Varilux
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Pete
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2018
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- 16
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- 320
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- Location
- Hickory Creek, TX
- Vehicle(s)
- 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
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- #1
Finally got around to installing the SSV Works 6.5" Speaker Adapter (and SSV speakers) today.
https://www.ssvworks.com/product/Jeep-Wrangler-JL-and+JT-overhead-soundbar-6.5in-speaker-adapter
I have the base sound system with the middle sized receiver (7.5" I believe). Previously, I have updated the 3.5" speakers in the dash (and in the soundbar) with the upgraded Mopar speakers. I also installed a small powered subwoofer under the passenger seat. To be honest, I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the difference 6.5" speakers in the soundbar would make (after all, I just have the head unit powering the speakers- no amplifier yet)- happily, I was pleasantly surprised!
The difference with the SSV 6.5" speakers is really incredible- especially the mid-lows (which were really lacking with the stock system). Even my 25 year old son was impressed with the way tunes sound in the Jeep now (I should also mention I have a two-door, so not as much space to fill with sound). I was able to turn the frequency cutoff of the subwoofer up, because the 6.5" speakers definitely fill in the mid-lows.
Okay, so a few notes on the install:
Here are the stock speakers (well, the smaller speaker is an upgraded Mopar speaker, but basically stock). You remove all the torx screws holding in the stock speakers, as well as the four torx screws holding in the tube towards the top of the speaker pod. Everything comes apart pretty quickly, and you're left with two speaker plugs (one for each speaker).
These are the sections of your original soundbar that will be cut out. You just use the metal brace supplied with the kit as a template and follow your lines. Originally, I attempted to use a Dremel tool to make the cuts- this proved to be pretty frustrating. So I switched to a power jigsaw (10 teeth / inch blade), and it went like a breeze. You have to be careful not to let the blade poke up through the top of the soundbar, but it really isn't all that difficult to make the cuts (I didn't remove the soundbar, I just made the cuts with the bar in the Jeep).
Here's the finished install... A few notes based on my experience.
1. The center portion of the speaker grille is easy to remove. I shot them with some satin red paint that comes pretty close to the red panels on the Rubicon dash. I'm glad I did, I think they make the speakers pop visually.
2. SSV supplies torx screws to attach the speaker pods, but I reused the stock aluminum screws (you still have to use 2 of their screws per side, but I think the aluminum looks better). Overall, if you didn't know what the soundbar is supposed to look like, you might think these speakers were stock- which I like.
3. Before I started on the second side, I thought I would hook up the second 6.5" speaker to hear what the finished result would sound like. I was really frustrated when the second speaker wouldn't produce any sound. I hooked the stock speakers back up, and still no sound. After some head scratching (and a bit of swearing), I turned everything off and walked away for awhile (which I finds helps a lot on some projects). When I turned the system back on, both sides fired right up. I then remembered the Jeep's sound system will not send a signal if it doesn't see resistance. If you run into this problem, just shut everything down for awhile (a few minutes) and let the Jeep "reset." Once the radio sees speakers in all locations, it will start sending a signal again (but if you don't give it some time to reset, it will just keep refusing to send a signal).
4. The frustration was worth it in the end, because it made me try something that seemed to make the sound better. I don't see myself putting tweeters into the extra spot available on the SSV pods (I didn't even cut out the little circle in the soundbar called for by the template, because I'm not going to install additional speakers). I had hooked up the first speaker to the plug that feeds the 3.5" speaker (you can actually plug the stock plug into the SSV speakers if you modify the plugs just a bit). When the other speaker didn't fire up, I decided to also splice into the OTHER speaker plug and wire the 6.5" speakers to BOTH of the stock feeds. This seemed to make the sound from the 6.5" considerably better. Someone who knows something about audio can tell me if I'm just imagining things, but it really did seem feeding the speakers with both feeds is the way to go (btw, the wires going to the speakers are black and white- I assumed the black was the negative and the white was the positive- if I'm mistaken, PLEASE post below so I can correct the polarity). Anyway, I highly recommend feeding the 6.5" with both stock speaker feeds (unless you're planning on adding additional tweeters).
5. Taking everything apart also gave me the opportunity to see what would happen if I removed the fiber fill I had in the soundbar. With the 6.5" speakers, things seem to sound better without the white fiber fill. When you make the cuts necessary to mount the 6.5" speaker, you create a larger enclosure, and I suspect that really helps these speakers put out sound. I'm not an audio engineer, but the stock configuration of the soundbar seems really poor.
6. The only thing I would change about this kit would be to have SSV offer a harness that could be used to bridge between the stock plug and the SSV plug (or ideally a harness that would connect both stock feeds into their plug). I would have gladly paid extra for such a harness, because the wiring was easily the most frustrating thing on this project.
Anyway, that was my install experience. If I hadn't noticed the speaker not firing up and spent 45 minutes trying to figure out why, it would have only taken me a couple hours for the whole project (including painting the grille pieces), and I consider it time well spent. I'm really REALLY happy with the way these speaker fill out the sound in my Jeep. I may still get an amplifier at some point, but I can now crank the volume the whole way to 38 with no distortion at all (I typically listen at 20-22 on the volume, and with the new speakers, that's plenty loud to enjoy my music.
Highly recommend the kit, good luck with your installs, and hope something in the above helps!
Pete
https://www.ssvworks.com/product/Jeep-Wrangler-JL-and+JT-overhead-soundbar-6.5in-speaker-adapter
I have the base sound system with the middle sized receiver (7.5" I believe). Previously, I have updated the 3.5" speakers in the dash (and in the soundbar) with the upgraded Mopar speakers. I also installed a small powered subwoofer under the passenger seat. To be honest, I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the difference 6.5" speakers in the soundbar would make (after all, I just have the head unit powering the speakers- no amplifier yet)- happily, I was pleasantly surprised!
The difference with the SSV 6.5" speakers is really incredible- especially the mid-lows (which were really lacking with the stock system). Even my 25 year old son was impressed with the way tunes sound in the Jeep now (I should also mention I have a two-door, so not as much space to fill with sound). I was able to turn the frequency cutoff of the subwoofer up, because the 6.5" speakers definitely fill in the mid-lows.
Okay, so a few notes on the install:
Here are the stock speakers (well, the smaller speaker is an upgraded Mopar speaker, but basically stock). You remove all the torx screws holding in the stock speakers, as well as the four torx screws holding in the tube towards the top of the speaker pod. Everything comes apart pretty quickly, and you're left with two speaker plugs (one for each speaker).
These are the sections of your original soundbar that will be cut out. You just use the metal brace supplied with the kit as a template and follow your lines. Originally, I attempted to use a Dremel tool to make the cuts- this proved to be pretty frustrating. So I switched to a power jigsaw (10 teeth / inch blade), and it went like a breeze. You have to be careful not to let the blade poke up through the top of the soundbar, but it really isn't all that difficult to make the cuts (I didn't remove the soundbar, I just made the cuts with the bar in the Jeep).
Here's the finished install... A few notes based on my experience.
1. The center portion of the speaker grille is easy to remove. I shot them with some satin red paint that comes pretty close to the red panels on the Rubicon dash. I'm glad I did, I think they make the speakers pop visually.
2. SSV supplies torx screws to attach the speaker pods, but I reused the stock aluminum screws (you still have to use 2 of their screws per side, but I think the aluminum looks better). Overall, if you didn't know what the soundbar is supposed to look like, you might think these speakers were stock- which I like.
3. Before I started on the second side, I thought I would hook up the second 6.5" speaker to hear what the finished result would sound like. I was really frustrated when the second speaker wouldn't produce any sound. I hooked the stock speakers back up, and still no sound. After some head scratching (and a bit of swearing), I turned everything off and walked away for awhile (which I finds helps a lot on some projects). When I turned the system back on, both sides fired right up. I then remembered the Jeep's sound system will not send a signal if it doesn't see resistance. If you run into this problem, just shut everything down for awhile (a few minutes) and let the Jeep "reset." Once the radio sees speakers in all locations, it will start sending a signal again (but if you don't give it some time to reset, it will just keep refusing to send a signal).
4. The frustration was worth it in the end, because it made me try something that seemed to make the sound better. I don't see myself putting tweeters into the extra spot available on the SSV pods (I didn't even cut out the little circle in the soundbar called for by the template, because I'm not going to install additional speakers). I had hooked up the first speaker to the plug that feeds the 3.5" speaker (you can actually plug the stock plug into the SSV speakers if you modify the plugs just a bit). When the other speaker didn't fire up, I decided to also splice into the OTHER speaker plug and wire the 6.5" speakers to BOTH of the stock feeds. This seemed to make the sound from the 6.5" considerably better. Someone who knows something about audio can tell me if I'm just imagining things, but it really did seem feeding the speakers with both feeds is the way to go (btw, the wires going to the speakers are black and white- I assumed the black was the negative and the white was the positive- if I'm mistaken, PLEASE post below so I can correct the polarity). Anyway, I highly recommend feeding the 6.5" with both stock speaker feeds (unless you're planning on adding additional tweeters).
5. Taking everything apart also gave me the opportunity to see what would happen if I removed the fiber fill I had in the soundbar. With the 6.5" speakers, things seem to sound better without the white fiber fill. When you make the cuts necessary to mount the 6.5" speaker, you create a larger enclosure, and I suspect that really helps these speakers put out sound. I'm not an audio engineer, but the stock configuration of the soundbar seems really poor.
6. The only thing I would change about this kit would be to have SSV offer a harness that could be used to bridge between the stock plug and the SSV plug (or ideally a harness that would connect both stock feeds into their plug). I would have gladly paid extra for such a harness, because the wiring was easily the most frustrating thing on this project.
Anyway, that was my install experience. If I hadn't noticed the speaker not firing up and spent 45 minutes trying to figure out why, it would have only taken me a couple hours for the whole project (including painting the grille pieces), and I consider it time well spent. I'm really REALLY happy with the way these speaker fill out the sound in my Jeep. I may still get an amplifier at some point, but I can now crank the volume the whole way to 38 with no distortion at all (I typically listen at 20-22 on the volume, and with the new speakers, that's plenty loud to enjoy my music.
Highly recommend the kit, good luck with your installs, and hope something in the above helps!
Pete
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