HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK-END!
Hi tech-team,
For sometime now I've been interested in replacing the
"Genuine Mickey Mouse Brand" door and dash speakers in my 'cherished'
2012 4Runner limited. One reason it's been put off for so long is because I've been working on the audio system's low-end frequency components first
...got bass? ; I find that things go much smoother if I concentrate on the low-end (20hz to 150hz), then the low-mid/midrange (150hz to 2,500), then Mid-High/High (2500hz to 20,000hz) as indivuals.
The other reason it was taking so long is because frankly', there's so many aftermarket speakers to choose from but no real way to sound test
'apples to apples' before you buy! Then there's the issue of speaker fitment; not too many exact fitting replacement aftermarket speakers for the 4Runner... and so component choosing becomes confusing!!! So I'm posting the ones that I installed so you can see just what's involved in getting them installed. To begin... These speakers have a
1 inch diameter x 3/4" depth but were designed to be adapted to our
3 inch diameter baffle cut-outs. They are also built to be versatile enough (using the hardware kit) to be
'Flat mounted' almost anywhere; even on a flat surface on the dash or pillars. This was in part, my initial interest in these; I've seen some real speaker installation nightmares regarding speaker mods and the last thing I ever want to do is to butcher any part of the truck to where it's irreversibly damaged!
I wasn't sure if there would be a substantial enough difference in sound quality (SQ) to justify the time and the expense of this small speaker project. When I added the subs to this sound system, I knew there'd be a
'HUGE' change to the audio system's
'anemic sounding' bass fundamentals but now I was unsure and somewhat skeptical about this tweeter mod. Upon looking in the box, however, I was really impressed with the build quality of the new Alpine drivers and cross-over network components; quite different than the flimsy looking parts that I removed from the dash! The new
'Alpine SPS-110tw' are a class act right out of the box! They were very easy to install; even without any data sheet or instruction booklet. At first glance the unlabeled plastic hardware looks like a scene from the children's story
"Island of the misfit toys".
Upon further inspection, it becomes crystal clear that the people at 'Alpine Electronics' know something about developing speaker mounting hardware to support their car audio products. Before long I had already located the 'flange-set' that would adapt/convert Toyota's three inch tweeter mounting bracket into one that would be a permanent flange used to mount our new 1 inch tweeter in it's dash position baffle.
UNDER-SIDE
TOP-SIDE
The thing I like the most about the assortment of plastic flanges supplied by Alpine is there was no need to cut, drill, bevel, or alter any of the existing flanged parts in the dash so the install is
completely reversible! I also liked the idea of using
Nylon ties to secure the small, light-weight drivers to the metal flange!
Another thing that I consider to be important is
Fitment! I did some searching around over the last couple of months for just
'The Right Speaker' but none seemed to offer a
'Complete set' of Dash-N-Door speakers for our 4Runners with the promise of an exact fit. So I decided to start off with the dash; I'll deal with the front and rear doors at a later time... "Actually I already have my eye on a midrange door speaker from 'Alpine' that claims to be a "Direct Fitting" component for our doors"... so we'll see!
"THE O.E.M. STANDARD"
Seriously: A speaker like this one can be found for less than $5.00 on ebay; ...even cheaper when bought in bulk!
"Shame on you Toyota!"
A LOOK AT THE ALPINE SPS-110TW DASH COMPONENT DRIVERS
FYI: The true test of any speaker or audio component is (of coarse) your ears! You could spend thousands of dollars on what people consider to be
'THE BEST' equipment that money can buy... But if it don't sound good to you... the price tag don't mean a dam bit-a-S#*!
The good news is that these SPS-110's sound far more professional than the stock unit! They're louder, they're brighter, more musical, they have a much W-I-D-E-R bandwidth, and the cost... only $50.00 bucks a pair on Amazon; likely to cost triple that on
Crutchfield or Alpine.com! In conclusion: I really like the Alpine SPS-110TW. It's an all around winning driver with a wide bandwidth and will handle plenty of power from the amp. If high sensitivity, wide frequency range,
NO FUSS installation, and low cost are in your agenda, then giving these a look might be in your best interest... definitely a FIVE STAR investment!
PS: A few days ago I wrote up a detailed installation guide
"The proper installation and wiring of your new 'aftermarket' Dash and Door speaker component" Here:
got bass #103-107
'Best to you!'
Are you running this with the stock amp? Any concerns with them being underpowered? I came from an ELS sound system from Acura and the stock system in the TEP sounds so hollow. But deary me, those dash tweeters are easy to get to! 
Linear Mode
