5th Gen Stock Stereo Upgrade Options?

[Billet1500 4x4]

Are all the Alpines speaker wires out of phase? I replaced my doors and dash with Kicker and haven’t noticed anything unsusual except lost volume.

The doors for sure on my truck were reversed at the speakers on all 4 doors. I had issues with the ANC generating white noise 1/2 cycle out of phase which caused a low drone that was adding with the noise it was trying to cancel because of the phase difference. Did you use Metra adapters to connect your new speakers?

 

[Tomcat1981]

The doors for sure on my truck were reversed at the speakers on all 4 doors. I had issues with the ANC generating white noise 1/2 cycle out of phase which caused a low drone that was adding with the noise it was trying to cancel because of the phase difference. Did you use Metra adapters to connect your new speakers?

Yea. Used adapters that cructchfield recommended.

 

[vondarius20]

You’ve gotta have a point on the tip to grab the teeny weeny plastic tab, without deforming it too... use a sewing pin or needle... carefully!

EDITED: Also @vondarius20 you must have that locking bar raised for the white tab in there to move/release. No go if that plastic locking bar isn’t popped up 1/8” or so.

Ok, thanks. I'll have to scrounge around for a needle. BTW, I already opened the locking bar on the rear of the harness.

 

[sswails1]

Would mind seeing some pictures of the 3.5” JBLs everyone seems to be using mounted. They look a lot bigger than the Alpine or HKs people have replaced.

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

Would mind seeing some pictures of the 3.5” JBLs everyone seems to be using mounted. They look a lot bigger than the Alpine or HKs people have replaced.

No pics of them mounted but here are some comparison shots

 

[Leadbedr]

So what is going to be needed to add an sub and amp?

 

[Tomcat1981]

So what is going to be needed to add an sub and amp?

That's what I'm trying to figure out. So many options.

DSR1 - $320(with AC4 harness), seems easiest but it has some bad reviews
AMP PRO - $350, also easy, but you have to keep original amp, IDK if this is good or bad
LC7i - $162, have to tap into speaker wires, has adjustable output to help amp gain
LCQ1 - $212, have to tap into speaker wires, has some EQ features
LC2i - $85, have to tap into speaker wires, cheapest option, only 2 outputs I think.

This is my biggest challenge, figuring out what to use before I hit the buy button. Once it's done, I don't want to see it again.

 

[Leadbedr]

That's what I'm trying to figure out. So many options.

DSR1 - $320(with AC4 harness), seems easiest but it has some bad reviews
AMP PRO - $350, also easy, but you have to keep original amp, IDK if this is good or bad
LC7i - $162, have to tap into speaker wires, has adjustable output to help amp gain
LCQ1 - $212, have to tap into speaker wires, has some EQ features
LC2i - $85, have to tap into speaker wires, cheapest option, only 2 outputs I think.

This is my biggest challenge, figuring out what to use before I hit the buy button. Once it's done, I don't want to see it again.

So just standard line out converters?
I figured there was going to have to be something crazy with the ANC.

I would probably go with the lc7

 

[Hackmunch]

Why not just buy an amp that accepts high level inputs

 

[Leadbedr]

Why not just buy an amp that accepts high level inputs

Jbl

This one looks decent. Im not going to SQ records on the RTA. Just some good sound.

 

[Tomcat1981]

So just standard line out converters?
I figured there was going to have to be something crazy with the ANC.

I would probably go with the lc7

I never had any issue with ANC. Really don't know what I'm supposed to be listening to though. Sounds same.

But yea, local shop screwed me. Went with regular line out converters, while there is no strange noise, it either plays all highs or all lows. Most likely going with the DSR1, especially since I already bought it. I just need the T harness now.

 

[Nucknfutz]

I have the Alpine system, and I did an amp install for better bass over the last few days, and am temporarily using my old subwoofer box out of my 2011 ram. It 3/4 fits under the seats until I decide what I want to do for a new one... It sounds great. I used an Audiocontrol LC1.800 amplifier, and cut the plug off of the factory sub and wired the two outer channel voice coil wires directly into the amplifier speaker level l/r inputs, and left the middle voice coil channel unused., as it says that it can accept a 3-40 volt rms input. The unit also turn itself on and off, although it gives the odd turn on/off thump. In doing my install there are a few things I noticed.....

1. Any aftermarket sub is probably going to cause issues with the Active Noise Cancellation. I was getting whoop whoop whoop noise and rpm fluctuations through the subs, which I think can also be attributed to them firing upward, instead of from behind the seat, which makes them out of phase from the factory sub. This led me to unpin the positive wires from the 4 microphones at the factory amp connector, effectively disabling the system.

2. Thus far the factory amp has not complained about no load resistor on the subwoofer wires, or shut down the output, and seems to play just fine into the aftermarket amplifier's Hi Level inputs. Although it has only been 3 Days.

3. I replaced all 3 of my Dash Speakers with JBL GX302's, and never had factory wire adapters, as they are lost in the mail somewhere, so I desoldered the plugs off of the factory speakers, trimmed them a bit and mounted them onto the gx302's making sure the polarity was correct. See pics below...

4. Yesterday my JBL gx692 6x9's showed up that came with the Metra adapters. I pulled the factory speakers from the rear doors, and replaced the 6x9's. they did not sound right. Upon inspection and testing, I found that the Metra adapters are wired backwards with the positive and negatives reversed. I swapped the pins on the metra cables to make them correct, and re-installed the rear speakers. They sound great. I still have to do the front doors, although I don't know if the aftermarket speakers will make much difference there, as they are not full range, and I also have a set of tweeters that I may install in the top headliner.

Overall the system sounds 100 percent better. Now if only RAM can get their asses in gear and fix the plethora of intermittent issues with this 8.4 uconnect.

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

I have the Alpine system, and I did an amp install for better bass over the last few days, and am temporarily using my old subwoofer box out of my 2011 ram. It 3/4 fits under the seats until I decide what I want to do for a new one... It sounds great. I used an Audiocontrol LC1.800 amplifier, and cut the plug off of the factory sub and wired the two outer channel voice coil wires directly into the amplifier speaker level l/r inputs, and left the middle voice coil channel unused., as it says that it can accept a 3-40 volt rms input. The unit also turn itself on and off, although it gives the odd turn on/off thump. In doing my install there are a few things I noticed.....

1. Any aftermarket sub is probably going to cause issues with the Active Noise Cancellation. I was getting whoop whoop whoop noise and rpm fluctuations through the subs, which I think can also be attributed to them firing upward, instead of from behind the seat, which makes them out of phase from the factory sub. This led me to unpin the positive wires from the 4 microphones at the factory amp connector, effectively disabling the system.

2. Thus far the factory amp has not complained about no load resistor on the subwoofer wires, or shut down the output, and seems to play just fine into the aftermarket amplifier's Hi Level inputs. Although it has only been 3 Days.

3. I replaced all 3 of my Dash Speakers with JBL GX302's, and never had factory wire adapters, as they are lost in the mail somewhere, so I desoldered the plugs off of the factory speakers, trimmed them a bit and mounted them onto the gx302's making sure the polarity was correct. See pics below...

4. Yesterday my JBL gx692 6x9's showed up that came with the Metra adapters. I pulled the factory speakers from the rear doors, and replaced the 6x9's. they did not sound right. Upon inspection and testing, I found that the Metra adapters are wired backwards with the positive and negatives reversed. I swapped the pins on the metra cables to make them correct, and re-installed the rear speakers. They sound great. I still have to do the front doors, although I don't know if the aftermarket speakers will make much difference there, as they are not full range, and I also have a set of tweeters that I may install in the top headliner.

Overall the system sounds 100 percent better. Now if only RAM can get their asses in gear and fix the plethora of intermittent issues with this 8.4 uconnect. View attachment 10006 View attachment 10007 View attachment 10008 View attachment 10009 View attachment 10010

The metra's are not backwards, Ram for whatever reason has connected the negative wires from the amp to the positive terminal on all 4 doors. You will likely find the same issue on your front doors. My theory is they did this as an easy and cheap way to invert the signal coming from the microphones since they are running the signal out through a class D amp the easiest way to get a signal to cancel what the mic is picking up is to send the original signal through the amp and invert it at the speaker.

The GX962s will make a difference in the front doors but you need to put the extra effort in to get the most out of them. The mid response is much tighter on the JBL's versus the stock speakers you just have to make sure its getting into the cab. A little bit of foam and some CDL tiles on the inner door made a huge difference on mine.

 

[Nucknfutz]

The Metra 72-6514 are indeed backwards. Hooking a low voltage dc power supply to the removed factory speaker proves this. The right pin looking down at the factory speaker from the back is positive, as the speaker moves outward when positive voltage is applied to this pin. Metra's harness has the right pin as the negative (black wire with small spade lug). So yes the Metra harness is backwards...In short, weather the ram wiring is backwards at the amp or not, installing the Metra adapters will cause the speakers to move in the opposite direction than the stock ones, Placing them 180 degrees out of phase, and probably screwing with the ANC system.

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

The Metra 72-6514 are indeed backwards. Hooking a low voltage dc power supply to the removed factory speaker proves this. The right pin looking down at the factory speaker from the back is positive, as the speaker moves outward when positive voltage is applied to this pin. Metra's harness has the right pin as the negative (black wire with small spade lug). So yes the Metra harness is backwards...In short, weather the ram wiring is backwards at the amp or not, installing the Metra adapters will cause the speakers to move in the opposite direction than the stock ones, Placing them 180 degrees out of phase, and probably screwing with the ANC system.

Yes it's true the metras have to be flipped to avoid ANC issues, but the metras are correct per the wiring diagram and signal coming out of the amp, the speakers themselves are what are backwards, they are receiving their input signal on their ground terminal and the metras have to be flipped to compensate.

 

[Nucknfutz]

You would think they wpuld have inverted the signal electronically in the amp instead of inverting the door speakers. And i will say. I dont miss my ANC one bit. I actually wish they would have jist given the option to turn it off on the deck. I like the fact that I can hear the sport exhaust a bit and the 5.7 hemi rumble a bit now.

 

[Hackmunch]

You would think they wpuld have inverted the signal electronically in the amp instead of inverting the door speakers. And i will say. I dont miss my ANC one bit. I actually wish they would have jist given the option to turn it off on the deck. I like the fact that I can hear the sport exhaust a bit and the 5.7 hemi rumble a bit now.

Im wondering if you would have left one channel hooked to the factory sub the anc would have not been an issue?

 

[Leadbedr]

You would think they wpuld have inverted the signal electronically in the amp instead of inverting the door speakers. And i will say. I dont miss my ANC one bit. I actually wish they would have jist given the option to turn it off on the deck. I like the fact that I can hear the sport exhaust a bit and the 5.7 hemi rumble a bit now.

Did you just disconnect the mics at the amp?

 

[Nucknfutz]

Did you just disconnect the mics at the amp?

Yes, I just removed the four positive wires for the mics from the connector at the amp..
I wish they would have given the option to turn it off manually, especially in the Sports. I like being able to hear the exhaust note a bit..

 

[FCArep]

I tried to update my front door speakers today. I removed the plastic piece by the door handle and there was a bolt behind the plastic panel. Others have mentioned a large Phillips screw. I was unable to get the bolt off, granted I don't have many tools, but then I noticed I also don't have the T20 bolts visible around the door either. I'm new to self install for car audio and I'm sure I'm overlooking something. Can anyone assist? Is there a 2019 speaker upgrade video anyone can direct me to? I have the base 6 speaker system and was able to replace my dash speakers, no problem.