Upgrading Door Speakers to Infinity Kappa
06-19-2018, 10:37 PM
#1
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Upgrading Door Speakers to Infinity Kappa
I just purchased my 2016 RDX base, and I am pretty disappointed in the sound quality. Even mid volume has a lot of noise (like a hiss), and this is stream Spotify High Quality over bluetooth. The tweeters also sound pretty bad, and the bass is lacking.
In my old vehicle I had an Kenwood DPX-792BH head unit with Infinity Kappa component speakers in the front, and Infinity Reference speakers in the rear.
How much is the factory head unit to blame, and how much are the factory door speakers to blame? I really don't want to pull out the factory head-unit since it's a non standard size, and is highly integrated into the car. Will replacing the factory door speakers with Infinity Kappa components be enough to restore the quality of sound I had in my old car, or does the head unit play a major role in the clarity and quality of the sound?
Also, according to Crutchfield, they have the notice "To install your new speaker, you'll need to cut off the back of the factory plastic speaker grille." Can someone explain what they mean here?
In my old vehicle I had an Kenwood DPX-792BH head unit with Infinity Kappa component speakers in the front, and Infinity Reference speakers in the rear.
How much is the factory head unit to blame, and how much are the factory door speakers to blame? I really don't want to pull out the factory head-unit since it's a non standard size, and is highly integrated into the car. Will replacing the factory door speakers with Infinity Kappa components be enough to restore the quality of sound I had in my old car, or does the head unit play a major role in the clarity and quality of the sound?
Also, according to Crutchfield, they have the notice "To install your new speaker, you'll need to cut off the back of the factory plastic speaker grille." Can someone explain what they mean here?
06-29-2018, 08:12 AM
#3
If I had to guess which this is since I don't own this particular model, I would say that you need to first stream something USB connected and see if the hiss remains constant as stated before. If it is still there than I would be inclined to say that your OEM amp is the culprit. IF it disappears than you can conclude it's a source issue that is specifically bluetooth related. It's a start so you know what needs to be done and after that you can proceed with replacing components.
09-02-2019, 02:47 AM
#4
late reply but for anyones info...
The horrid sound is mainly because of the crappy thin speakers that are used across all hondas/ acuras. Yes replacing them with aftermarket will greatly improve the sound. They are driven off an amp that is better than anything from a traditional head unit, not the best, but is def decent enough
The stock door speakers are molded into a plastic ring that mounts directly to the metal panel. You can supposedly by special rings for aftermarket, but that just adds additional cost. Also the easiest
Is more difficult to build your own rings from MDF as the plastic mount has a more proprietary kind of fit, curved angles and almost elliptical shape for the clip mounts, difficult to then screw your own holes into the metal and speaker.
So the easy fun way is to take a jigsaw and cut out the speakers by ripping off the cones, toss them in the trash, file it down smooth and you are left your mounting brackets to mount your new speakers. Then the pastic ring clips back to the door and is secured with one screw, hence the proprietary fit.
Might sound confusing, but if you dive in, it will all make sense. I'd only attempt if you are comfortable removing door panels and have some basic fabrication/ electronic skills, not ideal for the beginner
The horrid sound is mainly because of the crappy thin speakers that are used across all hondas/ acuras. Yes replacing them with aftermarket will greatly improve the sound. They are driven off an amp that is better than anything from a traditional head unit, not the best, but is def decent enough
The stock door speakers are molded into a plastic ring that mounts directly to the metal panel. You can supposedly by special rings for aftermarket, but that just adds additional cost. Also the easiest
Is more difficult to build your own rings from MDF as the plastic mount has a more proprietary kind of fit, curved angles and almost elliptical shape for the clip mounts, difficult to then screw your own holes into the metal and speaker.
So the easy fun way is to take a jigsaw and cut out the speakers by ripping off the cones, toss them in the trash, file it down smooth and you are left your mounting brackets to mount your new speakers. Then the pastic ring clips back to the door and is secured with one screw, hence the proprietary fit.
Might sound confusing, but if you dive in, it will all make sense. I'd only attempt if you are comfortable removing door panels and have some basic fabrication/ electronic skills, not ideal for the beginner
09-02-2019, 03:02 AM
#5
Also forgot to add-
After cutting out the stock speaker, there is a plastic ridge that surrounds the basket mount that might interfere with the new speaker. So just use a pair of linesman pliers and nip them off, then file or dremel it smooth. Use weather stripping to mount the new speakers and carefully drill new holes with a 1/8 bit and use suitable screws. Best of luck!!!
After cutting out the stock speaker, there is a plastic ridge that surrounds the basket mount that might interfere with the new speaker. So just use a pair of linesman pliers and nip them off, then file or dremel it smooth. Use weather stripping to mount the new speakers and carefully drill new holes with a 1/8 bit and use suitable screws. Best of luck!!!
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