coachld

I have searched all of the other posts that I could find regarding speaker replacement and could not find an answer. I just replaced the ML sub with Kicker sub and now looking to replace front door speakers. Crutchfield lists the Kicker DS65 as a suitable replacement for 2001 Lexus LS430 w/ML and Nav. I am very happy with the $50 sub and curious to find out if anyone has installed (diy) the Kicker DS65 speakers ($55)? If so, is it an easy install...I am o.k. with minor modifications but if I have to build new brackets...no thanks.

Thanks in advance,

L

Lynzoid

It will require modifications. ML door speakers have special mounting frame.

Lust4Lexus

Not too sure if that's a good idea. See, as "crappy" as the build quality is with the stock speakers, they are voiced to work seamlessly with one another. Swapping a sub, I think is the least offensive thing you can do with the system. With impedance mismatching, which is what you are doing essentially, you are going to introduce crossover issues as well. While with the sub you can "get away" with that, With a critical relationship like the midbass to tweeter, I'm not sure how colored the sound will wind up becoming. Sensitivity is another thing you will have to contend with. It may be alot less sensitive than the stock speaker and so the voicing and staging is going to be thrown way off the more difference there is between the new woofer and the old woofer. If ou want to put a system in the car, then put a system in the car and do it right, but don't think that by cutting and pasting new aftermarket woofers are going to be the same kind of "upgrade" as your subwoofer was. It could be a disaster.

JBLover

I was told the same thing Lust4Lexus said by a shop. They basically told me I would have to do all the speakers with seperate amps. I am not a stereo pro though so I didn't know if they just wanted me to spend $3k or so.

coachld

Thanks for feedback. I had already ordered the speakers before I saw your post. Guess I will find out and will post the results later this week.

Lust4Lexus

I hope it works out. You could get lucky and get a good recipe. I look forward to hearing about the outcome!!! Good luck and remember to post back!

coachld

Installed speakers myself and as of right now...they sound great! Much better then the oem speakers. Please understand that I am an amateur at best when it comes to audio but for $55...I am happy with the sound.

LS430Lexus

Can you give us some detail? Did they bolt right in or did you have to modify? Use the factory wiring? Have you done the rear doors? If so, what size? Thanks

ereyes430

details please! I am in the same boat as you are. Just did the kicker sub in the rear and my front right speaker is blown...

Jabberwock

OEM speakers are generally cheap crap including the ML speakers. Most decent replacement speakers available are a huge upgrade to the OEM ML versions. As previous poster stated - you will lose the "matched speakers" effect but the increase in quality and basic performance of the upgraded speakers will generally make up for any loss of the supposed ideal sound stage/imaging (which in a noisy and quite compromised car environment) is a somewhat questionable goal anyway.

I replaced the premium OEM JBL system in our Highlander Limited with a nice set of Polk component speakers and the increase in sound quality was a whole level of magnitude better than OEM. My wife could not believe the difference. btw - the JBL system supplied in the HL Limited is produced by the Harmon Kardon - the same company that makes the ML system for Lexus. Both JBL and ML don't really exist as real companies any more and haven't for years...the wonders of modern brand marketing : )

Lust4Lexus

Wait a sec.... You put a coaxial speaker where a midbass is supposed to go?? Is the tweeter on these kicker speakers firing? When I look up these speakers, it says they are coax.

Jabberwock

It would not hurt to use a coaxial - depending on the internal crossover on the coaxial, the tweeter may be getting some signal depending on what crossover'ed frequencies the ML amp is sending to what is supposed to be the "mid bass" speaker. But it is unlikely that the ML amp would be feeding much above 5-6k hz in any volume to that component. But lots of consumer electronics tweeters range from 2-3k to 18k so it would likely be firing with that signal.

A lot of times there is some overlap in how the freqs get split up and anyway its never a perfect gating of the signal.

coachld

Sorry for delay in responding but sounds like jabberwocky is much more knowledgeable then I anyway. All I can tell you is that I talked with Crutchfield via internet and was told that the kicker speakers were a suitable replacement. Again...being an amateur at best...I had no idea what questions to ask other then...."will these work?" After installing the speakers...I am happy that I spent $55 and took an hour out of my day to do it myself.

As for fit...when you order through Crutchfield...they provide harness that connects to speaker positive/negative and stereo plug. If I can figure it out....anyone can. The speaker was not a perfect fit...but I was able to get it screwed in snug and secure without any modifications. Removing the front door panel was a littel nerve wracking for me but after doing some research and following the directions, I was able to get the panel off and replace without doing any notecable damage.

pmacfarl

Wanting to upgrade my Naki factory speakers with Kicker 6.5" door speakers so can you tell me about how you built your baffles in the doors? Thanks

Jabberwock

Here's the bottom line for car audio - if a replacement part/speaker makes it sound better to your ears than it is better. Audio in general is a hugely subjective area - that's why you never ever see double blind (or even single blind audio tests). In general it would be too embarrassing for the super high end stuff especially the wack jobs that make the $100+ a foot speaker cable and interconnects.

Almost any higher quality 3rd party speaker is gonna be better than OEM BS that was installed in recent model cars - as long as you match or stay close to nominal impedance it should be fine. If possible buy replacements with big solid magnet structures and non foam surrounds (rubber, silicone) and a non paper or coated paper cone.