ZERO clue— Crutchfield agent read out off Toyota wiring diagram that Purple was positive- I knew the Id order everything from Crutchfield after the call— AWESOME tech support.

 

I'm looking at an $1000 Alpine head, 6x9 rear door and hatch speakers and JL 6x9s subs in front doors. I know the hatch has around 8" in a mount that looks like 6x9s or 10" sub woofer will fit with a little modification. Take the JBL sub box out and mount a 100w Bazooka tube or Alpine compact sub or what works with one end 2" from the panel or something to reverb off of possible. I had Bazooka tube that plugged into my xB radio and it was pretty awesome. I thought I might mount on rear fender trim panel close to hatch or vertically mount 2" from floor in a back corner to keep storage space. I haven't looked what Crutchfield has now. Matching the ohms and wattage is main thing. I'm not sure, but I believe the door speakers are in a modifiable mount to. I have never had a problem with Alpine amps or heads since the 80s and properly matched is the clearest, crisp sound I have heard compared to anything else. Everything has always plugged up and worked. As you see I been planning for replacement to. You could run 4 channel amp for rear speakers and not run wire to far and 4 channel up front for doors and tweeters. I would use 10 gauge for less amperage drop myself. I thought about two 8" subs in rear hatch, no sub box. With 6x9 tri axials in doors, it's going to be more already. Plenty of room in hatch speaker openings. I think I talked myself into it.

 

Test light with radio power on. My experience so far is the green wire with stripe is power. It is on the turn signal. Cheap $10 test light and see what which one has power with ignition on to the plug. Should have power always with ignition on at plug end or run a separate power wire to fuse box in kick panel.

 

the power positive is purple- ( light green was other choice if purple wasn’t there.. that’s from a Crutch Tech reading Toyota JBl system specs to me- and it worked.

 

good lord- $$$$- the rear door and hatch will fit 6.5” only. For 6x9 you’ll be cutting metal. The front door def 6x9. Don’t forget dash speakers.. the JBL system is 2ohms… not sure about factory basic however much easier to upgrade without JBL.. the rear woof is 8”. If you are pumping up RMS over 80s you’ll need new speaker wires- factory is 18 gauge I believe.

 

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-pYkmD...b3cDmtg3IbCUkifuG_deJq4nM_JjG8lBoChcgQAvD_BwEOk-



S0 how did new Audio Connect 3 1/2 2ohm dash sound? Awesome.. but when you isolate these speakers you realize how little watts is sent to them- the Audio Connects were over kill- I knew it was just a tweeter I just wish I’d figure out better setup… maybe should have got the 6x9 front 1way with it’s separate tweeter package. I believe that is called component speakers— I just didn’t slow myself to learn about it. Component speaker like ones linked here would have been cheaper better option for front door- dash tweeter- HOWEVER the linked Memphis speakers are 4ohm- it was hard finding 2ohms.. just to clarify for those new to auto tunes the front JBL system speakers of front door and dash is ONE speaker in conventional sense. The f door is the bass/woof and the dash is the tweeter.. I’m dont protest to be expert just dangerous enough to try to do myself SO don’t ask where the MID is generated from.. I’m use to 3 way co axial speakers with a sub connect off amp to ADD more base… PLEASE double check everything I say..

 

To finish up front speakers: For front door I used Memphis Audio PRX 6x9s from Crutch. There are not many 2ohm choices so this seemed to be not too cheap not too expensive option. they Fit perfectly AND Crutch provided the Correct Direct connect Metra harness.. 8104s. But be warned- these harnesses are sometimes a bitch and need to be opened up (pic). Bc they were a bitch by the last speaker set I did- rear door- I completely assembled speaker harness and included brackets ( needed for hatch and rear door) before I installed into doors. The Memphis 6x9 sounded much better- controlled and sweet. I’m going to next post how I did my very last door speaker- I always ask myself how can I make this easier and quicker- well by the last door I discovered a HUGE tip you will def want to use- professional or amateur.. I may patent it-lol

 

I would like to say- you must realize my approach will not increase volume- just clarity and sound quality- my music at full blast has zero distortion.. that being said- you should all KNOW sound quality from iPhone using YouTube, Pandora or Spotify or a scan disk can vary greatly.. I have not researched enough to know what has best quality but using say a CD (lol) will be best.