Where to get car rear-deck speakers (haven't bought speakers in decades)

He who is snipped-for-privacy@ccanoemail.ca said on Mon, 04 Dec 2017 16:11:14 -0500:

Thanks for that info as it's not my car. This one is the 4 cylinder 2005 camry which, woo hoo, comes with a chain.

The neighbor is a good friend, but I don't think ANYONE is that good of a friend to suffer through an idiotic belt replacement every 100K miles.

Three things I'll never own and never have: a. FWD b. Timing belt c. Automatic

Reply to
harry newton
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I guess that answers Clare's question about why not go to a dealership, or stealership as I call them..... You can probably find the Toytota part online, from another dealer for less, but in my experience, for something like this, it's never close to what aftermarket parts go for.

Bingo, just read the part where you said you can find it for less at another dealer, but it's still lots of bucks. Another option, find the latest model car that used that speaker and try a salvage yard. Buying speakers at a salvage yard wouldn't be my first choice, for obvious reasons, but if you can find ones that are less than ten years old or so for $10, you don't have much to lose.

Reply to
trader_4

If it's the speakers themselves, are these things standard sizes nowadays?

Yes, no, maybe so.

I recently replaced the speakers in my 2001 Toyota 4Runner. The rear door speakers were a strange size, and Crutchfield's database was telling me that I had to do some drilling to install standard 5 1/4" speakers. However this site, had the proper adapter to avoid drilling . It also allowed me to use deeper speakers but with the existing grilles.

I found the best deal on speakers on sale at Fry's. I was going to buy the same speakers at Crutchfield but they were considerably more expensive. Ditto for the new head unit I put in, JVC KW-V830BT, it was about $100 less on sale at Fry's.

Reply to
sms

It's the only way you're getting them out of there. The top trim panel should come out fairly easily and make access to the speaker retainers easy as well.

Reply to
Xeno

He who is Oren said on Mon, 04 Dec 2017 14:54:05 -0800:

The whole family is girls.

Reply to
harry newton

AIUI, the dealers' speakers are no better than what they put in the car originally, but it's possible things have changed. Anyoone know? If they are no better than original, they are still useful when the original ones have been ruined somehow.

Who is talking about ones that don't fit? I've never bought a speaker from Crutchfield that didn't fit just as the original one did, except for one car. I knew from the specs printed in the catalog (before the web) that it was too deep, but I hoped magic would allow me to get it in there (or maybe I could pound out a dent in the outside of the door!). Indeed, it was just the depth they said it was, and so was the hole in my car and it didnt' fit. Hmm. I'm sure the dealer would have had speakers that fit, but I don't know that they would have been any better than what I had.

Have you dealt with Cructchfield. No speaker I ever bought from them used an adapter bracket, and none would be called universal. Of course a 6x9x2.8" speaker can univerally fit every car that accespts speakers of that size, but that doesn't make the speaker universal.

I won't be replacing my current speakers. Solaras don't use speaker cover, except maybe on the dash. So to upgrade my speakers I'd have to, I think, take off my entire inside front door panel or my entire rear seat panel. After the fiasco of my last car, I'm not going to do that.

They do sell radios that require a bracket, because the face is not the same exact shape as the original, or because one is changing from 2 or

1.5 DIN to 1 DIN, etc. But I don't think that's related.
Reply to
micky

You must be so proud. My car didn't even finish the 6th grade.

Reply to
micky

Is the kid helping you with the speaker issue? IIUC, he's just a 4th century Greek sculptor scholar, not the actual sculptor, so he doesn't have to protect his hands that much.

I don't want FWD either, but the only convertibles I like come with it.

That's one of the disappointments of the new car. The 2000 Toyota Solara had a 3.0L non-interference engine, but for some silly reason they switched to a 3.3L *interference* engine in 2005. Believe you me, I'd rather have 0.3L less. The only good part is that using mycarfax.com I found that the previous owner replaced the belt and the water pump only 40,000 miles ago. So I should be good for another

40,000 miles.

I like automatic. I don't know what the 2005 Camry has, but this car has a 5-speed auto, but instead of having Low, 2, 3, 4, they have one other position where the shift lever will go down to down shift and up to up shift, and 80% of the time I didn't take the Interstate to florida or back and on some of the smaller roads the shift mechanism worked very well for passing, which I did 3 or 4 times.

I've driven a stick for 4 or 5 days at a time, and that was fine, but I'd be worn out if it was always.

Reply to
micky

Short of a volume limiter, I don't believe you can protect a speaker from a teenager.

Reply to
Jack

Good morning Harry,

I'd suggest going to the Crutchfield web site:

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or more specifically:

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They have speakers that are an exact fit, starting around $40, and will have correct hardware and they will have adapter cables as well, if you need them.

Regards, Tim

Reply to
Tim Schwartz

The main advantage to FWD is they can build a car cheaper. As for the handling difference, 99% of drivers will never feel the difference, especially on the 15 mph trip to the grocery store.

Never had one. If is a $400 to $600 planned maintenance that I'd rather not have but I guess you have no choice at times.

Same here. Stick is fun at times on the back roads twisting and turning. Years ago, stick had many benefits but the new autos are more efficient, fast shifting, and don't lose a lot of HP getting to the wheels. Even high performance cars now have auto. We've come a long way from the Chevy Powerglide 2 speed auto.

While it can be fun on the back road a few times a year. I don't see the need to hold the clutch in at red lights or stop and go traffic. My car even has "Auto Hold: for the brakes so I don't have to hold the pedal down when stopped.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

For a fly & drive vacation in Ireland, earlier this year, I had to make special arrangements for a rental car with automatic transmission. Manual transmission is standard - in more ways than one :-) ... the extra cost for the automatic amounted to almost 1/3 of the total ! Insurance waiver was 1/3 ; rental 1/3. Stupid little Skoda was "programmed" to shift like a manual though - causing annooying jerks and delays. I was glad to have it though - crazy narrow winding roads provide enough excitement - combined with right-hand-driving on the wrong side of the road .. John T.

Reply to
hubops

Whereas you can get generic 6x9s from Parts Express for around $5 each, for a total of $20 the set, and they probably won't be any worse than the originals.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

harry newton posted for all of us...

I like the idea of hooking a guitar amp up to a transistor radio speaker to see how far the magnet flies.

Reply to
Tekkie®

All the more reason to encourage them to learn to make and fix stuff. Geek girls rock!

Reply to
Clifford Heath

My youngest intimidated most of her boyfriends untill she met her now hiusband - a heavy truck mechanic. None of the others coulkd drive her car (standard) and she could change a flat - they had to call road service - - -

Reply to
Clare Snyder

Actually, the MAIN advantage is lower weight and more passenger/luggager space. I don't believe there is a huge difference in cost - a smal difference, yes. BIG difference in weight. BIG difference in space utilization - which makes for even MORE weight savings.

I drive the 5 speed ranger - my wife has the automatic Taurus. I seldom use the clutch except for starting and in heavy stop and go traffic - which I avoid whenever possible, even when driving the Taurus.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

He who is Scott Dorsey said on 5 Dec 2017 14:14:38 -0500:

Price is never an indication of quality - it's just an indication of what other people are willing to pay - which - marketing knows - is highly influenced by marketing garbage.

So, a 6x9" 20W $5 Parts Express speaker might or might not be as good as a

6x9" 20W $300 speaker at Toyota which itself might or might not be as good as a 6x9" 20W $25 speaker at Crutchfields.

How are we to know? Sure, in the days of yore, we pored over those 3db power:frequency curves, from 7KHz to 20KHz on each speaker box, and where, folks like Jeff Liebermann would know, they always find a way to lie a little bit.

While I doubt the $300 per speaker at Toyota is a fair price, how can I tell, a priori, if the $5 speaker at Parts Express will be as good (or bad) as the $25 speaker at Crutchfields?

Is there any way for a consumer to make an intelligent speaker decision?

Reply to
harry newton

A good indicator of quality is magnet mass. If it has a tiny little piddler of a magnet it will not handle any power - particularly bass. Then lookat the cone material, and the surround. The spider is also important- The basket is less critical - but in a large powerfull speaker the basket will be MUCH solider than on a cheap-ass speaker. If youfind a speaker with a cast aluminum basket you know you are looking at a higher quality speaker - and if it is stamped steel, the heavier the better.

Poor suspension spiders and surrounds will let the voice-coil scuff on the magnet core - which makes a speaker rattle. A flexible basket can do the same. The surround compliance is different on a speaker designed for an accoustic suspension box than for a bass reflex, or an open baffle like in the average auto rear deck. Toyota actually used accoustic suspension on some of the "premium" sound systems years ago.

LOTS of things you can look at.

I have a pair of OEM Toyota speakers from the eighties sitting here, as well as a pair of speakers from a Zenith TV of about the same period - virtually the same size - and the Toyota speaker is significantly heavier. Thicker cone, thicker basket metal, and more rigid design - as well as a MUCH larger and stronger magnet, The Zenith also uses an "m"formed paper surround, while the Toyota uses a rubber surround. I've got a "tin ear" but even I can tell the difference between the two.

The drivers in my AudioResearch towers are MUCH heavier than my no-name set too - and I replaced the foam surrounds that had totally "disolved" from age with new high-quality synthetic rubber surrounds - on both the active and passive 14 inch cones.

In automotive speakers the basket rigidity is more important because of the "G" forces experienced when driving on rough roads. The cheap speaker might sound good when installed - but it may be pretty auful two years later.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

Wait a second. The kid next door you're doing all this for is a girl.

Do we have another Roy Moore here?

Reply to
micky

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