OEM Audio + 4" midrange upgrades - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

ft86me · 04-03-2017, 07:47 PM

So back in 2014, I was on a mission in order to find a means to enhancing the audio in the FRS. I found OEM audio + and have been in love with the sound since then. The review of the 400cf can be found here http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77299 . I eventually upgraded to a new head unit by Pioneer, which enhanced the sound even more. I found some upgrades to the OEM audio + system that seemed quite irresistible so I had to call Daniel again. I spoke to Daniel and got the information I needed and place an order not long after speaking with him on the phone for the 4" midrange speaker upgrades for the front and as well as the rear. After a little wait, I had the speakers at my doorstep.

Packaging
My thoughts still remain the same about OEM audio +'s packaging quality. The speakers were packaged very nicely and they seemed very well protected from any mishaps that could have happened through the mail.

Here is one of the rear speakers still in its plastic wrapping and out of it's wrapping with a closer look

This is the front 4" speaker

The speakers
There is a very noticeable difference with the speakers that came out of the FRS and what OEM Audio + supplied. I don't know much about speakers, but just looking at them, you can notice the differences. The quality of the speakers look damn good as well!

rear below.

Install
To be completely honest, the install was very easy. Both front speakers came with the supplied hardware such as a 8mm bolt and new retainers for the bolts. You need to remove the OEM retainers that slip right off. Not that it has happened to me, but I highly recommend hand threading the bolt in and making sure the hole on the dash of the car matches with the retainer from OEM audio + to make sure that you have everything lined up properly. The bolt should go right in and have not much or any resistance at all using your fingers. The speakers line right up with no problem. I would recommend being careful with the resistor that is on the side of the speaker. Be aware of your clearance. The cover/screen that covers the speaker requires a very minimal cut since the speaker is larger than the OEM speaker, but you do not see the cut and fitment is not any different. Their instructions explain how to make the cut with a razorblade. I can confirm that using a razor blade works very well.

As for the rear speakers, the install was rather easy. As for me, it took me some time since I needed to remove my Seibon rear seat delete and both my brides do not provide me with ample space to work. I had to unbolt one bride seat in order to get back there, but anyways, follow the instructions online and you will be fine. There are no retainers to use like the front speakers. The only difference is that you will need to depin the OEM speakers from the OEM connector and slide the new OEM audio + ones in. Easy? Absolutely!

After all that is done, enjoy the sound.

The sound
HOLY BALLS! Is all I need to say. Okay, realistically, the sound is absolutely amazing! The bass is very full and solid, but not overpowering and the mid ranges are absolutely beautiful! Everything sounds even more balanced now with the upgraded speakers. I thought there may be an issue with my head unit and the mid range speakers and that I would need to mess with the EQ, but honestly, I felt that I didn't need to change anything on the head unit. I didn't think that the audio could get better, but I was definitely wrong.

I would highly recommend upgrading the speakers if you want to enhance your audio experience while in your FRS. The price point is fantastic for what is offered and how much how much music comes alive. Not to say before that the 400 system wasn't good, hell, my mind was blown with that, but now I'm even more impressed.

Overall
OEM audio + at it again with A+++ customer service and quality of their product. The mid ranges are now nice and full with the upgrades and the bass feels even better and more solid. Install was easy and the quality of the product is top notch. Do it! You wont regret it.

Any questions, please feel free to ask.

Thank you @oemaudioplus

wulfstan · 04-04-2017, 12:33 PM

What head unit are you using? I am in the same predicament wanting to upgrade all the 4" speakers front and rear. Did you send in your amplifier to be retuned as a 3 way? Thanks for your input.

Clipdat · 04-04-2017, 02:33 PM

Nice review!

I have the Reference 450Q+ system (with the same upgraded rear speakers) sitting right next to me waiting to be installed...

ajcarson11 · 04-04-2017, 02:42 PM

I would imagine you'd need a re-tune to take advantage of the new speakers. So its interesting that you say that you notice an improvement. Thanks for the review!

ft86me · 04-04-2017, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wulfstan

What head unit are you using? I am in the same predicament wanting to upgrade all the 4" speakers front and rear. Did you send in your amplifier to be retuned as a 3 way? Thanks for your input.

I currently have the avic nex 8000. I didn't send it in and it still sounds amazing!

ft86me · 04-04-2017, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clipdat

Nice review!

I have the Reference 450Q+ system (with the same upgraded rear speakers) sitting right next to me waiting to be installed...

Do it, you won't regret it!

Clipdat · 04-04-2017, 07:29 PM

I haven't even opened up the shipping box yet. I'm such a lazy slob!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ft86me

Do it, you won't regret it!

ft86me · 04-04-2017, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajcarson11

I would imagine you'd need a re-tune to take advantage of the new speakers. So its interesting that you say that you notice an improvement. Thanks for the review!

not necessarily, but trust me, there is a big difference. I'm very picky with my audio

hurgh · 04-05-2017, 02:54 AM

I have a 450Q with the 4'' rears as well. I find the high and lows very solid but don't think the mids are too great. Electronic music and hip hop sound great but I'm not finding myself blown away by how generic guitar/bass/drum rock bands come through.

I have it set to flat equalizer with every setting (virtual bass etc) disabled on a 2017 Starlink HU.

Overall its way better than the stock speakers but I felt I should add that I'd had a differing experience with the mids. Maybe I need to mess with the tune to match the music genre.

ft86me · 04-05-2017, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurgh

I have a 450Q with the 4'' rears as well. I find the high and lows very solid but don't think the mids are too great. Electronic music and hip hop sound great but I'm not finding myself blown away by how generic guitar/bass/drum rock bands come through.

I have it set to flat equalizer with every setting (virtual bass etc) disabled on a 2017 Starlink HU.

Overall its way better than the stock speakers but I felt I should add that I'd had a differing experience with the mids. Maybe I need to mess with the tune to match the music genre.

That's interesting. I don't have any issues with every genre of music. Electronic does sound better , but do keep in mind that many rock bands do have preferences in studio when recording and mids aren't really a focus with rock bands through the mixing process. Older music may suffer even more. I've had a number of years of experience with studio mixing. Then again, it's personal preference in that realm. As for EQ , I have mine dialed in the way I like it on my avic nex 8000 so the speakers enhanced my experience. Hope everything works out !

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

willimusk · 04-06-2017, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurgh

I have a 450Q with the 4'' rears as well. I find the high and lows very solid but don't think the mids are too great. Electronic music and hip hop sound great but I'm not finding myself blown away by how generic guitar/bass/drum rock bands come through.

I have it set to flat equalizer with every setting (virtual bass etc) disabled on a 2017 Starlink HU.

Overall its way better than the stock speakers but I felt I should add that I'd had a differing experience with the mids. Maybe I need to mess with the tune to match the music genre.

What sources do you use? Blue Tooth and MP3 files will be compromised perhaps beyond the ministrations of better speakers. Have you tried CDs?

CBThib307 · 04-07-2017, 08:57 PM

I actually just did this upgrade last night. I had the original system that just came with the sub, tweeters and amps so I decided to replace the rest of the speakers. As you mentioned, speakers came well packaged and seemed protected. Here are some more pictures that I took.

Dash Speakers

Rear Speakers

The one annoying thing during the install is the screw for the dash speakers. One of them is right in the corner. My ratchets were all too tall and my wrenches were all too wide to get at the screw properly. I had to use a socket on the worlds tiniest pry bar to get at them well enough to loosen them. More of a complaint for Subaru/Toyota then OEM Audio plus.

As for the sound
At the moment I have the amps and the subwoofer pulled so I can send them to OEM Audio+ to be retuned, so at the moment I can comment on just how the speakers compare to the originals on the original amp and deck. Even just that is an upgrade to the stock system. Vocals especially are much more clear. The door speakers have much better low end then the ones that came with the car, however that is currently working against me since I'm running stock tuning. I'm excited to get my amps back so I can hear how everything actually sounds when tuned properly.

04-03-2017, 07:47 PM	#1
ft86me Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Drives: 2013 FRS Location: Endor Posts: 1,231 Thanks: 802 Thanked 349 Times in 212 Posts Mentioned: 60 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	OEM Audio + 4" midrange upgrades So back in 2014, I was on a mission in order to find a means to enhancing the audio in the FRS. I found OEM audio + and have been in love with the sound since then. The review of the 400cf can be found here http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77299 . I eventually upgraded to a new head unit by Pioneer, which enhanced the sound even more. I found some upgrades to the OEM audio + system that seemed quite irresistible so I had to call Daniel again. I spoke to Daniel and got the information I needed and place an order not long after speaking with him on the phone for the 4" midrange speaker upgrades for the front and as well as the rear. After a little wait, I had the speakers at my doorstep. Packaging My thoughts still remain the same about OEM audio +'s packaging quality. The speakers were packaged very nicely and they seemed very well protected from any mishaps that could have happened through the mail. Here is one of the rear speakers still in its plastic wrapping and out of it's wrapping with a closer look This is the front 4" speaker The speakers There is a very noticeable difference with the speakers that came out of the FRS and what OEM Audio + supplied. I don't know much about speakers, but just looking at them, you can notice the differences. The quality of the speakers look damn good as well! rear below. Install To be completely honest, the install was very easy. Both front speakers came with the supplied hardware such as a 8mm bolt and new retainers for the bolts. You need to remove the OEM retainers that slip right off. Not that it has happened to me, but I highly recommend hand threading the bolt in and making sure the hole on the dash of the car matches with the retainer from OEM audio + to make sure that you have everything lined up properly. The bolt should go right in and have not much or any resistance at all using your fingers. The speakers line right up with no problem. I would recommend being careful with the resistor that is on the side of the speaker. Be aware of your clearance. The cover/screen that covers the speaker requires a very minimal cut since the speaker is larger than the OEM speaker, but you do not see the cut and fitment is not any different. Their instructions explain how to make the cut with a razorblade. I can confirm that using a razor blade works very well. As for the rear speakers, the install was rather easy. As for me, it took me some time since I needed to remove my Seibon rear seat delete and both my brides do not provide me with ample space to work. I had to unbolt one bride seat in order to get back there, but anyways, follow the instructions online and you will be fine. There are no retainers to use like the front speakers. The only difference is that you will need to depin the OEM speakers from the OEM connector and slide the new OEM audio + ones in. Easy? Absolutely! After all that is done, enjoy the sound. The sound HOLY BALLS! Is all I need to say. Okay, realistically, the sound is absolutely amazing! The bass is very full and solid, but not overpowering and the mid ranges are absolutely beautiful! Everything sounds even more balanced now with the upgraded speakers. I thought there may be an issue with my head unit and the mid range speakers and that I would need to mess with the EQ, but honestly, I felt that I didn't need to change anything on the head unit. I didn't think that the audio could get better, but I was definitely wrong. I would highly recommend upgrading the speakers if you want to enhance your audio experience while in your FRS. The price point is fantastic for what is offered and how much how much music comes alive. Not to say before that the 400 system wasn't good, hell, my mind was blown with that, but now I'm even more impressed. Overall OEM audio + at it again with A+++ customer service and quality of their product. The mid ranges are now nice and full with the upgrades and the bass feels even better and more solid. Install was easy and the quality of the product is top notch. Do it! You wont regret it. Any questions, please feel free to ask. Thank you @oemaudioplus

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04-04-2017, 12:33 PM	#2
wulfstan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Drives: 2014 Whiteout Monogram 6MT FR-S Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 275 Thanks: 305 Thanked 111 Times in 67 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	What head unit are you using? I am in the same predicament wanting to upgrade all the 4" speakers front and rear. Did you send in your amplifier to be retuned as a 3 way? Thanks for your input.

04-04-2017, 02:42 PM	#4
ajcarson11 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Drives: 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited (Black) Location: Indianapolis Posts: 511 Thanks: 253 Thanked 206 Times in 149 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I would imagine you'd need a re-tune to take advantage of the new speakers. So its interesting that you say that you notice an improvement. Thanks for the review!

04-05-2017, 02:54 AM	#9
hurgh Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Drives: '17 BRZ CWP Location: Pleasanton, CA Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I have a 450Q with the 4'' rears as well. I find the high and lows very solid but don't think the mids are too great. Electronic music and hip hop sound great but I'm not finding myself blown away by how generic guitar/bass/drum rock bands come through. I have it set to flat equalizer with every setting (virtual bass etc) disabled on a 2017 Starlink HU. Overall its way better than the stock speakers but I felt I should add that I'd had a differing experience with the mids. Maybe I need to mess with the tune to match the music genre.

04-07-2017, 08:57 PM	#12
CBThib307 Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Drives: Raven FR-S Monogram (MT) Location: Baton Rouge, LA Posts: 87 Thanks: 34 Thanked 50 Times in 26 Posts Mentioned: 4 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I actually just did this upgrade last night. I had the original system that just came with the sub, tweeters and amps so I decided to replace the rest of the speakers. As you mentioned, speakers came well packaged and seemed protected. Here are some more pictures that I took. Dash Speakers Rear Speakers The one annoying thing during the install is the screw for the dash speakers. One of them is right in the corner. My ratchets were all too tall and my wrenches were all too wide to get at the screw properly. I had to use a socket on the worlds tiniest pry bar to get at them well enough to loosen them. More of a complaint for Subaru/Toyota then OEM Audio plus. As for the sound At the moment I have the amps and the subwoofer pulled so I can send them to OEM Audio+ to be retuned, so at the moment I can comment on just how the speakers compare to the originals on the original amp and deck. Even just that is an upgrade to the stock system. Vocals especially are much more clear. The door speakers have much better low end then the ones that came with the car, however that is currently working against me since I'm running stock tuning. I'm excited to get my amps back so I can hear how everything actually sounds when tuned properly.

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