Good 6.5 components or good 6x9 component speakers?

What are you guys running in the front door of your tundra? Which speakers would you choose? A good 6.5 or a good 6X9 speaker? I’m looking for a good mid bass but also able to get loud I do have some offers already and a pair of JL component speakers in the rear. At the moment I have a set of 6 x 9 three way focal speakers in the front but I feel that the sound is being directed towards your feet’s because the dash speakers have been unplugged. all the speakers are amplified. I am open to other options but these are the speakers I’m kind of looking at. These are top-of-the-line alpine speakers. This would allow me to buy a adapter and install the tweeter back in the dash. I also have extra sail panels that I could drill and mount the tweeters on the sail panels.

 

I would just reach out to James @james@tech12volts. I did and he hooked it up with a nice setup. I haven't finished it SMH but I've got the sound mat in place. Hopefully this weekend I'll get a chance to make a dent.

 

I ran a focal set up in my f-150 and it rocked. I ran those alpines in my taco and it sucked comparatively. I'd go listen before you waste a bunch of money, I'll never go alpine again. Focal is a little more "clear" or "tinny" but still had solid bass. The alpines just never got as clear, and the bass wasn't as good either, they were bad on every level compared to my focal set up.

I'm waiting for my Tundra to come in, but maybe its more on where the speaker placement is, and you might need to put in some custom speaker set ups to bring the level up, or get it tuned where they can make it sound like they are higher. I am not a pro, so there might be better options, my big warning is to listen to those alpines before you blow the cash.

 

Jeez, at $700 you’re halfway to an actually decent 5 channel system that’s plug and play.

$1300 and a weekend installation with a few beers and you will be WAY happy.

another vote for James. That dude is SOLID.

 

Round speakers will always sound acoustically better than oval speakers.

 

I have the kenwood xr1801 in the fronts and alpine type r on rear

 

So after reading this I decided to get Polk Audio 3-way 6x9s to replace my rear door speakers. I wonder if I'll notice any difference from the 6.5 Kickers I currently have there?

 

So I assume 6x9’s will work in a 21 crewmax without checking with James? I will have to check with him to see if he makes the custom mounting plates for 6x9. I only see on his website for the 6.5.

 

He only offers hertz and those are more of a mid grade speaker

 

I already have aftermarket 6x9 and the fit fine and they have a huge magnet. Crutchfield is wrong all 6x9 fit perfectly.

 

This is my second option. Apparently these were made for Toyota.

 

6x9 don’t fit the rear only the front. 6x9 in the front only. That’s the oem size for the wrong.this is why I’m going with component speaker with tweeter in the dash or maybe a 3.5 in dash with 6x9 midrange in front door. If you decided to put the 6x9 in front door use the provided bracket to mount the speaker. I have a video on YouTube showing the 6x9 focals rcx690 in front doors and how they fit

 

Did you power them with a amp?

 

Yes, and a mid grade speaker set is a night and day improvement over the cast diarrhea they installed at the factory.

You need an amp for decent sound or you're just jerking off no matter how good quality the speakers are.

 

Was waiting for this, but have really given up on arguing this point. But just for the hell of it, why don’t you give me an all encompassing reason why the shape alone dictates a subjective outcome that is different for everyone as everyone’s ears and taste are different.

 

Yes they will. The brackets usually come with any speaker you buy.
Here a video
https://youtu.be/2WWIhpbwgwk

 

This is a blanket state. May be back in the day but now manufacturers are making 6X9 speakers which produce more mid bass. I’m just confused because usually all Dash speakers come with mid range tweeters if you want to call them in the dash but people usually swap them out for tweeters. I wish the people who say 6.5 speakers are better than 6X9 speakers could hear my alpine system in my newer ram. Sounds hell of good very clear and lots of bass even at high volumes.

 

Yeah I was up with my audio guy who own the store. Discussing Hybrid audio components and not using the center channel. They have done all my installs over the years. I had them in my Tacoma a few years back and really sound good.

 

I just have to remember this forum is a general truck forum, I've spent too much time on other sites like DIYMA and tend to blend approaches.

6x9s having more surface area, assuming the same xmax, power, sensitivity, etc. will likely produce more SPL, therefore more "bass" that you can feel at least.

The typical response is more aimed at beaming, which assuming someone used midrange speakers, went 3-way or tuned with large tweeters capable of reaching low enough, could be addressed with x'overs. So if you have the tools that goes out the window.

Materials make a significant difference in sound properties, so blanketing it with a shape as the determining factor is too vague. For the most part, for the Tundra, 6x9s that fit and sound really good without tuning are harder to find.

Beyond that, 6x9s typically produce more SPL with the same power and are typically referred to as being better at producing bass. If you're counting on your door speaker to produce the whole bandwidth of your music (for those that want to argue a 6x9 sucks at high freq.), I wouldn't suggesting claiming what "sounds the best" without anticipating some retort. You shouldn't be asking a speaker that low in placement to produce the freq. responsible for staging, vocals, etc. Unless you want it to sound like the singer and instruments are on both sides of the truck at about knee level, lol.

That's why its subjective though, a lot of people will never even care about those things and that's good as long as they're happy with their system.

Hell, Im saying all this and running 6" Morels. Too many factors present.

My advice, as always, try to find a place to listen in person.

 

My man. I still don’t understand why switch out 6x9 for 6.5, especially if you have the room. I guess crutchfield has them all fooled. So I need your option which set up would you go with the kenwood with 3.5 midrange tweeters in the dash or alpine with 1inch tweeters in dash?

 

I ran 3.5” Infinity Ref for a bit in the dash. Definitely need to cap them if you don’t have a separate channel on the amp that has a x’over. They did get a bit of distortion at volume on the stock HU.

Do you have a DSP or aftermarket HU?

 

Yes. Alpine are not good sounding speakers. I sound deadened everything as well. I think they were good when I was kid maybe? Probably not, but people didn't know better.

They aren't BAD, but they aren't good and I have no idea how they got the reputation they did. I'd put them in the middle end of aftermarket but they are priced towards the higher end. Obviously not the extreme high end, but for general population.

 

Alpine halo9

 

I could always try them and send them back if I don’t like them.

 

I gotta say I've been very happy with my Focal Performance PS 165FX components..

Focal Performance PS 165FX Performance Expert Series 6-1/2" component speaker system at Crutchfield

$630 Focal PS165FX Flax 6.5” 2-Way Component kit, RMS: 80W - MAX: 160W

Amazon.com: Focal PS165FX Flax 6.5” 2-Way Component kit, RMS: 80W - MAX: 160W

Running them off a Kenwood HU and an Alpine PDX V9 5 channel amp.
I bought OEM JBL door sails and put the tweeters in them.
Ended up disconnecting all 3 dash speakers..

tac0tune$ makes some really nice thick plastic speaker adapters..
Also if I had to do it over again, I would have mounted the speaker crossovers under the seat with the amp instead of in the door.

These pics are the MDF spacers I made that fell apart after a couple years.






Focal Performance 165AC in the rear.
I ripped out the stock speaker and used them for the mounting bracket.

Focal Performance 165AC Access Series 6-1/2" coaxial speakers at Crutchfield

 

I'd just go with the 3.5" coax in the dash. If you really wanted to go all out and didnt want to get into active x'overs I'd go with a 3 way component set and put the mid in the dash and the tweeter in the door sail.

Otherwise, yeah 3.5" coax in the dash and put a capacitor on the wire if needed.

 

I’m going 3 way kicker just came out with this.
I do like you said, this kit doesn’t come with a tweeter but I’ll buy that separate.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_20648KSS26/Kicker-48KSS269.html

 

These are the focals I had, they rock.


@Handbanana I'm going hard on Alpine, they aren't as bad as I'm saying, but I think people need to understand they are NOT top of the line speakers and if you listen to a lot of music and like it loud you will not be happy. There just is not the depth to the music and full sound that you get from a good speaker, I don't know how else to explain it as I know what I like to hear but not sure of all the right lingo.

 

Front dash, shaved the dash cover..

Front doors, shaved the inside of the door panels, tight fit but impressive sound!

 

These are three way 6x9 coxials plus with the 3 1/2 mid range tweeter in the dash it would be way too bright for me. I’m more of a clean clear smooth warm sound kind guy. With a 6x9 component you get good mid bass more then a 6.5 and separation of sound with a midrange in the dash.