Mopar-Kicker Speaker Upgrade With Boston Acoustic System

[JEFF@MPSC]

Mopar has finally released The Kicker "Livin Loud" speaker upgrade for the LX cars equipt with the Boston Acoustics speakers. The kit contains 2- 6x9 speakers and 2-31/2 coaxial speakers. Front speakers only.

Order p/n 77KICK11 Mopar List Price $149.00 MPSC Price $128.20.

Jeff

[36 chambers]

hey jeff can you get the rear deck subwoofer that goes between 6x9s located on rear shelf????

[JEFF@MPSC]

hey jeff can you get the rear deck subwoofer that goes between 6x9s located on rear shelf????

That kit is due out later this month if all goes well.
Jeff

[OU812]

Jeff--do you have any photos/link of these items to look at?

[36 chambers]

That kit is due out later this month if all goes well.
Jeffill be in for one of those!!1

[Ted@MPSC]

36Chambers,

The rear deck speaker is actually the BA premium system factory sub. The Kicker kits will not be making a sub to mount in that position. The Kicker sub actually mounts in the trunk up next to the inner quarter panel, and the amp mounts where the factory sub would mount. All the Kicker kits are direct plug & play, no cutting or splicing required.

[Ted@MPSC]

Jeff--do you have any photos/link of these items to look at?
We are working on getting actual images of the products, rather than the generic image provided by Mopar.

[36 chambers]

yeah but the kicker setup is expensive ...any way to get just that ba sub?????

[Ted@MPSC]

Yes, we can get the BA sub, but it is almost as expensive as the Kicker setup.

[36 chambers]

400 bucks??? expesive

[kalbc]

strange casue i always thought of kicker as an inferior product to Boston Acoustic. What are the advantages of the new speakers?

[Ted@MPSC]

Made with better materials. better frequency responses, and can handle higher wattage. The BA speakers that are used for OEM vehicle manufacturers are of lesser quality than their main line speakers.

[CTCRUZER]

ok this is to everyone ... i would be interested in this i to believe it needs a little more there in back... BUT can anyone answer me this, is it normal and if so why when you crank it up after 35 level ( yea i know im deaf ) why does the back speakers drop out and will this solve that

[bandgeek99]

Not to step on Ted's toes, especially since I don't KNOW but have strong suspisions based on experience.

First, these new 3.5" dash speakers are coaxial, which means they have a mid-range woofer and separate tweeter on top of each other. It sounds
00 to me that the OEM BA 3.5" speakers are just regular drivers - one cone to do the mid-range & high-range frequencies. So, the Kickers should have clearer and crisper highs and possibly even better defined mids/vocals coming from the dash.

Second, the Kicker speakers are made from a poly-something material versus the OEM BA paper. Some traditionalists think that paper sounds better. However, paper speakers typically are less rigid cones than the poly's which can effect effenciency and frequency response. The paper will also break down faster over time than the poly's.

Now, the 6x9s for the door also replace paper cones with poly. If they are like the original 6x9 Front Stage Upgrade they are also coaxial, but I don't know how this would work in the door since (according to other posts on the LXForums) in Sound System II amplifier has a crossover setup that doesn't send the hi-mid and hi's to the door. But, they have a wider frequency response than the BAs especially on the low side.

The last thing to consider is effenciency, but I don't think MOPAR releases that information so I don't expect anyone that frequents this board can really say. However, I do suspect that the Kickers are more effecient - meaning they'll perform better with the same power input. This directly translates to volume.

[bandgeek99]

ok this is to everyone ... i would be interested in this i to believe it needs a little more there in back... BUT can anyone answer me this, is it normal and if so why when you crank it up after 35 level ( yea i know im deaf ) why does the back speakers drop out and will this solve that

This specific part number is for the front speakers, but the rear stage (77KICK08?) and subwoofer (77KICK04?) will still work if you want to revamp the whole system (like I plan on doing).

Regarding your problem though, I suspect its in the amp. If your cruiser has Sound Group II, there is a TSB for pulling the sound at loud volumes. I just had it done on my car and it fixed the problem for me. All it is a reflash for the amp through the StarScan. I don't have the TSB on this computer, but you can PM me and I send you a copy.

[CTCRUZER]

This specific part number is for the front speakers, but the rear stage (77KICK08?) and subwoofer (77KICK04?) will still work if you want to revamp the whole system (like I plan on doing).

Regarding your problem though, I suspect its in the amp. If your cruiser has Sound Group II, there is a TSB for pulling the sound at loud volumes. I just had it done on my car and it fixed the problem for me. All it is a reflash for the amp through the StarScan. I don't have the TSB on this computer, but you can PM me and I send you a copy.

pm sent thanks

what is sound group II i have BA setup is that it

[36 chambers]

any one want to sell there ba deck sub woofer i am the man????

[bearmandog]

Ted/Jeff;
Are these the speakers in the SRT-8? or are they an upgrade over that? I've heard alot of SRT-8 owners not being impressed with their systems and some folks perfering the BA system over the kicker. Just a Question.

bearmandog

[ChargeRonDavinS]

bearmanpig

haha south park.

I wasn't even aware that I had a sub, but that explains the excellent stock pickup of bass notes... is it a 8" woofer?

I have an SXT with a 6 cd changer, mp3 capable, 6 boston acoustic speakers, so i assume I have ths sub?

Anyway, kicker as a company is absolute garbage. I used to run kicker everything... Kicker Comp VR, Kicker Comp L5, and L7, Kicker Comps, and Kicker 6x8's as my door speakers, they were alright but wasn't incredibly impressed with the sound quality.

Kicker has taken a massive turn for the worse in the last few years, (Worse than when I HAD them) Kicker Comp VR's (which sucked anyway, I went through 10 in 1 year, then switched to Audiobahn Flame Q's, and had them with the same amplifier since november of 2004, and JUST sold my truck with the system, still currently working.. all 4 of them) Anyway, the kicker comp vr subs used to be 500 watts rms, and are now 50 watts rms (the new model) Rockford Fosgate used to sell a quality woofer as well, but like kicker, they went mainstream to appeal to stores like best buy, circuit city, hh gregg, and stores of the like... where most of their products are products that arent costly (and also lack quality). This year's audiobahn models supposedly have followed the same road that kicker and rockford fosgate have in the past, but since I dont want a system in my charger (due to electrical issues that are INEVITABLE... alternators, batteries, possible fried components, tickets, blowing speakers, and exessive rattling in the interior as a result)

To those of you who dont know, RMS is the power to "go by"
(i always ignore peak power, as it is garbage and merely a selling point for car audio, for those of you not aware) RMS is generally a safe wattage to run them at, but often times it too is slightly high. Something like a legacy 1000 watt amp, (like my first amp ever when I was 16) powered my speakers at 112 watts each, which brings the real power of the amp at 224 watts.

Just goes to show you that the 1000 watts (peak power) is exaggerated and misleading.

With amplifiers, Peak power can be achieved if wiring the amp below it's capabilities... such as a 1 ohm load. (Most amps will fry or at best overheat quickly unless 1 ohm stable)

Enough babbling, bottom line is I will never put anything kicker, especially something they offer in a "kit" for our cars. Sound quality wasn't always that bad with kicker, it sounded decent.. it was always the durability issue... I dont know about you guys, but I dont feel like replacing my door speakers once or more a year.

[ChargeRonDavinS]

Slight side note, if you REALLY want crisp, clean sound, that is extremely efficient, from experience I can tell you that Infinity Kappa speakers are the best.. the run at a different ohm load (depending on the kind you buy) and they sound much better. I forget the part number but here is a link to them on ebay in 6x9. Expensive, but they bring REAL component sounding experience, to a non-component setup.

I have dealt with Infinity, Kicker, Pioneer, Kenwood, and Sony speakers, Infinity Reference were good, but the Infinity Kappa models DOUBLED the performance.

http://cgi.ebay.com/INFINITY-693-7I-6X9-3-WAY-330-WATT-SPEAKER-SET-NEW-2005_W0QQitemZ250046900792QQihZ015QQcategoryZ58030 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Actually, they arent that expensive anymore, that's awesome..

Also, when looking at the specs you will see that the RMS handling of the speakers is 110 watts, many of you think your cd players put out 50x4 (as it advertises) but this is also peak power, and these infinitys will last forever, because they are being so underutilized in our cars :)

Mine lasted 2 years and are still around and working in my truck that I sold to a buddy of mine.

[bearmandog]

Ted/Jeff;
Are these the speakers in the SRT-8? or are they an upgrade over that? I've heard alot of SRT-8 owners not being impressed with their systems and some folks perfering the BA system over the kicker. Just a Question.

bearmandog

BUMP!

[bandgeek99]

I don't think these are the same as the SRT because the SRT is a 10 channel system. At least thats what another thread said awhile back. . .

[chargershed]

It's the same set up, same speakers as the SRT... the Kicker 6X9's are 2 way speakers... there are 4 of them =8 plus 2 tweeters in the dash = 10 plus the trunk mounted sub...

[Ted@MPSC]

Here is a product photo of the Kicker upgrade speakers for the Premium sound. This image represents the 1 side of the front & rear speaker kits. The front kit includes (2) 3.5" coaxial & (2) 6x9 woofer with door mount. The rear kit includes (2) 6x9 coaxial speakers. Now these are direct plug & play for the premium sound system, meaning they have the factory connectors on them. These are the same speakers as the Livin Loud system available on the SRT8.

[Ted@MPSC]

The best thing regarding these kits is the fact that they are backed 100% by Mopar, and are covered with a Mopar warranty.

[ChargeRonDavinS]

Warranty on car audio can be bogus, so you blew a speaker, what now?

Well now you yank your door off, take the speaker out, put the door back on (minus a speaker) Ship it back, they "fix it" and you may not get it for MONTHS, sometimes you never recieve it for 6-8 months and after complaining just send you a credit for a new speaker, or send you a new one.. by that point you just want to blow your brains out.

Been there, done that, I don't care about "speaker warranties" They are stupid, just like warranties on in-dash cd players, u have to drive with a hole in ur dash, or pay to have your stock stereo put in, while it's being worked on, or ANY cd player for that matter... My call is to buy a higher quality product, much less likely to fail, or to not upgrade at all because it is the dealers problem if anything goes wrong while under warranty.

My 2 cents.

[CTCRUZER]

This specific part number is for the front speakers, but the rear stage (77KICK08?) and subwoofer (77KICK04?) will still work if you want to revamp the whole system (like I plan on doing).

Regarding your problem though, I suspect its in the amp. If your cruiser has Sound Group II, there is a TSB for pulling the sound at loud volumes. I just had it done on my car and it fixed the problem for me. All it is a reflash for the amp through the StarScan. I don't have the TSB on this computer, but you can PM me and I send you a copy.

JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS
i got car back fri from dealer oil change did trunk tsb and flashed the amp works fine now :grin:
plus got my remote start
a new england winter must have

[bandgeek99]

JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS
i got car back fri from dealer oil change did trunk tsb and flashed the amp works fine now :grin:
plus got my remote start
a new england winter must have
Your Welcome!

[Ted@MPSC]

Warranty on car audio can be bogus, so you blew a speaker, what now?.........

Well, this is not exactly the case here. When you purchase these, if there is an issue, you can take it to your local Dodge dealer. When you purchase a part from us, you are purchasing from an authorized DaimlerChrysler dealership. The warranty on our Mopar parts is available nationwide at any Dodge, Chrysler, or Jeep dealership. All you would have to do is take the vehicle to the dealer, have them verify there is a problem, show your receipt, and they will replace it. If they do not have it in stock, they can order it. It is actually beneficial to them to honor the warranty, as they will get paid back more than what you paid for the speaker kit. We sell these far below the warranty cost that we would receive if we had a warranty claim.

[Ted@MPSC]

In regards to the post regarding Kicker quality and such. There are better speakers on the market than the ones Kicker offers in these kits. However these are specifically designed to draw only the proper amount of current from the system, are plug & play, and are an exact replacement. For those who are not into cutting up the factory harness, or running new wiring, or even adding high power amplifiers, these are an excellent choice. They offer superior performance due to the higher quality components used in making these speakers. They are easy to install, no chance of phasing a speaker the wrong way.

As for the rest of Kickers products, this is a personnal choice. As for the global market though, 33% of the sub woofers sold in the world are Kicker, so they must be doing something right. Kicker offers several different grade speakers. Of course if the system is not designed to work together, as in using the right amp, crossovers, EQ's, wiring, power, grounds, and speakers, then you will not get the full benefit that the speakers you choose can offer.

Now I am not saying that ChargerRonDavins system was not properly designed and that is why he did not have the sound quality he expected. I was just stating that if the system is not designed as a complete system, then less than optimal results may be noticed. This ties into the Kicker replacement speakers for the LX as these were designed as a complete system for optimal performance from the factory head unit.

[ChargeRonDavinS]

As much as I respect your knowledge and input, you are still a salesman and you are trying to sell a product.. am I to understand that?

The same system that blew several kicker speakers, harbored my audiobahn flame q's since november of 04, and they are still currently in use (and have been used, and abused) Audiobahn doesn't really make that nice of a subwoofer, compared to others.

And im sure 80% of people in the US if not more use windows as an operating system for their computers, but that ABSOLUTELY does not mean that it is a superior product.

I respect the mopar warranty, that sounds decent, however what dealership is going to keep kicker speakers in stock? Some dealerships will probably be as clueless to this as they are with any other problem we bring them :)

I will stick with my stock stereo, unless I upgrade to infiniti kappas, I am not trying to "steal business" I am just trying to save people from making, what I initially thought, was a mistake.

I am now unsure, but I still stand that I would not do this to my car, and that is as far as I plan to take this discussion.

[stlchargerRT]

bearmanpig


Anyway, kicker as a company is absolute garbage.

I'm with you. All the speakers in chargers are common sizes and there are plenty of alternatives to a stock system other than Kicker.

[kalbc]

As much as I respect your knowledge and input, you are still a salesman and you are trying to sell a product.. am I to understand that?

The same system that blew several kicker speakers, harbored my audiobahn flame q's since november of 04, and they are still currently in use (and have been used, and abused) Audiobahn doesn't really make that nice of a subwoofer, compared to others.

And im sure 80% of people in the US if not more use windows as an operating system for their computers, but that ABSOLUTELY does not mean that it is a superior product.

I respect the mopar warranty, that sounds decent, however what dealership is going to keep kicker speakers in stock? Some dealerships will probably be as clueless to this as they are with any other problem we bring them :)

I will stick with my stock stereo, unless I upgrade to infiniti kappas, I am not trying to "steal business" I am just trying to save people from making, what I initially thought, was a mistake.

I am now unsure, but I still stand that I would not do this to my car, and that is as far as I plan to take this discussion.


Dude, you already made your point that you do not like the speakers. This is their vendor section and is for letting the forum members know of their products that are availiable. It is not a plce to debate what speaker is better.

[ChargeRonDavinS]

Dude, a point isn't made until it's understood.

[Ted@MPSC]

ChargerRonDavinS,

I respect your position, and admire your efforts in helping to educate some of the other forum members regarding audio systems. There are many people on this forum who may not have the level of experience in this area that you obviously do.

For those who may desire a little more audio quality from their factory system, this is an excellent choice without needing the added experience of car audio. Kicker has made it easy for this consumer market to help bring the audio quality up a notch from factory while maintaining the vehicle warranties.

Yes, I am a salesman, as much as I hate to say that, and I am trying to sell a product. Thank you for your input in helping others on this forum. We are here to help the forum members as well by keeping them informed of the latest factory authorized products.

[ChargeRonDavinS]

For what you are suggesting, it is a good idea.

[bearmandog]

Ted/Jeff;
Are you planning a package deal for the whole upgrade? Front, back, and Sub; or Front/Back for us who have done the Sub upgrade already.

Group Buy......Special pricing......free shipping.......and so on.

[Ted@MPSC]

The Kcker kits we already have marked way way down, we will see if there is still any room for something else.

[FlawlessNY]

i put these kickers in and the sound quality isn't nearly as good as the BA's. I'm not a car audio expert but I am a recording engineer and I know sound. Despite what the quality of the speakers are, they just don't sound as good.