Jeep Wranglers are surprisingly popular vehicles, given their heritage as a wartime tool. They aren’t particularly stylish, and they don’t handle as well as a regular car. These issues aside, they sell like crazy. In 2017, Jeep launched the fourth-generation Wrangler with improved aerodynamics, a larger interior and better fuel economy. Unless you opted for the premium Alpine option, the stereo in these vehicles is disappointing. Fear not valued reader — hope and help are available! Let’s look at the base stereo system and how it can be improved.

Jeep Wrangler Stereo System

The basic sound system in the JL chassis-code Wrangler includes small speakers in the bottom of the dash and the overhead soundbar and a set of even smaller speakers in the top of the dash. It’s somewhat baffling that a manufacturer would choose to shrink the size of the speakers they use, especially when there’s no subwoofer in the system. We know they built custom-vented enclosures for the speakers to optimize their performance, but sometimes bigger is better.

If your Jeep is a Sport S trim level or higher, you at least have the option of upgrading to the Uconnect 4 system with a 7-inch display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These features don’t improve the sound of the audio system, but at least the radio has some good connectivity options.

Step 1 – Upgrade the Front Speakers

The first order of business is to equip the vehicle with appropriately sized speakers. This isn’t an inexpensive upgrade, for several reasons, but it is worth the investment. Metra, a manufacturer of car audio installation accessories, offers a set of replacement speaker pods that allow a 6.5-inch speaker to be installed in the factory location. The pods are reasonably priced at under $100, and you can choose from almost any coaxial or component speaker set available.

The work to install these pods is a bit extensive. The team at Extreme Audio near Richmond, Virginia, let us know that there are about 50 screws and bolts, along with more than a dozen dash parts, that need to come out in order to complete the installation. You’ll want to budget for about three hours of labor for a basic upgrade — and a little more, depending on your plan for the upper dash speaker solution.

For the speaker locations on top of the dash, you have a few options. You could choose to go with a standard set of component speakers and have the tweeters mounted in place of the stock small midrange drivers. The drawback to this implementation is that the majority of the vocals from your music will appear to come from the lower part of the dash. If your budget allows, using a high-quality midrange driver like the Audison AP2, the ARC Audio RS 3.0 or Audiofrog GS25 will bring the voices up to the top of the dash. These options will work best in a system that includes a dedicated amplifier channel for each of the four front speakers.

Of course, there’s always the option of having a custom solution created. These opportunities are where car audio fabrication experts’ skill really shines. Of course, this will cost more, but if you want great sound that rivals high-end home audio systems, it’s worth every penny.

Step 2 – Sound Bar Speaker Upgrade

Depending on your listening preferences, having speakers in the rear of the vehicle may or may not be important. For the JL Wranglers, they have once again chosen to install small speakers in the overhead soundbar. Upgrading these to something larger will improve efficiency and bass performance. A company called SSV Works offers a set of replacement pod covers called the JJT-SAO65. These new covers will accept 6.5-inch speakers.

As always, the option exists to have something custom made for your vehicle.

Step 3 – You Always Need More Power!

If you wanted smoother frequency response, then the speaker upgrade alone should help. If you want more output from the system, then you are going to need to have an amplifier installed. In fact, most upgraded speakers aren’t as efficient as their factory-installed counterparts, so an amp is a definite must-have to bring the Jeep stereo to life.

When it comes to amplifiers, there are really no limits. An ultra-compact amp can be mounted in the dash and provide more than twice as much power as the factory radio could ever dream of. Something larger with more power output capability and better sound quality would fit nicely under a seat without much hassle. Be sure that your installer keeps the amp off the floor – you don’t want it getting wet.

Step 4 – Add a Subwoofer

It could be said that adding a subwoofer might be the best first step in upgrading the sound system in your Jeep Wrangler. Adding a speaker, enclosure and amplifier designed specifically to produce bass means that the small speakers don’t even need to try. They’ll sound better and so will your music.

There are several Wrangler-specific options available, and as always, your local specialty car audio fabricator can build something unique if that’s your preference.

Make Your Jeep Stereo Sound Great Today!

If you are like most Jeep Wrangler owners and aren’t impressed with the audio system in your little off-roader, don’t fret. It can be upgraded. Contact your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer today to find out what options are available to make your music come to life – whether you’re commuting to work or crawling the trails.
This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If we can take anything useful away from the 1984 movie “This is Spinal Tap,” we know that “turning it to 11” is for those times when you need your car audio system to play louder than loud. While the concept seems like a lot of fun when your favorite song comes on, playing your stereo beyond its capabilities might not be the best idea. Keep reading to find out why.

What Is the Volume Control?

The volume control on your car radio determines how much of the signal from the source (CD, tuner, Bluetooth or digital media file) is fed to the amplifier. The amplifier doesn’t know what signal it’s getting, but it happily applies a fixed amount of voltage gain to whatever ends up on its input terminals. If we send a tiny signal because the volume control is turned down, we get a tiny amount of sound. If we crank the volume all the way, and if everything in the system is configured properly, we should get the maximum possible power out of the amplifier with minimal distortion.

The caveat here is the assumption that everything in the audio system is configured properly. If the sensitivity on the amp is turned down a bit, then we won’t get full power from the amp. On the other hand, if the gain is turned up too much, the audio signal may be distorted when it leaves the amplifier. This distortion adds a significant amount of high-frequency harmonic information to the audio signal that can overload fragile midrange drivers and tweeters.

How Much Power Do You Need?

Here’s another tricky question with lots of loopholes. Since music is typically very dynamic, the average power level in a musical audio signal is about 25% of the peak power. The speakers in our cars and trucks are, for the most part, only damaged by overheating from too much power. If you match the continuous power rating of your amplifier in a system with a subwoofer to that of your speakers, you are unlikely to damage them. But is that enough power to turn it to 11? Probably not. The speakers can likely handle a little more power and will play a little louder. It’s a slippery slope, though. If you push a higher-power amp to the point of clipping (where it produces a lot of distortion), then you can quickly overpower your speakers. You didn’t think that designing a car audio system was easy, did you?

For most high-quality component speakers rated around 75-100 watts, matching them with a similarly rated amplifier will be adequate. If you have a set of budget-oriented coaxial speakers, you may want to limit the power to 50 or 60 watts.

Why Do Musicians Turn It to 11?

There’s a common and rampant misunderstanding in the car audio industry about the difference between creating music and reproducing music. During the creation process, especially for instruments like the electric guitar, the addition of distortion in controlled amounts can be a desirable upgrade to the process. Distortion, overdrive and fuzz pedals take the audio signals coming out of the guitar and add harmonics at odd and even intervals in varying levels to change the way the instrument sounds. The result is very different from what would be heard with a standard microphone placed close to the guitar strings.

Many guitarists also have favorite amplifiers and speaker cabinets that further tailor the sound to their tastes. It’s not uncommon to see a recording studio equipped with a selection of Orange, Marshall and Fender amps. The use of vacuum tubes in guitar amps is a clear sign that the musicians want to hear more from their amp and speaker combinations that the information contained in the original signal.

When it comes to reproducing music in our homes or in a vehicle, we don’t want to change the harmonic content of the song that’s playing, Yes, we want it loud and we may choose to equalize the system with a little more bass than was heard in the recording studio, but we don’t want to change the sound of the instruments or performers. Using high-quality audio equipment with excellent distortion specifications, combined with premium speakers and proper tuning with a digital signal processor, will ensure that your car stereo can play your music as loudly as you want while staying true to the source.

Take Care of Your Audio System

If you find you are damaging speakers in your car audio system, then it’s time to visit your local specialty mobile enhancement retailer and talk with them about an upgrade. You may need more speakers, proper system configuration or a subwoofer to make the system sound the way you want and play reliably. Let them have a listen to your system and see what they suggest.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.