Thanks for reading--this is my first post, and yes, I have searched and read numerous threads. I need clarification (and this might help others as well).
Short version:
Goal: moderately better sound and less glitchy bluetooth for 2016.5 CX-5 sport with stock 4 speaker stereo
Willing to do: upgrade speakers, minor rewiring of head unit/speakers, update bluetooth settings
Not willing to do: add amp, change head unit, anything that requires major labor or risks bricking the factory infotainment system
Proposed minimum plan: a) buy a set of front door speakers/adapters/harness etc from Crutchfield based on "2017 CX-5 4-speaker" as input with the "no aftermarket amp" option (e.g. Kicker 46CSC674, Rockford Fosgate R1675X2 as cheap options), b) don't buy dash speakers c) don't use rear speakers d) update the firmware somehow
Is this reasonable, or is there a better option? I will be doing all work myself, except possibly the firmware update.
Long version:
I have a CX-5 Sport (2016.5 FWD 4dr Auto Sport, CX5RSP2A) purchased used. 4 speaker factory stereo/head unit (confirmed that no sound comes from the dash grills). No Nav. An aftermarket alarm was installed by the dealer before I bought the car. OS version is 55.00.753 NA N (Failsafe version 55.00.753).
The stereo sounds muddy, bass is loud enough but muddy and like an on/off function. Also, the bluetooth doesn't connect rapidly and sometimes drops. The minimum upgrade seems to be:
1. Buy a pair of 6.5-6.75" high-efficiency speakers for the front doors
2. Update the OS/firmware
3. possibly add a pair of 3" or 3.5" speakers for the L and R dash positions
4. Don't touch the rear speakers and don't use them
So, the questions:
1. Could the presence of the aftermarket alarm interfere with how the factory electronics work? I only ask this because the alarm definitely changes how the power/locks/ignition work vs factory settings, and it seems glitchy. I hate that dealers go in and stick their half-assed alarms into a carefully engineered electrical system.
2. Some posts on this forum report better bluetooth function after updating firmware. Is there any reason NOT to update the firmware, what are the risks of doing it myself, and is there any reason NOT to have it done at the dealer assuming I am willing to pay? Will updating the firmware affect sound quality or sound settings in any way?
3. I get different speaker/fit recommendations at Crutchfield.com when I use 2016 CX-5 vs 2017 CX-5 as my input vehicle. Which should I use?
4. If I install dash speakers (where there are none currently), how will I adjust the fade from front/rear/dash? From some posts I have read, it sounds as if the dash and front are wired together and you can't adjust them relative to each other by default. How about disconnecting the rear speakers from the head unit, then connecting things so that the "front/rear" fade actually controls "dash/front" instead? Are "front" and "rear" functionally equivalent at the head unit? (the stock rear speakers seem much quieter than the front speakers, and I wonder if there is a difference in power available to the front/rear).
5. More dash speakers: people seem to have added Polk audio or Infinity 3.5" speakers here, but Crutchfield says "they don't fit" and in fact the people who have posted their installs report that you have to cut or squeeze to get it to work, and seem to require soldering. If I want to add dash speakers, can someone recommend one that is actually a simple drop-in/plug-in fit? Recall there are no speakers in the dash now--will I need to run wires or are the wires there already?
6. Related to the fade question: How about an alternate configuration in which I add dash speakers, disconnect the front door speakers, and then add new upgraded speakers in the REAR doors? Then the fade would control dash/rear (F = dash, R = rear door, but obviously this could be swapped if there is a reason to), and I would get more of a surround sound feeling vs having the front door speakers.
If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with this and I appreciate any help you can give. Lots of details I know, but details matter, unfortunately.
Short version:
Goal: moderately better sound and less glitchy bluetooth for 2016.5 CX-5 sport with stock 4 speaker stereo
Willing to do: upgrade speakers, minor rewiring of head unit/speakers, update bluetooth settings
Not willing to do: add amp, change head unit, anything that requires major labor or risks bricking the factory infotainment system
Proposed minimum plan: a) buy a set of front door speakers/adapters/harness etc from Crutchfield based on "2017 CX-5 4-speaker" as input with the "no aftermarket amp" option (e.g. Kicker 46CSC674, Rockford Fosgate R1675X2 as cheap options), b) don't buy dash speakers c) don't use rear speakers d) update the firmware somehow
Is this reasonable, or is there a better option? I will be doing all work myself, except possibly the firmware update.
Long version:
I have a CX-5 Sport (2016.5 FWD 4dr Auto Sport, CX5RSP2A) purchased used. 4 speaker factory stereo/head unit (confirmed that no sound comes from the dash grills). No Nav. An aftermarket alarm was installed by the dealer before I bought the car. OS version is 55.00.753 NA N (Failsafe version 55.00.753).
The stereo sounds muddy, bass is loud enough but muddy and like an on/off function. Also, the bluetooth doesn't connect rapidly and sometimes drops. The minimum upgrade seems to be:
1. Buy a pair of 6.5-6.75" high-efficiency speakers for the front doors
2. Update the OS/firmware
3. possibly add a pair of 3" or 3.5" speakers for the L and R dash positions
4. Don't touch the rear speakers and don't use them
So, the questions:
1. Could the presence of the aftermarket alarm interfere with how the factory electronics work? I only ask this because the alarm definitely changes how the power/locks/ignition work vs factory settings, and it seems glitchy. I hate that dealers go in and stick their half-assed alarms into a carefully engineered electrical system.
2. Some posts on this forum report better bluetooth function after updating firmware. Is there any reason NOT to update the firmware, what are the risks of doing it myself, and is there any reason NOT to have it done at the dealer assuming I am willing to pay? Will updating the firmware affect sound quality or sound settings in any way?
3. I get different speaker/fit recommendations at Crutchfield.com when I use 2016 CX-5 vs 2017 CX-5 as my input vehicle. Which should I use?
4. If I install dash speakers (where there are none currently), how will I adjust the fade from front/rear/dash? From some posts I have read, it sounds as if the dash and front are wired together and you can't adjust them relative to each other by default. How about disconnecting the rear speakers from the head unit, then connecting things so that the "front/rear" fade actually controls "dash/front" instead? Are "front" and "rear" functionally equivalent at the head unit? (the stock rear speakers seem much quieter than the front speakers, and I wonder if there is a difference in power available to the front/rear).
5. More dash speakers: people seem to have added Polk audio or Infinity 3.5" speakers here, but Crutchfield says "they don't fit" and in fact the people who have posted their installs report that you have to cut or squeeze to get it to work, and seem to require soldering. If I want to add dash speakers, can someone recommend one that is actually a simple drop-in/plug-in fit? Recall there are no speakers in the dash now--will I need to run wires or are the wires there already?
6. Related to the fade question: How about an alternate configuration in which I add dash speakers, disconnect the front door speakers, and then add new upgraded speakers in the REAR doors? Then the fade would control dash/rear (F = dash, R = rear door, but obviously this could be swapped if there is a reason to), and I would get more of a surround sound feeling vs having the front door speakers.
If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with this and I appreciate any help you can give. Lots of details I know, but details matter, unfortunately.