Component Speakers in Rear Doors?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Controversial opinion incoming: Forget the rears completely. It's a waste. Spend that money on better front speakers, sub or a DSP.

I am complete non-believer in rear speakers, even more-so after my recent upgrade. OEMs install rears simply to fill the cabin with volume without taking up cargo space with a sub. If you want quality sound and have a limited budget, just buy nicer front speakers instead of rears and add a real subwoofer. If you were going to buy 2 $125 pairs, drop the rears and spend $250 on a nicer front. If you were going to buy 2 $250 pairs, buy a single pair for $500. You'll hit start to hit diminishing returns once you get beyond $400-700 per pair, IMO, but up to that point you generally get a LOT better sound as you increase your budget per pair.

Last year I completely redid my system. At 32, this was the first system I'd ever really spent money on, despite being an audio fanatic through my 20s. I shopped speakers and found nothing better than the Morel Virtus Components. Huge detail in the tweeter and smooth mids. Those speakers are simply incredible. I don't think Focal had an equal offering until their $800-1000 pairs (The Morel's were $450). It's a mental shift now listening to music. You can hear the nuances of snares, toms and cymbals soooo much better. The amps and distorion chosen for guitars or the resonance in an acoustic is unreal. There's a wealth of detail and richness you just can't hear with your average $100-200 speaker. Listening to old Metallica was like hearing it for the first time again. That snare in the Black album is a cannon and prior to having these speakers I never knew it. Voices are so rich and full. Everything from Jewel to old school thrash metal to electronic is so much better. Pink Floyd, my god. Nothing beats a drive home after a long day like good music on a good system.

I also added a DSP amp (Audiocontrol D-4.800), but the real upgrade difference was alllllll in those front speakers.

Do yourself a favor a spring for the fronts. No matter what you do to a system, you can't improve anything more quickly than upgrading the front speakers to something a tier above typical "Best Buy" speakers.

That post got away from me. Sorry for the wall of text. I'm passionate about audio, it seems, haha.

I took a lot of this advice although my AC amp didn’t have DSP, but my Kenwood has some time/phase mumbo jumbo that tunes it rather nicely. I used Audiofrog GS60 for my rear doors and a JL 8” for my sub. I also did the Morel Virtus component set over the Focals.
 
I took a lot of this advice although my AC amp didn’t have DSP, but my Kenwood has some time/phase mumbo jumbo that tunes it rather nicely. I used Audiofrog GS60 for my rear doors and a JL 8” for my sub. I also did the Morel Virtus component set over the Focals.

Sweet! I'm glad you got the Virtus set!
 
The owner of the shop currently doing the work on my 100 (yeah... I caved and turned it over to a pro) said largely the same thing. Sorta. I think.

He recommended much better than stock speakers - Phoenix Gold Ti3X components in the front and MX65CX Dual Concentric coax in the rear. He said the stock rear speakers are basically junk - zero highs, paper cones, etc. just flat, muted mids and lows. He said the MX65CXs in the back doors will give enough of the highs to help balance the sound in the truck - which currently sounds like it's about 75% upfront. I do have backseat passengers fairly often.

This upgrade is just speakers - keeping the factory wiring and factory amps (doing whatever crossovers, bridges, etc? needed to deal with ohms). The rear sub is being swapped too. We're calling this "Stage 1". He said the difference in the just the speaker upgrades (and sound deadening matting) will be: "Night and day - crisp, clear, tight... just a much, much better sound. Drive it for a while. If you feel like you need more, we can do more, but you're going to love this." This guy has a great reputation. He does those insane $20,000+++ builds and the shop is full of Porsches, Bentlys, etc. but will recommend two 6.5s when that's what the job calls for.

Picking it up today. I'll report back.
 
Last edited:
A shop telling anyone to just replace with “insert here” brand speakers is just low hanging cash grab for them. Factory drivers are 8 ohms and factory amp puts out super low power. So After that shop hooks an up aftermarket Comp set, theyre being fed half the power that they’re asking for.


rear tweeters do nothing positive for soundstage, rear door midbass drivers are doable in concept but you need a aftermarket hu, dsp and boat load more power driven to those channels (just as you do for dedicated bass)

If Anyone were going to simply swap speakers I would go the parts express route and simply get new 6.5’s and new tweeter, all 8 ohmm, to ensure power output is correct. The factory amp eq will protect the drivers just as it did the old ass factory ones
 
@Pucker5, I know next to nothing about sound systems. If the shop owner listened to the stock system in the 100 - knowing exactly how it was configured from the factory, i.e. 2 ohm, amp output, etc. - and was confident a speaker swap would be a significant improvement, what do you think he was missing? Or, do you think the system will actually not sound any better... or sound worse?
 
@Pucker5, I know next to nothing about sound systems. If the shop owner listened to the stock system in the 100 - knowing exactly how it was configured from the factory, i.e. 2 ohm, amp output, etc. - and was confident a speaker swap would be a significant improvement, what do you think he was missing? Or, do you think the system will actually not sound any better... or sound worse?

I think the topic has a huge grey area where it's hard to say exactly who will deem what a benefit. I agree with @Pucker5 that speaker upgrades are easy $$ for shops, but I do think it's the first logical step in an audio upgrade. For many people it will be enough and I have been able to hear a difference (or suffer from a placebo effect, I suppose) as I upgraded from OEM to cheap aftermarket to nice aftermarket speakers when everything else was stock in other vehicles. I thought it was a pretty worthwhile upgrade, but this wasn't on a 100 series, so perhaps the 100 system is different.

Regarding speaker resistance: the PG speakers you mention are 4 ohms, I think. I don't think that will be different enough from OEM to be a big problem. The volume knob will mean different volume now, but no biggie. Ideally, you'd be running them from a good aftermarket amp, but that gets pricey and complicated so I think a simple speaker swap is worth the gamble.

In the end it's extremely subjective and you expectation may vary wildly from mine or @Pucker5 . Give it a listen and report back to us what you think. :)
 
@Pucker5, I know next to nothing about sound systems. If the shop owner listened to the stock system in the 100 - knowing exactly how it was configured from the factory, i.e. 2 ohm, amp output, etc. - and was confident a speaker swap would be a significant improvement, what do you think he was missing? Or, do you think the system will actually not sound any better... or sound worse?

My bad, I came across dickish. Call it Jealous of your rad of comp set. In your scenario though with the decision to stay factory I would have thought about trading the higher price4 Ohm high rms comp set to something closer to two ohm, lower rms rating and higher sensitivity.


Hopefully it’s loud enough for you and the factory amp is enough to move that comp set distortion free
 
@Pucker5 - not dickish at all. I appreciate the info. I'll admit I was surprised he recommend the jump that high - to the Phoenix Golds. They are kinda spendy. I wonder if he was hedging his bets - if I decided to go to the next level and add an amp (bypassing the factory) - those speakers would handle it. Or, is he setting me up... knowing it'll sound better but not a lot better and suggest an amp ;)
 
Last edited:
@Pucker5 - not dickish at all. I appreciate the info. I'll admit I was surprised he recommend the jump that high - to the Phoenix Golds. They are kinda spendy. I wonder if he was hedging his bets - if I decided to go to the next level and add an amp (bypassing the factory) - those speakers would handle it. Or, is he setting me up... knowing it'll sound better but not a lot better and suggest an amp ;)

Yeah it smells faintly like a bit of a setup only because those pg comps ask for a lot of power. What year is your 100?
 
2006
 
I have rear components in the rear doors. I generally drive alone but did sit in the back seat once... it sounds way better than the front seats 😂

Airbrushed the tweeters factory grey to match.

3-way sonys front
2-way sonys rear
JL fix86
JL twk88
JL 12” w3 HO wedge sub

All powered by a Alpine PDX 9. We also double wrapped all the doors in dynamat extreme (do the trunk hatch as it will rattle) headliners and all the floors/quarters wrapped as well.

it started as just upgrading speakers... then it became a full on setup 😂
264535C6-68E4-444B-908B-790DCD8FB47B.jpeg


A0A15E7A-1231-43CA-82B1-949D239BEFB3.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Threads like these is what inspired my endless pursuit of audio happiness, which i can't seem to achieve at the moment. Currently seeking a good amp to replace the factory one via Audio Control LC2i. Looking at a few options, 8 channel Kicker is my front runner.
 
For an lc, keep it simple and go 2 way

I think the jl fix and twk are user friendly and highly capable units but having to buy them both separate is bull$hit. Makes it a $600 dsp. if I was converting from factory today (or my next cruiser) I would probably try the pioneer dsp. Could be a Hidden gem and factory Landcruiser eq May not be that extreme.

Amazon product ASIN B07KNCNMPW
Those phoenix golds are higher end and likely underrated. I’d get a big five channel if you’re going to keep your rear speakers or a big four channel (like and 800.4 or 1000.4) and bridge the rear channels for a sub. Or....and stay with me, get a five channel, and ditch your rears, and go active with tweeters on front channel, midrange on 3/4 channels and sub on fiffff. You’ll have better eq of each speaker, time alignment and it will be loud and clear as hell.
 
For an lc, keep it simple and go 2 way

I think the jl fix and twk are user friendly and highly capable units but having to buy them both separate is bull$hit. Makes it a $600 dsp. if I was converting from factory today (or my next cruiser) I would probably try the pioneer dsp. Could be a Hidden gem and factory Landcruiser eq May not be that extreme.

Amazon product ASIN B07KNCNMPW
Those phoenix golds are higher end and likely underrated. I’d get a big five channel if you’re going to keep your rear speakers or a big four channel (like and 800.4 or 1000.4) and bridge the rear channels for a sub. Or....and stay with me, get a five channel, and ditch your rears, and go active with tweeters on front channel, midrange on 3/4 channels and sub on fiffff. You’ll have better eq of each speaker, time alignment and it will be loud and clear as hell.

Any recommendations for a good 6 channel dsp? With the LX I'd like to go active 3 ways up front with a dsp controlled sub ouput as well. Option seems limited and expensive.
 
Threads like these is what inspired my endless pursuit of audio happiness, which i can't seem to achieve at the moment. Currently seeking a good amp to replace the factory one via Audio Control LC2i. Looking at a few options, 8 channel Kicker is my front runner.
What year is your 100, lc or lx? The factory Toyota’s radios dont historically play well with the lc2i or the lc7 (ground noise) but the lc6 or lc7 is more appropriate for a full channel setup anyway. Bro, Please do not buy a $800 kicker amp that puts out 50x8 at 4 ohms. Way overpriced. What speaker locations are you looking to keep? That pioneer dsp is 6 channel and would pair well with a four channel and a monoblock. You’re still going to have to buy a multiple rca sets
 
Any recommendations for a good 6 channel dsp? With the LX I'd like to go active 3 ways up front with a dsp controlled sub ouput as well. Option seems limited and expensive.

Amazon product ASIN B01KVC0ZQU
this has better feedback for factory deequalization but the factory eq curve may not be that sophisticated. The factory doors got bassey as hell before I swapped em. Actually blew the left door woofer.
 
Last edited:
Amazon product ASIN B01KVC0ZQU
this has better feedback for factory emdeequalization but the factory eq curve may not be that sophisticated. The factory doors got bassey as hell before I swapped em. Actually blew the left door woofer.

Nice, looks like that might cover my needs. Still need a separate amp, though. Looks like Audiocontrol has a 6 channel DSP amp for $1000-1100 that could save me a component. Time for some research, I guess!
 
Any recommendations for a good 6 channel dsp? With the LX I'd like to go active 3 ways up front with a dsp controlled sub ouput as well. Option seems limited and expensive.

Are you using the OEM head unit and amplifier or are you replacing them with aftermarket?

My upgrade is being installed this week and since I am replacing the factory Head Unit, amplifier and speakers, and don’t have NAV or any steering wheel controls, it is strait forward.

I am running a two-way active front, probably no rears or I will tune them as fill. I decided on a JL Audio VX series amp with built in DSP control for the 5 amplifier channels plus two RCA line out channels with DSP control if you need to add an additional amp, which I do because the mids I choose are power hungry and I am bridging the first four channels to make it a 3 channel amp and adding a second four channel amp that I will bridge to run the tweeters or use 2 channels for the tweeters and two for rear fill.

I am using a JL Audio VX1000/5i series amplifier with built in DSP. I considered a Helix V Eight DSP MKII or a Helix P Six DSP MK2 and for a number of reasons would have preferred a Helix but you can’t bridge channels on the Helix. I hope to stack the two amps and still make them fit under the passenger seat. JL Audio has a number of versions and they were on sale through the end of February.

For still capable but less expensive standalone DSP options the MiniDSP is well regarded. Dayton Audio DSP-408 is another “budget” option.
 
Are you using the OEM head unit and amplifier or are you replacing them with aftermarket?

My upgrade is being installed this week and since I am replacing the factory Head Unit, amplifier and speakers, and don’t have NAV or any steering wheel controls, it is strait forward.

I am running a two-way active front, probably no rears or I will tune them as fill. I decided on a JL Audio VX series amp with built in DSP control for the 5 amplifier channels plus two RCA line out channels with DSP control if you need to add an additional amp, which I do because the mids I choose are power hungry and I am bridging the first four channels to make it a 3 channel amp and adding a second four channel amp that I will bridge to run the tweeters or use 2 channels for the tweeters and two for rear fill.

I am using a JL Audio VX1000/5i series amplifier with built in DSP. I considered a Helix V Eight DSP MKII or a Helix P Six DSP MK2 and for a number of reasons would have preferred a Helix but you can’t bridge channels on the Helix. I hope to stack the two amps and still make them fit under the passenger seat. JL Audio has a number of versions and they were on sale through the end of February.

For still capable but less expensive standalone DSP options the MiniDSP is well regarded. Dayton Audio DSP-408 is another “budget” option.

Plan right now is to maintain the OEM nav screen on my 06LX. I know there's a TESLA screen available, but there's the small issue that I hate those with a passion, haha.

I'll use the V-line VL2 from Grom as my source (USB and/or Android Auto). As I understand it, I'll have audio going like this: Grom -> OEM Head unit -> DSP/amp. Initial plan is to install aftermarket active 3 ways in the front doors, nothing in the rear doors and then an aftermarket sub.

I've got an active two way setup in my 99LC now and love it, but the 06LX requires a different approach due to that damn nav/HVAC screen so I'm basically starting all over.
 
Plan right now is to maintain the OEM nav screen on my 06LX. I know there's a TESLA screen available, but there's the small issue that I hate those with a passion, haha.

I'll use the V-line VL2 from Grom as my source (USB and/or Android Auto). As I understand it, I'll have audio going like this: Grom -> OEM Head unit -> DSP/amp. Initial plan is to install aftermarket active 3 ways in the front doors, nothing in the rear doors and then an aftermarket sub.

I've got an active two way setup in my 99LC now and love it, but the 06LX requires a different approach due to that damn nav/HVAC screen so I'm basically starting all over.

You must have the small mid just between the door lock and larger mid in the front doors.

I wish I had that option, the tweeter and 6 ½ inch mid are so far apart I imagine it will be harder to tune than a 3-way. On the other hand, I would have tried to fit a Dynaudio e430 in there or gone with AudioFrog GB 10/25/60 series and blown my budget even more than I already have.

I had similar issues with my BMW's and had to use the OEM head units and add extra equipment, depending on the DSP I used and the iDrive version I had in the car.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom