Speaker issues

It would be a great idea to just replace all the speakers

 

Hmm, is the 9 speaker JBL system also be made with a paper type product?

This could explain the sound quality issues I wasn't hearing.

 

JBL system looks like it's made out of some sort of sturdier material you find on most higher end aftermarket speakers.

If Mark has paper speakers he has the stock audio system. I would go onto crutchfield and order a few new speakers. Coaxial is cheap and good quality, component is more expensive but higher quality. The first being easier to install than the other.

The paper speakers aren't powered by a dedicated amp besides the one in the head unit. I have no idea what the ohms or wattage is but you'll want to find something that matches the head unit output or the old paper speakers if you don't want a loss in volume or something. (Aka going to Best Buy and purchasing the cheapest or coolest looking speakers isn't the best idea)

I might be wrong in some aspects here but this is what I've kinda learned in the past month while looking to upgrade my audio system (JBL model)

Personally Mark, if I were you I'd replace my speakers with some nice coaxials on the doors without tweeters (I think the rear), I'd find some sub only components for the front (the front has the tweeters for the highs) and then I'd grab an under seat sub to put under the front passenger seat. 4 ohm low wattage speakers might be your best bet for all around that way you wouldn't need an amp if you didn't want one.

But again, just going off what I've read and not experienced

 

I think you'll find (assuming you don't have jbl) the junk oem speakers are toast. I replaced the non-jbl speakers in my '04 with drivers from parts express, and alpine tweeters. the sound was better than the jbl in my '06. the drivers I bought weren't "car" speakers, they were drivers from home audio systems; parts express buys up surplus drivers from the companies that manufacture them. when you buy a name brand system for your home, the drivers are manufactured by Eminence or Dayton audio, etc., not the company whose name is on the box. You can get good components without paying extra for the name on the box.

 

Did all 3 speakers stop working at the same time? I find it unlikely that 3 speakers would blow at the same time, which would point instead to an amplifier failure. You definitely want to trace down the source of the problem before ordering parts.

I would determine first if you have the JBL system or not. You can tell if you have the JBL system by there being a middle speaker behind the center console display. If it's there, you have the JBL, if not, you don't. If you do have the JBL, see this:

Prius JBL Audio system response, specs, and photos

If not, be aware that the front speakers have two parts - the woofer and tweeter, which are wired in parallel. The front tweeters just have a capacitor in series to cut out the low frequencies. The tweeters will likely not respond to testing from a 9V battery for this reason. I agree with determining if each speaker is working. If they are, it's probably your headunit that's bad (wiring problems are also possible, but much less likely).

Also, I'm not sure if you'll be able to access the speaker wires without taking the speakers out. The speakers have 3 metal rivets that have to be drilled out and are not replaceable. Instead you can access the wires in the doors (or from the tweeters in the front), but you'll need to get a wiring diagram for the Prius to figure out wire colors(can be found online with some searching). I didn't pay close attention as when I was accessing the wiring on mine I was replacing all 4 speakers.

 

Without tearing apart the doors, any clue as to the various speaker quick connect sizes?

Are they standard 3/16", or smaller .110" ?

 

the terminals on the speakers are factory plugs, not any type of standard terminals. definitely determine if you have jbl before you do anything else. jbl power amp is under the rf seat.

 

Yes, the JBL 9 pack. Sounds like one would need to cut the factory plug off and splice (or solder) the speaker in to the wiring harness.

Was looking around at parts-express and they had these low cost 6.5s ($6 each, and $7 shipping per order). They sit a little deep at 2.875", but might work for the back speakers.

6-1/2" Poly Cone Midbass Woofer 4 Ohm

They don't have the best specs when compared to the $100+ neodymium speakers (or even the not as affordable $12 or $25 speakers), do you think they would be an improvement over either stock or JBL (I have the JBL, but others might not)?

Still researching the tweeter options, and for shallower 6.5s in the front.

 

The factory speakers are also 2&3 ohm speakers. With these being 88DB and 4 ohm the factories will still be better.

I think the tweeters are fine for the JBL, the audio issues I have personally is the lack of bass with the volume down low and the rattles the Prius has.

I’m not an audio genius, just going off what I’ve read here and elsewhere but you might want to try sealing off the holes around the door. Toyota just puts plastic to seal it. I think someone on this site sealed the holes with hardboard and aluminum tape. This creates an “enclosure” for the sub in the door.

My audio plans for my Prii is replacing the rear JBL speakers (which are blown) with original JBL Toyota speakers, sealing the door as mentioned above, then putting deadening in the doors and finishing it off with a custom fiberglass enclosure built for a 8” woofer that’ll give off decent bass on a lower powered amp.

I also read somewhere that our JBL’s don’t work well with other speakers without another amp to power them

 

@SFO here’s some pictures of the pigtail




If you wanted to NOT splice wires you could always pop the pins out and put them in a similar widely available pigtail?

 

If you have the JBL system, I wouldn't replace the speakers without replacing the headunit and amp. The only upgrade that really makes sense to the JBL system is to add a subwoofer. Otherwise the speakers won't work with other headunits, and the amps have a custom equalization curve that is not likely to sound good on anything but the JBL speakers. Generally if you want to upgrade the JBL system, you need to replace everything.

 

That's me - I have my doors sealed to create woofer enclosures using hardboard and 1-1.5" strips of sound deadening material (I think Noico is the best bang for the $). The bass improvement is noticeable, but not that important if you're adding a subwoofer. I mostly sealed the doors to create an extra barrier for noise.

If your main desire is more/better quality bass, I agree, your first step is to add a subwoofer.

 

Totally agree. My goal is to have the JBL factory speakers work the highs and mids. I’ll have a lower wattage amp and 8” sub in the back bumping the lows. I’d like to get it so it’s there with the volume a little lower because the JBL has no bass anywhere below 25.

Also I hate loosing trunk space so I think during winter break before school starts up again I’ll attempt a custom fiberglass enclosure. It’ll be sealed and only need .25 feet of empty space for the sub to properly function.