98 LX Radio and Speaker Install
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Did you keep the stock amp?
Yes, for now. I wanted to replace it with a Skar 5 channel amplifier but they are continually Out Of Stock!
How does it sound?
It's loud as heck. My stereo volume control goes to 10 but 1-4 is about all i can handle. Built-in Equilizer helps alot too. I guess it all depends on the radio you choose and the speakers you install. I put a set of JBL component speakers up front and some Pioneer 3-ways in the doors. The subwoofer is still the stock one..
Sweet. I went with a similar setup (and Kenwood Navi HU). I was concerned about the stock amp under powering the speakers and getting clipping, so I appreciate the feedback. I'm going to keep the amp for now and just wire it to the HU plug to make my life easy for now.
Bumping this again - did anyone else have trouble fitting their 6.5" speakers? Lots of threads on LC's out there, but way less on LX's, which seem to have different speaker boxes that make fitment harder.
Mine make contact with the door panel, no matter how I position them. Its not the depth, its the ring around the speaker - I'm not big into car audio by any means, but the speakers measure 6.5" across, so I dont envision a different brand fitting better.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Mine make contact with the door panel, no matter how I position them. Its not the depth, its the ring around the speaker - I'm not big into car audio by any means, but the speakers measure 6.5" across, so I dont envision a different brand fitting better.
Any feedback is appreciated.
which doors, which adapter or OEM speaker box, and which new speakers.
I'm kind of assuming you mean some threeways in the rear doors sit to high which then don't fit under the door panel.
im my experience lexus fits their door speaker covers a bit closer to the speaker face than toyota does. Largely though, the OEM adaptors on all the doors is the same, regarding the 3 bolt adaptor OEM brackets/adaptors/boxes.
metra does have adaptors that have a smaller riser portion than the OEM items, but that does decrease the available mount depth.
which speaker, which doors? If its the tweeter in a coax that hits, find a flat one.
I could also be way off in what you're talking about.
I'm kind of assuming you mean some threeways in the rear doors sit to high which then don't fit under the door panel.
im my experience lexus fits their door speaker covers a bit closer to the speaker face than toyota does. Largely though, the OEM adaptors on all the doors is the same, regarding the 3 bolt adaptor OEM brackets/adaptors/boxes.
metra does have adaptors that have a smaller riser portion than the OEM items, but that does decrease the available mount depth.
which speaker, which doors? If its the tweeter in a coax that hits, find a flat one.
I could also be way off in what you're talking about.
Well - I read that people used the OEM boxes, such as in this thread. So I tried that. When that didnt work (they hit the interior door card/panel), I tried mounting them without the box, but they would hit the glass when the window was down all the way (and I went with pretty shallow speakers). I certainly could have built a mounting plate out of MDF and mounted the speakers via the plate, but to be honest those boxes that Lexus designed (or Pioneer - they have Pioneer labels on them) are pretty damn nice. So I bought some 5.25's which solved all the problems and made life way easier.
I have a lot of hi-fi (mid-fi? who knows) home audio gear at home (Senn 650's, Schiit Audio, Paradigm Studios, etc) so tbh, I am never very impressed with car audio. I dont think its a good listening environment - all I wanted was some updated speakers and an Android Auto headunit - so I think I will be more than happy with the 5.25's.
Its the edges of the speakers that dont fit, and it wasnt that close. So I am surprised I have read of people retaining the oem speaker boxes and they didnt mention cutting the door panel/cards.
Fit of 6.5's:
You can see the area on the door panel where I would have had to cut (in light dashed sharpie). It would have cut out 3 of the mounting holes for the speaker covers. I didnt want to do that. Sourcing new door panels if it didnt go well would *suck*:
Fit of the 5.25's:
Also - I must have missed @jerryb's post when he made it, because the real reason I came back to this thread was to add another data point to the list: I am getting a hum from the speakers using the ground in the harness through the stock amp. It doesnt sound like the same 60hz ground loop hum I had to deal with in a stereo setup I once had, but still - there's a very discernable hum.
Therefore I am going to have to go around the amp like the OP did. More fun with crimps I guess.
Therefore I am going to have to go around the amp like the OP did. More fun with crimps I guess.
so I was wrong about the oem adapters, for the rear door it appears. I guess that's a 4" and the spot for a tweeter. I didn't search when I said that.
I would say that I have found recently that ditching the rear doors and only using two way separates in the front + a sub and 5 channel amp works amazingly well. A max depth of 2.95 inches barely clears the lower glass rail with one layer of sound deadening under the oem adapter, say an eighth or three sixteenths.
I don't know what I'd do with a ML rear door lexus.
I would say that I have found recently that ditching the rear doors and only using two way separates in the front + a sub and 5 channel amp works amazingly well. A max depth of 2.95 inches barely clears the lower glass rail with one layer of sound deadening under the oem adapter, say an eighth or three sixteenths.
I don't know what I'd do with a ML rear door lexus.
Yeah it wasnt a depth issue because of the 3 ways. Appreciate the idea though!
@jerryb BTW - I am very glad you posted because I noticed your sig links - that harnesses look very interesting, I need to read the thread in more detail. I have a Morimoto mini h1 setup to install into my LX I havent tackled yet (bought it like 18 months ago and other projects took precedence). I know there are issues with flickering, will your upgraded relay help? Feel free to message me or I will message you if needed after I read the thread closer.
ramangain
Clarksonian disciple
I just trimmed away some of the door card such that the speaker surround can fully extend without making contact. Changes nothing with the OEM mounting.
You can see in the pic about that in my case I would have had to trim where three screws (2 on right ((aka front)), one on bottom) attach the speaker cover to the door panel. I didnt want to do that for the perceived benefit of 6.5's vs 5.25's.
Of course, YMMV... I just wanted to let people know what I ran into.