[-ToM-]

Howdy,

I have an Australian Limited Edition 22 Forester 2.5x
It has the basic 6 speaker setup with a dealer fitted Alpine iLX-507A and a fairly decent inbuilt 50wx4 Class D amplifier.
The speakers though aren't great. I was considering something with a little bit more definition and maybe some extra punch.
I know i won't get deep bass without a subwoofer, but that's not what i want. I just want decent range from the highs to the lows and better clarity.
My only requirement is the speakers fit in the factory locations. So before i go shopping, does anyone know what sizes the factory speakers are?
I'm assuming the fronts are 6x9 coax and the rears are 6.5" coax. What's in the dash? 1" tweeter?

Thanks for the assistance.

 

[Ravendarat]

If you want a truly drop in replacement set up you want this
Kenwood eXcelon KFC-XP6902C
and
Kenwood Excelon KFC-X183C
Sorry about the font, I just cut and paste but those speakers will directly drop into the factory locations, just need to add in the speaker plug adapters if you dont wanna cut the stock wires. Will be a significant upgrade over the stock. For your question about speaker sizes though, 3 1/2 in the dash, 6x9 woofer in the front doors and 6 1/2 coax in the back

 

[-ToM-]

If you want a truly drop in replacement set up you want this
Kenwood eXcelon KFC-XP6902C
and
Kenwood Excelon KFC-X183C
Sorry about the font, I just cut and paste but those speakers will directly drop into the factory locations, just need to add in the speaker plug adapters if you dont wanna cut the stock wires. Will be a significant upgrade over the stock. For your question about speaker sizes though, 3 1/2 in the dash, 6x9 woofer in the front doors and 6 1/2 coax in the back

Thankyou for taking the time to respond, i will have a look at that kit.

With the 3.5" speakers in the dash, 4" seems to be a more common size. Do you know if this will fit without modification?

 

[Ravendarat]

@-ToM- 4 inch definitely will not fit in the dash without modifications, that 1/2 inch is a huge difference

 

[-ToM-]

@-ToM- 4 inch definitely will not fit in the dash without modifications, that 1/2 inch is a huge difference

Makes sense. I guess a component setup like you suggested would be the go then, with a smaller in dash tweeter/speaker. Thanks mate, seems i now have a plan

 

[Ravendarat]

Ya there are other options out there besides what I suggested, I just have installed these products in various customer vehicles and they have been solid solutions that don’t require high power to work so it really is an ideal drop in replacement for many vehicles out there

 

[Black21Limited]

You can also research component speaker set ups. You generally get more clarity and better bass, because it isn't built into one speaker. The tweeter is separate, and you can mount it elsewhere besides in the door. But that adds more difficulty.

Possibly modify opening behind the front door speaker grill to mount the separate tweeter.

It was simple with my 2010 Impreza, as they put the tweeters in the door sails. There are no door sails on the SJ/SK Forester, just a small window. But I was able to mount the crossover and tweeter in the door, to keep the wiring simple.

But even without an amp, the clarity and bass response was pretty impressive for just some Boss Audio component speakers. Even with the factory HU they weren't too bad, as I reinstalled that when I traded the car in.

It might take a little more effort/creative engineering, but component speakers will usually deliver a better audio experience.

It comes down to how much input you want to put forth.


Or you could go with good 6x9's in the front, and go with component in the rear doors, and use the speakers more like subwoofers. Maybe get creative with the wiring and mount the component tweeters in the C pillar trim.