install just aftermarket speakers on the non-ML audio system? Seems, via the search, that majority of people have installed an amp to boost power. I don't want to add an amp but instead just install new door speakers. Is that pointless? Seems like people are saying that the oe non-ML system wont have enough power to push any other speakers other than stock so I'll be wasting my money. That true?

 

The stock system in the car is 193 Watts or something like that. If you install better speakers you'll get better clarity, but you'll have to adjust your sound IE add more midrange and Bass. I haven't upgraded speakers in my IS but in previous cars with systems that weren't as good as ours it sounded better! But I wasn't out to .. out bump everybody on the road.

 

yeah, dont really want a bumping system, just a little more than what i've got now. of coarse crutchfield dosent show me what sizes i'll need so i'll have to figure that out.

 

Wow... thats 13 speakers man... that gonna cost some bucks... are you sure its worth it? Most just add a subwoofer at most...

 

^^

I think better mid range speakers in the doors would make a drastic difference to the sound.

 

anyone have a diagram of what speakers are where in the door?

 

Personally, I think it's pointless. Aftermarket speakers consume much more power than factory... typically, their magnets are bigger, voice coils, etc. Even if you say that you don't turn up your radio loud, or don't want a thumping system... it will probably annoy you when a good song comes on, and you turn it up to a reasonable volume, however, the speaker bottoms out from being insufficiently powered. It's like asking someone to run a marathon without eating the nite before. That factory system was specifically designed to work together... changing parts without upgrading won't do a hell of a lot... Yes, clarity at lower volumes will be there... but for a factory system, it has a hell of a lot of clarity already due to the locations of the tweeters and midrange speakers IMO.

 

^^^^^

agree. another analogy is that you have a big faucet installed while you do not have sufficient water pressure.

If you want to have better sound, you need a better head unit (high output) or an amp.

I replaced my crappy head unit in my accord with an alpine deck, it sounds 10X better even with the stock speakers!!!

 

This is for the standard system. NOT Mark Levinson.

 

^^
Also your honda head unit may not have put out as much as the current Lexus OEM unit does.

Does the non ML system have a mid range amp? I know my old car did and it wasn't a waste. :P

I agree changing them all would probably drag the sound down but upgrading a few components such as the mid range speakers would probably make it sound even better. Most aftermarket speakers if you buy good ones being 5 1/4 don't do better than 65 watts.. I forget the name for this wattage, but lets say a set of speakers can take up to 100 watts, but it is optimal at 65 watts.

 

All i did was add a Kicker L7 8" with a 600watt amp, and it added enough punch for my liking, all i listen to is rap music so the stock system was not cutting it.

 

I'm just adding an Infinty Basslink II to get better lows. IMHO the stock speakers sound pretty dang good.

 

this guy is dead-on. if you want louder, better sound, bypass the factory amp and add an aftermarket amp... just a fyi, its not as easy as you think since you need to power 12 speakers; 4 highs, 4 mids, and 4 lows which need different power amounts for each range (you dont want 60 watts going to a single tweeter).

that equates to 3 seperate 2 or 4 channel amps. thats a lot of dough to do it right. not to mention you will need more power to the subwoofer.

 

RMS (Root Means Square) wattage