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What tweeters can I upgrade to?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by andrewsilver, Mar 23, 2008.

  1. andrewsilver

    andrewsilver Enthusiast

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    I'm looking to upgrade the JBL tweeters. I'm ok with the rest of the speakers for now - just want to get some crisper highs.

    Any suggestions which tweeters to try? Would like to install them where the JBL's are located - easy install preferred...

    Thanks.
     
    #1 andrewsilver, Mar 23, 2008
  2. Steamboatsig

    Steamboatsig Member

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    There are ton of aftermarket audio companies that make tweaters that suit your needs. From $15-$150, you will just have to do a search and find out which ones will plug and play. Car Audio/Stereo at SoundDomain is a good source of information. They have a good forum.

    Keep us updated, because I am interested to know how it improves the sound.
     
    #2 Steamboatsig, Mar 23, 2008
  3. Rangerdavid

    Rangerdavid Senior Member

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    there have been many posts on here about replacing speakers, particularly the tweeters. Some are plug and play, but I'm sorry, I don't remember which brand. Perhaps someone who has done that will respond soon. ;)
     
    #3 Rangerdavid, Mar 24, 2008
  4. andrewsilver

    andrewsilver Enthusiast

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    Thanks guys. Yes I've read some of the previous speaker posts, and what I've seen mostly are the upgrades to Focal and Infiniti - but my understanding is that these seem to be a set of 4 speakers including the tweeters and the main front door speakers with a crossover - which is more complicated than I'm looking to do. I'm ok with the factory JBL door speaker - just looking to upgrade the tweeter.

    So hoping to draw on the experience of others that have found a set of tweeters that are easy to install in the original door mounts at reasonable cost.

    Thx!


    ​
     
    #4 andrewsilver, Mar 24, 2008
  5. bayareakirk

    bayareakirk Junior Member

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    Crutchfield.com has a system where you input the car you want to upgrade and then it only gives you results that work for that car. I have not tried it for tweeters only, but it's worth a try.
     
    #5 bayareakirk, Mar 24, 2008
  6. Steamboatsig

    Steamboatsig Member

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    I would pop the panel and remove the tweaters. Measure them for diameter and depth. That will give you a good jumping off point. I have heard people recommending the Eclipse tweaters, but I have no experience. I would think any of the mid-higher end tweaters would be a substantial upgrade from the stock tweaters.
     
    #6 Steamboatsig, Mar 24, 2008
  7. andrewsilver

    andrewsilver Enthusiast

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    Thanks for the tip to check Crutchfield, here's what they list for 2007 Prius with JBL+Nav, sorted by price (low to high). Any suggestions?



    Sort Results By:
    Top Sellers New Specials Brand Customer Ratings Price

    [​IMG]
    Pioneer TS-T110

    7/8" poly dome Tweeters

    IN STOCK
    • 7/8" fluid-cooled PPTA domes
    • frequency response: 2,500-30,000 Hz
    • 2-40 watts RMS power range
    $49.99


    Compare Check the box next to each product you want to compare.
    You can compare up to 10 products. (Please select at least one more to compare.)
    When you're ready, click the "compare" link.
    (8 currently checked, maximum of 10.)


    7 people say : [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Outlet: $44.99



    [​IMG]
    Kenwood KFC-T207

    13/16" UFLC dome tweeters

    IN STOCK
    • 13/16" UFLC domes
    • frequency response: 3,500-35,000 Hz
    • 2-65 watts RMS power range
    $69.99


    Compare
    4 people say : [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]
    Infinity Reference 1021t

    1" textile dome tweeters

    IN STOCK
    • 1" textile domes
    • frequency response: 2,500-21,000 Hz
    • 2-50 watts RMS power range
    Get a second set for half-price
    $89.99


    Compare
    1 person says : [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Outlet: $80.99



    [​IMG]
    JL Audio TR050-CT

    Evolutionâ„¢ TR Series 1/2" textile dome tweeters

    IN STOCK
    • 1/2" ferrofluid cooled textile domes
    • frequency response: 4,000-22,000 Hz
    • 2-50 watts RMS power range
    $99.99


    Compare
    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]
    Kicker 08KS13 [​IMG]

    Pair of 1/2" Kaladex dome tweeters

    OUT OF STOCK Ship date uncertain
    Reserve yours today
    • power handling: 75 watts RMS (150 watts peak power)
    • flush-, surface-, and angled-mounting hardware included
    • sensitivity: 92 dB
    $99.99


    Compare
    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]
    Polk db1001

    1" dome tweeters

    IN STOCK
    • 1" liquid-cooled silk/polymer domes
    • frequency response: 4,000-23,000 Hz
    • 6-60 watts RMS power range
    $99.99


    Compare
    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]
    Infinity Kappa 107t

    1" M.M.D. dome tweeters

    IN STOCK
    • 1" M.M.D. domes
    • frequency response: 3,500-25,000 Hz
    • 2-50 watts RMS power range
    $119.99


    Compare
    5 people say : [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]
    JL Audio VR075-CT [​IMG]

    Evolutionâ„¢ VR Series 3/4" silk dome tweeters

    LOW STOCK
    • 3/4" ferrofluid cooled silk domes
    • frequency response: 4,000-22,000 Hz
    • 2-50 watts RMS power range
    $139.99


    Compare
    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]
    Boston Acoustics Neo Type-S [​IMG]

    1" Kortec® dome tweeters

    IN STOCK
    • 1" Kortec domes
    • frequency response: 8,000-22,000 Hz
    • 2-40 watts RMS power range
    $149.99


    Compare
    1 person says : [​IMG]
     
    #7 andrewsilver, Mar 24, 2008
  8. Steamboatsig

    Steamboatsig Member

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    I think they will all perform 100 times better than stock.

    Here is my guess. The stock jbl amp is not very powerful. That said, you don't want a tweater that has a high power handling. You want a tweater that performs better with low wattage. A high sensitivity rating shows how the tweater performs at a certain watt. The higher the better. The key is to match the tweater's performance with the amps performance. I weak amp and a high power handling tweater is not a good match, nor vice versa.

    I am not an expert, so I would google each tweater and look for "reviews" on each. When you narrow down the field, go on to Car Audio/Stereo at SoundDomain and do a search on the forum for that particular model. Then eliminate any with bad feedback or reviews. That is how I do my shopping.
     
    #8 Steamboatsig, Mar 24, 2008
  9. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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    1) Power handling has nothing to do with efficiency. A driver capable of handling high power could also be very efficient.

    2) Replacing just the tweeter is a bad idea IMHO. You're much better off getting a pair of component speakers with matching crossover that are designed to work together as a system.

    Considering that a pair of Diamond D661s speakers can be had on Ebay for $200 delivered, this is a no-brainer IMHO.
     
    #9 priusenvy, Mar 24, 2008
  10. GeoGeek

    GeoGeek Member

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    I recall that some poster here on PriusChat wrote a poat a while back on his upgrade (of just the tweeters) to a pair of a/d/s silk dome tweeters, which he raved about.
    Priusenvy is right about getting the components with their own crossover.
    You could have unexpected results due to differences in impedance and efficiency between the factory setup and anything aftermarket if you mix & match.
    Shop around online...there are great deals to be had.
    It is possible to get a good sounding match, if only completely by accident.
    Good luck.
     
    #10 GeoGeek, Mar 24, 2008
  11. Steamboatsig

    Steamboatsig Member

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    I never said it did.

    I just said it doesn't make sense to have a tweater with 200 watts of power handling if you are only putting 5 watts to it.

    Sensitivity is the decibels the speaker produces per 1 watt of input at one meter.
     
    #11 Steamboatsig, Mar 25, 2008
  12. wbredin

    wbredin Junior Member

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    Guys,

    Ok after much debate, I have decided that I DON'T want to replace the head unit, or stock rear aplifier. I want to JUST replace the door speakers. With that said, it seems as if the Infinities will require an amp to sound good....am i wrong?? It seem that people like Diamond Audio D661s without any sort of aftermarket amp. Is this a good idea??
     
    #12 wbredin, Mar 27, 2008
  13. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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    I should mention that there are a small number of enthusiasts who believe in selecting individual drivers and crossovers (often active crossovers w/bi-amping), and who would turn up their noses at the idea of buying a set of packaged component speakers. But those guys would be hanging out on diymobileaudio.com and not asking questions here about basic upgrades.
     
    #13 priusenvy, Mar 27, 2008
  14. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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    Sorry, my crystal ball is at the shop, so I don't know what you consider "good". My very first upgrade was to put a pair of 6010cs component speakers in the front doors and continue to drive them with the crossed-over signal from the JBL amp, i.e. not using the crossover supplied with the speakers. It was a big improvement, but could not compare to what I have now.

    To me, spending money on audio upgrades is just like spending money on anything else - you keep spending money until the marginal utility gained by the next dollar spent is exceeded by the marginal utility of alternative uses of that dollar (spending it on something else or investing it or whatever). So start with a speaker upgrade, and if that's not sufficient, add an amp, and if that's not sufficient, add some equalization, and so on.
     
    #14 priusenvy, Mar 27, 2008
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