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Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Hey fellow TGO'ers - Would you mind posting what speakers you have installed that was a drop in replacement while using stock head unit and also if you like the sound quality. Also year and if firebird or camaro. its my understanding the firebirds have less space to work with up front.
Its funny, I had a pair of Infinity's that were awesome sounding 6x9 3-ways from the 90's that I was going to put in my Firebird one day. Put those in storage along with my Bird 25 years ago. Only the factory firebird speakers survived, the infinities crumbled to dust.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
FWIW, I installed a set of Pioneer TS-G4645R 4x6 in the dash of my car and they fit fine. I'm not going to necessarily recommend them (I'm no audiophile, for sure) but they do fit. One thing I will mention, though, is make sure to either cover the speakers (like the factory did) or add some speaker cloth between the speaker and the dash (what I wound up doing). It is amazing how distracting a speaker reflecting in the windshield can be!
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Originally Posted by rt66er
FWIW, I installed a set of Pioneer TS-G4645R 4x6 in the dash of my car and they fit fine. I'm not going to necessarily recommend them (I'm no audiophile, for sure) but they do fit. One thing I will mention, though, is make sure to either cover the speakers (like the factory did) or add some speaker cloth between the speaker and the dash (what I wound up doing). It is amazing how distracting a speaker reflecting in the windshield can be!
good to know they fit. not sure what we can expect out of 4x6 anyway. thanks for including the speaker cloth info. did you do the back ones?
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Yes, Pioneer TS-A6990F A Series 6X9. Just wanted something better than the 30-year-old factory speakers in there. I also added an aux input to my factory AM/FM Cassette (runs directly to the internal amp) and with my MP3 player hooked up it sounds surprisingly good. Good enough for my 60-year-old ears, anyway.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Originally Posted by LiquidBlue
Its funny, I had a pair of Infinity's that were awesome sounding 6x9 3-ways from the 90's that I was going to put in my Firebird one day. Put those in storage along with my Bird 25 years ago. Only the factory firebird speakers survived, the infinities crumbled to dust.
At that time, GM had a pretty good reputation for sound quality from even it's basic sound systems compared to the competition.
When I bought my '88 GTA 18 months, ago, I was wondering what sort of shape the old speakers would be in. Now, my GTA was well cared for, but I've seen good speakers like yours just deteriorate and fall apart with time. The four speakers in my Firebird are in great shape and really sound pretty darn good.
The thing that I didn't expect issues with - FM radio reception - is my only problem. (The only problem of any kind that I have with my car.) It's the premium electronic tape player head unit. Tape player always works great, something of a surprise there. AM radio is fine. FM reception is very poor at startup and only gets the strongest stations for about 10-15 minutes after starting. Then after that time it will start playing normally. Strange problem. Finding a replacement for that radio, which works with the steering wheel controls, seems just about impossible. Lots of radios fit, but as far as I know, only this head unit from 1988-1989 GTA's will work with the steering wheel controls. They sold about 10,000 of them and after 30 years there's not a lot around. There's one now for $300 on eBay which says "not tested." No thanks.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
LiquidBlue: My opinion on speakers for a 4 speaker system in a Thirdgen is this: DON'T USE 3-Way speakers in the rear !!
** Factory stock Thirdgen head units are made for 2-10 OHM front speakers and 2-4 OHM rear speakers. Each of the internal AMP CHIPS controls 1 front and 1 rear speaker.
The Thirdgens got 6x9 Coaxial woofers in back and tweeters in the front; pretty easy to see that the set-up was designed to push the 'highs' in your face and the 'lows' from behind you. I've heard countless folks here over the years praising the aftermarket 3-way 6x9s that they installed and just don't understand how they can be satisfied with the sound. Yup; I've done the same exact thing when all I had available for rear speakers was 3-ways, but it was done to get some/any sound from the rear because I started with nothing. When using 3-ways in the back the rear sound contains WAY too many 'highs' and not enough lows. Best bet ( Again - just my ) is to stick with a 6x9 woofers like the factory installed.
There's one now for $300 on eBay which says "not tested." No thanks.
I saw that too; He's a member here. His E-Bay add describes it as a Firebird GTA radio, but his classified here on TGO clearly describes that radio as a Bonneville head-unit with a dead cassette deck. (I am curious to learn how he knows the cassette deck is dead in a radio that he cant test ? ) He's aware that it's a Bonneville radio and that it's not compatible with the GTA, but a Bonneville radio isn't worth the same $$ as a GTA deck, and an "untested" radio might be more desirable than 1 with a dead cassette so,....... let's hope it was a mistake & he just used the wrong pics in his E-Bay auction because he'll have 1 really pissed-off buyer if he sells that Bonneville radio a GTA head-unit.
Boneville one. Turns on can’t test it’s locked and tape deck is in need of repair
Last edited by John in RI; Aug 25, 2019 at 07:12 PM.
Reason: edit : "Coaxial" edit: remove pics
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
That's the one, John. And thanks for the warning, though with it not working I wasn't going to consider it.
If the tape player isn't working, it's probably only good for MP3 player conversion anyway. Saw a couple of radio websites that have this model flagged as "cannot repair [tape player], no parts available." I'll live with mine until it really gets bad, because I know that when I do have to replace it, the fact that the steering wheel buttons won't work anymore will really bug me for a while.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Originally Posted by ksr
At that time, GM had a pretty good reputation for sound quality from even it's basic sound systems compared to the competition.
When I bought my '88 GTA 18 months, ago, I was wondering what sort of shape the old speakers would be in. Now, my GTA was well cared for, but I've seen good speakers like yours just deteriorate and fall apart with time. The four speakers in my Firebird are in great shape and really sound pretty darn good.
The thing that I didn't expect issues with - FM radio reception - is my only problem. (The only problem of any kind that I have with my car.) It's the premium electronic tape player head unit. Tape player always works great, something of a surprise there. AM radio is fine. FM reception is very poor at startup and only gets the strongest stations for about 10-15 minutes after starting. Then after that time it will start playing normally. Strange problem. Finding a replacement for that radio, which works with the steering wheel controls, seems just about impossible. Lots of radios fit, but as far as I know, only this head unit from 1988-1989 GTA's will work with the steering wheel controls. They sold about 10,000 of them and after 30 years there's not a lot around. There's one now for $300 on eBay which says "not tested." No thanks.
Might be bad "Caps" (capacitors) . I'd get it to a good radio repair man. Sadly, my local guy died.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Those are pretty basic speakers - but yes; that's the idea. I'm not a novice when it comes to sound systems - but I'm no pro either. The factory Delco 2000 radios (with EQ) are adjustable from 20HZ to 10K so just be sure that replacements cover at least that band range.
& Allow me to correct myself: The factory rears are actually not a true "woofer" speaker but a 2-way Coaxial cone type speaker; meaning theindividual driver units radiate sound from the same point. I feel the sound is very much like taste in that everyone experiences it in their own unique way. My preference is for as much low/bass as possible from the rear and for that a true "woofer" ( similar to what you posted ) is what I'd prefer use. For a truly factory sounding system a cone type coaxial speaker should be used,... something like the Pioneer Dual Cone 6x9's TS-693P . ( 120Watt, duel cone, 4 OHM, & 35 to 20K HZ band range.)
I've never been able to positively ID the actual wattage from a stock Delco "ETR" head unit,....... the 'best guess' I can come up with is about 20 watts per channel and 80 watts total. I've heard the Cadillac Delco head units from the eighties made 100 watts, but not sure how that's possible since they use the same DM165 AMP chips as every other Delco radio from that era.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Interesting, I replaced the Delco 16177751 6x9 full range, 8 ohm speakers, in my 1996 Impala SS, with Boston Acoustics 6x9 4 ohm, full range, and they sounded great. I wonder why the change from 8 to 4 ohms didn't cause problems? I'd like to use the Delcos, in my 89 IROC Vert, because I have them on hand. When I get that far into the project, I will test them in the car.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Here is a good explanation regarding Speaker OHMs:
About Speaker Impedance
When talking about things like voltage, watts, and power, many audio writers use the analogy of water flowing through a pipe because it's an analogy that people can visualize and relate to.
Think of the speaker as a pipe. The audio signal — your music — acts as the water flowing through the pipe. The bigger the pipe, the more easily water can flow through it. Bigger pipes also handle more volume of flowing water. A speaker with a lower impedance is like a bigger pipe in that it lets more electrical signal through and allows it to flow more easily.
As a result, you see amplifiers that are rated to deliver 100 watts at 8 ohms impedance or 150 or 200 watts at 4 ohms impedance. The lower the impedance, the more easily electricity (the signal or music) flows through the speaker. A lot of amplifiers aren't designed to work with 4-ohm speakers. Using the pipe analogy, you can put a bigger pipe in, but it'll only carry more water (audio) if you have a pump (amplifier) powerful enough to provide the extra flow of water.
Impedance of Car Speakers
In car audio, 4-ohm speakers are the norm. That's because car audio systems run on 12 volts DC instead of a 120 volts AC. A 4-ohm impedance allows car audio speakers to pull more power from a low-voltage car audio amp. Car audio amps are designed for use with low-impedance speakers. So crank it up and enjoy.
Car Audio: The Speakers
Speakers make up the final pieces of the basic car audio puzzle. Most car audio systems have at least four, but there are a lot of different viable configurations. When a speaker receives an audio signal from an amplifier, the electrical energy of the signal is converted into mechanical energy that causes a cone to move back and forth. That vibration displaces air, which creates the sound waves that we hear.
Unlike home audio systems that have discrete woofers, tweeters, and midrange speakers, car audio often makes use of “full range” speakers. That saves on space, but a full range speaker typically can’t put out the same sound quality that a real woofer, tweeter, or midrange speaker can. Some car audio speakers combine a woofer and a tweeter into a single coaxial speaker, and dedicated subwoofers are also available. Replacing full range speakers with components is one of the main reasons people upgrade their speakers.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Just an FYI for those interested - Crutchfield cust service
JBL Concert Series 6421F and Infinity Reference REF-6432cfx 4x6 speakers for front dash of 1990 Firebird. I've heard reports some 4x6 will not fit. Firebirds have very tight space up by instrument cluster. Can you get me dimensions for these 2 speakers so I can see which one is smaller?
Thank you for reaching out to us. We are always updating and making our website's vehicle guide smarter and better every day. We have had research on your 1990 Firebird for several years now and I am confident our information is correct. However plate type 4x6 speakers and larger magnet speakers may have trouble fitting from what our database on my end reads out.
Infinity Reference REF-6432cfx 4x6, magnet = 2.7" in diameter. The frame dimensions are 4.53" width by 6.2" length.
JBL Concert Series 6421F 4x6, magnet = 2.8" in diameter for the magnet; the frame is 4.02" in width and 6.22" in length.
Kenwood KFC-4675C (known to fit) 4x6, magnet = 2.3" diameter
Not certain what they mean by frame......
Overview on the Amp/Head unit and typical problems. He generalizes and says the DM165 Amps drive a 10 ohm front speaker and a 4 ohm back. Not sure if this is true for all cars, all years.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Will do. I have confirmed in 1990 4-ohm speakers were in back. I've read 10 ohm used up front, possibly to prevent cross-talk due to how the amplifiers were connected to them. Not exactly certain what that means. You would think the amps would be isolated.
Also here are some Factory 6x9 speaker measurements:
Magnet : 3-7/8" diameter
Depth from bottom of speaker cage to bottom of magnet : 3"
Depth from top of speaker to bottom of magnet : 3-1/4"
The factory speaker sits pretty flush with sail panel, so 1/4" is about all you can have before its starts pushing on sail panel.
The depth from center of magnet to foam enclosure is somewhere around 4", but as you go toward roof line that gets to be 3" (didn't measure precisely, but now that I think about it, should have broke out my laser ruler)
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
Originally Posted by John in RI
LiquidBlue: My opinion on speakers for a 4 speaker system in a Thirdgen is this: DON'T USE 3-Way speakers in the rear !!
** Factory stock Thirdgen head units are made for 2-10 OHM front speakers and 2-4 OHM rear speakers. Each of the internal AMP CHIPS controls 1 front and 1 rear speaker.
The Thirdgens got 6x9 Coaxial woofers in back and tweeters in the front; pretty easy to see that the set-up was designed to push the 'highs' in your face and the 'lows' from behind you. I've heard countless folks here over the years praising the aftermarket 3-way 6x9s that they installed and just don't understand how they can be satisfied with the sound. Yup; I've done the same exact thing when all I had available for rear speakers was 3-ways, but it was done to get some/any sound from the rear because I started with nothing. When using 3-ways in the back the rear sound contains WAY too many 'highs' and not enough lows. Best bet ( Again - just my ) is to stick with a 6x9 woofers like the factory installed.
John - took your advice and bought some 2-way co-axial 6x9 - 4 ohms to replace my factor 4-ohm rears.
I'm reading that factory 10 ohms are used up front. Well can't find 10 ohm, or even 8-ohm speakers. Do you recommend putting a wire-wound resistor in series so the AMPS are looking at 10 ohms to keep current limited to the speakers? I recall someone saying their front replacements were too loud, probably because the fronts are being driven with over twice the current due to the lower ohm speaker replacement.
Re: Aftermarket drop-in replacement speakers connected to factory headunit roll call
decided on these. they sound great and barely fit. the magnet is pushing on speaker surround foam stuff at the top. next up replacing front factory with new 10 ohm delco replacements made in china with same part number, the current factory speakers are plenty loud, but think they have some issues.
making sure holes line up removed focal grill thing
Last edited by LiquidBlue; Sep 12, 2019 at 07:21 PM.
) is to stick with a 6x9 woofers like the factory installed.
