Replacement Speakers

zstampe · May 10, 2017

Ok guys and gals,

I've held off for a long time getting speakers due to the holes being so shallow. I stumbled upon this video tonight and decided to order the 6x9's. I will upgrade the dash speakers later.

https://youtu.be/j5oi2ac8dx8

Let me know what you guys think.

Install will be next week.

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zstampe · May 10, 2017

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Cmsharp · May 11, 2017

Very interested to find out how you like the sound. My stock system seems to have little to no bass. I know a sub would fix that but dont want all the money/hassle of doing it. This could be a good compromise? Thanks for posting!

metalmancpa · May 11, 2017

I have a 2014 Ram 1500 Crew with the 8.4" non Alpine also. After some in depth researching, I am close to upgrading.

I will probably be going the Infinity route with the Infinity Reference series:
REF-9622IX 6x9's for the rear
REF-5022cfx 5-1/4's for the front
REF-3022cfx for the dash

The fronts have no depth issue. Based on the speaker configuration, since I believe the stock crossover passes mids to the doors, full range won't be as pronounced and the dash ones will be the controlling speaker, smaller ones won't hurt the sound.

The biggest decision for me is a sub. JL Audio has a stealthbox, but that would require an amp which would require upgrading the vehicles speaker wiring which I don't want to do. Kicker has two amped options - a power SubStage woofer which would draw it's own power while the speakers draw from the OEM head unit, or the Powerstage which amps all the speakers. I am leaning towards the Powerstage. The whole thing would cost around $1,600 of which $1,250 is the Powerstage. The SubStage is $699. The sub would go under the rear drivers side seat.

Powerstage

Rear

Front

Dash

My gut tells me if I just do the speakers, although I know the sound will be much better than the stock speakers, the increased quality of the speakers will cause loos of volume due to more power required to drive the better speakers, and I'll be pining for a sub. My one concern is distortion, as I'm not sure if the head unit has enough RMS coupled with an an amp upgrade without an EQ/Processor to cause distortion.

zstampe · May 11, 2017

Cmsharp said:
Very interested to find out how you like the sound. My stock system seems to have little to no bass. I know a sub would fix that but dont want all the money/hassle of doing it. This could be a good compromise? Thanks for posting!

That's exactly what I was thinking. I hate how the stop speakers distort sooooo bad with a little bass.

metalmancpa said:
I have a 2014 Ram 1500 Crew with the 8.4" non Alpine also. After some in depth researching, I am close to upgrading.

I will probably be going the Infinity route with the Infinity Reference series:
REF-9622IX 6x9's for the rear
REF-5022cfx 5-1/4's for the front
REF-3022cfx for the dash

The fronts have no depth issue. Based on the speaker configuration, since I believe the stock crossover passes mids to the doors, full range won't be as pronounced and the dash ones will be the controlling speaker, smaller ones won't hurt the sound.

The biggest decision for me is a sub. JL Audio has a stealthbox, but that would require an amp which would require upgrading the vehicles speaker wiring which I don't want to do. Kicker has two amped options - a power SubStage woofer which would draw it's own power while the speakers draw from the OEM head unit, or the Powerstage which amps all the speakers. I am leaning towards the Powerstage. The whole thing would cost around $1,600 of which $1,250 is the Powerstage. The SubStage is $699. The sub would go under the rear drivers side seat.

Powerstage

Rear

Front

Dash

My gut tells me if I just do the speakers, although I know the sound will be much better than the stock speakers, the increased quality of the speakers will cause loos of volume due to more power required to drive the better speakers, and I'll be pining for a sub. My one concern is distortion, as I'm not sure if the head unit has enough RMS coupled with an an amp upgrade without an EQ/Processor to cause distortion.

I'm in the same boat, but didn't want to drop that kind of coin. I will update with my results, these come in last week. And I'm only like $115 bucks in.

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autokraftgt · May 11, 2017

metalmancpa said:
I have a 2014 Ram 1500 Crew with the 8.4" non Alpine also. After some in depth researching, I am close to upgrading.

I will probably be going the Infinity route with the Infinity Reference series:
REF-9622IX 6x9's for the rear
REF-5022cfx 5-1/4's for the front
REF-3022cfx for the dash

The fronts have no depth issue. Based on the speaker configuration, since I believe the stock crossover passes mids to the doors, full range won't be as pronounced and the dash ones will be the controlling speaker, smaller ones won't hurt the sound.

The biggest decision for me is a sub. JL Audio has a stealthbox, but that would require an amp which would require upgrading the vehicles speaker wiring which I don't want to do. Kicker has two amped options - a power SubStage woofer which would draw it's own power while the speakers draw from the OEM head unit, or the Powerstage which amps all the speakers. I am leaning towards the Powerstage. The whole thing would cost around $1,600 of which $1,250 is the Powerstage. The SubStage is $699. The sub would go under the rear drivers side seat.

Powerstage

Rear

Front

Dash

My gut tells me if I just do the speakers, although I know the sound will be much better than the stock speakers, the increased quality of the speakers will cause loos of volume due to more power required to drive the better speakers, and I'll be pining for a sub. My one concern is distortion, as I'm not sure if the head unit has enough RMS coupled with an an amp upgrade without an EQ/Processor to cause distortion.

I would not replace the factory 6x9's in the front doors with 5.25" speakers. I would replace them with better 6x9's. The 5.25" in the doors along with smaller speakers in the dash will produce a very thin sound with zero authority or dynamics....especially if you are NOT going to amplify them. And if you are going to amp all of the speakers, then I would look at a 6.5" (front doors) component set coupled with a tweeter. And if you're are concerned about volume, and or distortion with factory power....that 5.25" will get uncomfortable very quickly...a 6x9" will mask distortion much better than a small 5.25" speaker......I'm tellin ya...I wouldn't do it

TomT · May 11, 2017

What he said... :signs75:

These trucks can sound pretty great if you do some research and choose components wisely.

Hemi395 · May 11, 2017

I've done the plug and play Kicker speakers and I can tell you they sound a lot better than stock. I would definitely go with 6x9s especially if you're not doing a sub....

metalmancpa · May 11, 2017

autokraftgt said:
I would not replace the factory 6x9's in the front doors with 5.25" speakers. I would replace them with better 6x9's. The 5.25" in the doors along with smaller speakers in the dash will produce a very thin sound with zero authority or dynamics....especially if you are NOT going to amplify them. And if you are going to amp all of the speakers, then I would look at a 6.5" (front doors) component set coupled with a tweeter. And if you're are concerned about volume, and or distortion with factory power....that 5.25" will get uncomfortable very quickly...a 6x9" will mask distortion much better than a small 5.25" speaker......I'm tellin ya...I wouldn't do it

Thank you. I am fairly knowledgeable in car audio (not physical installation of a system), and my issue right now is balancing money and quality.

My ultimate system would be components for the front, 6x9's in the rear, sub under the seat, and for power handing something similar to what I had in my 300 which was the JL Audio 500/5 amp, Clean Sweep & Summing units, and the Monster DigiCap.

Just getting the new to me Ram was financially difficult enough. The cheapest route (and not nearly satisfying enough) would be to just upgrade the speakers and call it a day. I know the bass would greatly lack, but my wallet would only be out $350. Once I get into subs, it's the game of money & quality. I had a Kicker sub in my 300 as an alternate to my main 12" JL Audio sub in a custom box that sat in the trunk. The Kicker sub was terrible in comparison distorting at higher levels.

Ttubbiola - trust me I want the best sound, but sadly money plays a major role in what I can do.

quietpeen · May 11, 2017

i did the kicker mopar upgrade speakers. Direct plug and play so they fit with no issues, like Hemi395 said they souund a lot better. The downside is that the bass is that much better that it rattles the door panels.

TomT · May 11, 2017

metalmancpa said:
Thank you. I am fairly knowledgeable in car audio (not physical installation of a system), and my issue right now is balancing money and quality.

Ttubbiola - trust me I want the best sound, but sadly money plays a major role in what I can do.

I completely understand. I'm still hurting from a few stupidly expensive stereo purchases last month (but my system will sound awesome!!!).

I'd suggest taking your current available budget ($350) and putting it all into the front speakers. You can get decent 6.5" 2-way or even 3-way (used) for that money. Just run it off of the deck power now or even a small amp with speaker level inputs. This way you are spending your money on something that you can grow into instead of something you'll want to change out quickly.

That's how I would approach it anyway. Come up with your ultimate plan and figure out how to do it in stages.

Cmsharp · May 11, 2017

Is there any fix for the door panel rattling? There is is a lot love about the ram but my stock speakers seem to rattle the panels quiet easily.

quietpeen · May 11, 2017

Cmsharp said:
Is there any fix for the door panel rattling? There is is a lot love about the ram but my stock speakers seem to rattle the panels quiet easily.

not sure. I know people will put sound deadening material on the doors like dynomat or similar, but i don't think that will stop the rattling of the panel. If somebody has an actual fix i hope they chime in

Hemi395 · May 11, 2017

^^I would love to see a fix for this!

metalmancpa · May 11, 2017

Dynamat worked wonders for me in my 300. Totally eliminated trunk/door rattles while making a noticeable difference in the tightening of the bass.

TomT · May 11, 2017

quietpeen said:
not sure. I know people will put sound deadening material on the doors like dynomat or similar, but i don't think that will stop the rattling of the panel. If somebody has an actual fix i hope they chime in

You'll probably find some ideas in this thread from DIYMA.
Door Card Deadening - Car Audio | DiyMobileAudio.com | Car Stereo Forum

autokraftgt · May 11, 2017

To the OP, if money is the concern at this time, save up and do what you want the first time and do it right. These are nice trucks and they have a huge amount of potential when it comes to mind blowing car audio. They just sound good when done properly. If you scrap a system together quickly on a budget (which we all have a budget $$$) you may end up not happy in the end, and you may even start replacing stuff down the road which will ultimately waste time and money in the long run. If you want killer sound, the equation is quite simple....spend most of your budget on front components....that's the meat and potatoes of the system. After that....good, clean power. Then a nice, simple sub stage. Save your money and forget about the rear doors....they really offer nothing to the big picture. If you hear your rear door speakers, you've tuned it incorrectly....rear speakers should simply add ambiance and some "fill" and that's about it.
Regarding rattles, resonances, and buzzes....remove the outer door panel and sound deaden all sides of the door panel. There are many tutorials on this and it is very effective. It will also increase midbass performance in your doors as well.
Do it right the first time.....while saving that money....do research
best of luck!

b5rider · May 11, 2017

I went with 6.5 Focal components in the front and put the tweeters in the sail panel. I had done the kicke upgrade and promptly removed them because they were crap. The tweeters in the dash were harsh and fatiguing to listen to. Installation is pretty straightforward. When you remove the factory 6x9s you can remove the plastic ring attached to their metal frame and use it as an adapter for the 6.5s. The tweeters just require a 1.75" hole drilled in the sail panel. Best $130 (off ebay) I've ever spent

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trikeffex · May 13, 2017

metalmancpa said:
I have a 2014 Ram 1500 Crew with the 8.4" non Alpine also. After some in depth researching, I am close to upgrading.

I will probably be going the Infinity route with the Infinity Reference series:
REF-9622IX 6x9's for the rear
REF-5022cfx 5-1/4's for the front
REF-3022cfx for the dash

The fronts have no depth issue. Based on the speaker configuration, since I believe the stock crossover passes mids to the doors, full range won't be as pronounced and the dash ones will be the controlling speaker, smaller ones won't hurt the sound.

The biggest decision for me is a sub. JL Audio has a stealthbox, but that would require an amp which would require upgrading the vehicles speaker wiring which I don't want to do. Kicker has two amped options - a power SubStage woofer which would draw it's own power while the speakers draw from the OEM head unit, or the Powerstage which amps all the speakers. I am leaning towards the Powerstage. The whole thing would cost around $1,600 of which $1,250 is the Powerstage. The SubStage is $699. The sub would go under the rear drivers side seat.

Powerstage

Rear

Front

Dash

My gut tells me if I just do the speakers, although I know the sound will be much better than the stock speakers, the increased quality of the speakers will cause loos of volume due to more power required to drive the better speakers, and I'll be pining for a sub. My one concern is distortion, as I'm not sure if the head unit has enough RMS coupled with an an amp upgrade without an EQ/Processor to cause distortion.

I just installed the Infinity Reference 3.5" in the dash. I'm really happy with them. Made a big difference just with those. Ready to swap out the other 6x9's with the Infinitys when time allows!

Charles

Cmsharp · May 13, 2017

Just noticed that most of the bass rattling is coming from the rear doors. Think im going to try my hand at adding some insulation. Links were very helpful. Thanks guys.

Replacement Speakers

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