Stereo Upgrade For 2006 S Model - Toyota Corolla, Chevy Prizm (1998-2008)

Guest nw12

I just bought a 2006 Corolla S with the 6 speaker stereo and 6 disc changer. I would like to keep the factory deck and just upgrade the speakers.

I put in Infinity Kappa's in the front and back (6.5 and 6x9) but the sound is not there. The bass doesn't hit and it decreases as it gets louder. I want bass without a sub but I want to keep the original deck since it would be tough to find a nice replacement.

What can I do, should I get and amp, is there any way to get by without replacing the stereo. Ideally I woul like the whole car to look stock but have great sound. Please let me know if you can help.

Was it the JBL sound system from the factory or the non-JBL 6 disc / 6 speaker setup. Most OEM setups with audio company branded equipment (ie. BOSE, JBL, HK, etc.) put inline filters that are specifically designed for that audio company's speaker. Even with an aftermarket head unit - you have to pull ALL associated wiring to get it to work correctly. That is only for audio company branded equipment - for the non-branded headunit/speakers, it sure sounds like you have an impedance mismatch.

Low or reduced bass, sensitivity that drops as volume is increased - point to speakers being too high of impedance and reducing sensitivity or too low of impedance and driving the head unit's amp close to clipping or overloading it. Just look what is stamped on the OEM speakers and see how they compare with the Infinity sets. You may have to wire in a cross-over to help shape the sound to the speaker - speaker mount itself has to be very good. Any air that gets around the speaker will hurts its performance. Sometimes chaulk - or a new mounting ring (I make mine out of MDF) is needed for a good solid mount.

+1 for what FishExpo said.

After that you can try some foam baffles behind the speakers.

I don't know if an amp would connect to your stock stereo, but I added one to my JVC. I also have Infinity Kappas and also Kappas as tweeters in the window corners. Does your head unit have enough power to drive the power hungry Infinity's?

The other day I washed the car and popped the trunk after work but it was frozen..only to find it slightly open in the morning. Well, my amp didn't work for several hours and the sound was very poor without it. Mine is only a small Alpine 4 channel amp, but I get enough bass to vibrate the rear view mirror.