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$250 Gives Great Sound Improvement

120K views 162 replies 49 participants last post by  CB91710 
#1 · (Edited)
$250 x 2 Gives Great Sound Improvement

Well I've been toying with upgrading the stereo system on my 2013 RAV4....

Thought I'd upgrade the speakers, add an amp, and install a sub-woofer.
After seeing the <cheap> OEM speakers I thought I'd try just replacing the speakers first and see what kind of improvement could be had.

All I can say is it was a great improvement to the fidelity and I spent less than $250 for all (6) speakers.....not top of the line speakers but not cheapos either.
I was quite impressed with the improvement.

I will use them for a month or two to see if I want an amp and sub but my initial impression is I won't go that route.
The bass is improved and the highs are much improved from OEM. :thumbs_up:

I'm sure if you want a lot of bass a sub is the way to go but I'm just saying a big improvement can be had by just replacing the OEM speakers only.
I don't need to shake the car next to me. :cool:

Update: 08-01-13:
**Please see my post later in this thread concerning below Infinity speakers!**


(4) Infinity Reference 6032si Shallow Mount 6.75" coaxial speakers (doors)
$79.99Pr
(2) Infinity Reference 3002cfx 3.5" coaxial speakers (dash)
$74.99Pr

Any moderately priced coaxial speakers in all (6) locations will give great improvements IMHO. I'm not necessarily recommending the Infinity 6032si speakers mentioned as I had mounting issues in the doors.
Below are some comments concerning my experience and also some random pictures of the installation.

  • Get some panel and trim removal tools......makes it a lot easier and no risk of damage to door panels or trim
  • Don't loose the small rubber isolators on door clips
  • I had a hard time mounting the door speakers given the supplied brackets and additional brackets that were <supposed> to be for the '13 RAV4. I ended up fabricating my own mounting system using a combination of parts from the speakers and additional hardware I had on hand.
  • I did like the feature of a selectable +3db boost to tweeter output on the 6032si speakers. I selected the boost on all door speakers.
  • Electrical connections on the door speakers need to be brought through the door cavity and protective plastic to mate with the OEM connector.
  • I did use the "Quick Roof" sound deader material on the doors as mentioned elsewhere in this forum.
  • Front (dash) speakers are wired in parallel with the front (door) speakers at the connector of the dash speakers. They will need to be cut and soldered together or the door speakers will not work.
  • No longer a big fan of Crutchfield. :wall
























 
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#3 ·
Good to know...

This was always the first surgery I was making to all my previous cars.. 6 speakers, 1 or 2 subs plus 2 amps... but did not do it in my CRV since in the EX-L, it was a bit adequate and was stuck in the construction of my house.

Usually. I was fabricating my own plugs to fit in the OEM plugs, so when I was reselling, I was putting back everything to original....

Here is something I found....

Toyota Rav4 2013 onwards Double Din Car Stereo Fitting Kit CT23TY35 | eBay

I am trying to get as much info on the Rav4 before ordering it... still running my old CRV
 
#4 ·
FYI....
You really want to think twice before purchasing an after-market stereo receiver.
Amp, sub, and speakers are one thing......
But you will loose a lot of functionality and system configuration by not using the OEM stereo/display.
 
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#5 ·
All I can say is it was a great improvement to the fidelity and I spent less than $250 for all (6) speakers.....not top of the line speakers but not cheapos either.
I was quite impressed with the improvement.
Nice work. I thought Infinities, Harman Kardon and JBLs were top of the line when comes to speaker technology. When you say its not top of the line, are there any speakers better than these you suggest? The JBL on my Camry always sounded good and felt a nice place to be. Did not opt JBLs on the RAV4 limited though since it comes only with the nav option.
 
#6 ·
Nice work. I thought Infinities, Harman Kardon and JBLs were top of the line when comes to speaker technology. When you say its not top of the line, are there any speakers better than these you suggest? The JBL on my Camry always sounded good and felt a nice place to be. Did not opt JBLs on the RAV4 limited though since it comes only with the nav option.
Thanks...

That comment is based on price only.....
I would assume more expensive speakers would sound better?? :shrug:

I spent $79.99 PR....they have speakers well over $300 PR.
 
#9 · (Edited)
IMHO the best bang for the buck is replacing the (6) OEM speakers with something <anything> modestly priced.
I'm not going for competition audio here and don't want to spend that kind of money, thus the reason I started this thread.
The Infinity's I purchased give a great improvement for minimal money outlay.

Just adding an amp/sub with the existing OEM speakers would not help much IMHO.....better bass but you still have the mids/highs deal with.
Sort of like putting in new oil but leaving the old oil filter in place.
Hehee ;)

Plus, paper cones on speakers have a minimal life, especially if played at modest volume and under climate extremes.
Holding one of the Infinity speakers in one hand and an OEM speaker in the other is pretty revealing. Construction, weight, magnet size, yada, yada.

I'm about 95% sure I won't add a sub/amp.......changing out the stock (6) speakers made the big difference I was looking for. :thumbs_up:

btw - the panels and trim on '13 RAV4 are the easiest to deal with of any vehicle I've worked on. Solid construction and easy to pop off and reinstall.
Was actually quite enjoyable working on.
 
#10 ·
Yes and I forgot to add Best price for the buck will always be INFINITY.
I highly recomend them if you dont want to spend too much money on your car audio but want really great sound go INFINITY. they offer really good sound and quality. respected Brand in car audio as well.:thumbs_up:
 
#12 ·
Dash tweeter or full speaker?

I noticed that you used 3.5" speakers for the dash. Aren't the factory dash speakers just tweeters? Is there a factory crossover or do your dash speakers now produce mids too? I have a 2013 XLE and would like to upgrade my speakers but am having a hard time deciding what I want...I was thinking components for the front could cover the dash and door.

Well I've been toying with upgrading the stereo system on my 2013 RAV4....

Thought I'd upgrade the speakers, add an amp, and install a sub-woofer.
After seeing the <cheap> OEM speakers I thought I'd try just replacing the speakers first and see what kind of improvement could be had.

All I can say is it was a great improvement to the fidelity and I spent less than $250 for all (6) speakers.....not top of the line speakers but not cheapos either.
I was quite impressed with the improvement.

I will use them for a month or two to see if I want an amp and sub but my initial impression is I won't go that route.
The bass is improved and the highs are much improved from OEM. :thumbs_up:

I'm sure if you want a lot of bass a sub is the way to go but I'm just saying a big improvement can be had by just replacing the OEM speakers only.
I don't need to shake the car next to me. :cool:

(4) Infinity Reference 6032si Shallow Mount 6.75" coaxial speakers (doors)
$79.99Pr
(2) Infinity Reference 3002cfx 3.5" coaxial speakers (dash)
$74.99Pr

Any moderately priced coaxial speakers in all (6) locations will give great improvements IMHO. I'm not necessarily recommending the Infinity 6032si speakers mentioned as I had mounting issues in the doors.
Below are some comments concerning my experience and also some random pictures of the installation.

  • Get some panel and trim removal tools......makes it a lot easier and no risk of damage to door panels or trim
  • Don't loose the small rubber isolators on door clips
  • I had a hard time mounting the door speakers given the supplied brackets and additional brackets that were <supposed> to be for the '13 RAV4. I ended up fabricating my own mounting system using a combination of parts from the speakers and additional hardware I had on hand.
  • I did like the feature of a selectable +3db boost to tweeter output on the 6032si speakers. I selected the boost on all door speakers.
  • Electrical connections on the door speakers need to be brought through the door cavity and protective plastic to mate with the OEM connector.
  • I did use the "Quick Roof" sound deader material on the doors as mentioned elsewhere in this forum.
  • Front (dash) speakers are wired in parallel with the front (door) speakers at the connector of the dash speakers. They will need to be cut and soldered together or the door speakers will not work.
  • No longer a big fan of Crutchfield. :wall
























 
#13 ·
I noticed that you used 3.5" speakers for the dash. Aren't the factory dash speakers just tweeters? Is there a factory crossover or do your dash speakers now produce mids too? I have a 2013 XLE and would like to upgrade my speakers but am having a hard time deciding what I want...I was thinking components for the front could cover the dash and door.
Coaxials for all (6) speakers........built-in crossover.
Factory is basically woofers in the doors (double duty as mids) and tweeters in the dash.
 
#14 ·
***Attention****

After much hassle and frustration I will be returning the Infinity speakers.
Please do not order or use the Infinity Reference speakers I originally mention in this thread on the 2013 RAV4!

Don't use.... (4) Infinity Reference 6032si Shallow Mount 6.75" coaxial speakers (doors)
$79.99Pr
Don't use... (2) Infinity Reference 3002cfx 3.5" coaxial speakers (dash)
$74.99Pr

These will NOT work properly on the 2013 RAV4.
I highly recommend shopping someplace other than Crutchfield also. I normally don't post negative stuff about companies but they have completely fallen flat on support (which they tout as their expertise) and guidance in selecting speakers for this vehicle.
They are the one's that highly recommended the Infinities.

Here's the issue....
Shortly after installing these speakers I was driving to work and playing a song at modest volume that had some deep bass notes in it.
The speakers let out a horrific thumping noise that scared the crap out of me. I didn't know what had just happened.
It repeated several times over the next two days.

I contacted Crutchfield and they were little help.....
Suggesting the head unit was faulty or underpowered for the speakers. They recommended the speakers for God sake. :wall

I demanded speakers that would work with my stock head unit or my money back immediately.
With no explanation as to the exact cause of the issue.....other than excuses....

They suggested I try the following:

(4) Polk Audio DXi651s 6-1/2" 2-way shallow-mount speakers
(2) Polk Audio DXi350 3-1/2" 2-way speakers

I received the Polk's and I'm in the process of returning the Infinity's.
I installed them and the issue is now resolved........no issues with deep bass notes. The sound quality is just as good if not better than the Infinities I originally purchased.

Here's the problem:
I figured the issue out myself no thanks to Crutchfield....
The stock speakers are 4 ohm for all (6) speakers
The Infinity speakers are 2 ohm for all (6) speakers

This would normally be fine and work with the stock head unit.......but the problem is on the 2013 RAV4 the front door speakers and the front dash speakers are wired in parallel.
With 2 ohm speakers, this creates a 1 ohm load for the stock amplifier.......it can't handle this load and at high power demands it chokes on itself and gives out one hell of a screech.

The Polks (6) are all 4 ohm so we're back to a stock configuration load-wise.

I won't waste my time with Crutchfield any longer.....they have lost any future business from me.
They used to be a really good company to deal with but something has changed over there. Technically they are now very weak IMHO.
From sales to technical people they fell completely flat on not only recommending the proper speakers but figuring out what was the issue when I presented it to them.

Bottom line is stay away from ANY 2 ohm speaker replacements when attaching them directly to the stock head unit on the 2013 RAV4.


btw - I'm getting pretty good at pulling door panels. ;)
 
#15 ·
Do you think the MM651 6.5-Inch Coax Speaker rated at 2.7 Ohms
and the Hertz ECX87 3.5" Coax Speakers ECX87 rated at 4 Ohms
will fit the front and dash speaker without creating the over loading issue as you have with 4 2Ohms infinity speaker? I'm installing these speakers to the head unit as well.
 
#16 ·
4 ohms and 2.7 ohms in parallel is about 1.6 ohms.....
Anything less than 2 ohms (what factory system is) is a risk of overloading the factory head unit.

To avoid any issues I would recommend running similar to the OEM system load of 4 ohms on the dash and 4 ohms on the front door speakers (2 ohm parallel load).

Otherwise, you can install an amplifier and go with whatever the ratings that calls for.
 
#17 ·
Thank you for the update buerkletucson. Sorry to hear about all your troubles. You would assume Crutchfield had more specifications then we do. I'd still like to know what the factory units amp is rated @ total watts per channel and RMS without pulling my car apart. But have yet to find it. I have XLE with NAV option.

I hope I'm not asking a lazy question but I've yet to pull my door panels. Is it possible for you to list the depth measurements for your stock dash speakers and one of the front and rear door speakers? I'd like to know how deep they are total and how far back the magnet goes from the mounting point of the door shell. If its not too much trouble I'd appreciate it.

Also hieplmt, for the Hertz be cautious. There are counterfeits out there. Ebay, is famous for them. I have read they're now manufactured in China instead of Italy. So you may want to stay with an authorized dealer on them or take a chance on authenticity. Counterfeits are easy to produce and sell. CDT, as mentioned by A791005 have authorized dealers in the US. Focal is another excellent auto speaker company but they to have counterfeits out there.
 
#19 ·
I hope I'm not asking a lazy question but I've yet to pull my door panels. Is it possible for you to list the depth measurements for your stock dash speakers and one of the front and rear door speakers? I'd like to know how deep they are total and how far back the magnet goes from the mounting point of the door shell. If its not too much trouble I'd appreciate it.
Sorry...never measured it.
I'll try to measure them when I get a chance.


R u sure the original front speakers r 4 ohm's? This giving a 2 ohm load for the amplifier. Pretty unusual for a head unit to drive such a load.
I would say it's not that unusual at all....in fact some after market speakers are now rated @ 2 ohms.

Yes I'm sure......an DMM doesn't lie. In fact they measured a few tenths less than 4 ohms each.
The front door speakers and front dash speakers are tied together at the connector of the dash speakers.
When installing new dash speakers you need to solder the wire pairs together or the door speakers won't work.
 
#26 ·
First of all, thank you buerkletucson. Speaker measurements, photos and all, wow. Plus the heads up on 4 ohm only speakers. Say good bye to me Crutchfield. You've gone over and beyond sir.

So front & rear speakers are 2 9/16" total depth on the doors and 1 3/8" in the dash. Wow, yeah that is a tiny magnet on the dash. Shallow mounts are pretty much it. Did it seem there was much space between your Polk speakers and the door trims speaker grille? Could a spacer be placed on the door shell, mount the speaker to it and there be enough space for door trim panel to clear? Trial and error I can only imagine but the OEM speakers are a much needed upgrade IMO. I'm gonna tackle this project soon I hope. Maybe even sound deadening material in the doors.

Please keep us updated on your listening experience and systems acoustics. Is it possible we'd be lucky enough to have a decent sounding head unit? It should sound fantastic Toyota CAUSE WE SURE CAN'T SEE THE SCREEN. I figured any of the RAV4 factory systems would need speaker upgrades to get a wider frequency range and better acoustics.
 
#27 ·
So, buerkletucson, is it still possible to get a great sound improvement for only $250?
 
#28 ·
Absolutely.....
In fact the Polk's were cheaper than the Infinity speakers and sound great. :thumbs_up:


Still toying with the idea of getting a powered sub also. ;)
 
#29 ·
This thread inspired me to pursue my own audio upgrade after seeing those really cheap OEM speakers.

I went with AMP + Speakers for mine, still toying with the idea of sub though mounted next to tire, possibly some sound dampening.

I went with the following:

Hybrid Imagine 6.5 Speakers in component mode, tweeters in dash
Hybrid Mirus 6.5 for the rear
Kenwood DAC 8405 Amp (inline power detection) so I didn't have to tear apart the dash.

Sound improvement was fantastic.
 
#30 ·
Great write up and info with pics. Considering doing the same so very pertinent to me.

Had Infinities on my last car and were definitely an upgrade from OEMs when hooked to Alpine amp and Kicker 10" sub.
 
#36 ·
When you get a chance, could you please post your installation experience for these? The 6501's are the exact set I've been eyeing for the fronts, with the 651s for the rears. Also thinking of getting a separate amp. I'm very curious as to where you fit the crossovers and how you put the tweeters in.
 
#34 ·
:rolleyes:Does anyone have a copy of how to remove the door pannel. I searched but could not find one. I am sure it is in the instructions to repair something in the door. I tried on my truck a few years back and broke a hook thinking it was a clip. Just trying to be gentle on my RAV.:p
 
#37 ·
I have something like 18 PDF's I downloaded from TIS when I purchased a 2-day pass.
They are all concerning the front and rear speaker replacement, door panels, stereo removal, and dash speaker removal......plus parts drawings.

If the owner of this forum cares to host these PDF's I'd be more than willing to share them.
 
#51 ·
I installed (2) Polk Audio DXi651s 6-1/2" 2-way shallow-mount speakers and (2) Polk Audio DXi350 3-1/2" 2-way speakers to replace the front speakers and am very dissatisfied. I was getting a lot more bass from the stock speakers. I used the Crutchfield spacers/mounting rings for the 6.5's with the speaker wire adapter from Crutchfield.

For the dash speakers, I soldered the same colored wires like in the picture on the first page and connected the colored wire that was going to the built in resistor on the OEM speaker to the positive terminal on the DXi350 and the other colored pair to the negative terminal. Mids and highs sound decent, but lows (bass) is really missing compared to the stock speakers. I did not use the bass block resistors that came with the speakers either.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#52 ·
I installed (2) Polk Audio DXi651s 6-1/2" 2-way shallow-mount speakers and (2) Polk Audio DXi350 3-1/2" 2-way speakers to replace the front speakers and am very dissatisfied. I was getting a lot more bass from the stock speakers. I used the Crutchfield spacers/mounting rings for the 6.5's with the speaker wire adapter from Crutchfield.

For the dash speakers, I soldered the same colored wires like in the picture on the first page and connected the colored wire that was going to the built in resistor on the OEM speaker to the positive terminal on the DXi350 and the other colored pair to the negative terminal. Mids and highs sound decent, but lows (bass) is really missing compared to the stock speakers. I did not use the bass block resistors that came with the speakers either.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
If you aren't satisfied with the bass you'll probably need to add a sub.......
An amplified sub is easier as you don't need to mess with an external amp.

I ended up installing a Bazooka as I agree, the bass isn't as good with the Polk's as it was with the Infinity's.........the sub definitely gives that bass punch.
 
#54 ·
I will probably end up adding a sub to my system. After a couple weeks with the new system I also have found my amp cuts of lower frequencies, not that the speakers I put in could produce them anyways.

I was thinking of adding a sub in a similar way they place the JBL one with a custom housing on the left side of the trunk area.
 
#61 ·
Thank You buerkletucson for your post and pics about upgrading the speakers.
I just replaced the dash speakers with Polk Audio DXi350 3-1/2. I did not know how to connect those wires until you posted about soldering those same color wires and problem solved. Thanks so Much!
 
#63 ·
Yup! actually bought this for my sequoia. Got a kenwood 5 channel amp and replaced all 4 speakers with Polk Dxi but i was not that happy with the bass and so I got a sub too. I don't want to put in the dash speakers coz the high's were too bright for me. It really sounds better on the rav 4 with the stock speakers on the 4 doors, I like the bass the stocks produce compared to the aftermarket Polk's. But that's just me. Just give it a shot. It really depends on the person.
 
#65 ·
OK, you can now take the title of this thread and just about double it. ;)

Once I got started I couldn't stop on improving the sound.
I've since installed an Alpine amplifier and Bazooka Sub-woofer to my stock head unit in addition to the Polk door and dash speakers described earlier.

I agree with what someone else stated earlier that after-market speakers need an amplifier to reach their full sound potential......driving them from the stock head unit just doesn't bring out the full sound without an amplifier.

It's a pretty sweet sounding system at this point.......tons of bass and full rich sounding system that I enjoy a lot.

You can do a little or you can do a lot to the stock unit depending on your desire for a great sounding system & how much you wish to spend.

JMHO.............but for approx $500 I spent total I have a great sounding system that I bet kicks butt on the expensive JBL system.
 
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