[speedtre]

I recently did a speaker upgrade on my 2017 Toyota Tacoma. I was so impressed with the upgrade in quality with the stock HU and no amp I looked into doing the same on our 2016 Honda Odyssey EX-L, whose OEM stereo sounds worse than our 2003 EX-L' OEM stereo.

I contacted Crutchfield and told them I wanted to do a P&P only (I didn't want to get into cutting/splicing wires) speaker upgrade on my EX-L. They suggested I leave the tweeters alone (no P&P option there) and replace the four door speakers with these:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_108P6502IS/Infinity-Primus-PR6502is.html?tp=94

They also advised I swap the OEM subwoofer out. I declined because I thought a sub really would need more power (i.e. amp) than the 50w it gets on the stock one. They said an amp would help but the new sub would still be an improvement. I still declined. Mistake.

Well, the swap was easy, and they sound WAY better...but as the volume increases, all 4 door speakers being 6 3/4 two ways, the lack of bass from the stock sub becomes VERY apparent...these speakers do not put out great bass, better than the stock ones, but they still need more help.

I spent $110 but will probably spend another $100 on a sub (https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206CWR82/Kicker-CompR-43CWR82.html) and just leave stock dash tweeters for a total of $210. If you did decide to throw an amp in later, these will handle it fine according to Crutchfield.

The swap itself is very straightforward and took me about 2 1/2 hours. If I had removed these door panels before I could of had it all done in 90 minutes tops. Just watch some youtube videos on door panel removal first....that helps greatly.

Oh, and the stock Honda speakers were TERRIBLE quality (though not as bad as my Toyota's) The magnets were minuscule and they were
not paper speakers (like the Toyota) but some kind of polypropylene. nsidering this stereo sounded worse than the OEM stereo in our
2003 EX-L and the ridiculous quality of the Toyota speakers I think it's safe to assume we now know where some of cost cutting is coming from on these $35-40K vehicles.

In the end I would recommend it for the cost/effort, but definitely get the sub. I plan on getting the sub and will update this thread after I have with a review of difference. :rockon:

PS...just like with my Toyota, the difference in sound from satellite sources is not that impressive. Where this upgrade really shines is in BT, CDs, IPOD, HDD, USB, ETC...BIG difference with those sources.

 

[Atom]

Thanks for the input I may have to give this a try on my 17 exl.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[speedtre]

Update...well I talked to Crutchfield today and they said that no replacement for the oem subwoofer is going to offer an appreciable difference in bass without an amp which is the opposite of what they told me last week. :huh: Anyway, I'm not up to installing an amp at the moment, so that part of the project will have to wait till my garage is built later this year.

 

[gcretro]

perfect timing. I was planning to change on my 2016 EXL too.


PM
speedtre - how about vocals and midrange? Also what other speakers/tweeters did they suggest?


Waiting for your sub review!!

 

[00 VA ODY]

Like you I replaced the door speakers at Crutchfield but the sound was still thin and tinny. To fix it I put this sub-woofer in under the passenger seat without removing the OEM in the back.

http://https://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KSC-SW11-Compact-Enclosed-Subwoofer/dp/B00BO8O9XQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1507143662&sr=8-5&keywords=powered+subwoofer-

It improved the richness of the sound tremendously. Crutchfield also sells this powered sub-woofer. I did have to disable the ANC to make this solution work.

 

[gcretro]

Like you I replaced the door speakers at Crutchfield but the sound was still thin and tinny. To fix it I put this sub-woofer in under the passenger seat without removing the OEM in the back.
http://https://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KSC-SW11-Compact-Enclosed-Subwoofer/dp/B00BO8O9XQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1507143662&sr=8-5&keywords=powered+subwoofer-

Can you tell which specific speakers did you got from Crutchfield? Did you only replace the front door speakers and not the rear?

On that sub, I am interested in how exactly you wired it? (both audio signal and pwr) thanks!

 

[00 VA ODY]

I replaced all 4 door speakers with Rockford Fosgate. To be honest I can't remember exactly which model but my best guess is their Prime R1675X2.

The Kenwood powered sub-woofer is tapped into the speakers and power wire on the harnesses as they exit the head unit behind the dash. I took it to a local installer who used to work at Crutchfield and he installed it for $100. He tapped the existing wires and soldered the connections. The control for the sub is in the glove box and it's invaluable. You can switch the phase with the remote so that the Kenwood isn't out of phase with the stock sub. The remote also allows you to adjust up and down the amount of bass from the Kenwood. All controls on the head unit still work just as they always did. The Kenwood tucks just under the leading edge of the front passanger seat and isn't in the way at all.

I did have to unplug the ANC microphone up front and snipped the wire to the rear ANC mic in back to remove feedback. I got idea for this sub-woofer from someone else on the forum as well as the instructions on disabling the ANC from several posts here by others.

 

[CozyMarkIV]

I have a 2014 EX-L with the RES. I'm in the process of swapping out the speakers. Using Kenwood drivers for the doors, but I'm also installing sound deadening material onto the door panels to help quiet the vehicle and hopefully improve the sound. One thing I did since I know I'll be swapping the sub out was I installed a capacitor in series for each speaker in order to cut out frequencies below 100 Hz. This will reduce the work that the driver does and avoid shaking the door too much. I also used the honda speaker plug adapter so that I did not have to cut any wires to do the install. Has worked well. I've finished three of the four speakers so far and there is a noticeable sound difference from factory. What I have left is the left sliding door and the sub.

I have cut the wire to the rear ANC microphone, but I'm still having trouble figuring out how to disable the front microphone. There is a wire to cut but I don't know which one. To my knowledge there's nothing that I can unplug that will just disable this mic without removing the Bluetooth microphone. Anyone have any help? Thanks.

 

[gcretro]

CozyMarkIV,
For the front Mic, there were posts on the pilot forum. It's the thicker of the two white wires once you have that home link assembly down. Unfortunately I didn't bookmark that link.

On a different note can you share some pics of your sound deadening in the doors and what material you used? I am planning to swap speakers on my 2016-EXL in the near future.... thanks!

 

[CozyMarkIV]

Gcretro,
The sound deadening material I used I got from Parts Express. I've used this company in the past to build home theater speakers with and have always been happy with their stuff. I got a bit worried about using the material on Amazon after a user on here had the adhesive drip out. The one I used was Sonic Barrier MX-4 which has aluminum, butyl, and foam all in one sheet. For about $35 you get four sheets that are 31.5 inch x 18.12 inch which isn't quite big enough to fit the entire door, but it's pretty close. The front doors could definitely use more than one sheet but you can borrow from the others if you're trying to do all four doors. The sliding doors will take less because you don't want to cover up the door mechanism. I'm no professional, so how I covered the door may not be the best practice. For the front door, I ran it just above the clip holes along the bottom of the door ensuring that it covered the speaker area. I traced out the speaker opening and cut this spot out. The piece I cut out I stuck to the flat area inside the speaker area. I also cut slits in the material to allow the wire harnesses to stick through. I went ahead and stuck it to the white fabric that was already there. Didn't feel like taking it down. I used the trimmed off pieces to fill in where there was bare metal on the door but within the trim panel area. Once the trim panel is put back in place, the screws that hold the panel on went through the foam and the panel was pulled tight against the material. The door has a little more solid closing sound now, the new speakers which I installed right on top of the material sound great, and the trim panel feels more solid since it's compressing against the foam. As for noise, I believe I can hear a reduction in noise through the door, but it's hard to say without an actual meter to measure. I just figured since I was in there and the material was inexpensive I would give it a try. Hopefully the adhesive doesn't turn into tree sap on me. Can't post pictures yet (still trying to get enough posts) but you probably wouldn't want to see it as I didn't go for absolute perfect coverage, just an improvement.

 

[Our Odyssey]

I'm curious - do I need to disable the ANC if I'm just replacing the four door speakers? Or is this only needed if I swap out the Sub?

 

[CozyMarkIV]

You only need to deactivate the ANC if you get a lot of feedback into the system. If you replace the door speakers and everything sounds fine, then no issues. If you get a loud rumbling or extra noise that wasn't present before, then you need to deactivate them. Typically it's only an issue with adding Subs to the system.

 

[thumper300zx]

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_108P6502IS/Infinity-Primus-PR6502is.html?tp=94

Oh, and the stock Honda speakers were TERRIBLE quality (though not as bad as my Toyota's) The magnets were minuscule and they were
not paper speakers (like the Toyota) but some kind of polypropylene. nsidering this stereo sounded worse than the OEM stereo in our
2003 EX-L and the ridiculous quality of the Toyota speakers I think it's safe to assume we now know where some of cost cutting is coming from on these $35-40K vehicles.

I'm replacing my speakers with these right now -- they were on Amazon for $39.99/pair. Had to jump on that.

Did you have to drill new holes or did you use/find some adapters? Anyone else can answer, of course

 

[thumper300zx]

I'm replacing my speakers with these right now -- they were on Amazon for $39.99/pair. Had to jump on that.

Did you have to drill new holes or did you use/find some adapters? Anyone else can answer, of course

I got an adapter kit on eBAY for $20. They say not compatible with 2014 (only up to 2012) but it's not correct. They work. I added a thin strip of foam rubber to the hollow structure (back). They worked well. The harness adapters were perfect. Replaced front and "middle". Sounds way better, but definitely could use aftermarket amp and 3rd row. Dunno if I'll ever do that because it's not my daily driver and wife says too loud already

Stock speakers are a complete joke.

 

[rmyoder]

Definitely need to add some type of insulation to the back of speaker brackets, as thumper300zx said. I just applied a bead of silicone and mounted it. Seals well and asy to remove if ever necessary.

 

[bryhonda]

I'm looking to do the same. Wondering if you all think it's good enough to replace the 2 front speakers, or it's really necessary to replace the 2 rear door speakers as well (assuming don't care about sound quality for rear passengers)?

Also, any consensus on Rockford vs Infinity vs Kicker for this scenario?

 

[rmyoder]

I replaced all four door speakers but I suppose the rears are less important than the fronts, at least for the front seat people.

which brand you choose is a matter of preference, but keep in mind that the originals were simple cones...no 2-way speakers here. Adding top dollar units with high fq capabilities is unnecessary, IMO. Any full range door speakers will provide more than enough high fq sound, given the small 8" sub in the back. In fact, I removed the tweeters from the 2-way Pioneers I put in the doors. It was just too much high fq for me; the original dash tweeters are pretty loud. Also, I added a mono 300w alpine sub amp that helped, but if I had to do it again, I would choose a 500w.