Economical Upgrade to Stock 6 Speaker System: 2018 Big Horn UConnect 8.4

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clay282

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I ended up picking some Memphis Audio PRX3's for the dash and that alone made a huge difference. The 15 watts RMS I thought might be a better match. Treble turned down, 2 clicks to the back speakers and WOW! I honestly don't think I'll even swap out 6x9's. I will however be chasing down the rattle in the drivers side rear door that's gotten more pronounced since the back door speakers are working harder.
 

droopie85gt

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The Amber is the less superior beer.

Sorry to jack the thread all up....lol.

There's something about the amber in a frozen mug with a lime. I don't like amber in the bottle. But a fresh draft-frozen mug-lime is just about perfect. I actually like the lager better out of the bottle. LOL
 
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PowrRam

PowrRam

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Stop drinking beer and get the darn speakers installed! Inquiring minds want to know if it is worth the upgrade Lol.

Ha ha! Exactly. He's my guinea pig for installing the Rockville amp. I figure I'll let him give it a shot and learn from what he does.
 

droopie85gt

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20160806_124645 (Medium).jpg

So I have this on my side. Currently that big box is on top of those white cabinets and the hatch is open. I am hoarding parts to rewire and get it back running and the hatch is jammed packed with crap. Now it's also got some speakers and a sub in there...she'll never notice.

She might notice the THUMP after tomorrow though!
 

autokraftgt

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Droopie nice fox body. I have an 88GT
 

WilliamS

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First if you arent running an amp, you need to do the resistor trick for the 3.5 so it doesnt soak up all the power and reduce the bass from the 6x9. Second if you are +8 on bass you need more power. Turning the bass all the way up is maxing out small speakers making them sound muddy.

Here is the best suggestion I can give. As I have the 6 speaker system sounding amazing. 6.5 components in the front doors with the tweeters in the sail panels. Subwoofer under back seat. That is all, I do not have 3.5s in dash, I dont have rear door speaker. I have just the front comps and subs with proper crossovers and its amazing. Clear, loud, and cheap!

If you were in Tampa I would volunteer my time to get you rolling loud and clear.
 
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mtnrider

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Here is the best suggestion I can give. As I have the 6 speaker system sounding amazing. 6.5 components in the front doors with the tweeters in the sail panels. Subwoofer under back seat. That is all, I do not have 3.5s in dash, I dont have rear door speaker. I have just the front comps and subs with proper crossovers and its amazing. Clear, loud, and cheap!

What speakers did you use and do you have a picture of where you mounted the tweeters? Not sure what you mean by side panel.
When you say you don't have the 3.5 or rear door, did you take them out or do you mean still using stock ones?

.
 

WilliamS

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What speakers did you use and do you have a picture of where you mounted the tweeters? Not sure what you mean by side panel.
When you say you don't have the 3.5 or rear door, did you take them out or do you mean still using stock ones?

.

Sail panel of the door I cut open for the tweeter, Ill get a picture later.

The 3.5 in the dash, and the 6x9 in the rear doors are not connected. They are in there but have no power, they only make the sound worse for imaging and quality.

Front doors have Morel Tempo 6 components in them. They are cheap so dont let the name fool you. The crossovers are mounted inside the door under the grab handle as that is where there was a void to fit them. Used 6x9 to 6.5 adapters and the those speakers are amped with about 80 watts rms going to them. Crossover on amp is at 80hz, the subs are at 70hz. I can turn off the subwoofers and turn the front doors all the way up with zero distortion. The subs I have are overkill but at about 30% they blend perfect.
 
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PowrRam

PowrRam

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View attachment 132455

So I have this on my side. Currently that big box is on top of those white cabinets and the hatch is open. I am hoarding parts to rewire and get it back running and the hatch is jammed packed with crap. Now it's also got some speakers and a sub in there...she'll never notice.

She might notice the THUMP after tomorrow though!
Maybe install the 6X9's first, adjust your equalizer settings and give a listen. Then install the sub woofer and compare.

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PowrRam

PowrRam

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First if you arent running an amp, you need to do the resistor trick for the 3.5 so it doesnt soak up all the power and reduce the bass from the 6x9.

What is the resistor trick?

Second if you are +8 on bass you need more power. Turning the bass all the way up is maxing out small speakers making them sound muddy.

I presume installation of the powered subwoofer will require turning down the bass levels to something near flat.

Here is the best suggestion I can give. As I have the 6 speaker system sounding amazing. 6.5 components in the front doors with the tweeters in the sail panels. Subwoofer under back seat. That is all, I do not have 3.5s in dash, I dont have rear door speaker. I have just the front comps and subs with proper crossovers and its amazing. Clear, loud, and cheap!

If you were in Tampa I would volunteer my time to get you rolling loud and clear.

My vehicle is leased so I don't want to deal with tweeters in the sail panels, amps, or built-in subwoofers. Simply adding after market tweeters in the dash and aftermarket speakers in the front doors has improved the sound a lot. I'm hoping the powered sub under the seat will make a huge difference.



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WilliamS

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Yes adding a sub will allow you to pull the bass down and not push the door speakers into distortion.
 

TomT

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My vehicle is leased so I don't want to deal with tweeters in the sail panels, amps, or built-in subwoofers.

Just wanted to say that replacement Sail Panels are cheap from the dealer. Most sub boxes are drop-in and will only require you to remove the fold out floor. You could also put a wedge shaped box behind the rear seat. I'm assuming you have a Crew Cab.
 

adrianp89

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Just wanted to say that replacement Sail Panels are cheap from the dealer. Most sub boxes are drop-in and will only require you to remove the fold out floor. You could also put a wedge shaped box behind the rear seat. I'm assuming you have a Crew Cab.

Wedge box behind the seat is a no go unless you get super lucky on dimensions or go custom.
 
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PowrRam

PowrRam

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Just wanted to say that replacement Sail Panels are cheap from the dealer. Most sub boxes are drop-in and will only require you to remove the fold out floor. You could also put a wedge shaped box behind the rear seat. I'm assuming you have a Crew Cab.

I have a crew cab. I don't want to lose the fold flat floor. I use it a couple times as month. Besides, a custom sub box would get to be expensive. Thread title: "Economical Upgrade to Stock 6 Speaker System".

Kicker Hideaway will not fit on floor behind back seat, so I doubt a wedge box would fit.


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adrianp89

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Kicker hide away def fits in the truck. Pioneer also makes one with a shorter height.
 
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PowrRam

PowrRam

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Kicker hide away def fits in the truck. Pioneer also makes one with a shorter height.
I made a cardboard box the exact dimensions of the Kicker Hideaway enclosure and it does not fit in the floor behind the back seat. It would fit in the back wall behind the back seat. It probably would fit under the passenger seat once the tire jack is removed, although the height clearance is very tight and full travel of the seat back and forth might be limited.

The Cerwin Vega and Rockville powered subs are thinner which is why they've moved up my list of potential units to buy. The Cerwin Vega is $177, the Rockville is only $99.

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