mark248am
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- Thread starter
- #1
Yesterday I upgraded my front B&O speakers with the FOCAL IS FORD 690 speakers. They were an easy and affordable upgrade, and the sound difference is pretty huge.
I was originally planning to order the speakers from Amazon and ship them to Kuwait. They were around $330. But then, while searching eBay, I found them for 170 euros, which is around $200, from a seller in Europe. I guess because of the tariffs, prices in the US are higher? Anyway, the install was pretty straightforward and at $200 a really great price. I also installed sound deadening in the door panels to help out as well, got them from Amazon. I've only ever bought Dynamat for my previous cars but this time I went with NVX because it was a lot cheaper and it had a lot of great reviews.
I didn’t get the rear door speakers since when I got the Focals for Toyota on my previous Hilux, changing the rear didn’t make much of a difference, since the majority of the sound is coming from the front. I regretted buying the rears then so didn't want to make the same mistake now.
The front door speakers fit without having to do any modifications. You just remove the old speaker, insert the new one, and reconnect them. No special mounts or wiring since they were designed for Ford, so the cable just snaps into the new speakers and the mounting holes are the same
The tweeters were an easy install as well, although I had difficulty at first popping off the passenger-side A-pillar. I think I broke one of the clips that holds it in place, but it doesn’t show. Tip, after removing the handle holding the two hidden bolts, just pop the a pillar by pushing towards the opposite end of the car. So passenger side a pillar, pull the cover off by pulling horizontally towards the driver side. I was initially trying to pop it off by pulling downwards. The original tweeters are removed by twisting and popping them out, and the new tweeters fit the same way. The kit came with a tiny plastic adapter that connects the tweeter wires to the car’s connection. So again, no need for any wire splicing. Very straightforward install. One thing I noticed is that we don’t get airbags in the A-pillars here in Kuwait. I think in the US you guys have them?
Visually, you can see the difference in magnet size between the B&O and Focal speakers. There is a considerable weight difference as well, and that is reflected in the sound quality. The sound difference is pretty huge, and I’m not an audiophile. The mids and treble aren’t as harsh, so I’ve increased them in my sound settings. The bass hits a lot harder, and I’m now no longer considering adding a subwoofer. The Focal 6x9s deliver a lot more bass that hits harder and tighter. This is such an easy upgrade to recommend, no question about it.
I was originally planning to order the speakers from Amazon and ship them to Kuwait. They were around $330. But then, while searching eBay, I found them for 170 euros, which is around $200, from a seller in Europe. I guess because of the tariffs, prices in the US are higher? Anyway, the install was pretty straightforward and at $200 a really great price. I also installed sound deadening in the door panels to help out as well, got them from Amazon. I've only ever bought Dynamat for my previous cars but this time I went with NVX because it was a lot cheaper and it had a lot of great reviews.
I didn’t get the rear door speakers since when I got the Focals for Toyota on my previous Hilux, changing the rear didn’t make much of a difference, since the majority of the sound is coming from the front. I regretted buying the rears then so didn't want to make the same mistake now.
The front door speakers fit without having to do any modifications. You just remove the old speaker, insert the new one, and reconnect them. No special mounts or wiring since they were designed for Ford, so the cable just snaps into the new speakers and the mounting holes are the same
The tweeters were an easy install as well, although I had difficulty at first popping off the passenger-side A-pillar. I think I broke one of the clips that holds it in place, but it doesn’t show. Tip, after removing the handle holding the two hidden bolts, just pop the a pillar by pushing towards the opposite end of the car. So passenger side a pillar, pull the cover off by pulling horizontally towards the driver side. I was initially trying to pop it off by pulling downwards. The original tweeters are removed by twisting and popping them out, and the new tweeters fit the same way. The kit came with a tiny plastic adapter that connects the tweeter wires to the car’s connection. So again, no need for any wire splicing. Very straightforward install. One thing I noticed is that we don’t get airbags in the A-pillars here in Kuwait. I think in the US you guys have them?
Visually, you can see the difference in magnet size between the B&O and Focal speakers. There is a considerable weight difference as well, and that is reflected in the sound quality. The sound difference is pretty huge, and I’m not an audiophile. The mids and treble aren’t as harsh, so I’ve increased them in my sound settings. The bass hits a lot harder, and I’m now no longer considering adding a subwoofer. The Focal 6x9s deliver a lot more bass that hits harder and tighter. This is such an easy upgrade to recommend, no question about it.
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