Good Budget Speaker Options?

[Swolzee]

What I'm looking for are some options on decent direct replacement speakers for my factory ones. My listening is probably 80% podcast/audiobook, 20% music. So my goals for improvement are modest.

I figured if there's some options out there that won't break the bank while I've already got things pulled apart I would check into it.

This is the HU I'm replacing the factory one with. Other than that it's the only component I've purchased.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07TK...b_b_asin_title

I would like to set the budget around $200 not including wires and cables. If it's slightly over budget for a noticeable step up in performance that's also on the table. Also, even though I said direct replacement if there is a slight amount of fabrication I'm open to that as well depending on how extensive and for what gain.

[soundman98]

So the biggest issue is going to be that the speakers are half-amplified. The rear speakers, and dash speakers are non-amplified. The door speakers are amplified, and the amp is in the trunk.

This complicates things, as the amplification isn't going to play really nicely in other speaker layouts. So one can replace the speakers, but because of the way the system is wired with amped and non-amped portions, there's minimal benefit.


What are you looking to gain/change about the speakers that the OEM speakers don't offer?

[soundman98]

So the biggest issue is going to be that the speakers are half-amplified. The rear speakers, and dash speakers are non-amplified. The door speakers are amplified, and the amp is in the trunk.

This complicates things, as the amplification isn't going to play really nicely in other speaker layouts. So one can replace the speakers, but because of the way the system is wired with amped and non-amped portions, there's minimal benefit.


What are you looking to gain/change about the speakers that the OEM speakers don't offer?

[Swolzee]

Originally Posted by soundman98

So the biggest issue is going to be that the speakers are half-amplified. The rear speakers, and dash speakers are non-amplified. The door speakers are amplified, and the amp is in the trunk.

This complicates things, as the amplification isn't going to play really nicely in other speaker layouts. So one can replace the speakers, but because of the way the system is wired with amped and non-amped portions, there's minimal benefit.


What are you looking to gain/change about the speakers that the OEM speakers don't offer?

I will know more as soon as I wire everything back up, but I believe that I have a few blown speakers and my assumption being that the factory qualyis likely lacking.

I currently have all but my dash and front carpeting removed from the interior so I have access to everything right now and it would save the hassle of removing things later to tldo the same upgrades.

An amp upgrade is going to be necessary I assumed, I will have to see how difficult wiring the dash speakers will be for amplification. Would component speakers be a good option in the dash?

[LimitedSlip]

For reference, here is the speaker wiring diagram:

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Swolzee

I will know more as soon as I wire everything back up, but I believe that I have a few blown speakers and my assumption being that the factory qualyis likely lacking.

I currently have all but my dash and front carpeting removed from the interior so I have access to everything right now and it would save the hassle of removing things later to tldo the same upgrades.

An amp upgrade is going to be necessary I assumed, I will have to see how difficult wiring the dash speakers will be for amplification. Would component speakers be a good option in the dash?

trying to gauge one's skill level is always the hardest part of recommendation threads like this.

a set of component speakers would likely sound better, wired straight off the new head unit. the difficulty is going to be in the wiring. it's really almost easier to install all new wiring than attempt to maintain any of the oem wiring.

as the diagram from limitedslip shows, there's a splice in the wire somewhere that splits the signal off from the head unit to go to the tweeters and the door speaker amp. the location of this splice is unknown. if this splice was easy to locate, it'd be possible cut it apart, use the input to the splice to feed a crossover, and then maintain the wiring going to the amp and tweeters. but it would require an additional harness to bypass the factory amp.

all in all, maintaining the factory wiring for a new purpose would be almost as much effort as just pulling new wiring off the new radio to the new tweeter and through the door to the new woofer. either would end with an identical end-result, using the oem wiring just utilizes more of what's already there..

i've recommended these in the past, haven't really heard too much feedback on them though, never used them myself. the specs are all middling, the materials are appropriate, and the design/build appears to use well-established etiquette. outside of brand loyalty/preference, i don't believe that there's any reason to spend much more on any set of speakers, or are you going to get much better overall sound. other brands are going to have a different 'tone' or 'color' to their output for various reasons, that's really going to be the only difference between these and any name-brand speaker.

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item...-VSP65KIT.html

[LimitedSlip]

Originally Posted by soundman98

the location of this splice is unknown

I've never gone looking for the splice (D49) but now I'm kind of curious.

Here is what Toyota thinks it looks like and where they think they left it.

But I can't verify that.

[soundman98]

Whether that splice is accessible is a whole other ordeal

[Swolzee]

I just tested the speakers individually last night they all operate and I didn't notice any distortion from being blown.

I'll see if I can't find D49 later today. I wonder how difficult it would be to fish wire in to the dash speakers if I can't find the plug

[LimitedSlip]

Originally Posted by Swolzee

I wonder how difficult it would be to fish wire in to the dash speakers if I can't find the plug

The dash speakers are relatively easy. The grills are secured with plastic tabs and just lift out.


The door speakers are a different matter . . .

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Swolzee

I just tested the speakers individually last night they all operate and I didn't notice any distortion from being blown.

I'll see if I can't find D49 later today. I wonder how difficult it would be to fish wire in to the dash speakers if I can't find the plug

very easy to fish wire through the dash. pull the radio and there's gaps on both sides that are more than adequate to pull wire to the kick panel above the pedals, as well as between the glove box and hvac system on the passenger side.

i ran my wires low, under the steering column, and removed the side dash access panels to fish the wires up to the dash speakers.