changed speakers today

**Tommy turbo** · 05-13-2002, 18:49

The rear speakers in my 2001 2500hd D/A didnt sound so good so I bought some Infinity Kappas 462.5s Replaced them and could not tell the difference. The old speakers had little tiny magnets yet sounded as good. What gives? The old speakers were 8 ohms the infinitys were 4 0hms does this mean they need more power to work? I thought I had read on this site that these speakers were the way to go. does not seem so now.

**Alli-max** · 05-13-2002, 19:08

you need an amp for them. And, you dont need a $500 job either. Goto Best Buy and pick up the least expensive Rockford amp. You WILL be able to tell a difference. The stock headunit is not exactly up to par.

**OilMan** · 05-13-2002, 20:39

Ditto the power problem. Stock head unit only puts out a few RMS watts, and with aftermarket speakers, you will need more power than stock to get good sound.
The kappa 462.5cfp plate 4"x6" speakers will fit, but what I picked, is the kappa 652.5i, at about the same price. Mine fit perfectly, with larger sized woofer and magnets, has a crossover, and handles more power. I found the best prices for these on E-Bay.

NutNbutGMC · 05-13-2002, 21:09

^...I have a Rockford Fosgate Punch 600a4 amp with RF speakers all around and a RF sub. But the most important component is the digital signal from XM satellite radio. Nothing will sound good with an analog signal... You need power but you also need a quality signal [img]smile.gif[/img]
You may see my sub and amp install with the link in mu sig line.

**Tommy turbo** · 05-13-2002, 21:12

I have xm radio allready and I love it

NutNbutGMC · 05-13-2002, 21:29

^....Tom...You da' man.....Now (as Alli-Max originally suggested), get the power to push it and you'll be in business.....My setup is not a "future hoodlum, sound-pounding, unload my 9mm in the head unit" type system. Clean and crisp sound. Blues and classic rock never sounded so good....

**hoot** · 05-14-2002, 09:30

Careful fellows on the magnet clearance, especially in the rear doors. I also replaced my speakers and found that when I opened and closed the windows, they hit the speakers on the way down. I added a spacers (nuts) in the front under the frame to pull the speakers in towards the interior. That fixed it.

[ 05-14-2002: Message edited by: hoot ]</p>

**Tader Jack** · 05-14-2002, 17:59

I replaced all 4 of mine with RF 2206's a while back and it made a considerable difference. Some speakers require a lot more power to operate than others maybe that was the problem. These work great. When I installed I thought I might have to add an amp, but we decided to try the speakers first and go from there. No doubt, the amp will help even more, but the improvement in sound quality was good. It's all I need.

Jack Schultz, McKean, PA
jackschultz@adelphia.net

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/jack_schultz2001/rlst

2001 Chevy Silverado, 4-WD, 2500HD, Crew Cab, Short Box
LT Trim, Black Onyx w/ Tan Leather
Beltronics 980 Radar Detector • Blinder M-10 Plus Laser Radar Jammer
4 Rockford Fosgate FRC2206 Full Range Speakers • Husky Rubber Floor Mats
Lund Interceptor Wind Deflector • J&J Stainless Steel Tube Grill
Putco Stainless Steel Bed Rails • Access Roll-up Tonneau Cover • Pendaliner SR Bed Liner
DTA Stainless Running Boards and Mud Flaps • VentShades • Pop-Lok Rear Tailgate Lock
Lucerix Remote Control X-Mount Camper Mirrors • Unity Dual Door-mount Halogen Spotlights
Air-Lift Super Duty Ride Control w/ Dual Controller & Onboard Compressor •
Tekonsha Voyager Trailer Brake Controller • Uniden 510XL PRO CB Radio, Wilson Antenna
Kennedy Diesel Headlight Harness with 4 Lamp Mode • PIAA Platinum Super White Headlight Bulbs
Amsoil 2-Stage Air Filter • FPPF Total Power Diesel Fuel Treatment • FPPF 8+ Cetane Improver
Amsoil 15W-40 Synthetic HD Diesel & Marine Engine Oil • Amsoil Series 2000 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube (GL-5)
------------------------------------------------

[ 05-14-2002: Message edited by: Tader Jack ]</p>

**stillracing** · 05-14-2002, 20:11

Hey guys,

Has anyone replaced speaker wire. I did, and it helps. Try this at home, replace your home stereo speaker wire with something like what is used in the truck. Tell us if you can hear the difference.

**SoCalDMAX** · 05-14-2002, 22:54

Yeah,

I'm using different speaker wire. I'm using 8ga. on the subs and 12ga. on all of the mids/tweeters. Sounds great. Of course, the 4ga. power cable didn't hurt either.

Regards, Steve

**Alli-max** · 05-15-2002, 08:48

12 GA on the mids and tweeters?? GEEEEZ SoCal!!!

IIRC, the stock speaker wire is ~22 guage, which is PATHETIC.

**GMC D-Max** · 05-15-2002, 09:08

Not trying to start a debate on the pros/cons of wire guage, size, purity, etc., BUT, in the cab of a truck, where the ambient noise level during normal driving is anywhere from 55-65db, I highly doubt that anybody is going to notice a difference in the way different speaker wires sound. Of course you can notice a difference in a quiet house, if you're really paying attention, but it's a big waste of time and money to install expensive wire in a vehicle. Of course, that won't stop me from putting all new wiring in my truck, simply because all the wires "home-run" to the back of the cab, rather than the front!

Also, a speaker with lower impedance (i.e. 4ohm vs. 8ohm) requires less power to achieve the same volume, all things being equal such as signal-to-noise ratio. It will, however, tax the stock head unit/amplifier as it will be running at a higher current than normal, and cheapo amplifiers can't handle that, or reproduce sound cleanly in extreme cases. The key to better sound is not necessarily more power, but the ability to run higher current/lower impedance.

**SoCalDMAX** · 05-15-2002, 18:40

GMC D-Max,

I agree with everything you said. I once had a roommate who bought some (IIRC) Kimber Kable, braided from multiple sets of ~18ga speaker wire. Oxygen free copper, blah blah. $30/ft and he swore he would never go back to regular cable of any gauge. I just laughed, especially since he was also an electronic tech; guess he had money to burn.

Like you, all of my speaker cables run to the rear to where the amps are mounted, so I was going to have to run new cables anyways...
The stock speaker wire is thinner than I would have chosen for the stock power levels, and I'm running a lot more power than stock.

My boss and I always design stuff to be sailor-proof. Even a bowling ball isn't sailor-proof. Put a sailor in a sealed room with no doors or windows and 3 bowling balls. He will lose one, break one and knock the third one up.

(As an ex Navy ET, I get a kick out of that one, thinking back on some of the things I did...)

I don't like rework, so I used overkill sized wire and the best connections appropriate for the usage on everything. Hopefully the stereo will be as trouble-free as I'm hoping the rest of the truck will be.

Click on truck pics below to see my "bowling ball".

Regards, Steve

**Tommy turbo** · 05-15-2002, 20:24

Thanks guys I think I will give more power a try. Then see what happens.

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