NOTE: Derf, I'm not sure if this is the right place for this. Feel free to move it if needed.

Today, I've ordered some electronic equipment from Crutchfield. This is the first time I've done this and I will definitely be reporting back my satisfaction about the process of ordering, receiving, and installation of my new equipment. So if any of you are looking to replace your audio equipment using them, here's a testimonial.

I'll first talk about what I've ordered. I have a stock, base stereo system in my car. My car happens to be a Honda Accord, but that shouldn't matter much since the process is the same for all vehicles. I've ordered four JBL speakers to replace the stock units which sound too flat. I'll go more in depth on specifics on the speakers later.

I'll have to preface this by saying that I am not an electronics expert. Don't bother asking me about the ohms or resistance the new or old speakers have. I'm a simple man. The old speakers suck. I want better sound quality out of my radio. I'm also not a master technician. I turn screwdrivers and hammer hammers. I don't have any specialized tools nor even a garage to work in. That being said, if I think I can do a job, I'll give it a try. If I think I'm over my head, I'll let a pro do it so it's not screwed up.

I'll first talk about the shopping and ordering process. When the package arrives, I'll talk about the packaging, if there was any damage, and the promptness of delivery. Then I will talk about the installation and my overall experience.

Shopping and Ordering

When looking for replacement speakers, I fell back on my previous experiences. I had installed front speakers before, but had left the rear speakers to a professional installer (Circuit City when they were still in business). I intended to use the same process, only this time using Best Buy and their Geek Squad installers.

Using Best Buy's website became my first problem. They had removed (or I couldn't find) the option to enter in your car's information to get the right size speakers for your specific vehicle. So right off the bat, I didn't know what size speakers were in my car. Cliking on a random speaker information page did give me the option to "Check the Fit" of it in my car. However, I had to repeat this process for every speaker info page on their site. After clicking on three different sizes, and having the "Does not Fit" result pop up, I was tired.

I pulled up Crtchfield's website, which was much easier to navigate than BB. and quickly located the vehicle info menus. After entering in my vehicle's info, links were clearly given to speakers that would fit into my vehicle. Why was it so difficult for BB to do this?

I quickly selected a speaker set that I felt was good for me and bought it. Does Crutchfield have higher prices? Probably. I'm willing to pay a little extra for a snappy, easy-to-navigate site than to struggle with a poor website and save a few bucks. Crutchfield also includes any adapters and wiring pigtails you need to install the speakers. In my case, they require a Honda-specific adapter and a mounting coller for the speaker. Crutchfield also includes detailed instructions that they email to you for disassembly and installation of the equipment. So I pay a little out of the nose, but I get everything I need to do it myself and I don't have to drive 50 miles to have my car tied up for 3 hours and the added expense of fuel, time and installation cost of the Geeks.

I will next talk about the instructions and special tools I have bought.

 

Instructions

Crutchfield includes a set of instructions for each individual vehicle. How they do this, I don't know, but their R & D and media depts must be huge! Vehicle specific instructions for me also included radio removal and instructions for both coupe and sedan versions of the Accord. the instructions also include a list of recommended tools you will need for the job, which I find extremely helpful. Seeing that the speakers won't arrive for a few days, this will give me time to prepare instead of tripping along. The instructions also include helpful photos of the actual vehicle. Most photos are spot on but I noticed one in particular was zoomed in too far and the location of the indicated clip is vague.

The instructions are simple step by step directions and clearly stated. My particular set of instructions are 14 pages long (I won't be needing the Coupe or radio removal pages, so more like 8 pages). I elected to print them out. They were emailed to me when I bought the speakers and they were in a PDF format. Also included is a toll free number to call an installation expert from Crutchfield. From testimonials, customers seem highly satisfied by their concern to do the job right and smooth over any rough installs. Hopefully, this one will be straight forward enough that I won't need it.

In addition to the installation instructions, I went to YouTube to see if anyone had put up a video of speaker installation in my car. YouTube is an excellent source of information on these kinds of things. There are plenty of videos out there concerning any car repair or modification, you just have to be smart enough to look for it.

In my case, there were videos for both the front and rear speaker installation on YouTube. For me, it's better to visualize and watch what I'll be doing, so I know what to expect and know what to look for. The last thing I need to do is break something. The videos address some concerns I had after reading through the instructions...mainly the locations of clips and the safe ways to remove panels.

I also went to the auto parts store and bought some trim panel pry tools to help me with the interior bits and clips I'll have to address in this job. So far, they're the only specialized tool I've bought (and honestly, it's a tool that I should have gotten long ago).

So, that's it so far. I'm just waiting for my speakers to arrive at the end of the week.

 

I've used Crutchfield a few times over the past 10 years or so and have NEVER had a problem with anything I purchased. I did have a technical question once and called them and dude walked me through what I needed to do. So, I'd recommend them to anyone that wants the information and help they offer.

 

I also can agree on Crutchfield... The guys know what they're doing and provide ample information for the DIYer to complete their own stereo upgrade... They also provide installation stuff(adapters, etc) either for free or at greatly reduced cost to ease installation, AND to make sure you have the correct adapters, mounts, etc...

 

I have no experience with them whatsoever; I did not know ANY company selling automotive sound equipment was user friendly enough to supply the wiring adapters for free AND provide car-specific install instructions.

Beats the 19 yr old at Walmart snapping the top corner off your inner door panel b/c he didn't stop to consider there MIGHT be a screw up there.....

 

The speakers were delivered today via UPS when they said they were going to be delivered. Very prompt service! Opening the box reveals packing peanuts! Biodegradable packing peanuts. Just add water and they dissolve! It's magic!

Buried inside were two boxes of speakers, two bags of mounting brackets and two bags of electrical harnesses. These speakers were "open box" and they showed signs of previous installation (dusty, mounting holes enlarged) but all hardware is present and the speakers themselves are not damaged.

I thought I would be smart and do some pre-assembly before ripping into the door. Of course this is NOT what you do...silly me. The screw to mount the bracket to the door is obscured by the ring of the speaker. Fine. I'll do it the hard way.

The first thing against me was it was 90 degrees outside. No shade. On a concrete parking lot. Did I mention that I'm not small? The trim removal tool worked just fine. I located the screw behind the window switch. However, there's a clip holding the wiring loom to the plastic that I need to squeeze to remove it. Back into the house and out again with a needle nose. Next take a 90 degree pick and remove the door handle plate. Took me two tries with minimal damage. Two more screws came out easily. Corner cover at the mirror pops off with no problems. Slide the trim remover under the edge of the door and start popping the door panel loose. Now come the tricky lock and door handle cables. Thankfully, they come out with a little finagling. Door panel set aside.

Now the speaker itself. It's mounted with a bolt. Back inside I go for my socket set. It's a 10mm of course. Remove it with ease. The speaker seems to be sealed to the metal door with adhesive. Trip number 3 inside for a utility knife. It was just some compacted foam. I pop the bracket loose and lift it off the two tabs at the bottom. Speaker is loose. Now the wiring harness. It's another pinch connecter. But apparently I didn't eat my Wheaties this morning. Bad angle. Confined space. Old age. Ok the excuse counter is broken. Trip #4 to go get my small channel locks. I squeeze and wiggle and strain and sweat. I win. Old speaker is free.

The new speakers come with new mounting screws to attach to the bracket. They have a 5mm Allen head to them...which is a pain. Another thing about them is they're an inch and a half long...which will be another pain in a few minutes. Mounting the new bracket was easy, except the tabs at the bottom were just wide enough. The wiring harness plugs right in, no problem. Zipping in the screws to mount the speaker to the bracket became a problem. The screws were too long and hit the metal door behind the bracket. Screws still have a good quarter of an inch to go. Speaker is not fastened down. Game over.

Ok then. Intermission while I go to the hardware store to find shorter screws! (The screws were provided by the speaker manufacturer, not Crutchfield. I'm not going to bother calling them because a) it's a problem they can't really diagnose and b) I can afford 16 screws from the hardware store.)

 

JFEI (did I just coin that?) , what brand of speakers did you get?

Also, I do not consider a pair of open box hacked-on speakers to be equivalent to a brand new pair. If you paid for new, you deserve new.

The enlarged mounting holes may come back to haunt you in terms of potential vibration points and physical shifting over time

Were they fumbled and dropped repeatedly during a botched install before being returned? Yes it is a big ol magnet, a few cones n a tweeter -- it's the onboard crossover electronics I'm concerned about.

Maybe I am too far in the past with electronics, but devices that require a set resistance and the ability to dissipate heat USED to use wirewound resistors encased in ceramic for heat dissipation and electrical isolation. They are hollow down the middle for air flow.

If that is still true, you can damage those types of resistors with physical shock. They may look and work just fine NOW, but if the ceramic is cracked, the vibrations of the speaker itself will increase the damage over time, until the windings begin to short out due to lack of ceramic isolation between the windings, the resistance changes, the ceramic insulation falls off and you have exposed wiring in the door. Sometimes the wire will melt and go open circuit.

If these wirewound resistors have been supplanted by other technology, I'd love to know what they are using. But my love is not deep enough to google it

 

The speakers are JBL GT7-6. it's a 6.5 inch two-way speaker. It can handle 60W of constant power and 180W peak power.

As to the damaged speaker, I've hooked it up to the stereo and it sounds fine. I am able to use the enlarged holes to secure it.

After a run to the hardware store, I bought some correct dept screws. If I were to use the speaker covers, the included screws would be the correct depth. Since I'm not, the supplied screws were too long. A quick cheap fix. Putting in the front speakers took no time at all. Like everything else in life, the second time goes a lot smoother than the first. The second door took barely 15 minutes.

Both speakers work excellent! Now comes the hard part--the rear deck speakers. That'll be tomorrow's job.

 

The rear ones are kind of a pain, Dave. If you're able to get your butt into the trunk, it goes a little better. That's what I had to do on both of the SC's I had, but it was worth it. Just take your time with the screws. I broke a couple of tabs on mine by getting in a hurry and had a hell of a time gluing them back together. I do like JB Weld, though.

 

Replacing the rear speakers in on hold for right now. I had to go back to the store to get a plastic rivet/fastener puller tool and some super glue. I pulled loose the tweeter from its pedestal on one of the new speakers and had to glue it back into place. Speaker replacement will happen Sunday since tomorrow I'm off to Chicago and Navy Pier to check out some tall ships and a Viking longboat.