I have a 2017 CCLB XLT with the low-end radio and speaker setup. Is it worth upgrading the speakers or is the head unit so crappy that even new speakers won't help?

 

interested as well. I dont know if its the Bluetooth or satellite but most of the time the sound is pretty crappy.

 

If you arent going to put an amp in too, then no, its not worth it. In my opinion at least. That head unit puts out maybe 10-15 watts. Not enough to drive a nice speaker.

 

Well...crap.

 

Thought about doing this, still am thinking...but, I heard upgrading the amp would be better. Then, I started looking into it...geesh. lol. Seems like that Sony Amplifier does a lot of things that makes just swapping it out much more complicated. Not sure what to do now. Good luck

 

my two cents - upgrade to both a better amp and speakers. You don't have to spend a ton of money on this as most decent speakers will sound way better than OEM.

 

A speaker with a high sensitivity rating will respond better to a lower wattage input, there are options out there. That said there are also a ton of cheap amps and cheap speakers that will turn the inside of your truck to a concert arena, easy to install as well.

 

Guys with XLT's don't have the Sony setup. Its easier for us peasants to upgrade.

 

Check out the Kenwood KAC-M3004. I got one for $99, it's sold as a 50wX4 amp, but it actually puts out 91w per channel at 2 Ohms. It's about the size of my phone, just thicker. Pretty amazing and cheap to boot.

 

Where would you recommend this being installed? And does it just go in line with the factory setup?

Thanks.

 

Where can I find specs on my stock setup? I have a 2018 XLT w the premium package. It’s got the sync 3 with what looks like 7 speakers. Sound quality is ok. The volume leaves a lot to be desired though. A simple changing of speakers is what I was thinking. If it needs the amp changed I could do that too I guess.

 

Yes, that Kenwood has high level inputs. So you just splice the amp inline of the speaker wires coming out of the Sync system. The amp is so dang small I actually installed it up front, in the dash behind the sync brain. If you don't want to cut any wires you can get a harness to just plug and play.

You have the same system we're talking about, I think the Sony only comes in Lariats and above. Be thankful you didnt waste money on the Sony system...I think the XLT system actually sounds better than the Sony at higher volume anyways. You can change the speakers if you want, but you are going to get very little ROI unless you install an amp as well.

 

With the help of a few on this form, including Tricon, I upgraded to Kicker speakers all around and a Kicker Hideaway powered sub. It's not the high powered system of cars past, but it is a world of difference. The stock system (non-sony) has absolutely no bass. The sub rounds it out nicely and still gets plenty loud for me. It's a super easy install.

 

 

I swapped my stock speakers out and added a JL Audio subwoofer. It was absolutely an upgrade for me. I chose a set of JBL GTO629 co-axial speakers for the rear and JBL GTO609C components for the front. I think the key for adding new speakers (without an external amp) is making sure your speaker of choice has a high sensitivity and an RMS power range that can go to the lower range of power your stock stereo is outputting. For example if I had wanted to add an amp I would have chose a different speaker like the JL Audio C5-650 or the JL Audio C7-650. Now the JBL's are in a far lower price class of speaker obviously but I paid $150 for both sets total. Now if I ever feel the need to jump on an external amp I can opt for the higher end speakers if I find the JBL's lacking anything. All that said I'm very happy where my system is at right now and short of a couple long days in the driveway and some busted clips I'm only in the speakers for $150.

On a side note Partsexpress finally delivered my 3.5 inch center speaker so I'll set about installing that next!