Advice needed for audio upgrade of 2014 Toyota Sienna XLE

[h4ldol]

Hi, new member here. I'm totally new to car audio and desperately need some good advice about how to go about upgrading the audio on my 2014 Toyota Sienna XLE. It has a stock navigation/HU with 6-stock speakers (which are all crap).

Here's the stock setup:

1. (2x) dash speakers (L/R): the stock speakers are 2.5", midrange or tweeters, not sure. Some people have installed 3.5" speakers here with some modification (I don't mind modifying the hole to fit a larger speaker here).

2. (2x) front door speakers (L/R): stock are 6x9 but apparently (per Crutchfield and Sienna owners) most 6x9 speakers don't fit without modification to the door, which I want to avoid, and most use a bracket to attach 6.5" speakers.

3. (2x) rear (3rd row) speakers (L/R): stock are 5.25" but due to the irregular/unusual mounting angle/fit and shallow depth, it is apparently not easy to easily replace these with aftermarket speakers without significant modification to your door (which I would like to avoid).

Here's what I want:

1. Upgrade the front door speakers to 6.5" speakers.

Question: Not sure if I should go with coaxial or component. And if component, where to mount the tweeter? In the door behind the stock grille or in the sail panel (I think that's what it's called -- the trim panel next to the side mirror) or in the dash speaker location? Or should I install coaxial speakers in the front doors and then another set of coaxials in the dash (better since then it will be 2 pairs of woofers/tweeters rather than 1 pair?)?

2. Upgrade the dash speakers.

Question: Same issue as above. Not sure if it's better to install tweeters from the component speakers in the front doors here, or install coaxial speakers in the front doors and another set of coaxial speakers in the dash. Basically, is it better to install a pair of component speakers (with tweeters in the dash and woofers in the doors) or two separate pairs of coaxial speakers (one in the doors and one in the dash)?

3. Install an amp to power the new dash and front door speakers.

4. Want to leave the rear speakers. Don't want to disconnect them. Would the amp need to be a 4-input amp to power the pair of dash and front door speakers? And the rear speakers would connect to the HU directly?

Thoughts?

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[h4ldol]

Hmm, no answers. Maybe I made it too complicated/long. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crying.gif.ec0ebefe590df0251476573bc49e46d8.gif

Forget what I wrote above.

Just one question: is it "better" to have 1 set of component speakers (a set of tweeters in the dash and a set of woofers in the front doors) or 2 sets of coaxials (one set in the dash and another set of in the doors)? This is assuming high end speakers in either case.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

Ok use the stock locations. In the dash. Maybe just Mids. Coaxes may be to bright. Amp them yes and deaden the doors. Are you replacing the deck or do you have a after market deck ?

 

[h4ldol]

Ok use the stock locations. In the dash. Maybe just Mids. Coaxes may be to bright. Amp them yes and deaden the doors. Are you replacing the deck or do you have a after market deck ?

Thanks for the input. I'm planning to keep the stock navigation unit for now and use an Alpine 4-channel amp to power the new speakers. Another possible option is to put the tweeters (from the component set) in the front door (where the woofers will be) instead of the dash, and instead replace the stock dash speakers (which are 2.5" speakers, probably midrange, but which can apparently be replaced wtih 3.5" speakers with some modification/cutting) with some small 3.5" midrange speakers. That might be the best option if possible.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

You can do a 2 inch mid tweeter or 3" mid up there. You'll also need a processor for better sound. An loc and eq will be a cheap wY of doing it tho and will give you some adjusting that you'll need

 

[CrossoverOre 10+ year member]

I'm not sure about the sienna 2014 but I know that tacoma tundra and venza will fit some rather large 6x9's all you have to do is destroy the factory speaker to use them as a mount for the new ones. if youre not planning on a sub then I would do 6x9's in the doors with sound deadener and 3.5's in the dash. alpine 4ch should have a high level in option if you need to save some money, instead of an loc. Alpine spr-69 are deffinately on the smaller side when it comes to motor.

 

[Kriszilla 10+ year member]

Old thread, but I have the 2013 Sienna XLE. 6x9's and 6.5's up to about 3" in depth will fit with an aftermarket or custom adapter. You have about 2.25" of depth clearance, and you can go about another 1.5" out if you trim down the grid behind the speaker grill on the door. The dash will fit a 3.5" just fine, but any larger and you're going to need some custom work. Large drivers like the 9" Dynaudio MW182 and Morel midbass's are actually easier to fit because of their really shallow depth. You're really going to need to deaden the hell out of the door though, which you should be doing regardless.

You can do tweeters on the sails, but due to their slightly inwards slope at the top, you're going to have to (1)surface mount an adjustable tweeter, (2)use a flush mount tweeter with fantastic off-axis response and EQ it a bit, or (3)start working on your fiberglass skills.

The rear speakers are a complete nightmare and nothing I'd ever want to tackle again. The only time I run them is with my kiddo's in the van, and even then you don't really need them. Fade your stereo to the front and go sit in the back row. You (and your passengers) will be able to hear it just fine.

 

[O_B_E]

Hey! What did you end up doing with the speakers in your Sienna? I just got a 2015 and looking at all the options.

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Late last year CDT released a new shallow 6x9 midwoofer, MX-69S, and today they released HD-690CFS. The mounting depth is 2.8". There is a high likelihood our Toyota Tundra Stage 3 speaker kit could fit the 2015 Sienna.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Hey! What did you end up doing with the speakers in your Sienna? I just got a 2015 and looking at all the options.

i'd recommend shallowmount speakers, there's not much mounting depth at all with siennas. I have one right now and so far an alpine type R 6x9 works well with the fitment.