Level-Up the Symphony (yeah.. speakers) -- swapping dashboard speakers with some JL Audio C2-400x speakers

[bigbender]

Oh I have no doubt you have some serious great sound with your updates. Just would prefer not to use up cargo area for me.

In many of my past cars, I personally found just adding a single sub with an amp (and filtering out the highs) was the missing link. But then again, cargo space.

But thats my point with the jeep. They put an 8x12 sub in the floor and it's totally out of the way. i even have a rubber cargo matt laying over it and it still sounds good...all without losing a single inch of cargo.

Have no idea where the amp is though. Here is a < 1 min vid showing the sub. Maybe the amp is inside.

Agree with the loss of storage space.. definitely a buzz kill. I tried to make mine as compact as possible. There is the potential to put two small 6" subs in the floor storage compartment in the Bronco's trunk area which would be very similar to what is shown in the Jeep video. But again, with the stock head unit in the Bronco, you will definitely want an amp to push the 6 speakers.. especially for a soft top model where road noise is more significant. For a smaller amp, you can probably find a home under the front passenger seat. There is very little room behind the dashboard. I saw another owner stick one below the steering column.. but that setup is a bit sketchy in my opinion.

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[EKOBX]

Stupid question, but the dash speakers: Do you need to remove the dash or simply the speaker cover? Just plug & play?

What about the other ones?

The dash speakers were easy with some inexpensive trim tools - just the speaker covers had to come off.

 

[EKOBX]

Nice! Yes part numbers and pics for this mod would be great.

So the head unit or whatever recall it these days, is capable of improved sound with better Speakers?

I’ve upgraded all 6 speakers and added a powered subwoofer and the system sounds great! I used all Kicker brand speakers, because I had credit at Best Buy. Drove with the top flipped back today and had more sound than I needed.

 

[ou812545]

After a few weeks of daily driving, I've determined that a simple speaker upgrade will not cut it with the base stereo head unit. With the top down and volume up, there is far too much loss in sound quality.

So I scratched my plan to upgrade rears with 6x9s because an amplifier and sub was undoubtedly the only way forward. I started Friday morning with some CNC work on an amp and sub mount -- and by the end of Sunday (today), hopefully the upgrade will be complete.

The most mind numbing/teeth grinding part of the install was splicing the wires at the head unit. There is VERY little room to work and the wiring harness only gives about 3 inches of wire leads per side to splice. I didn't want to wait for a company like Metra to come out with a harness (probably a year+ out).

Amp: JBL A5055 (5-channel)
Sub: Kicker Enclosure 206TCWC104
Front and Rear Speakers: JL Audio C2-400X
Kick Speakers: Alpine SPE-6000 (note these required Metra 825605 and 75-5602 adapters)
Speaker Wire: 16-gauge https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082QYG383
Amplifier Install Kit: https://www.skaraudio.com/collectio...cts/skar4anl-ofc-4-gauge-amplifier-wiring-kit

I DON'T recommend the Skar Audio amplifier install kit. The 4 gauge wire was too short and didn't reach the trunk area. Also, the fuse block holder is a very brittle polycarbonate. The 4 gauge wire was 17' long and you will need at least 20' if you mount the amp behind the 2nd row of seats like I did.

I pumped some tunes through the setup last night (1, 2, 3 testing testing) and it sounded incredible. Made my day of sweating and dehydration worth it.

I will upload photos of the finished job when the pain ends.

Thank for sharing this. Were there any issues installing the JL Audio C2-400X in the rear pods other than having to remove a couple tabs on the speakers? Any issues with the tweeter height and the grill? Thanks

 

[bigbender]

Thank for sharing this. Were there any issues installing the JL Audio C2-400X in the rear pods other than having to remove a couple tabs on the speakers? Any issues with the tweeter height and the grill? Thanks

Nope, rear pods were a piece of cake.

 

[cubes32]

Nope, rear pods were a piece of cake.

I was also concerned with the clearance of the rear pod grill with the tweeter. Everyone says the JL C1’s push on the grill, and the C2’s mounting height spec is only 2mm lower according to JL’s website.

 

[bigbender]

I was also concerned with the clearance of the rear pod grill with the tweeter. Everyone says the JL C1’s push on the grill, and the C2’s mounting height spec is only 2mm lower according to JL’s website.

Only clearance issue I had was with the kick panel speakers. Those can press up against the Ford plastic speaker cover... Need to use low head profile hardware.

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