Speaker N Amp question
07-09-2013 | 08:51 AM
#1
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
From: Memphis,TN
Speaker N Amp question
I have a 2012 JK and fixin to upgrade the HU. Should I keep stock speakers and Sub or go for new ones?
Also do I have an external Amp now or is one built into the exhisting HU?
Not sure what all I will need except bypass for DVD player and for my steering wheel controls.
Any advice is appreciated.
Also do I have an external Amp now or is one built into the exhisting HU?
Not sure what all I will need except bypass for DVD player and for my steering wheel controls.
Any advice is appreciated.
07-09-2013 | 09:34 AM
#2
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: Chesapeake Beach, MD
If your upgrading the HU you should also upgrade the speakers. That's just my opinion. I have heard that kickers and Boston Acoustic make decent speakers for the soundbar and in dash. Did you get the 7 speaker infinity system when you bought your jeep, is it it just stock?
07-09-2013 | 12:31 PM
#3
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
From: Memphis,TN
If your upgrading the HU you should also upgrade the speakers. That's just my opinion. I have heard that kickers and Boston Acoustic make decent speakers for the soundbar and in dash. Did you get the 7 speaker infinity system when you bought your jeep, is it it just stock?
Ok thanks for helpin me out
07-10-2013 | 02:15 AM
#4
JK Super Freak
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,225
Likes: 0
From: OCEAN SPRINGS, MS
It's really your own choice. A different head unit will have more pre amp capability this a cleaner sound being reproduced. The factory amp is what limits the factor speakers.
You can go with speakers like focal, rainbow, cdt, tantric sounds, dd, sundown audio, Re, German maestro, etc. most companies have a nice budget speaker line. Ones that I mentioned are the ones off the top of my head that are decently priced.
Adding an aftermarket amp is really going to add volume and clarity over the stock amp. Your tune ability just went up drastically.
You can go with speakers like focal, rainbow, cdt, tantric sounds, dd, sundown audio, Re, German maestro, etc. most companies have a nice budget speaker line. Ones that I mentioned are the ones off the top of my head that are decently priced.
Adding an aftermarket amp is really going to add volume and clarity over the stock amp. Your tune ability just went up drastically.
07-10-2013 | 08:08 AM
#6
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 376
Likes: 0
From: Denver, CO
If you have the full infinity system with sub, you are pretty much screwed with replacing it all in order to sound better.
Regardless of what people claim, changing the head unit in the infinity systems dont do anything other than clean up the input signal on a single channel which is all the stock amp takes. Those same people claim major horsepower increases just by adding racing stripes.
Same thing goes for replacing speakers but keeping the stock amp powering them... bupkis aside from making them get even less power (2ohm stock to 4ohm aftermarket) but cleaner sound.
Only real good idea is to plan out a full system upgrade, or plan on upgrading systems to piggyback off the stock. Upgrading the head unit is all a personal preference and getting the features you want. The sound quality will come from your amp/speaker choices. Remember that going from a stock head unit to the stock amp is sending speaker level inputs to it, which are not great and are much higher than the stock head unit pushes to the stock amp (when equipped and the system was flashed to know so), hence the difference in sound that people claim to get. Amplifying an already amplified signal is like photocopying a photocopy... it just gets mucked up. The stock amp is not really built to handle that new higher input the same and causes an increase in volume and a since the signal is clearer anyways due to the head unit, a bit better clarity in sound. However you will still find the limits on sound volume and spacial acoustics due to the amp doing all of the processing and not the head unit.
Amps, you can either replace the stock one if you get a new head unit... or piggyback off the stock one with an amp that takes speaker level inputs like some of the JL and Alpine amps out this year. They are great at the signal processing and output really nicely. Not to mention the new amp will really kick up the sound once you get new speakers.
New sub... seriously... if you upgrade the amp, new sub is hand in hand with that change. The stock sub is TERRIBLE to say the least. You can get a good 8 to fit the stock sub enclosure but unless you make some good changes to your sub setup, taking the top off will always kill its sound.
Speakers.... coax in the soundbar, components up front. Match them to your amp.
All in all... its a pretty big undertaking if you do it all but it comes with the best results. Doing little bits here and there could help in little bits and if you plan it right, could be done in good stages. Either way... lots of folks in here and other jeep forums that have experience with it including myself.
Regardless of what people claim, changing the head unit in the infinity systems dont do anything other than clean up the input signal on a single channel which is all the stock amp takes. Those same people claim major horsepower increases just by adding racing stripes.
Same thing goes for replacing speakers but keeping the stock amp powering them... bupkis aside from making them get even less power (2ohm stock to 4ohm aftermarket) but cleaner sound.
Only real good idea is to plan out a full system upgrade, or plan on upgrading systems to piggyback off the stock. Upgrading the head unit is all a personal preference and getting the features you want. The sound quality will come from your amp/speaker choices. Remember that going from a stock head unit to the stock amp is sending speaker level inputs to it, which are not great and are much higher than the stock head unit pushes to the stock amp (when equipped and the system was flashed to know so), hence the difference in sound that people claim to get. Amplifying an already amplified signal is like photocopying a photocopy... it just gets mucked up. The stock amp is not really built to handle that new higher input the same and causes an increase in volume and a since the signal is clearer anyways due to the head unit, a bit better clarity in sound. However you will still find the limits on sound volume and spacial acoustics due to the amp doing all of the processing and not the head unit.
Amps, you can either replace the stock one if you get a new head unit... or piggyback off the stock one with an amp that takes speaker level inputs like some of the JL and Alpine amps out this year. They are great at the signal processing and output really nicely. Not to mention the new amp will really kick up the sound once you get new speakers.
New sub... seriously... if you upgrade the amp, new sub is hand in hand with that change. The stock sub is TERRIBLE to say the least. You can get a good 8 to fit the stock sub enclosure but unless you make some good changes to your sub setup, taking the top off will always kill its sound.
Speakers.... coax in the soundbar, components up front. Match them to your amp.
All in all... its a pretty big undertaking if you do it all but it comes with the best results. Doing little bits here and there could help in little bits and if you plan it right, could be done in good stages. Either way... lots of folks in here and other jeep forums that have experience with it including myself.
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07-11-2013 | 08:29 AM
#8
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
From: Memphis,TN
It's really your own choice. A different head unit will have more pre amp capability this a cleaner sound being reproduced. The factory amp is what limits the factor speakers.
You can go with speakers like focal, rainbow, cdt, tantric sounds, dd, sundown audio, Re, German maestro, etc. most companies have a nice budget speaker line. Ones that I mentioned are the ones off the top of my head that are decently priced.
Adding an aftermarket amp is really going to add volume and clarity over the stock amp. Your tune ability just went up drastically.
You can go with speakers like focal, rainbow, cdt, tantric sounds, dd, sundown audio, Re, German maestro, etc. most companies have a nice budget speaker line. Ones that I mentioned are the ones off the top of my head that are decently priced.
Adding an aftermarket amp is really going to add volume and clarity over the stock amp. Your tune ability just went up drastically.
07-11-2013 | 08:30 AM
#9
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
From: Memphis,TN
07-11-2013 | 08:55 AM
#10
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
From: Memphis,TN
If you have the full infinity system with sub, you are pretty much screwed with replacing it all in order to sound better.
Regardless of what people claim, changing the head unit in the infinity systems dont do anything other than clean up the input signal on a single channel which is all the stock amp takes. Those same people claim major horsepower increases just by adding racing stripes.
Same thing goes for replacing speakers but keeping the stock amp powering them... bupkis aside from making them get even less power (2ohm stock to 4ohm aftermarket) but cleaner sound.
Only real good idea is to plan out a full system upgrade, or plan on upgrading systems to piggyback off the stock. Upgrading the head unit is all a personal preference and getting the features you want. The sound quality will come from your amp/speaker choices. Remember that going from a stock head unit to the stock amp is sending speaker level inputs to it, which are not great and are much higher than the stock head unit pushes to the stock amp (when equipped and the system was flashed to know so), hence the difference in sound that people claim to get. Amplifying an already amplified signal is like photocopying a photocopy... it just gets mucked up. The stock amp is not really built to handle that new higher input the same and causes an increase in volume and a since the signal is clearer anyways due to the head unit, a bit better clarity in sound. However you will still find the limits on sound volume and spacial acoustics due to the amp doing all of the processing and not the head unit.
Amps, you can either replace the stock one if you get a new head unit... or piggyback off the stock one with an amp that takes speaker level inputs like some of the JL and Alpine amps out this year. They are great at the signal processing and output really nicely. Not to mention the new amp will really kick up the sound once you get new speakers.
New sub... seriously... if you upgrade the amp, new sub is hand in hand with that change. The stock sub is TERRIBLE to say the least. You can get a good 8 to fit the stock sub enclosure but unless you make some good changes to your sub setup, taking the top off will always kill its sound.
Speakers.... coax in the soundbar, components up front. Match them to your amp.
All in all... its a pretty big undertaking if you do it all but it comes with the best results. Doing little bits here and there could help in little bits and if you plan it right, could be done in good stages. Either way... lots of folks in here and other jeep forums that have experience with it including myself.
Regardless of what people claim, changing the head unit in the infinity systems dont do anything other than clean up the input signal on a single channel which is all the stock amp takes. Those same people claim major horsepower increases just by adding racing stripes.
Same thing goes for replacing speakers but keeping the stock amp powering them... bupkis aside from making them get even less power (2ohm stock to 4ohm aftermarket) but cleaner sound.
Only real good idea is to plan out a full system upgrade, or plan on upgrading systems to piggyback off the stock. Upgrading the head unit is all a personal preference and getting the features you want. The sound quality will come from your amp/speaker choices. Remember that going from a stock head unit to the stock amp is sending speaker level inputs to it, which are not great and are much higher than the stock head unit pushes to the stock amp (when equipped and the system was flashed to know so), hence the difference in sound that people claim to get. Amplifying an already amplified signal is like photocopying a photocopy... it just gets mucked up. The stock amp is not really built to handle that new higher input the same and causes an increase in volume and a since the signal is clearer anyways due to the head unit, a bit better clarity in sound. However you will still find the limits on sound volume and spacial acoustics due to the amp doing all of the processing and not the head unit.
Amps, you can either replace the stock one if you get a new head unit... or piggyback off the stock one with an amp that takes speaker level inputs like some of the JL and Alpine amps out this year. They are great at the signal processing and output really nicely. Not to mention the new amp will really kick up the sound once you get new speakers.
New sub... seriously... if you upgrade the amp, new sub is hand in hand with that change. The stock sub is TERRIBLE to say the least. You can get a good 8 to fit the stock sub enclosure but unless you make some good changes to your sub setup, taking the top off will always kill its sound.
Speakers.... coax in the soundbar, components up front. Match them to your amp.
All in all... its a pretty big undertaking if you do it all but it comes with the best results. Doing little bits here and there could help in little bits and if you plan it right, could be done in good stages. Either way... lots of folks in here and other jeep forums that have experience with it including myself.
Cant wait to hear it when its all done. Hope all this info helps someone else to.
Thanks and wavey 😊