Best Cost Effective Way to Improve 3rd Gen Entune Premium

mrproduxn said:
For those with the entune premium and are not satisfied with the sound from the factory head unit there is an inexpensive way to greatly improve the sound in the $200 price range. The factory speakers are sub par. I like the features of the system but was extremely disappointed with the quality of the sound output. I have an access cab and really did not want to add a sub in an already space limited truck. There were rave reviews about the Subaru Kicker tweeters that many had installed in the dash. They are plug and play and are less than a 30 minute install for a beginner. That alone would be a good improvement in clarity but still does not address the poor and muddy bass output of the factory door speakers. After reading through hundreds of speaker reviews I started shopping for Kicker CS series 6 x 9 (3 way) front and 6.5 (coaxial) rear door speakers. I purchased all 6 speakers, door mount adapters and wire adapters needed for the doors and the Subi tweeters. I installed the door speakers back in April and tweeters in July. I am still amazed at the improved clear and crisp sound that these speakers produce. I was fortunate and found my door speakers on clearance at bestbuy. I also had a $47 credit in ebay bucks for the tweeters. I can say that my system is so great now that there is no need for an amp or sub. The installation was less than 1.5 hours for all 6 speakers. I now have crystal clear highs and knee knocking bass that really brought the head unit to life. There is a complete speaker installation guide video at oemaudio.com that is good for any brand of speakers. I did not require any sound deadening material. Recently crutchfield has been offering buy one pair of Kickers and get the 2nd pair 1/2 price and they give you the door mount adapters and wiring adapters for free. If you make this change you will see that the head unit has great output and you will be shocked at how cheap the stock speakers are. There is no way you could ever get this quality sound with the stock speakers. My new speakers have 450 watts peak for the 6 x 9 and 300 watts peak for the 6.5 and they have 100 to 150 watts rms. This is hands down the best sound I ever had in over 40 vehicles considering I have no amp or sub. That includes a Bose stock system in my work commuter.
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Thanks for the information my truck is also a excess cab love the truck love the feature on the radio just disappointed in the volume if I can fix it with speaker's no problem thanks again
 
Thank you for your input i did exactly as you did the only problem I had was the kicker free mounts I had to make some adjustments to them but they were free with the speakers when I received my kicker speakers the weight was on the box 15 pounds all the stock speakers didnt way 5 pounds and what a difference in sound its GREAT THANK YOU AGAIN for all your input to the speaker's
 
OR17TRD said:
Did a little more research on them looks like they are the same. The 101 is just the newer model number. Same part and interchangeable. The number difference is usually just a revision, probably parts from a different supplier.View attachment 13728
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I'm interested in doing this Subaru tweeter upgrade. Anyone find a salvage yard that could have this part lower than 95 bucks??
 
BigMau said:
I'm interested in doing this Subaru tweeter upgrade. Anyone find a salvage yard that could have this part lower than 95 bucks??
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That’s a local by local regional thing. You’ll have to call around to your local salvage yards and see if you can find some.
I found them on amazon for $65 it was the old part number. Same tweeter different part number.
 
I have checked around the web. I might just have to hit some "u-pull it" yards. What model/year subies would I find that older part#???
 
BigMau said:
I have checked around the web. I might just have to hit some "u-pull it" yards. What model/year subies would I find that older part#???
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My understanding is that they are also an upgrade from the OEM Subaru speakers but they fit the Tacoma.
They fit these Subaru’s. The different part numbers are usually because they changed distributors. Same product distributed from somewhere else.
  • 2013+ Subaru Crosstrek Subaru OEM Kicker Tweeter Upgrade
  • 2015-2017 Subaru STI Subaru OEM Kicker Tweeter Upgrade
  • 2015-2017 Subaru WRX Subaru OEM Kicker Tweeter Upgrade
  • 2014-2018 Subaru Forester Subaru OEM Kicker Tweeter Upgrade
 
Thanks for the info, mrproduxn. I was just thinking, this morning, that I need better quality and more volume out of my premium system. A quality sound system in my car is something I am willing to invest in. With two daughters in college, your system may be in reach $$ for me. Thanks again.
2017 TRD Sport DCLB
 
LiplessSoul said:
Thanks for the info, mrproduxn. I was just thinking, this morning, that I need better quality and more volume out of my premium system. A quality sound system in my car is something I am willing to invest in. With two daughters in college, your system may be in reach $$ for me. Thanks again.
2017 TRD Sport DCLB
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It’s a good upgrade. You’ll like the way it sounds.
 
Bridgelord...
I just purchased some Kenwood speakers for all four of my door and added Subaru tweeters to my stock head unit. I'm getting great sound!! Ask a tech at Crutchfield.. they have always "hooked me up" and I have never been unhappy with their products or advise.
 
Bridgelord said:
Got all excited to buy these last night only discover they are no longer available on Crutchfield. Saw some with similar item numbers but start with 46 instead of 43. Has anyone already researched this?
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As long as the peak wattage and ohms are the same as the others they should be same basic speakers. I bought mine at a BestBuy closeout sale a couple of years ago. They start with 40 but they still crank up great. Could simply be a different grille or a different cosmetic appearance. Compare the ohms and wattage with other models on google.
 
mrproduxn said:
As long as the peak wattage and ohms are the same as the others they should be same basic speakers. I bought mine at a BestBuy closeout sale a couple of years ago. They start with 40 but they still crank up great. Could simply be a different grille or a different cosmetic appearance. Compare the ohms and wattage with other models on google.
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Yes... and the Crutchfield web-site should tell you if they will work with your Tacoma. They will also include hardware, harnesses and instructions. Making installation very easy. If you have a question... chat with a tech.
 
Are these Kickers an upgrade over the factory JBL system? There aren't any plug and play speakers to replace the JBL's so I'm thinking about dismantling it.
 
I do not know. I have premium non-JBL. I do believe they are wired differently. There may be a difference in ohms as well since there is an amp involved. You may want to see if Crutchfield offers different speaker models for JBL models. You could always pop off a door panel and visually check the factory speakers. They could be the same actual speakers.
 
Old thread but hopefully mrproduxn will reply... I have 2016 tacoma with the stock premium jbl system...i talked to crutchfield and they said to only use 2ohm speakers, is that why you need to “wake up” these 4ohm speakers to a higher volume to get them to perform? Any other issues using 4ohm instead of 2ohm? Also, after upgrading to the kicker speakers, is there still a need to upgrade the sub or is stock sub sufficient? I am excited to try this as crutchfield advisor had me out the door for $1100 for a pac amp pro, clarion amp, all new tweeters and door speakers plus a new sub...let alone the cost, but all that would take days for a beginner like me to install!!!
 
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