[EHinthe604]

Hello all...

I know this question has been asked many times. I checked the fit guide on www.crutchfield.com for speakers that fit my RAV4 (a 2004, to be precise). The site claims that only one pair of non-component 6.5" speaers and six pairs of non-component 5.25" speakers fit the RAV4. However, Crutchfield stocks many more different pairs of 6.5" and 5.25" speakers. I've started to think about replacing my front stock speakers.

Why does Crutchfield limit me to only a handful of speakers for the RAV4, even of the same size? What exactly are the clearance depth limits for speakers? What other factors are involved in determining fit compatibility of speakers (aside from opening size, clearance, depth, etc.) - particularly for the 2nd generation RAV4?

I'm a little confused... :? Thanks for your assistance.

 

[rad]

Re: speaker size... 6.5"???

Depth limits are exactly why the choices are limited. The clearence is .6" I think there is also a pair of kenwood excelons that will fit. Not sure if crutchfield sells those or not. But now that you know 6.5" and .6 depth, you can check other speaker brand specs to see what will fit.
Hope that helps.
-Rad

Hello all...

I know this question has been asked many times. I checked the fit guide on www.crutchfield.com for speakers that fit my RAV4 (a 2004, to be precise). The site claims that only one pair of non-component 6.5" speaers and six pairs of non-component 5.25" speakers fit the RAV4. However, Crutchfield stocks many more different pairs of 6.5" and 5.25" speakers. I've started to think about replacing my front stock speakers.

Why does Crutchfield limit me to only a handful of speakers for the RAV4, even of the same size? What exactly are the clearance depth limits for speakers? What other factors are involved in determining fit compatibility of speakers (aside from opening size, clearance, depth, etc.) - particularly for the 2nd generation RAV4?

I'm a little confused... :? Thanks for your assistance.

 

[EHinthe604]

Re: speaker size... 6.5"???

Depth limits are exactly why the choices are limited. The clearence is .6" I think there is also a pair of kenwood excelons that will fit. Not sure if crutchfield sells those or not. But now that you know 6.5" and .6 depth, you can check other speaker brand specs to see what will fit.
Hope that helps.
-Rad

Thanks for the info! After posting the initial message, and most people have said that they use 6.5" speakers, but have had to contend with interference with their windows. I do not want any interference with windows at all! :?

How about the top clearance? I don't want my speakers to clash with the door panel!

Thanks.

 

[chimchim]

Heya EHinthe604! My take on the depth issue is that you can fit anything up to a 6-1/2" speaker in the hole, you can most probably get any 6-1/2" speaker to fit depth-wise given you use a spacer. I have really beefy door speakers that are "too deep", so they do bump the window. My original plan was I'd put in spacers when I got tired of them bumping... that was 3 years ago! They don't really hinder anything with the bump, and of course I could always put in spacers as well.. I still may someday. You can get them at [HERE], or tons of other install shops, or even make them yourself... pretty cheap to do.

And regarding the front clearance... there's quite a bit there. I'm guessing over an inch or so. The door panels stick out quite a bit away from the door... so I think the front bumping is less of an issue than the rear hitting the window.

Anyways... hopefully this opens up tons of options.. it should considering now you can fit in pretty much anything without the window bump. Hope that helps. Happy RAV'n!

..ChimChim

 

[EHinthe604]

Heya EHinthe604! My take on the depth issue is that you can fit anything up to a 6-1/2" speaker in the hole, you can most probably get any 6-1/2" speaker to fit depth-wise given you use a spacer. I have really beefy door speakers that are "too deep", so they do bump the window. My original plan was I'd put in spacers when I got tired of them bumping... that was 3 years ago! They don't really hinder anything with the bump, and of course I could always put in spacers as well.. I still may someday. You can get them at [HERE], or tons of other install shops, or even make them yourself... pretty cheap to do.

And regarding the front clearance... there's quite a bit there. I'm guessing over an inch or so. The door panels stick out quite a bit away from the door... so I think the front bumping is less of an issue than the rear hitting the window.

Anyways... hopefully this opens up tons of options.. it should considering now you can fit in pretty much anything without the window bump. Hope that helps. Happy RAV'n!

..ChimChim

Hi ChimChim!

Actually, I came across the window-bumping when I was reading your website. 8) I don't deliberately intend to install any speakers with really fat magnets, so I guess I shouldn't worry about window-bumping as long as I use the proper mount kit or spacers.

I actually was at my car stereo store earlier tonight (to have them replace the defective Clarion deck that I bought after Christmas), and I asked the sales guy about the speaker/window interference issue. The sales guy assured me that, with proper spacers and/or mount kits, there should be no interference issue. They said that they can do the job for me for an extra $90 CDN, but I don't know... I might just wait till spring break and make it my DIY project-of-the-week.

BTW, does the window-speaker interference issue apply to the rear doors as well, on only the front?

I'm still debating whether to replace my speakers. As I mentioned in a previous thread, the stocks do sound pretty decent (well, relatively speaking, anything sounds better than the lone pair of 4" speakers in my old Tercel ). However, given that I am now using a high-power head unit and the fact that the stocks are made of paper cones, I don't think my stocks will last too long anyway. :? I might just change the front pair and see what it sounds like, and then change the rear pair later on. Any speaker upgrades won't happen for at least another couple months so that I can pay off my Christmas and car insurance bills first! :x:lol:

Man, I never thought I would be spending this much money (and time) on my car stereo!

Thanks again for the insight and advice!

 

[Mohit]

Trust me, replace your speakers asap. Toyota uses crap speakers in most of their cars. Better speakers will help you appreciate your head unit more.

 

[EHinthe604]

Trust me, replace your speakers asap. Toyota uses crap speakers in most of their cars. Better speakers will help you appreciate your head unit more.

Thanks for the advice.

Maybe I think the stock speaker are good because, again, I was suck with crappy 4" speakers in my old Tercel for nine long years.

I can already notice the limitations of my stock speakers. The high trebles don't come as clearly as with my old Tercel's 4" Clarion speakers. The bass is good and loud, and does not distort (unlike my Tercel's 4" speakers), but I could imagine the bass could be a little more precise after I install aftermarket speakers. Again, I have no basis for comparision at this point.

Maybe after I replace my stock speakers, I will start kicking myself for waiting so long. :lol:

 

[Slayer]

Yeah, definitely replace your speakers since you already did the headunit. My old Plymouth Laser had a six speaker setup like the Rav but the sound quality was way better with the Laser's stock system so I noticed the difference right away. Since you went from bad to good(tercel to Rav), you noticed the good change in music quality but don't yet know just how much better it could sound with better speakers.

 

[chimchim]

BTW, does the window-speaker interference issue apply to the rear doors as well, on only the front?

Thanks again for the insight and advice!

Heya EHinthe604ski!

If I'm not mistaken.. there is no problem with the rears bumping since they do not roll down all the way anyways(child safety feature?). Man.. $90CDN.. I'd do it for a 6 pack of beer Yeah I'm of the breed that thinks anything can fit anywhere, given enough persuasion. Whether you should or shouldn't upgrade is a tough question... I have extremely picky ears, and what I like to do when I hear something "wrong" with my stereo is hold off on replacing it for as long as possible... that makes me appreciate the change more when I finally do get around to doing it. It can be an expensive hobby... but if God takes me off this earth tomorrow, I want to walk through the pearly gates knowing my ears also lived a happy life

Hope your ears get happy soon! Happy RAV'n!

..ChimChim

 

[Becky J.]

If you need incentive to replace your OEM speakers, take a look at just how crappy they really are:

There's more plastic bracket than there is speaker! Just about anything would be better.

Becky

 

[EHinthe604]

Heya EHinthe604ski!

If I'm not mistaken.. there is no problem with the rears bumping since they do not roll down all the way anyways(child safety feature?). Man.. $90CDN.. I'd do it for a 6 pack of beer Yeah I'm of the breed that thinks anything can fit anywhere, given enough persuasion. Whether you should or shouldn't upgrade is a tough question... I have extremely picky ears, and what I like to do when I hear something "wrong" with my stereo is hold off on replacing it for as long as possible... that makes me appreciate the change more when I finally do get around to doing it. It can be an expensive hobby... but if God takes me off this earth tomorrow, I want to walk through the pearly gates knowing my ears also lived a happy life

Hope your ears get happy soon! Happy RAV'n!

..ChimChim

Hi again ChimChim!

Yes, $90CAD (about $70 USD) is definitely a little steep. If I do get speakers, I will most likely make it a do-it-yourself project. I think there are enough resources on the internet, including your site and links from Rav4World, to help me through. I'll just make sure that I have the proper drill bit (to drill out the rivets) and my safety goggles ready. 8)

My ears aren't really too picky, but not picky enough to pick up minor nuances. The biggest beef I had with my Tercel was the lack of clean bass output, even with aftermarket speakers, but mind you, I was only running a pair of 4" speakers on the door panel with absolutely no back fill (no sub, nothing on the rear deck, nada).

Also, my ears are picky enough to notice little details, like high trebles (cymbal crashes, etc.), come out more clearly with the lame 4" speakers on my Tercel than the stock speakers on my RAV4!

Just to justify the need for new speakers, I was just playing with my car stereo after I arrived home from work. I just played around with the EQ presets and the Magna Bass EX, and I noticed that, even though the stock speakers responded to the different settings, they somehow just didn't sound right. I'm starting to notice the limitations of the speakers that others have mentioned on this site (and elsewhere), which I once interpreted as normal or good... probably because I was using the experience with my Tercel as my basis for comparison (albeit a bad one!).

Thanks also for the information regarding the issue of interference between speakers and windows on the rear doors. I think another reason that rear windows don't roll down all the way is that the window simply does not fit in the door, since the rear door on most vehicles (including the RAV4) are contoured to accommodate the rear wheel well.

Hey, maybe I'll hold off on the new speakers and prolong the use of the stocks so that I can appreciate the big bucks that I'll be shedding for the new speakers.

My next debate now is... 6.5" or 5.25"? :roll:

 

[EHinthe604]

Yeah, definitely replace your speakers since you already did the headunit. My old Plymouth Laser had a six speaker setup like the RAV but the sound quality was way better with the Laser's stock system so I noticed the difference right away. Since you went from bad to good(tercel to RAV), you noticed the good change in music quality but don't yet know just how much better it could sound with better speakers.

Definitely, my Tercel is not a good basis of comparison. It was sort of like anything in my RAV4 sounded better than the crap in my Tercel.

I've already replaced the Panasonic (the "stock" that Toyota Canada bundles with the Chili Special Edition) with the Clarion. (There was little difference in wattage, but the Clarion is a much better unit than the Panasonic that I had.) After playing around with the Clarion earlier today, I thought to myself, "those stocks have got to go!!!" :shock:

PS: I do give my old 1995 Tercel some credit though... it lasted nine years... throughout my university years and the early years of work. 8) It had absolutely no problems, except that the crankshaft pulley spun off its outer ring in March 2003, costing me lotsa $$$ to replace, and that the clutch was gone in August 2001 at only 83000 km (57600 mi) because I learned manual on it! However, after getting my RAV4, I don't miss my Tercel one bit.

 

[EHinthe604]

If you need incentive to replace your OEM speakers, take a look at just how crappy they really are:

There's more plastic bracket than there is speaker! Just about anything would be better.

Becky

Thanks for the motivation. From what I can gather, I am now 95% sure about getting new speakers. I'm now debating whether to get 6.5" or 5.25", and what brand to buy.

After sitting in my car at home after returning from work and playing with the stereo, I realized that my stocks are on the way out the door soon! :lol:

PS: You are right... there is more plastic than speaker!

 

[EHinthe604]

speaker shopping

I did a little speaker shopping last night. I listened to some of the lower-end 6.5" speakers. Some of them (even some of the reputable brands) sounded like abosolute CRAP with the volume turned up, which even sounded worse than my stock speakers. However, when I listened to some of the higher-end 5.25" and 6.5" models (Alpine - don't remember the model number), they sounded a lot nicer than the lower-end speakers.

Now I need the courage to spend more money on my car and the courage to tear open my door panels... although from reading this forums and the various links on this site, I'm a little more confident about doing it myself. 8)

 

[chimchim]

Re: speaker shopping

I did a little speaker shopping last night. I listened to some of the lower-end 6.5" speakers. Some of them (even some of the reputable brands) sounded like abosolute CRAP with the volume turned up, which even sounded worse than my stock speakers. However, when I listened to some of the higher-end 5.25" and 6.5" models (Alpine - don't remember the model number), they sounded a lot nicer than the lower-end speakers.

Now I need the courage to spend more money on my car and the courage to tear open my door panels... although from reading this forums and the various links on this site, I'm a little more confident about doing it myself. 8)

YYEESS! I feel the same way when I listen to some speakers that people sware by... Everyone's ears are different, and everyone has different tastes.. so get what our ears tell ya

Also keep in mind that the installation has a lot to do with how a speaker sounds, so it may not sound the same installed in your door than it does in the display room. I tend to never believe the dispay "booths" or rooms are optimal. They just don't have the resonance or sound cancellations of a car's interior. I've been to car shops that had speakers out of phase.. absolutely inexcusable(bass cancels, so it's distorted "tunnel" sounding without bass).

Anyways.. regardless of what you choose, I can pretty much guarantee any speaker you end up with will be better than the stocks Happy RAV'n!

..ChimChim

 

[EHinthe604]

Re: speaker shopping

YYEESS! I feel the same way when I listen to some speakers that people sware by... Everyone's ears are different, and everyone has different tastes.. so get what our ears tell ya

Also keep in mind that the installation has a lot to do with how a speaker sounds, so it may not sound the same installed in your door than it does in the display room. I tend to never believe the dispay "booths" or rooms are optimal. They just don't have the resonance or sound cancellations of a car's interior. I've been to car shops that had speakers out of phase.. absolutely inexcusable(bass cancels, so it's distorted "tunnel" sounding without bass).

Anyways.. regardless of what you choose, I can pretty much guarantee any speaker you end up with will be better than the stocks Happy RAV'n!

..ChimChim

Hi again ChimChim!

I forgot to mention on my previous post that the distortion that I experienced with the lower models strongly resembled the bass distortion that I experienced with my old Tercel (YES, THAT BAD!). :x In fact, as soon as I heard the bass distortion with the lower-end speakers, I even thought about giving up on getting new speakers, an attitude that I quickly abandoned when I heard some of the higher-quality speakers. :lol: Mind you, I did take into consideration that the speakers were mounted on those wooden speaker panels (which don't necessarily simulate real-life speaker use), but the distortion that I witnessed was definitely related to speaker quality and not necessarily the mount.

Right now, if I do get speakers at all, I think I will spend a little more than expected... $120+ CAD per pair - or drive an hour south to Bellingham, WA to shop for speakers, since speakers are generally cheaper in the US (and the exchange rate is pretty good these days). I don't want to waste money and time installing lower-quality speakers. If I want to spend my hard-earned money and precious time to install the speakers, I'd rather spend a little to get quality, not a lingering reminder of my old Tercel. :lol:

 

[animal]

Hey everyone,

New guy here. Great forums and much to read for my '05 L. Since I just replaced the stock speakers, I'll put in my .02 worth:

1. Replace your stock speakers. They have no detectable magnet, and the plastic spacer ring is glued onto the paper cone. Piece of garbage unworthy of any Toyota - even the Tercel. You won't realize how bad they sounded until you put anything else in their place.

2. I bought the Infinity Reference 6002SI on sale at Circuit City for US $55 a pair. That was a steal IMHO. They are "low profile", but the fronts will hit the window if you use them without a spacer. The backs are safe.

3. They don't mount easily in the factory cutout because the cutout is slightly too big. I was able to fasten 3 points using clips over the sheet metal. The front will have to be re-installed with spacers soon. I need my windows to go all the way down.

4. Even with the larger 6.5" size, the system is in dire need of a subwoofer. I haul other stuff and don't have space, so I'm still investigating options.

5. If you install an amp, you'll have to replace the wiring, as Toyota used 20 gauge wire for the speakers. That works for your 20 watt system, but will make a fine "fusable link" for your pro series mods.

6. Hint on the drivers door panel removal: the plug for power windows/locks is a bitch. It's actually easier to unscrew the "receiver" end from the door than to try to release the prongs while the receiver end of the plug is mounted in the door.

Hope this helps. Pics coming soon.....

Mike

 

[TOY]

and I swear keep your factory tweeters on... I put on a pioneer set, they are really a performer.. they are so good they almost tear my ears apart(that's what they are suppose to do though).... but when you are driving around everytime when the singer hit a high pitch people in your car is going to freak out.... so like I said your factory tweeter will do a good job...

for speakers, really ask a professional what is good I got 4 sets of pioneer bi directional... only to find out bi-directional has no bass... I end up getting a woox sub which completed the system...

High-tweeter
mid-bi-directional
low-sub

so I was lucky... but if you are not careful you may hate your new system as there is not as much bass as your factory one...

if you don't need a sub maybe keep your back two factory and just swap out the front two.

 

[EHinthe604]

Hey everyone,

New guy here. Great forums and much to read for my '05 L. Since I just replaced the stock speakers, I'll put in my .02 worth:

1. Replace your stock speakers. They have no detectable magnet, and the plastic spacer ring is glued onto the paper cone. Piece of garbage unworthy of any Toyota - even the Tercel. You won't realize how bad they sounded until you put anything else in their place.

2. I bought the Infinity Reference 6002SI on sale at Circuit City for US $55 a pair. That was a steal IMHO. They are "low profile", but the fronts will hit the window if you use them without a spacer. The backs are safe.

3. They don't mount easily in the factory cutout because the cutout is slightly too big. I was able to fasten 3 points using clips over the sheet metal. The front will have to be re-installed with spacers soon. I need my windows to go all the way down.

4. Even with the larger 6.5" size, the system is in dire need of a subwoofer. I haul other stuff and don't have space, so I'm still investigating options.

5. If you install an amp, you'll have to replace the wiring, as Toyota used 20 gauge wire for the speakers. That works for your 20 watt system, but will make a fine "fusable link" for your pro series mods.

6. Hint on the drivers door panel removal: the plug for power windows/locks is a bitch. It's actually easier to unscrew the "receiver" end from the door than to try to release the prongs while the receiver end of the plug is mounted in the door.

Hope this helps. Pics coming soon.....

Mike

Thank you Mike for your experience with the Infinity 6002si! I bought a pair of the same speakers yesterday from Car Toys in Portland, Oregon, as part of a Spring Break mini-roadtrip. :lol: Unfortunately, I won't be able to install my speakers for another weekend or two due to two assignments that I have to complete. :evil:

Anyway... have you had a chance to put spacers in place, so that your speakers don't interfere with your windows? What kind of spacers do you recommend? I am tempted to have the speakers professionally installed, but I don't mind having a kick at the can.

 

[machman]

I installed a Kenwood 4ch 60W RMS amp under my driver seat and installed Infinity 6000CS components in front with the tweeters mounted on the dash, and 6000CS mids in my back doors. My amp puts out the full range to my fronts since they are crossed over. My rears are crossed over to pick up everything above 160 Hz I think because I'm not using the tweeters or the crossover from that component set. The rears are mostly for fill anyway, so I'm not worried about getting the high notes back there.

I simply cannot believe what a difference this has made in the quality of sound coming from my head unit. I'm hearing things I couldn't hear before and the bass is so powerful you can hear me coming from a block away! AND I still haven't mounted my 460W RMS amp to my 12" Infinity Kappa Perfect sub!

I actually thought the sound of the stock speakers was pretty decent. If nothing else those little 20W speakers were a perfect match to the stock Panasonic head unit. Now it's completely unbelievable. You'd really have to hear it to believe it. It's actually an emotional experience... Crystal clear sound as loud as your ears can handle it.

The only problem is that the vehicle resonates so badly I need to take it apart and put B-Quiet everywhere. I've already got it, I just need a weekend to do it.