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2012 Focus SE Hatchback Sport - Changing stock speakers

173K views 190 replies 63 participants last post by  sailor 
#1 ·
Hi, Forum

This is my first post and I wanted to say that I successfully changed one of the stock speaker for a new set of 6.5 inch Kenwood KFC-1693PS which cost about 35 dlls, very great value for the price.

I removed the door panel using another tutorial I found in the forum and worked great, the only problem I had was with the custom base the stock speakers use. I had to completely destroy the stock speakers since they were part of the base which had the connector.

Tomorrow I will be posting some pictures when I replace the other one and will also post a tutorial on how to use the stock base for the speakers.

Cheers
 
#3 ·
OK, i just finished installing the other speaker and it sounds way better now, even with the stock stereo playing an MP3 from a CD, then from an iPod using the Aux IN in the glove compartment. I recommend doing this, the stock speakers sound really crappy and have muffed sound.

I chose 3-way speakers since I did the same to my previous car and they sound great. I'm thinking about adding two new speaker to the back doors but on the meanwhile I will enjoy these two.

Step 1: Remove small tweeter panel. There are no screws for this one, it's only clipped on.


Step 2: Remove door handle screw (Torx 25)


Step 3: Remove door deflector and screw, also Torx 25.


Step 4: Remove small side panel and screw, also Torx 25.


Step 5: Remove arm rest modling, it's only clipped.


Step 6: Remove arm rest controls housing and unclip the harnesses


Step 7: Remove both arm screws behind the controls housing from the arm rest.


Step 8: Remove panel, it has about 7 clips so be careful.


Step 9: Now you can see the stock speaker. Remove the 3 screws holding the speaker together and unclip the top connector. Now remove the speaker.


Step 10: This is the backside of the speaker. As you can see the speaker is part of a housing itself. We will have to completely remove the cardboard, wires, coil and magnet in order to use the housing as bracket.


Step 11: This is the stock speaker with the cardboard and wires removed from the bracket. on the inside you will see the coil and its base.


Step 12: Same case, only now you can see the inner coil.


Step 13: Since the speakers i bought had a very large magnet I had to remove the section that was holding the magnet from the stock speaker. Since I don't own any kind of saw i used my soldering iron to melt the plastic off.


Step 14: From left to right. Coil/cardboard, bracket, magnet.


Step 15: You will only be using the bracket and will only be using the outer rim so you can also remove the supports from the inside, i left them there so I wouldn't make a mess with the melting.


Step 16: This is a picture of the speaker already drilled into the bracket, you will notice 4 screws i used to drill directly into the bracket. Don't worry, the speaker will be very firm and won't get loose.


Step 17: New speaker almost ready, i used the wires that came with it and cut it up so the wires weren't that long.


Step 18: New speaker soldered onto the bracket contacts, this is necessary since the contacts are part of the bracket. The good thing about doing it this way is that you don't have to cut up the original wires that come from the door.


ALL DONE !!! You can see the mid-range and tweeter housing from inside the door panel after I put it all together again.






Happy modding.
 
#6 ·
Right, there's 3 different speaker configurations...

4-speaker (base)
6-speaker (Sync)
12-speaker (Sony)

Only difference between the 4 and the 6 is the separate tweeters on the front doors. The 12 speaker are upgraded Sony components as opposed to the utter crap speakers that come in the lower configs.
 
#7 ·
When you were removing the front door panels, did you, by any chance, see if the upper part could be removed for the soft touch pieces on the SEL and Titanium models?
 
#12 ·
Be careful with what Crutchfield recommends. They sometimes recommend a 5.25" with an adapter ring because of the problems the OP had with the 6.5".

OP... why not just cut a new mounting ring? Would have saved you tons of time. Most custom shops even have pre-cut rings they will sell you for a few bucks.

just my 2 cents from spending lots of time behind car door panels.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the great write-up and pics! It inspired me to swap out the crappy speakers in my Focus. I got some Focal 165 CA1's to stick in there. The flange of these speakers were just a little too big to sit perfectly within the flange of the stock speaker plastic, but they sat on the outer lip perfectly. Instead of tearing out the outer foam, I used an xacto blade to cut just outside of the speakers surround, leaving the outer foam in place to get a better seal. Also, instead of melting the plastic supports, I used some big wire cutters (snips would work too) and they just snapped right off the outer ring too. Anyway it was really easy with your guide! Here's a pic of an installed speaker:


The sound is much improved. Before I had to use some excessive EQ just to get it to sound right, but now I have the EQ flat and it sounds even better! Now all it needs is a good headunit, good amp, and a tight sub for it to be a great sounding system!
Thanks again!
 
#14 ·
I am afraid to as how much you spent on focal speakers. I saw them at a local store, the employee said these were base model ones priced at $550. However I not sure if it was gouging but the place is usually more reasonable than anywhere else.

On another note this thread pretty much saved my life! Thanks leguar!
 
#22 ·
I successfully changed my stock speakers today for 2 pairs of Pioneer TS-A1674R 3-way speakers (at $59 a pair). Needless to say, the sound is much much improved. I can actually hear the high and low frequencies again and sounds so crisp. I didn't trash the stock speakers, I just cut the wires and installed the new ones. If I decide to trade this car, those stock speakers might go back (or maybe not). Having better sound just makes this car so much funner to drive now.
 
#27 ·
UPDATE: I ended up getting Infinity 6502ix speakers instead of those Pioneer's I mentioned. They sound much better. It's been a blast driving this car with these speakers since I got them instead of the stock speakers. The sound is so crisp and clear, but it is still missing that good bass the SEL/Ti models have from the Sony sound system. The bass on the Infinity's still aren't bad. I may contemplate getting a subwoofer for my car in the future. The Kicker "12's sound very good and enjoyed them.

Note: The stock receiver in the Focus isn't as good at delivering the power to the speakers as other receivers can. Even the Fiesta receiver with DSP sound was better. Swapping out the stock receiver in the Focus would only open a who new can of worms and cause problems as everything in the car is tied to that receiver including Sync, and all the steering wheel audio controls. So, I'll just have to live with this thing.
 
#23 ·
Can anyone tell us which wire is (+) and (-) on the stock plug. Been trying really hard to survive with the stock set up till they make a speaker adapter but i am finding great deals on speakers and might as well just do it now. Also what size speaker fits the factory opening without modifying the factory speakers.
 
#24 ·
Mine was professionally installed so I have no idea. I'm now thinking of adding a hideaway subwoofer to my car? I was thinking about the model 11HS8 Kicker Hideaway 8" Subwoofer with enclosure and integrated 150W Amplifier. Would anyone recommend it? I think it would be like night and day with the addition of a sub for a complete music experience.
 
#25 ·
Speaker Wire

As I have fiddled with Fords and their electrical setup many moons ago, I can tell you Ford used to use the black striped wire as the Neg(-). These are American made, so hopefully they haven't changed it.
 
#33 ·
I just had a local shop install Memphis 6.5" components in the front doors. PRS6v2 and 6.5" 3-way PRS6V2 in the back. Wasn't really a preference or reason. They only had these and the Alpine SPR-60c's in and I wanted something with a closer match to the little ktp-445u amp's 45x4 rms rating. The Memphis are rated 50w and the Alpines are 110w. A bit overpowered in the sub department with a Kicker Solo Classic 12" in a sealed box powered by a RF Prime 500-1. The system sounds so much better than stock (shocker i know) even with the sub turned off.... I may go with an aftermarket head unit eventually and dash kit. Depends on how well rthese work out:
http://maestro.idatalink.com/product/product/product_id/101

Installed cut the speakers from the stock mounting ring and screwed the new ones into place. Tweeters mounted in stock locations easily. I can actually stand to listen to my stereo now without cringing..... sad considering my last car was a 2006 Fusion with OEM system and i was happy with it 95% of the time.

On a side note.... had the car at the dealer this morning. The headling started rattling a month ago. Broken clips. They ordered a new one.

Cheers all
 
#35 ·
MP3's always sound like junk on anything better than earbuds. Using an MP3 audio source to judge sound quality is like using a 30 year old 8 track tape. File compression In MP3's reduce dynamic range and the low end is non existent. It always cracks me up when people buy a song for 99 cents and it is an mp3/FLAC format. In reality it was worth about 10 cents.
 
#154 ·
This is not true. mp3's *can* sound VERY good. Most music these days especially pop music are already destroyed before its pressed onto the CD. it doesn't matter if you're ripping it with mp3 or flac or apple lossless or whatever, the sound quality is already destroyed. Also, FLAC is lossless as in bit perfect. if you can hear a difference then you surely have the golden ears.

take an average song, load it up into a wav editor and you'll see it's all garbage and distortion. ripping it with lossless doesn't fix that.
 
#36 ·
I agree on the mp3 mess. I ripped files in WMA lossless format and put on my 32GB drive. Granted you can't put your whole collection on there if you have an extensive library but I'd rather swap out a thumb drive than listen to crap. No offense to people who can listen to mp3's less than 320k, I envy ya.
 
#37 ·
Granted you can't put your whole collection on there if you have an extensive library
Oh well. SYNC can't index more than about 10,000 fully-tagged songs anyway. I'm running a 300Gb 2.5" HD in mine, and can't utilize more than 1/3 of it due to this limitation.

I'm with you guys on mp3 and other lossy compression. I use FLAC at home, but I've decided that 320K VBR mp3s are sufficient for the car, esp. with the crummy stock (non-Sony) speakers. If your mp3s sound bad, just switch over and listen to SIRIUS for a while. When you switch back to your mp3s, you won't believe your ears. [:p]
 
#38 ·
That's what I love about having a USB port in this car. The same song sounds 5 times better in my SEL that has 6 speakers than an MP3 version played in a friend's Ti with the 10 speaker Sony system. It's not always the speakers that are a problem, it is the source audio. But in the age of earbuds, a lot of people just don't understand what makes good audio sound good.
 
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