No need to remove the head unit, u can access the speaker wires at both the kick panels so u do not need to take the radio out.
-
Hyundai Santa Cruz Owners Registry: Add Your Info Here!
Upgraded audio! 4 channel + speakers! š
Hello cruzers,new member here, just wanted to let everyone one know itās pretty easy to upgrade the audio in the Santa Cruz. I replaced all the speakers and added a 4 channel amplifier. I didnāt take out the factory head unit, all signal wires were located in the kickpanels ( I am using amp with high level inputs). The sound is like night and day from the underpowered factory system. Iāve been in the car audio field for 25+ years and have plenty of experience. If anyone needs any help upgrading their factory system, Iām here to help! BTW this was done in the non Bose SEL vehicle.
41 - 60 of 82 Posts
Thank you so much!!! The guy doing my music was so frustrated that was the only thing holding him up. & we could not find nothing on youtube.
You can also get the rear speaker wires behind the B pillar.No need to remove the head unit, u can access the speaker wires at both the kick panels so u do not need to take the radio out.
Ingkel has a good write up on here thats how i did itThank you so much!!! The guy doing my music was so frustrated that was the only thing holding him up. & we could not find nothing on youtube.
Ingkel I'm doing a power sub soon can I just hook to One rear speaker or do I got to hook into L and R? I can tap into the wires from my amp output?No need to remove the head unit, u can access the speaker wires at both the kick panels so u do not need to take the radio out.
Hook up to both left and right channel, you will get the most signal into the LOC. Donāt use the output of your amp signal, b/c you will be amplifying an already amplified signal, no good. If your amp has a pass thru RCA output jack, use that.Ingkel I'm doing a power sub soon can I just hook to One rear speaker or do I got to hook into L and R? I can tap into the wires from my amp output?
Ingkel...Is there any room behind the door panels to install a crossover if someone goes with component speakers? Or is the benefit of a component system not worth the trouble. I read that you used coaxial speakers and added tweeters with a high pass filter. Thanks for all of the info you have provided everyone.
Yes there is room behind the door panels for crossovers, depending on the ones you go with. I went with the coaxial and tweeter setup because I had equipment lying around from a previous install. Going with components or going the way I went is totally personal preference, either way will be an improvement over the stock setup.Ingkel...Is there any room behind the door panels to install a crossover if someone goes with component speakers? Or is the benefit of a component system not worth the trouble. I read that you used coaxial speakers and added tweeters with a high pass filter. Thanks for all of the info you have provided everyone.
I just ordered the Infinity Reference REF-6530cx speakers from Crutchfield today. Chickened out on an amp but will keep the wiring diagram handy for the future!
I went with the 6532IX from Crutchfield (not sure of the differences) and they sound really good on the factory amp as they have broken in. No rattle-the-windows bass but pretty solid for the mostly rock, blues, and hard rock I listen to. More than enough volume for me.I just ordered the Infinity Reference REF-6530cx speakers from Crutchfield today. Chickened out on an amp but will keep the wiring diagram handy for the future!
Install was a breeze. I installed the first front door, had my 6 year old daughter do the second (I had to do the door clips, they were too tight for her).
Trying to install subwoofer not sure what wires for the front are the right ones can u help pleaseHello cruzers,new member here, just wanted to let everyone one know itās pretty easy to upgrade the audio in the Santa Cruz. I replaced all the speakers and added a 4 channel amplifier. I didnāt take out the factory head unit, all signal wires were located in the kickpanels ( I am using amp with high level inputs). The sound is like night and day from the underpowered factory system. Iāve been in the car audio field for 25+ years and have plenty of experience. If anyone needs any help upgrading their factory system, Iām here to help! BTW this was done in the non Bose SEL vehicle.
Tap into the brown(+)/white(-) twisted wires on the drivers side, those r the drivers door woofer wires. I would use the fronts because there is more signal output on the front channels than on the rear. If u need two sets of wires do the same on the passenger side, look on page 1 for the color needed for the front passenger woofer wire. Hope this helps.
The THICK brown/white wires, not the thin ones, sorry forgot to add to the postTap into the brown(+)/white(-) twisted wires on the drivers side, those r the drivers door woofer wires. I would use the fronts because there is more signal output on the front channels than on the rear. If u need two sets of wires do the same on the passenger side, look on page 1 for the color needed for the front passenger woofer wire. Hope this helps.
Thank you just saved me alot of trouble. Had a feeling just wanted to be 100 percent sure. Thank you brotherTap into the brown(+)/white(-) twisted wires on the drivers side, those r the drivers door woofer wires. I would use the fronts because there is more signal output on the front channels than on the rear. If u need two sets of wires do the same on the passenger side, look on page 1 for the color needed for the front passenger woofer wire. Hope this helps.
The THICK brown/white wires, not the thin ones, sorry forgot to add to the post
No problem, weāre all here to help each other, have a blessed day brother!Thank you just saved me alot of trouble. Had a feeling just wanted to be 100 percent sure. Thank you brother
Hello cruzers,new member here, just wanted to let everyone one know itās pretty easy to upgrade the audio in the Santa Cruz. I replaced all the speakers and added a 4 channel amplifier. I didnāt take out the factory head unit, all signal wires were located in the kickpanels ( I am using amp with high level inputs). The sound is like night and day from the underpowered factory system. Iāve been in the car audio field for 25+ years and have plenty of experience. If anyone needs any help upgrading their factory system, Iām here to help! BTW this was done in the non Bose SEL vehicle.
hi Iām very interested in some help upgrading the audio. Iāve already replace the speakers with JBL concert series. Looking for more info and the know how to install an amp . Thank you in advance
Please read this entire post, it shows which wire colors u need to tap into to get signal to the amp and u tap at the same cut wire to send amplified signal to speakers without running new wires into the doors. Make sure youāre using an amp with high level inputs, or u can use a processor or line output converters. Also check out my other post on adding subs under the seat, if u donāt want to use the kicker sub behind the seat. There are pics in that post that show where I mounted my 4 channel and sub amp. Hope this helps.
Just got 6 new Focal door speakers with class a/b amp. Also plan on using a LP6 loc. is there anything I need to know before install?I had some Memphis PRās 6.5 coaxials laying around, the factory speakers r 6 3/4ā so I had to use a spacer bracket. I know everyone is not an installer, but I can answer any questions u might have on upgrading speakers or whatnot.
Under one of the Kia K5 forums, someone had a great writeup about the 8" head unit specifications, with RTA and oscilloscope graphs and other measurements. The front speakers get about 35 watts from the head unit and the rear get about 10 watts. The head unit utilizes "all pass" filters as well. So, its really difficult to get these to an audiophile-quality level without using a DSP and amplifier, regardless of the speaker quality.Just got 6 new Focal door speakers with class a/b amp. Also plan on using a LP6 loc. is there anything I need to know before install?
With that said, I kept the factory speakers and added a KAC-m1814 (4 channel amp) off of only the system's the rear channel outputs. Then, ran the amp's front 2 channels to the rear door speakers (high pass filter on the amp set about 60 hz). I brought the rear speakers up to the level of the front speakers. (I don't care about a front sound stage) Then, I bridged the rear channels of the amp and ran to a non-functional Rockville 6x8 sub that I gutted to use as a passive subwoofer (with the LPF set to about 100 hz).
So, for about $150 and 2 hrs time, It sounds much better than stock. Next, I may swap the factor tweeters with JBL club 750 tweeters and try to cross them over around 3500hz. I had tried pioneer A300 tweeters, but the factory tweeters sounded better (in my opinion).
This is pretty common with all modern "digital" car audio systems. The speakers only reproduce the signals sent to them by the factory head-unit so even the best speakers will be a limited improvement. Adding amps along with appropriate crossover points goes a long way to making the stock speakers sound decent. If you can get a factory interface module and a clean signal into a DSP you'll be light years ahead.So, its really difficult to get these to an audiophile-quality level without using a DSP and amplifier, regardless of the speaker quality.
I've done RTA testing with the Bose system in my C7 and having an "off" button for the factory processing would eliminate a lot of what makes it sound crappy. Turns out the signal has a shelf filter that rolls off the low frequency bass as volume increases to protect the cheap factory speakers. No idea if Hyundai does the same but in Chevy's case even adding an amp only solves half the problem since the signal itself is degraded badly.
41 - 60 of 82 Posts
Hyundai Santa Cruz Forum
Weāre a forum community dedicated to Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck owners & enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about upgrades, towing capacity, reliability, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
