2019 LC500 Audio Question
#1
4th Gear
Thread Starter
2019 LC500 Audio Question
Question for a knowledgeable audio owner:
I have a 2019 LC w/o ML system. I own a set of Polyglas Focal 3 speakers w/woofers from a previous vehicle. Would it be a smart move to replace some of the current speakers with tge Focals?
I have a 2019 LC w/o ML system. I own a set of Polyglas Focal 3 speakers w/woofers from a previous vehicle. Would it be a smart move to replace some of the current speakers with tge Focals?
Last edited by Eirerogue; 09-26-24 at 01:26 PM.
#2
A few things you may want to consider/research before doing this.
1. What are the specs of the current speakers and are they similar to the Focals? (rated output, ohms, size and depth, etc.)
2. Are the mountings for the stock and Focals compatible or will you need to perform some surgery on the door to get them installed?
3. Seperate tweeter by the looks of it. Might make the speaker install more complicated.
4. Looks like your Focals come with their own crossovers - do the stock speakers have crossovers located somewhere that will need to be replaced? You can't just plug new speakers into possibly mismatched crossovers.
5. if there are no existing hardware crossovers, is there a soft crossover (user setting) accessible within the settings of the head unit? If not, you might just fry your Focals by doubling up on crossovers or having none at all.
6. is it really worth all the trouble? What are you trying to improve?
I'd start with what you're trying to improve. Overall sound quality, low end response, mid range, distortion at higher volumes, etc., etc. If it's just overall sound quality then keep in mind that if your Focals are rated for significantly more output than the stock speakers, they could sound even worse than the stock speakers at lower volumes. High output speakers need to be driven at higher volumes before they are efficient. More importantly, speakers alone don't necessarily improve sound quality. If your head unit or source player (your phone for example) aren't outputting good signals then better speakers only amplify the low quality inputs.
I've built more than a few car audio systems and I always say you should start with your source player. That could be the head unit itself (think radio, cd player, or built in player for music on a memory card or stick) or your music player on your phone before spending money on other peripherals like amps and speaker. If it's music from your phone then invest in a high res music player like USB Audio Player Pro. I have the ML system in my 2024 convertible and their is a noticeable difference between sound from USBapp and the VLC player I had used in the past. But, you need to identify what you want to improve specifically before tackling your project.
Just my 2 dbs worth.
1. What are the specs of the current speakers and are they similar to the Focals? (rated output, ohms, size and depth, etc.)
2. Are the mountings for the stock and Focals compatible or will you need to perform some surgery on the door to get them installed?
3. Seperate tweeter by the looks of it. Might make the speaker install more complicated.
4. Looks like your Focals come with their own crossovers - do the stock speakers have crossovers located somewhere that will need to be replaced? You can't just plug new speakers into possibly mismatched crossovers.
5. if there are no existing hardware crossovers, is there a soft crossover (user setting) accessible within the settings of the head unit? If not, you might just fry your Focals by doubling up on crossovers or having none at all.
6. is it really worth all the trouble? What are you trying to improve?
I'd start with what you're trying to improve. Overall sound quality, low end response, mid range, distortion at higher volumes, etc., etc. If it's just overall sound quality then keep in mind that if your Focals are rated for significantly more output than the stock speakers, they could sound even worse than the stock speakers at lower volumes. High output speakers need to be driven at higher volumes before they are efficient. More importantly, speakers alone don't necessarily improve sound quality. If your head unit or source player (your phone for example) aren't outputting good signals then better speakers only amplify the low quality inputs.
I've built more than a few car audio systems and I always say you should start with your source player. That could be the head unit itself (think radio, cd player, or built in player for music on a memory card or stick) or your music player on your phone before spending money on other peripherals like amps and speaker. If it's music from your phone then invest in a high res music player like USB Audio Player Pro. I have the ML system in my 2024 convertible and their is a noticeable difference between sound from USBapp and the VLC player I had used in the past. But, you need to identify what you want to improve specifically before tackling your project.
Just my 2 dbs worth.
#4
A few things you may want to consider/research before doing this.
1. What are the specs of the current speakers and are they similar to the Focals? (rated output, ohms, size and depth, etc.)
2. Are the mountings for the stock and Focals compatible or will you need to perform some surgery on the door to get them installed?
3. Seperate tweeter by the looks of it. Might make the speaker install more complicated.
4. Looks like your Focals come with their own crossovers - do the stock speakers have crossovers located somewhere that will need to be replaced? You can't just plug new speakers into possibly mismatched crossovers.
5. if there are no existing hardware crossovers, is there a soft crossover (user setting) accessible within the settings of the head unit? If not, you might just fry your Focals by doubling up on crossovers or having none at all.
6. is it really worth all the trouble? What are you trying to improve?
I'd start with what you're trying to improve. Overall sound quality, low end response, mid range, distortion at higher volumes, etc., etc. If it's just overall sound quality then keep in mind that if your Focals are rated for significantly more output than the stock speakers, they could sound even worse than the stock speakers at lower volumes. High output speakers need to be driven at higher volumes before they are efficient. More importantly, speakers alone don't necessarily improve sound quality. If your head unit or source player (your phone for example) aren't outputting good signals then better speakers only amplify the low quality inputs.
I've built more than a few car audio systems and I always say you should start with your source player. That could be the head unit itself (think radio, cd player, or built in player for music on a memory card or stick) or your music player on your phone before spending money on other peripherals like amps and speaker. If it's music from your phone then invest in a high res music player like USB Audio Player Pro. I have the ML system in my 2024 convertible and their is a noticeable difference between sound from USBapp and the VLC player I had used in the past. But, you need to identify what you want to improve specifically before tackling your project.
Just my 2 dbs worth.
1. What are the specs of the current speakers and are they similar to the Focals? (rated output, ohms, size and depth, etc.)
2. Are the mountings for the stock and Focals compatible or will you need to perform some surgery on the door to get them installed?
3. Seperate tweeter by the looks of it. Might make the speaker install more complicated.
4. Looks like your Focals come with their own crossovers - do the stock speakers have crossovers located somewhere that will need to be replaced? You can't just plug new speakers into possibly mismatched crossovers.
5. if there are no existing hardware crossovers, is there a soft crossover (user setting) accessible within the settings of the head unit? If not, you might just fry your Focals by doubling up on crossovers or having none at all.
6. is it really worth all the trouble? What are you trying to improve?
I'd start with what you're trying to improve. Overall sound quality, low end response, mid range, distortion at higher volumes, etc., etc. If it's just overall sound quality then keep in mind that if your Focals are rated for significantly more output than the stock speakers, they could sound even worse than the stock speakers at lower volumes. High output speakers need to be driven at higher volumes before they are efficient. More importantly, speakers alone don't necessarily improve sound quality. If your head unit or source player (your phone for example) aren't outputting good signals then better speakers only amplify the low quality inputs.
I've built more than a few car audio systems and I always say you should start with your source player. That could be the head unit itself (think radio, cd player, or built in player for music on a memory card or stick) or your music player on your phone before spending money on other peripherals like amps and speaker. If it's music from your phone then invest in a high res music player like USB Audio Player Pro. I have the ML system in my 2024 convertible and their is a noticeable difference between sound from USBapp and the VLC player I had used in the past. But, you need to identify what you want to improve specifically before tackling your project.
Just my 2 dbs worth.
an analog ambience to the sound.
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