Has anybody replaced just front speakers on a base (not premium) sound system? I know the best results will come from adding an amp and sub, but I've already broken the bank, so I have to keep this mod low-budget ... for now, anyway.

I'm looking at a pair of Kicker 6 1/2" coaxials for starters, which supposedly will add a little bass and overall clarity. I've heard that these have huge magnets ... could this present an issue mounting it in the Mini's door?

Also, has anyone determined whether this system has built-in cross-overs or not? I've seen threads here suggesting that it does or it doesn't, and the argument doesn't seem to have been settled.

I'd like to hear what improvements (if any) others have achieved taking the cheaper way out (no amp or sub).

Thanks ...
Ed

 

My suggestion would be to go for it. Can't say that from experience as I have the HiFi system and am still in the process of picking out my front speakers. However, both systems share the same lower door speakers and frankly they're crap. Cheaply made paper composition, so an upgrade is literally a requirement for loud volumes. Even without the amp in your base system, I imagine it will greatly increase clarity. Wouldn't call it a necessity since your not dealing with as much power, but there's no way it won't be an improvement. Just my opinion... Best of luck!

 

Try to find the most efficient speakers you can. When I did a speaker upgrade to the HIFI I used speakers with a 95 db sensitivity. I did the upgrade in steps. With a mix of stock and new speakers, the factory speakers were louder at a given volume setting than the new.

 

Ok, I'm gonna need some edumacatin' here. I know about frequency response and power handling; and I know that some speakers are more efficient than others, but I never bothered to figure out which is which. I.e., what's a higher db sensitivity vs. lower indicate in reference to efficiency?

 

Crutchfield lists sensitivity ratings in dB for the speakers they sell. Here is their explanation:

I found this to be important with the HIFI amp. I would suspect it is absolutely critical with the standard system.

 

Looks simple enough. Thanks for the info!

 

As recommended by Dark_Chili in this post, I got JL TR350-CXi and TR650-CXi to replace my fronts for about $170. Still waiting to install them when I get back home.

 

Hmmm ... sounds like we can get a noticeable improvement with a modest speaker upgrade and not actually going all-out on top-end speakers. I may be able to do all 6 and still stay within budget!

 

So.....

Are those component speakers in the doors of base systems?

Crutchfield says the tweeters usually require cutting and drilling. Is that your experience?

Do the existing speaker grills fit over after market speakers?

Finally, did anybody run across speakers that do not fit?

tanx

 

I used 6.5" component Infinity Kappas for the bass speakers in the door. The tweeter went to a different location. To do it right, you would put the tweeters in the A pillar if you have a HIFI system. For the standard (not HIFI) system, I'd probably not use them. I definitely wouldn't put a crossover on the bass wires in the door. There isn't much point in connecting tweeters to wires that are carrying mostly bass.

For the smaller speaker in the door, I used a 4" two way speaker with a built-in crossover.

I got some inaccurate information from Crutchfield when building a speaker box for the rear 6x9s. So, I bought the front speakers through Amazon for much less $$$.

I had to drill a couple of screw holes for both large speakers in the door. The factory mounting holes aren't going to match anything else, they are oddly placed.

The Infinity Kappa 60.7cs 6-1/2" component speakers come with surface mounting brackets, if you wish to use them. The hard part would be figuring what to connect them to with the standard system.

On the 6.5" speakers I had to use a plastic protection piece that came as part of the packing material. It was a vacuformed ring that protected the rubber connecting the cone to the rim. Without this piece the foam on the grill would have hit the speaker and muffled it.

The sticky post said the small speakers were 3.5". I ordered Kappa 3.5" but they were way too small. 4" were about right.

 

Looks like I'm going with Polk coaxials all around from Tweeter. 2-ways for the 4 and 6.5's in the front, and 3-ways for the 6x9's in the rear. I was plenty impressed with these, even compared to higher-end component units, especially the 6x9's. And Tweeter has 1/2 off on all Polks right now, which will more than cover their installation charge of $40 per pair. Got an appointment for them to install in a couple of weeks. I'll report on how they work out.