WDPinit

After browsing this topic for a few months, I'm still confused about upgrading my front speakers while retaining the stock amp in my car (07 Base TL Nav). I'm no audio expert, but reading around on here has taught me some.

Here's what I do know:
-The stock amp is 2 Ohm, the 6.5 inch Infinity Reference 6030cs components I am considering are 2 Ohm as well.
-I'll need a spacer/bracket of some sort to fit the mids in the doors
-The factory amp sends in the range of 30 to 45 rms to the speakers (Just a range because I've seen people state different numbers here).
-Infinity's speakers sound pretty bright (Kind of want this due to the 2 12's in my trunk drowning out the highs).



Here's what I could use some help with:
-Some members say aftermarket speakers sound the same or worse than OEM on the factory amp, some say they sound much better. If the amp and speakers are both 2 Ohm, shouldn't the speakers sound better than stock?
-What size bracket/spacer will I need for 6.5 inch speakers? What I have read about this on here is confusing.
-SonicElectronix states that the RMS (not peak) power handling is 90W each side and 180 per set. Yet, the recommended power range is 10-150W RMS per channel. Which do I go with? I do not want my speakers too under powered.
-Will the mid bass from the References be better than stock? My mids are nearly shot, anyway.


If anyone can share their knowledge with me on this, I'd really appreciate it! Also, if you know of any 2 Ohm components for around $100 or less that you think would be better, please tell me.

bellassaiw10

If you use the stock amp, with aftermarket speakers even if the ohm rating is the same they are going to be underpowered. Im currently researching the best options since I need my car to match what my truck has. My research is just beginning but I think I'm gonna stage the front and rear doors on a 4 channel and leave the rear deck hooked up to stock. Kind of want a sub but I have a JLw710 in my truck and I'm not trying to spend that kind of money again for this car

WDPinit

Adding an amp to my speakers is pretty costly, so that's why I plan to stay away from that as long as I can lol.

In regards to your dilemma with finding a good sub, I would suggest looking into a JBL W12 GTi MK2. $400 compared to atleast $600-700 for a W7. I've considered one for a while as many reviews consider the sq and spl, as just as good or better than the W7. 700W RMS and 4000W peak is pretty impressive too 😁. Sundown SA-12 subs go for around $220 and are pretty nice as well. My setup on the other hand would never sound as nice as the 2 subs described above.

bellassaiw10

Yeah that's true, I'd honestly go to a pawn shop and buy a cheap amp for like $50 and power the speakers or at least try to add a power pack type to get a little more power to the speakers. Who knows plugging them into stock might be loud enough and sound fine to you. I get a pretty good discount on kicker stuff and JBL so I may go that route for amps and just take my JL stuff out of my truck and put it in the car

WDPinit

I see it this way, a $100 pair of speakers is going to sound better than the cheap paper speakers already there. The tweeters will give me better highs too. The idea of getting a cheap amp is good, but with the way the head unit and everything is set up, it isn't so simple. When I went to the audio shop there were a lot other expenses needed to pair an amp with the head unit sadly. I think getting hushmat behind the speakers will add some sound that is lost due to vibration, though.

bellassaiw10

Its actually not all that bad if you do it yourself. Since I work at Best Buy I can access the software the installers use and it gives you step by step instructions and exactly what's needed. Your statement is some what correct but sometimes a amp is required to reach the posted specs of the speaker. Give it a shot though and let us know, I would try it but I don't want to pull it all out twice for when I do get an amp haha buy once cry once is Tim philosophy

marxw13

I'd Which best buy do you work at? Ive been an installer for 3 years for best buy and ive never had step by step instructions on anything except a radio install because it comes with a dummy book lol. Anyway my advice on the thread would be ditch the factory amp. A alpine power pack ktp 445u fits perfectly in place of factory amp .

WDPinit

Will I just need to purchase the power pack or will I need a second LOC, distribution block, etc? I don't know much at all about this lol. When I went to the audio shop I was given a lengthy list on what was needed to add a new amp for my speakers...

marxw13

I can't speak for what they told you without knowing specifics but for a power pack you don't need anything else. There's an input and output harness going into factory amp you just cut off the plug and hardwire them to the power pack. Then stand the power pack on its end and zip tie it to the factory looms in the kick panel and boom. The only tricky Part may be identifying the correct wires on the input side. You can either hunt down a diagram or pull out the radio, buy a radio harness and use it as a guide. The output side you can test using a battery or speaker popper to determine which is which, unless again, you can get a diagram

bellassaiw10

Store 386 in Greenville, and When I say step by step I really only mean removing everything to access the speakers, there was also a few wiring guides included in the fitment thing I used in ETK. Our installer actually is the one who told me to go look through there. Lots of pictures for TLs and common problems installer run into also listed.

WDPinit

Thanks for the help. I'll probably take this route as it is $120-150 for the power pack that'll boost me up to a clean 45 RMS. And I was able to find the list the guy at the audio store gave me if I were to install an amp for speakers. Apparently I would need a distribution block ($35), 2 sets of RCAs ($40-80), another lineout convertor (I have one for my subs already though?), and speaker wire. Does that sound right for a full on amp install?

marxw13

Yes that sounds correct for a standard 4-channel speaker amp. Since you already have a power wire ran from the battery for your sub amp, it doesn't make sense to run a separate wire for the new one. The distribution block is what splits that power wire to power both amps. Even though you already have a line out converter for the sub, more than likely they tapped into the factory sub to get the signal, meaning it's only a low frequency signal that would not work for your speakers. Not to mention a 4-channel amp needs 2 RCAs and your existing one only provides one, which is already being used for the sub. Not sure how they plan on using the speaker wire. I personally take the radio out when doing an amp like this and make all my speaker connections there rather than running to each speaker individually, then run the wires back to the amp

marxw13

The only warning about the power pack is be sure to adjust the gains appropriately and set the filters. On the bottom there's a little rubber cover that pops off and provides access to the high pass filters. I think I set mine at 100hz since I also have subs to handle bass. This amp is prone to making a hissing sound through the speakers if not adjusted well

WDPinit

At this point I'm considering to just have the audio shop do the install for me. With the falling temperatures and the lack of free time that I have, I'd much rather pay an audio shop to take care of the install for me. I'll have them put in the power pack and install the speakers. Also, I assume that they'll be able to adjust the amp for me. I'm debating on whether adding some hush mat behind the speakers will be a good idea (the kit is $50). Anyway, I have subs as well so 100hz should be fine on the high pass filters. Thanks again

stevemk07

This was found in the sticky. Scroll down for stock audio system wiring colour codes...

https://acurazine.com/forums/audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/details-stock-tl-amp-558485/

IMO from experience upgrading this system... If you want the highest performance (i.e. sql + spl) using stock head unit you need to bypass the factory amp, especially for a sub. The preamp signals from the head unit are good. When I bypassed the amp for my sub it was like night and day in terms of quality of bass.

Also if going aftermarket speakers I highly recommend accoustic treatment for the doors.

WDPinit

Thanks! And don't worry, my 12's are getting plenty of power from the Rockford Fosgate amp .

stevemk07

Also FWIW, I just bought another 3g TL (08). My previous one was totaled (07). The system in this newer one is much better than the one in my old car. I believe the previous owner used the car as a commuter and either never used the audio system or only on low settings because everything sounds very good in this car compared to my 07. When I took apart my 07 to examine the system I found that the speaker surrounds were falling off in multiple locations. It might be worth just taking a look to see if that's all that needs fixing. The midbass and sound quality out of a properly functioning factory system is quite good IMO. Yes, it gets strained when going above 30 on the volume but in my new car 17 for cd and 25 for radio is plenty loud.

Also when I had my old car I did some RTA measurements and found a peak in the 8k range.... this new car doesn't have it and the curve actually resembles what took me a long time to achieve going aftermarket and tweaking the crossovers.

Perhaps just fixing what you have is the best solution? If you take your panels off to examine it wouldn't hurt to slap some deadener on.

WDPinit

The system is in good condition on mine, like yours with the light use, but I need something louder and with more depth. The factory system is nice, but I still want more. The amp will give me more volume and the better quality speakers I think should help with quality to my music. I can't see how a less powerful amp and speakers with lower quality materials could sound as good as the Alpine power pack and infinity reference? I see your logic but it sounds more cost effective to upgrade instead of replace. I run treble at max, center at max volume, and sound directed towards the front.
I still don't find it to be enough for me lol

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

You won't get more depth from the infinity speakers.
Trust me, don't go down this road unless you're prepared to go balls to the wall and eventually upgrade what you must to power your front (and maybe rear) speakers with a separate amp.

My honest recommendation is to put in a bass knob or lessen the rear so that it sounds balanced with the stock fronts.

That's what I should have done.

WDPinit

I was thinking about a bass knob. But yeah even getting the References with the power pack is a bad idea even if I just want more loudness?

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I can't tell you what will make you happy...and sure, I think my system sounds really nice.
But it took on it's own life and consumed me...chasing buzzing, had to bypass oem amp...solder directly, ground loop isolators, then grinder to make door speakers fit...then upgraded rear deck speakers...

in the end, I should have had 1 10" in the back with a gain knob...and been happy with the oem system that had 5.1 and was light and too up no room.

In my opinion...there's no small subtle upgrade...you're gonna unlock pandora's box and then you'll want to try this or that and upgrade everything. Now that they make an out of the box mounting kit, I'd probably go with that...aftermarket radio with clean signal to small 4 channel amp...to your mids/highs and of course your bass from it's own output you can control from the radio.

Again...that's a lot more involved than what you're starting off with...

I'm old and jaded...don't listen to me.

WDPinit

Yes and I thank you for the advice. I'll probably just stay away from that then and just go with a bass knob lol. Investing in an intake sounds alot better now😂

stevemk07

But then again...

I dunno... I am still quite impressed with my new factory system.... bass on +1, treble on -1 Faded f4, sub C.

I grabbed out most of my aftermarket equipment from my previous car which include a JL HD900/5, sub box with Hertz hx250d, and NVX XSPTW tweeters (these tweets btw fit in the factory locations nicely with a bit of careful cutting/trimming of the materials just below the dash surface) but I am thinking about just selling them all for some extra cash to buy some other mods like a rear lip spoiler, new rims, and/or maybe a j-pipe...

If you are willing to be patient and put some serious time in to going the aftermarket stereo route then by all means... just be warned that it is not easy to beat the factory system by just dropping in components and if you get a shop to do it you will end up dishing out a lot of cash. I have the factory connectors from my last car so I might use those to install my NVX tweeters on the factory amp then add resistors and caps so the response matches up to the door speakers... I won't get too much for them anyway as they were only like $120 or something new but they sounded very good in my old car.

It is your car. Do what you like.

Edit: BTW, if you are looking at a performance mod the gains to cost ratio isn't very good in these cars. Probably the best bang for your buck would be a j-pipe to help the engine breathe a little better. Perhaps someone could chime in on that one as I am considering this mod myself and I do not wish to increase my carbon footprint by deleting any catalytic converters.

I just realized I need to change my name to stevemk08 now... lol

WDPinit

If I had more money I'd get a decent system, but from what everyone is saying, staying factory sounds more effective.

Btw I'm not really looking for performance, just a bit of sound to add some "fun" to my drives. An intake would give me some more flow and a few hours, but we all know it isn't really noticeable. Sounds nice, though. Stage 2 or 3 exhaust, is an option as well. No power gains, but I'd pick up a deep tone.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

LOL...
my original reason for upgrading was that I wanted to hear the music when I was on the highway going 80 with the windows down...

Soo...I could have just closed the windows.

C2CuSn07 TL

Great write up. Can anyone confirm the signal being sent to the doors and the tweeters? I see there is a 2.2uF cap on our tweets and I also know a single channel (from the amp) powers both. Does out amp, in fact, send a full range signal to both?

EL BAN

Great logic there my friend xD