AJ_Gil

Just a final followup on this project..after a week of driving around and listening to the extremes of my MP3 collection (lol) I AM COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THIS UPGRADE!! Even the bass is satisfactory and maybe I'll experiment with a sub down the road but I'm hearing what I need to for now. Reading through all the audio threads, the needs of our fellow XBers span the spectrum of needs and tastes but for the average listener that just wants a nice clean, balanced, affordable upgrade I think this setup is worth looking into.

Thanks to all the previous posters whos information was invaluable in helping me make my choices

rhythmkid31

Yea the factory "premium" sound is horrible, I'm glad I came across this thread. Definitely gonna look into this.

yodabiri

I dont't mean to thread-jack, but a couple of posts back someone mentionsed resetting the head unit to XB instead of TC. What is meant by that? Is there a setting or some way to do this? I had to disconnect my battery, in my 2009 xb with base HU and it hasnt sounded the same since.

Thank you

SamCarroll

i have the SNS100 and i always make sure to take a pic of my eq settings if i have to reset it. I HATE trying to dial in my set up again, especially with the lack of settings to choose from.

yodabiri

Ok now I get what you meant by resetting the HU.
Now I have another question. How did you guys install new speakers in the doors? I plan to install the BA SC60s in the front and BAS65s in the back. I know you have to drill out the rivets on the stock ones. Do the mounting holes on the BA speakers match up with the rivet holes? Also do the rear speakers require fabrication of some sort, or maybe a bracket? I apologize for the noob questions, but I havent dealt with this car's audio components yet.

Thanks in advance

Toast_Burner

I can also vouch for BA. I have 10" G5 subwoofer (discontinued, now there is the spg555) and the BA pro60se component speakers in the front. My BA setup is absolutely amazing. Just 500w of bass can be a little much for normal listening.

RicRat

I ordered a set of these speakers, thanks for the info.

OP, did you have to make adapters for the rears? Just would like to know what I would need before starting.

Thanks,
Rick

Edit: Answered my own question, no adapter needed. Just drill new holes.

Waterbabe

Hello,

I just bought a 2011 XB, and the sound sucks big time and distorted. I am looking for an upgrade and your comments and recommendations are very helpful!
will the speakers work for 2011 model? I am clueless on these technicalities 😳, I drive a lot so need good sound. It is sooo bad now that I am using my portable Bluetooth speakers lol.

I heard that I need to upgrade the audio system if I want to upgrade speaker as the signal output needs to be compatible to the speakers to get the sound. Is that true? I’m on tight budget, not looking for the cheapest upgrade but a reasonable quality to cost balance.

Any suggestions and input is much appreciated!!

Toast_Burner

I honestly love seeing threads get brought back from the dead because I missing spending time on forums. I'm not the OP but I actually did an audio build running Boston Acoustics front speakers & tweeters plus a 10" BA sub. Sadly I sold my 2011 xb a while back but it was such a great platform for audio enthusiasts. Also Boston Acoustics went out of business sadly.

I would suggest doing your research and taking your time unless you want to pay a lot of money for somebody to just do everything for you. Some sites like Crutchfield.com (https://www.crutchfield.com/car/outfitmycar/mycar.aspx) have good support teams which can help you with spec'ing your audio and making sure things are compatible with your car. There are a few things I can definitely recommend:

• Consider installing Dynamat or a similar material inside your doors. This not only helps with road noise but effectively increases your sound quality my removing vibrations and producing higher quality sound. IMO it's a waste to take your door panels off and cheap out on this step
• Ensure your electrical system can handle the wattage of your system. I know the point is to be budget focused but running new, thicker gauge wiring from you battery etc. can increase your cars tolerance depending on both your systems max wattage and "RMS" (basically more like the measure of average/continuous wattage the system uses)

Car audio is kind of hard to do cheaply especially if you're not mechanically inclined and willing to understand some super basic electrical stuff. I spent near $1k on getting a somewhat premium setup and did half the installation myself. Pro installation can be very good if you find a good shop and good workmanship is pricey but worth it 100%.

Last think I'll say, if this isn't worth more than a couple hundred dollars to you and you it may be realistically out of your reach. Modifying cars takes a lot of knowledge and money however it can be rewarding. I remember going outside at night between 8-11pm sometime just to listed to music in my car, good times.