Car Stereos: car speaker replacement, toyota sequioa, stock speakers

Question
I need to replace the front speakers on a 2001 Toyota Sequioa #86160-AF070.  What would you recommend as a replacement or would it be better to have them repaired

Answer
Hi Mario,

Sorry about the extreme delay in answering this question.

Your front speakers in the Sequoia should be 6-1/2".  This is the most common speaker size out there, so you'll have plenty of replacement speakers to choose from.  I certainly wouldn't bother trying to repair the stock speakers; it's most likely not possible.  It's very common for the surround material around the outside of the speaker cone to rot away in these factory speakers; this results in extreme distortion, and there's really no way to fix it.

There are many, many high quality 6-1/2" speakers out there, and I've only had the opportunity to sample a few of them.  That's why I don't generally make specific brand or model recommendations.  My advice would be to visit some car audio stores and listen to the display speakers.  Look for a speaker with a natural sound--don't choose the brightest, bassiest or loudest, and don't assume a 3-way or 4-way speaker will sound better than a 2-way.  Just look for the speaker that sounds the most natural and lifelike to you.  When you're listening, keep in mind the position of the speaker, relative to your ears; most speakers will sound different when you're positioned off-axis than when  you're right in front of it.  If the factory speaker location is low on the door panel,  you might want to look for a speaker with a tweeter that can be adjusted and aimed.

Hope this helps!

Brian