I was not fully pleased with the JBL system in my LC LC. I've had worse, but I've had much better, such as in my 17 Golf R. Considering this LC is my first venture into what I consider luxury territory, I was expecting much more. Aside from the sound quality being muddy and lackluster, I was really surprised how much the doors rattled even at neutral bass. So, I decided to upgrade the speakers and add sound-deadening. I also was not really interested in adding amps and thankfully now I won't need to do so. Here is what I used:
- JL Audio C2-350x 3.5" in the dash corners
- Kenwood Excelon KFC-X3C 3.5" in the dash center (there wasn't enough depth for another C2 and I had the Kenwood on hand from a previous Jeep project)
- Front doors
- JL Audio C2-690tx 6"x9"
- Metra 82-8246 mounting brackets (they work by drilling two new holes to match the OEM locations)
- Stinger Roadkill RKFR69 FAST Rings (baffles)
- I had tried a mid/woofer at first, but then realized a full signal is going to the door. Aside from how much sound was lost with that first attempt, one of the forum members had posted a document from Toyota Japan that showed a full signal to the doors. The JL Audio speakers I ultimately used, really help improve the overall sound quality when combined with the new dash speakers.
- Back doors
- JL Audio C2-650x 6.5"
- Metra 82-8148 mounting brackets
- Stinger Roadkill RKFR6 FAST Rings (baffles)
- Metra 72-8109 speaker wiring adapters for all locations
- Dynamat Xtreme
- Dynamat Dynaliner 1/4"
I'm not an audio expert, but I selected the JL Audio speakers based on:
- Previous experience
- Warm sound and great sound quality
- High sensitivity for working off the stock amp
I took my time over a few weekends and I'm really impressed with the results. It was my first foray in using sound deadening to this extent. I would estimate around up to 25% coverage with the Xtreme and around 30-40 with the Dynaliner. I did not want to remove the vapor liner (in the back doors) or go crazy inside the doors. Here are my key subjective results:
- Significantly clearer sound played with a reduced need for volume. Prior to the upgrade, I listened in the range of 35 to 55. Now I can listen easily from 25 to 45.
- The bass is impressive. I'm still not sure how much the subwoofer in the hatch is doing, but the new speakers in the front doors throw appreciable and solid bass.
- Much quieter while cruising, such that I mainly hear wind noise by the A-pillars.
- I use the surround function enabled now. It sounded harsh/irritating with the OEM speakers, but really fills the space with the improved speakers.
Some other random notes:
- I listen to a wide range of music, including alternative, indie, rock, electronic, industrial, etc. and it all sounds great.
- I bought Kicker 3.5" speakers for the hatch, but there is remarkably little depth for aftermarket speakers and reinstalled the OEM ones. I added sound deadening, while I was in there.
- Taking off door panels in new vehicles always freaks me out the first time. The front and rear doors were fine. The hatch, however, made me feel as though I was going to break something in some areas.
- I didn't bother doing anything with the subwoofer in the hatch. I'm not sure it's doing much, so it wasn't worth upgrading at the moment.
- I did not touch the small tweeters in the pillar or upper back door.
- The OEM speakers look weird (except for the back door ones that seem fairly normal). The front door and dash speakers have a lot of plastic framing in front of the cones. I suppose it keeps them rigid, but seems as though they would block the emission of sound.
All items were purchased from
www.crutchfield.com
