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Speaker swap

ShastaJT6

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Oh, so they go tweeters ONLY in the upper dash. I went with Kicker CSC354, so at least have mid and tweeter there.
Those kickers look nice. Im a kenwood fan, but if I hadnt bought them already, Id probably go for the ones you shared.

One the left in these images are the SPR-10TW 1" Tweeters that came with the Alpine PSS-23WRA kit. On the right are the Kenwood KFC-X3C`s I am replacing them with.
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap KIMG2009.JPG
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap KIMG2010.JPG


I re-connected the crossovers that came with the Kenwoods and used some butt connectors with heat shrink to connect the Red Wolf harness adapters, then bundled them up with zip ties for install:

Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap KIMG2012.JPG
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap KIMG2013.JPG


Took them out for a spin, works GREAT. Putting the crossovers back on made the crackling go away. The sound from the front end is much fuller now, its not imbalanced towards the sound bar. Front end produces more treble and can handle more bass. The Alpine kit was a huge step up from stock, but this is the icing on the cake. Think I am pretty happy with my sound system now. Time will tell if I end up screwing with the sound bar.
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Kevin_D

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Those kickers look nice. Im a kenwood fan, but if I hadnt bought them already, Id probably go for the ones you shared.

One the left in these images are the SPR-10TW 1" Tweeters that came with the Alpine PSS-23WRA kit. On the right are the Kenwood KFC-X3C`s I am replacing them with.
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap KIMG2013.JPG
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap KIMG2013.JPG


I re-connected the crossovers that came with the Kenwoods and used some butt connectors with heat shrink to connect the Red Wolf harness adapters, then bundled them up with zip ties for install:

Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap KIMG2013.JPG
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap KIMG2013.JPG


Took them out for a spin, works GREAT. Putting the crossovers back on made the crackling go away. The sound from the front end is much fuller now, its not imbalanced towards the sound bar. Front end produces more treble and can handle more bass. The Alpine kit was a huge step up from stock, but this is the icing on the cake. Think I am pretty happy with my sound system now. Time will tell if I end up screwing with the sound bar.
If that crossover was for the tweeters, then the primary cone probably isn't doing much. Try sticking in a bass-blocker (simply a non-polarized electrolytic capacitor in the 200uF range) instead of the crossover and it'll probably sound even better.

Kevin
 

ShastaJT6

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If that crossover was for the tweeters, then the primary cone probably isn't doing much. Try sticking in a bass-blocker (simply a non-polarized electrolytic capacitor in the 200uF range) instead of the crossover and it'll probably sound even better.

Kevin
Ill have to look into that, thank you. I did notice I lost some of the "fullness" in the front after I put the crossover back in. Still way better than just running the 1" tweeter, but would be nice to dial it in a bit better.
 

Kevin_D

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I just got my speakers today, but the Metra adapters won't arrive for a couple more days.
Regardless, I was experimenting with the 3½" speakers in the dashboard.
So what you're doing is replacing the tweeter in the top of the dash with a full-range speaker. The KFC-X3C are rated 800-23,000Hz response @ 50W RMS power. The JBLs I ordered are rated 90-21,000Hz @ 25W RMS. Either one has, undoubtedly, a much better high frequency response than the little OEM tweeters.
The standard audio system is sending the same signal to all the speakers, and Jeep uses small crossovers (capacitors) on the tweeters so that they'd only respond above ~8,000Hz. By adding a full-range speaker, you've not only improved on the tweeter, but you've added additional midrange & bass capacity: that's what accounts for the greater, "fullness," or, "presence."
When I was goofing with mine this afternoon, I got just exactly what I expected to get: a bit more bass (a 3½" speaker, regardless of ratings, is only going to be a mediocre woofer, unless you really play with the enclosure,) better high frequency response, and a whole LOT of midrange. I was able to correct for this by playing with the equalizer (thank goodness there's a midrange control.)
The JBLs seemed to handle the full output of the amplifier without distortion; had there been a problem, a bass-blocker would fix it.
Anyway, once I get the Metra adapters, I'll install the JBLs in the dash & soundbar, and then I'll do a more complete write-up.

Kevin
 

Johnp

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I just ordered 2 pairs of the Kenwood 3.5 KFC-X3C's and my JT is coming with the 8.4 Alpine system.
Should I be installing them with or without the crossovers that come with the 3.5's?
 

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XraytecH

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I have the 7" U-Connect system, and I installed this Alpine subwoofer / amplifier setup, it came with a pair of 1" tweeters to go in the dash corners near the base of the a-pillar trim:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K43KGPF

Took her out this morning - immediate improvement in the sound quality, before it felt like the sound bar was carrying all the weight and the dash was playing backup. Now it feels much more "full" in the front.

Removing the crossovers was definitely a miscalculation though. If the volume goes over 25 out of 38, they start cracking like mad. That was my own mistake. Pulling the Kenwoods out after lunch to re-attach the crossovers and reinstall, hoping itll pan out.
Also something to consider is how did you set-up the Alpine Amp. The older user manual that came in the box had the Front, Rear, and Sub Gain set too low. Might not apply in your case since you're using Kenwoods.

Old Amp Settings
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap Screen Shot 2021-02-06 at 5.06.16 PM


New Amp Settings
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap Screen Shot 2021-02-06 at 5.08.24 PM
 
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Jeepmonster

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I just ordered 2 pairs of the Kenwood 3.5 KFC-X3C's and my JT is coming with the 8.4 Alpine system.
Should I be installing them with or without the crossovers that come with the 3.5's?
When I put mine in, I originally put the crossovers in. I kept getting a pop sound every time I turned off the truck. It sounded like acorns dropping onto the hardtop. I read a thread somewhere advising to remove those, so I did. They are perfect now.
 

ShastaJT6

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Also something to consider is how did you set-up the Alpine Amp. The older user manual that came in the box had the Front, Rear, and Sub Gain set too low. Might not apply in your case since you're using Kenwoods.

Old Amp Settings
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap Screen Shot 2021-02-06 at 5.08.24 PM


New Amp Settings
Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap Screen Shot 2021-02-06 at 5.08.24 PM
This is really interesting. I set mine to what it said in the manual and since then I havent screwed with it. Left it as-is and then dialed things in with the head unit EQ. Ill have to go back and double check whether mine is set to the old or new recommendations.
 
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Lucifer

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I didn't use the cross overs with the KFC's, the video i watched said not to, they said adding them the speakers would make a pop noise every time you turn them on. I don't want to damage them. I also put the KFC's in the sound bar. But put 4 inch kickers in the sound bar and stuffed it with polly filly to deaden it so that all of the sound comes out of the speakers and not echoing through the sound bar
 

XraytecH

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This is really interesting. I set mine to what it said in the manual and since then I havent screwed with it. Left it as-is and then dialed things in with the head unit EQ. Ill have to go back and double check whether mine is set to the old or new recommendations.
Setting according to the old User Manual my Alpine front Tweeters on occasion would crackle. Then read a review on Amazon that said the gains were set too low. Downloaded the revised User Manual directly from the Alpine Website and the gains were set higher.

This may not apply in your case since your dash speakers are the Kenwoods and you reinstalled the crossovers. Just something to tinker with.
 

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phranican

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JTR 8.4Uconnect. I swapped both upper front dash and both soundbar 3.5" speakers with four Kenwood eXcelon KFC-X3C 3.5" Mid Range Speakers for Chrysler/Toyota/Others, 50 RMS Max Power (Pair) using the metra 72-7902 adapters. The sound is noticeably crisper with more depth from the front than with the factory 3.5".

Sharing a couple of things I learned if it helps anybody. The metra adapter wiring (polarity) was aligned correctly with my factory wiring harness in the dash and in the soundbar, meaning I did not need to flip the wires in the metra adapter (as is the case for many JL/JT owners) to maintain the existing polarity. Here's a wiring diagram I created, keep in mind the 8.4Uconnect uses a different factory wiring harness with differently colored wires than the other system levels.

Note, I did not use the crossover provided with the Kenwood speakers.

Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap wirin
 
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Rollcast

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I have tinnitus from a couple of ill-advised explosions so "sound quality" is something of a foreign concept to me. Still, this thread is making me want to start swapping speakers!
 

Kevin_D

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My Metra 72-7902 adapters arrived, so I was adding the JBL GX328 full-range 3½" speakers in place of the 3½" tweeters in my JT today, and tested the polarity of the tweeters vs. the full-range speakers with a DC supply. You can use a battery, as well. The idea is to see which way the cone deflects with DC applied to the terminals. A useful test to compare speakers.

A word of caution: a 9V battery puts a lot of current through your speakers, and could damage them. A 1½V battery will work just fine, and much less chance of damage.

Anyway, I found that the tweeters were the opposite polarity of the JBLs. However, the Metra 72-7902 adapters are also reversed! The black wire on the Metra goes to the positive wire (as per the drawings: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/JL-Wiring-Diagrams/AUDIO-SYSTEM---BASE.pdf) of the amplifier.
So, in this case, if you just plug in the adapters, and plug the adapters onto the full-range speakers, everything works out. The mounting tabs on the JBLs needed to be bent a bit to fit in the dash. I also added a bit of poly-fill under them, just because.
Other than having to really change the equalizer (WAY too much midrange,) it sounds pretty good, and the speakers appear to be in phase (based on my ears, at least.)

Note: the JBL GX328 will not fit in the soundbar. The left one went in, using new mounting holes, and sounded quite nice, but the right one wouldn't line up: the connector block is in the wrong place. Guess I'll try some Kicker DSC 350, which are reported to fit. I'll update once I receive those.

Kevin
 

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I completed the install of the Alpine SPV-65-JLTs and Infinity Reference REF-3032cfx. Installation was easy enough. Cutting out the plastic on my brand new (two weeks) Gladiator was a little bit disconcerting. The Alpines fit perfectly, the Infinitys were literally screw in and slap the factory grill back on.

Love the sound, it is much brighter and better balanced than the stock speakers.

Thanks to audio-geeks here for good guidance.

Yes, I spend $500 for Alpine speakers!
 

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JTR 8.4Uconnect. I swapped both upper front dash and both soundbar 3.5" speakers with four Kenwood eXcelon KFC-X3C 3.5" Mid Range Speakers for Chrysler/Toyota/Others, 50 RMS Max Power (Pair) using the metra 72-7902 adapters. The sound is noticeably crisper with more depth from the front than with the factory 3.5".

Sharing a couple of things I learned if it helps anybody. The metra adapter wiring (polarity) was aligned correctly with my factory wiring harness in the dash and in the soundbar, meaning I did not need to flip the wires in the metra adapter (as is the case for many JL/JT owners) to maintain the existing polarity. Here's a wiring diagram I created, keep in mind the 8.4Uconnect uses a different factory wiring harness with differently colored wires than the other system levels.

Jeep Gladiator Speaker swap wirin
Did you use the extra wiring that has the inline crossover or leave that part out and connect direct to the speakers?
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