Speaker install (lots o' pics)

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 7:41 am

Well, I finally got around to putting the new speakers in. (I've had the car almost a week now)I put in a pair of 6 1/2" Cerwin Vega coaxials in the front, and a pair of 6 1/2" Crystal coaxials in the rear. Both pair of speakers are "low profile", and in the front, you don't have room for any more depth than the stock speakers due to the window will hit when lowered. But the rear has 3 1/2" depth min from the metal door face, so I could have put in speakers with a greater depth if I wanted to in the rear. The rear window does not come down far enough to hit the speaker.I started with the rear speakers, so the pictures below start with the rear. First, you remove the two screws (one in the door handle pocket, and one behind a small square cover by the door lock. Use a very small screwdriver to pop it open. Don't try to remove it, just let it hang open.)Remove the handle pocket, then start pulling out at the bottom of the door shell. There are white snaps along the bottom and sides of the door that will pull out of the metal door face. There's a small black plastic piece on the inside from mirror, above the door panel that needs to be removed by pulling straight out from the door. There's one "clip" towards the top that holds it on.Once all the clips are pulled out (bottom of door pulled out about 6 inches or so, not too far because your power window switch wires are attached with very little excess length), lift up on the door shell. Once the shell is free, you'll need to remove the power window wire connector by pushing down on a small tab on the connector and pulling straight out. Once the shell is off, put it far away where you aren't going to trip or step on it and scratch it up.Below is a pic of the stock rear speaker. I went ahead and drilled out the 3 rivets (circled), snipped off the speaker wires close to the speaker (I wasn't going to be re-using the connector) and pryed the speaker off of the remaining rivet. Parts of the old rivets will fall in the bottom of the door into some grease, but I removed the pieces so they wouldn't rattle. On the rear speakers only, I didn't re-use the stupid plastic speaker/frame. My Crystal's fit almost perfectly in the stock metal hole. I drilled 4 new holes for the speaker in the door metal, and carefully pulled the plastic barrier back that is held on with some nasty tar/caulk stuff so I could get my hand in behind the speakers to put nuts on 2 of the 4 screws that I couldn't slide the stamped c-clip nut thing that comes with the speakers because there is a lip on 1/2 of the speaker hole. I put some 1/4" weatherproofing selfstick foam on the rim of the speaker to keep it from rattling and seal it off before I put it in. I spliced together the speaker wires, then put the door shell back on in reverse order.The front was a little more difficult because the window will hit anything deeper than the stock speaker when it is down.Taking off the front door shells is just like the rear, but the passanger side has two wire connections to remove, while the driver's side has one large one. The connector on the drivers door has a small release tab located on the bottom of the white connector.I drilled out the 3 rivets on the front speakers and removed the speaker. Then I took some side cutters and snipped off the ribs that run from the magnet up to the surround of the speaker. Then you can take a screwdriver or needlenose plyers and pry up the surround of the speaker. You'll have to yank out the metal tabs that connect the speaker leads to the speaker coil also. I snipped off these ribs up as close to the main frame of the speaker as possible. With the guts of the speaker removed, my Cerwin-Vegas fit right into the shell. I secured the speaker into the shell with four 1 inch drywall screws. I then re-installed the speaker/shell back in the door with 3 of the 4 screws & stamped steel "nuts" that came with the speakers. You can get your hand in behind the speaker from a hole above it (after you pull back the clear plastic barrier a bit)The driver's door connector is a little tricky to re-installing though. The white part is actually two pieces, and you have to move the outer part back, further up on the wires, then push in the lower base that has all the wires on it, then slide the upper part into the lower base after it is seated. It's difficult for me to explain, but once you see it, you'll figure it out.The sound difference between these speakers and the stock junk is incredible. I actually didn't think the stock speakers sounded too bad (for stock speakers), but it sounds nice & crisp now. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail or i-message me.Thanks,Carl[Modified by cohocarl, 2:36 PM 9/25/2002]

Post by **NSimkins** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 8:04 am

Carl, yet another great and thorough post! What particular model speakers (Cerwin-Vega and Crystal) did you buy and where did you obtain them?
[Modified by NSimkins, 7:09 PM 9/2/2002]

sharky · Post by **sharky** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 9:06 am

Very nice are you still using the stock amp?
[Modified by sharky, 8:07 PM 9/2/2002]

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 9:31 am

The front speakers are Cerwin-Vega SS-1652 "stealth" series, which I see has been discontinued. They make a HED-1652 that looks very similar. I bought these new from a seller on E-bay who had quite a few pair for sale, but I just checked and he doesn't have any more listed. I had wanted 2 pair, but only was able to get one.The Crystals are CXE-610's. I purchased these through http://www.mmxpress.com, but I bought his last pair about a month ago, and he didn't know if he'd be getting any more in. I see they are still listed on his website, but I don't know if he just hasn't edited his web site, or he's able to get some more in. Crystal just brought out a new CSX-series of coaxials which have a much nicer appearance, but I haven't listened to them. Crystal's web page is: http://www.crystalmobilesound.comI had read about Crystals, and how nice they sounded, but I liked the Cerwin-Vega's mid-highs better, so I put them in the front.You wouldn't have to go with a shallow mount for the rears, but the fronts should be.quote:are you still using the stock amp?I had just the base cd/fm stereo in it. Does that have an external amp? The Panasonic head unit I put in is supposedly 50 X 4 mosfet, and it definately packs more punch than my old Kenwood or JVC I had in my other cars. I'm impressed with how loud and clear this combo is. [Modified by cohocarl, 1:59 AM 9/3/2002]
[Modified by cohocarl, 2:15 AM 9/3/2002]

LocDog · Post by **LocDog** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 1:52 pm

There's a 200w amp( if u have the moons and tunes package) under the front passenger seat.The head unit plugs into that and then it goes from there to the speakers.

LocDog · Post by **LocDog** » Sat Sep 07, 2002 2:57 am

Oh by the way, because of the amp i blew out my rear driver side door speaker and i think my tweeters have gone too

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wed Sep 25, 2002 11:08 pm

cohocarl, need your advice. I'm not really planning on getting a new head unit but the stock (base) sound system sounds quite muddy. Do you think that, if I upgrade just the speakers, I could clean up the sound? I"m hoping just to purchase some good qual speakers like the ones you got, and end up with appreciably better sound.What do you think???Thanks for your help!

yank dini · Post by **yank dini** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 2:52 am

you would have to get a speaker that falls within the wattage from your radio or else you will blow them every time. If you have a 200-watt radio I would recommend some speakers that handle around 180watt-peak per speaker. Like the Infinity 652i Ir you have just the regular stock radio and not the moon and tunes I would opt for some Sony x-plods on something around 75 to 100 watt peak speakers

Kent · Post by **Kent** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 10:56 pm

Carl,Were the speakers you took out from the standard 4 speaker package or the enhanced 6 speaker package? I'm trying to find out what the stock speakers in the "enchanced" package are like.Thanks!Kent

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Tue Oct 22, 2002 5:26 am

I had just the standard stereo, and the rear speakers were a 5 1/4 paper w/wizzer cone, the fronts were 6 1/2 paper, no wizzer cone. Really sucked. I don't know what the "premium" system has in it. Could be the same speakers, I don't know for sure.

Post by **NSimkins** » Tue Oct 22, 2002 6:29 am

Yeah, from what I have read and heard, they are the same speakers. The upgraded sound package just includes the 2 door-mounted tweeter's and the 200w amplifier.

LavaTroll · Post by **LavaTroll** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 5:17 am

While the Moon & Tunes system is louder, loud is very different from good, and I feel that they were trying to put one over on us. I'm hoping that a speaker replacement will help what is essentially an adequately powered, but non-artistically voiced, system.If you have time, could you attempt to describe the difference after changing out the speakers? Did it correct the somewhat anemic overall effect? I'm not looking for massive sub-bass, by the way - just sparkle, thump and intelligibility. I sense that there is much potential for improvement.

mkl116 · Post by **mkl116** » Thu Nov 21, 2002 12:53 am

I installed new speakers, head unit and amp and clarity was night and day to old system. Plenty of bass without getting crazy with subs and systenm is clean visually. Worth the effort...

Flip-Side · Post by **Flip-Side** » Thu Nov 21, 2002 11:53 pm

What is the wattage per channel on the stock head unit?

Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Fri Nov 22, 2002 1:43 am

quote:What is the wattage per channel on the stock head unit?The stock radio (not tune package) is not very powerfull. It give about 30-40W peak max. My aftermarket head unit has 50w per channel and it has more power then the stock unit.

esjones · Post by **esjones** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 3:17 am

Has anyone done audio/speaker upgrades to the DVD Nav system? If so, what did you do, how much did it cost, and how does it sound?Thanks.- Earl

TimLambo · Post by **TimLambo** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 9:22 am

Hi all,Thanks for a great step by step on how to install speakers Carl. Extremely helpful. A couple general remarks on the speakers and car audio in general. I just popped by door panels and it appears that the base stereo speakers are the same as in the moon and tune (sans tweeter); junk. Don't blame Pontiac, I have owned about 40 cars including the Chrysler Infinity systems and even the name brand factory system speakers are not as good quality as aftermarket. Very few are actually "engineered" for the car's unique acoustics (as you might think they'd be). 99% are cheap paper cone drivers with no crossovers. Why? Cost and, quite frankly, most people don't know the difference. The good news is, speakers are the most cost effective upgrade you can make. There are deals on EBAY or if you're a novice, buy them from Crutchfield-you pay a little more but they include all adaptors, harnesses and instructions plus they don't inflate shipping and have the best return policy.The good news for the moon and tune people is that there is an outboard amp. Not a great one but maybe a 25 watt RMS x 4 continuous by my guess. Even the best brand name powered head units lack solid power (its a matter of physics) and its most noticeable on lower frequencies which are the hardest for amps and speakers to reproduce. For those without the moon and tune, the next thing to upgrade after speakers is a speaker level amp (real 80 watts RMS from 20-20khz USAcoustics is available for $89 in the new Crutchfield). That way if you do end up replacing the head unit as well, you can still use the amp-it has line level (cleaner) inputs as well.As far as the post about blowing tweeters and power, if you're blowing tweeters, you are driving your amp into distortion, not overpowering your speakers. Blown woofer-too much power; blown tweeter-not enough for desired volume. Get an amplifier or a more efficient pair of speakers (amp more likely to provide desired results). Enough rambling, now my question. Do you think 6 3/4s would have fit better in the rear? They tend to have a little better bass response anyway. I'm thinking of trying components in the front and two ways in the back with the stock deck and amp (too lazy and busy to do more at this pointThanks!Tim

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 11:04 am

quote: Do you think 6 3/4s would have fit better in the rear?Shouldn't have any problem with 6 3/4's in the rear at all.Another Michigander!!!!

DopeVibeGT · Post by **DopeVibeGT** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 9:18 am

Thanks for the great 'how to'!

BigWill · Post by **BigWill** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 11:10 am

Carl you are good...thanks for the install tip!Now, this is what I did yesterday. I installed another amp to run my 10" woofer on it, and just left the stock as is. It sounds great. Now I want to install some more tweets, the moon roof package has some but I want 2 more in there right by the seatbelt area. My question is, since I have the factory amp (200 watts) under the seat...can I hook the tweets into there instead of running them all the way back up to the back of the deck? Because the deck plugs into the amp under the seat anyway. If so, how can I do that? Or do I have to disconnect any of the speakers to do this??? Talk to me...

Flip-Side · Post by **Flip-Side** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 11:58 am

Carl, I usually have gone with Crutchfield when I buy speakers, but the site lists no speakers that fit the depth of the holes. How much depth did you have to play with in the front doors? I may have to cut holes and srew on grills if I cant get anything to fit right...ouch. Just the stock speakers depth would be of great help.

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 12:36 pm

If you "gut out" the stock front speakers, and use them as spacers like I did, you can use a speaker that has a mounting depth of up to about 2 5/16". Anything deeper will hit the window. The rear windows don't come down behind the speakers, so there's plenty of room in the back.Thanks,Carl

TimLambo · Post by **TimLambo** » Sun Jan 05, 2003 7:43 am

From what I can gather, the reason Crutchfield lists no front speaker options other than component speakers is the protrusion of the tweeter of a two-way speaker. They don't even recommend some component woofers such as the Infinity Kappa because of the height of the woofer mounting surround. That, and sound quality is why I think I'm going component speaker in the front. The nice thing about ordering from Crutchfield is they will include a spacer ring that fits the factory holes (its a stock Toyota speaker spacer) and so you can just pull the whole factory speaker assembly and trash it. Crutchfield also sells them separately for around $8 or your local installer should stock them if they do Toyotas.

Kangaroooski · Post by **Kangaroooski** » Sun Mar 02, 2003 3:55 pm

quote:I had just the standard stereo, and the rear speakers were a 5 1/4 paper w/wizzer cone, the fronts were 6 1/2 paper, no wizzer cone. Really sucked. I don't know what the "premium" system has in it. Could be the same speakers, I don't know for sure.Is this true? Why would they put 2 different sizes in? So I guess that when I replace mine I need 2 6 1/2 front and 2 5 1/2 rear speakers. This is correct right? Thanks.

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 5:43 pm

quote: So I guess that when I replace mine I need 2 6 1/2 front and 2 5 1/2 rear speakers. This is correct right? Thanks.You can if you really want to, but I put 6 1/2's in both the front and rear. The stock size in the rear is around a 5 1/2 size, but after you take out the plastic shell and speaker, a 6 1/2 fits right in the hole in the door metal. If you want to use a 5 1/2, you'd probably have to gut out the old speaker and use the shell to mount it in (similar to the front speaker). In this case, bigger is better, so I'd see no reason to go with a 5 1/2 in the rear, but you can if you already have a pair on hand and don't want to buy another.Carl

Kangaroooski · Post by **Kangaroooski** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 6:51 pm

Cool, this is exactly what I needed to know!! Thanks

ShotInTheDark · Post by **ShotInTheDark** » Tue Mar 04, 2003 12:36 am

I put 6 1/2 infinity's all the way around and it sounds great with the stock head unit. there was absolutely no clearance problem at all.

ragingfish · Post by **ragingfish** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 3:30 am

I'm guessing when you buy a new amp, the current harness/adapter isn't standard, and you have to snip it off and wire it manually?I'm pretty satisfied with the stock. I have the treble and mid range at their clearest, and the sound is pretty nice...but I want sound so real, it feels like I'm there, ya know?Would a new amp fit on the mount bracket of the old one?The speakers are riveted in? Why would they do that? I would love to see Pontiac make a car that is EASY TO UPGRADE!!! I'm really intrigued by the handy pop-off feature of the dashboard...why can't everything else be so easy to interchange? ESPECIALLY on a car they are trying to market to the 18-34 segment of the population, who i'm guessing does more upgrades than any other segment...

ShotInTheDark · Post by **ShotInTheDark** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 7:28 am

honestly those pop rivets were really easy to drill out. plus the stock 5 1/4 inch speakers were real crap. I think that by just replaceing all 6 speakers in the car I found a great balance of cost versus sound. The only other addition i would love to have is tha new bazooka tube that is shaped like a NOS bottle. That would rock in the back of the Vibe.

esjones · Post by **esjones** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 10:07 pm

quote:I put 6 1/2 infinity's all the way around and it sounds great with the stock head unit. there was absolutely no clearance problem at all.Did you do the work yourself? What is the model number of the speakers you used? Thanks.

ShotInTheDark · Post by **ShotInTheDark** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 8:54 am

infinty reference series 625I 6 1/2 2 ways.

jgvibe · Post by **jgvibe** » Tue May 27, 2003 11:17 am

I just pulled my fronts today. Put in 6 1/2 JBL GTO625's and they dropped right in. Followed your instructions, thanks! To my suprize though my stock fronts were 2 ohm speakers. Usually when I pull stock speakers they are like 12 ohms. This is why most aftermarket speakers sound better, or party why.My new one are 4 ohms. The clarity is great, not muddy anymore. But a sware the bass is gone! Were your stock speakers 2 ohms?

Psychobroker · Post by **Psychobroker** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 6:13 am

I hate to bump an old thread, but I'm new here and didn't want to seem like I was trolling I picked up my VibeGT in March and I am looking to upgrade all 4 door speakers, along with adding a sub in the back, amp, etc. I think this installation guide is awesome (thanks Carl), but I need to know if Cerwin-Vega IT-72E's will fit, and if they're comperable with the HED and "Stealth" Series. I can pick up a pair for under $50...here's a link to Cerwin-Vega's spec sheet: http://www.cerwinvega.com/products/mobi ... mlAnyone's advise is much appreciated!

TimLambo · Post by **TimLambo** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 9:54 am

I looked at them and they should fit fine. In fact, a 6 3/4" (Euro) is necessary for a solid fit in the rear if you don't use speaker brackets and mount directly to the door. They are not a high efficiency speaker and will sound best with power. The sub will make a huge difference for absolute volume.Tim

Psychobroker · Post by **Psychobroker** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:11 am

Thanks for the reply, Tim. Of course, i'm now flip-flopping and thinking I want the best I can afford for ~$75 in the rear and ~$50 in the front. I was thinking...Fronts: Infinity Reference 6002i - 6-1/2"; top-mount depth of 2-1/8"or I could go with the 652i's in the front; which one's would work better?Rears: Infinity Kappa 652.5i - 6-3/4"; top-mount depth of 2-7/16"Quite frankly, I'm overwhelemed with all of the choices, but I've read up on Infinity, and from hearing of their quality in the past, I think all 4 for just under $150 should be a good deal...

TimLambo · Post by **TimLambo** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:23 am

I have the Kappa components in front and two-ways in the rear and am very happy with them. Ideally I would go with Kappas front and back. For and extra $20 its a definite upgrade from the reference series. No speaker is going to give you great bass in the Vibe doors but the Kappas are very musical.Tim

Psychobroker · Post by **Psychobroker** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:28 am

Thanks again Tim. I was considering Kappas up front, but was woried about the mounting depth needed? Since Kappa components cost $150+/pair, I'll have to stick with 2-ways...which ones would work best up front? I'm also cutting it close with my budget, so if my only options for the fronts are Referense 6002i and 652i, which pair should I go for?

TimLambo · Post by **TimLambo** » Wed Jul 16, 2003 10:34 am

With any speaker you'll have to use brackets or the method described here (breaking out old speaker basket). I've done installs both ways and both are fine. Then you have plenty of depth. The two way kappas are great. I haven't ever heard the reference models against each other so I couldn't tell you what's better. On the other hand, how long do you plan on having the car? If its a couple years I'd spend the extra and get the Kappas. It'll be like 75 cents a month extra .Tim

Psychobroker · Post by **Psychobroker** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 5:52 am

Ok, more questions ... what about the Kappa 3-ways? If I invest in a pair of those, should I put them in the rear doors and the 2-ways in the fronts?

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 5:55 am

quote:Ok, more questions ... what about the Kappa 3-ways? If I invest in a pair of those, should I put them in the rear doors and the 2-ways in the fronts?I put the pair that I thought sounded better, had clearer mid/highs in the front. You can't hear the rears, other than the bass.

TimLambo · Post by **TimLambo** » Thu Jul 17, 2003 10:34 am

Same here. After installing the rears I'm not sure if it was even necessary since I also put in a subwoofer (I used a powered 8" Bazooka tube). I do think the 3 way Kappas are outstanding-the emit tweeter is the best high end tweeter IMO. Unfortunately they don't make them in components.Tim

3c3 · Post by **3c3** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 4:18 am

Got my 2004 Vibe last week with the standard 4-speaker system. I'm planning to keep the factory head unit and just replace the speakers for now. I would like to minimize cutting/drilling my new vehicle, which means I will be gutting and reusing the factory speaker brackets. I have read many threads here related to speakers. The mounting depth is clear: 2 5/16" for the front speakers. How about the mounting height requirement, the part toward the grill?The last message in this thread worries me: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... ychobroker is using Infinity Kappa 62.5 which has depth of 2 1/8" (fine) and height of 15/16" (too high?), and the door panel cannot be put back properly.Thanks in advance for any comments.

Psychobroker · Post by **Psychobroker** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 5:18 am

I had no problems with the mounting height using the factory bracket, but the kappa tweeter did keep the panel from "snapping" on securely at the bottom. I'd say 1 or 2 of the factory push screws were not secured until I was able to dremel out the factory speaker grilles in favor of infinity's, as attached.

Attached files

3c3 · Post by **3c3** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 5:34 am

Nice color! Infinity Reference 6002si has lower mounting height requirement of 1/2". Would that lower profile allow me to keep the factory grill? Thanks.Any success story with the factory grill?One more thing. Do I need to buy a door panel removal tool, or would something like a screwdriver work for getting the panel off?

Psychobroker · Post by **Psychobroker** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 9:17 am

The Reference series would probably have no problems. As for a tool, all you need is a Phillips head screwdriver for two screws. The door panel has indents along the edge for you to grip and pull. It takes a little bit of force, but don't worry, you shouldn't break anything. I'd recommend first pulling out the door console (panel?) and disconnecting the wire adapters so you don't rip any wires out.Just use cohocarl's walkthrough.

scherry2 · Post by **scherry2** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 10:34 am

great install tips maybe I'll santa will bring me speakers.

3c3 · Post by **3c3** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 5:09 am

I removed the front passenger door panel and cut out the speaker (without removing the bracket) to make some measurements. Between the top of the bracket and the factory grill, the shortest distance is about 7/16" at the bottom, and it's about 15/16" in the center, with the ridges behind the grill REMOVED. The standard Infinity Reference 6002i should fit, so I don't have to go with the low profile 6002si. Just ordered a pair from Sound Domain for $75 shipped.BTW, on the 2004 Vibe base, the front speaker I removed is 4 ohms and 17.5W, not 2 ohms that I have read.Question: The Infinity speakers come with two strips of foam. Are they supposed to go below (toward the magnet) or above (toward the grill) the speaker frames? Thanks.

frostyGT · Post by **frostyGT** » Sat May 15, 2004 6:52 am

Thanks for the excellent install guide. I just used this yesterday to install four Infinity 6002i speakers.Why isn't this thread stickied?

Jahntassa · Post by **Jahntassa** » Sat May 15, 2004 10:30 am

We in the audio forum don't have a lot of stickies, dunno why. There are a few good guides floating around.. Speakers. XM, radios.. all kinds of stuff. I think we depend on the search function...But you're right..that'd make sense!

cohocarl · Post by **cohocarl** » Sat May 15, 2004 10:39 am

Quote, originally posted by frostyGT Â»Thanks for the excellent install guide. I'm glad it has helped. When I bought my Vibe, there was almost nothing on any of the Vibe or Matrix forums on speaker installation, only some talk about the odd plastic speaker frames. I thought if I was going to tackle it, might as well take some pics as I go and put up for others.Thanks,Carl