Why would my DS front speaker blow?

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macneill

macneill

Rollin’ on 33s
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I've read FAQs and am looking into a replacement(s), but I'm trying to figure out why the front left blew out. WTF?

I rarely use the stereo, nor do I blast it.

Thanks

-Mac
 
Speakers age like everything else and the stock speakers in LC's and LX's are not very well made. The JBL speakers are more durable than the ML speakers in the LX. Usually, the first speaker to go on a LC is the sub. All the speakers on the LX are flimsy and after a few years the cone seperates - you can take it to a local custom stereo shop, that does repair work, and they can glue/silicone it back together. Which is much cheaper than the insane price Lexus wants for the speakers. I find the ML system amazing in that it sounds as well as it does using such cheap materials, quite an engineering feat.
 
Water, Sun, playing music with a lot of distortion in the recording, under powering the drivers, over powering the drivers (although I've found overpowering them with a clean signal is much better than under powering them), or maybe they just didn't use enough glue on the cone at the factory?
 
If you stopped playing Kelly Clarkson all the time - this wouldn't happen.
 
1loudLX said:
you dont even know the half of it. If you knew what Macneill listened to...oh my god.
Click to expand...

Come on now, lets hear it! What REALLY happened? :hhmm:
 
I friend of mine took his wifes 2001 LC to a stereo shop in Houston with the same problem. The guy told him that it happens on lots of cars over time that the speakers get damaged over time from opening and closing the door.
 
pretty much anything from a reputable speaker manufacturer will be an upgrade over stock. Yes JBL made the stock speakers but JBL does not sell those speakers on the open market, pretty much they were made with the cheapest materials possible
 
Better speakers usually have a poly cone with a butyl surround. Most of the cheap speakers car companies use are paper with a foam surround. Even Walmart speakers usually have a butyl surround now with a poly cone. More expensive speakers have a stronger magnet in the voice coil. You can actually buy some OEM speakers aftermarket but you really have to work at it. Parts-Express.com - Speakers, Speaker Building, Home Audio and Video, Pro Audio, Electronic Parts & Accessories PARTS EXPRESS, Speakers, Speaker Parts, Guitar speakers, Bass speakers, Woofers, Drivers, speaker upgrades and replacement speakers. Emine sells a lot of OEM speakers, I do not think they sell them for Toyota or Lexus though.
 
With my mad MS Paint skills, here's speaker parts 101: As Eric said, poly is better than paper for the cone, and rubber is better than foam for the surround. The cone carries the sound wave, the surround is what flexes the speaker. So, upgrading those materials results in better sound (and longer life for the speaker).

I haven't been into the door on my 100, but from looking online it looks like the 100 suffers from the same problem as the 80 in that you need very shallow speakers for the doors. When I replaced mine in my 80 there were only a very few models to choose from, but now it looks like there's plenty of "slim line" speakers on the market.

For example, Crutchfield has some thin Infinity Reference speakers for like $80. Just those would make a very impressive change in your audio. Unfortunately the OEM speakers, while there's a bunch of them throughout the truck, aren't very good. Must have been that they went for quantity to impress consumers rather than quality. "I've got NINE speakers!!"
55-1525.webp
 
I replaced just my 4 door speakers at a place here in Houston. What a difference it made. That and the LED dome and red LED reading lights are the best mods ever. Kelly has never sounded better.
 
What speakers did you go with?
 
macneill hasnt driven his truck since he posted this. He was only moving it for alternate side parking on tuesday, otherwise it just sits there.
 
I swapped my door speakers with Infinity Reference 6012i speakers from Crutchfield. Very pleased.

I found that JBL had a 5" job that just might fit in the teeny subwoofer holes. Should be arriving from Amazon this week.
 
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