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TommyC

Another font speakers swap thread

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Inspired by this thread...

http://www.gt86.org.uk/forums/topic/4907-focal-is165toy-installation-and-review/

...I have purchased and installed the same front speakers.

Following a combination of guidance from a youtube video and some of the original post I completed the job, by myself, in the dark on my driveway, on Sunday evening. It took 40-50mins from start to finish to replace all 4 speakers!!

I did not completely remove the door cards though. I left everything connected to them and carefully rested them on my legs whilst sat on the sills, working around/under them. A little tricky but no screws/speakers were dropped in the process. Each door speaker took about 10-15mins to do from 'pop this screw cover off' to 'quick sound test'. 

The trickiest bit of the entire job was undoing the tweeter connections!

The speakers are definitely an improvement on the standard things and it's made me want to swap the rears now as I prefer to be 'enveloped' in my music while driving 😁

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2 minutes ago, maurice said:

Give them a week of use to loosen them up and there will be another improvement again.

I'm struggling to imagine how much of a pain it must have been to do without disconnecting the door cards, but fair enough under 1 hour is quite good!

I'm surprised that there is a bedding in period, but I look forward to another improvement 😀

It really wasn't that bad at all, they balanced/rested nicely on my thighs. Replaced the speakers with one arm round the side and one arm underneath the door card. Could only really see what i was doing with one eye, but it was enough 😁

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I am torn between wanting to replace the front speakers and knowing I'll make a bloody mess of the install.

Will probably wait until I can afford to do a full sound setup and then get it professionally done.

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9 hours ago, Paul said:

I am torn between wanting to replace the front speakers and knowing I'll make a bloody mess of the install.

Will probably wait until I can afford to do a full sound setup and then get it professionally done.

Focal IS165Toy kit is a piece of piss to install as it's plug and play fitment - just remore the stock speakers and swap them over. We did Njay's on his drive in Bracknell - took us about 30 minutes without taking the door cards off completely.. Luckily the GT86 uses nylon threads in the door panel to the bolts unscrew easily.

The wife's Auris on the other hand was an absolute bastard to do as the speaker mounts are riveted to the door panel so had to drill them out, and re-rivet the new speakers on.

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1 hour ago, benmmellor said:

Focal IS165Toy kit is a piece of piss to install as it's plug and play fitment - just remore the stock speakers and swap them over. We did Njay's on his drive in Bracknell - took us about 30 minutes without taking the door cards off completely.. Luckily the GT86 uses nylon threads in the door panel to the bolts unscrew easily.

The wife's Auris on the other hand was an absolute bastard to do as the speaker mounts are riveted to the door panel so had to drill them out, and re-rivet the new speakers on.

I'm in Bracknell, could have done mine at the same time!

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1 hour ago, benmmellor said:

Not due back down there for a while but a) get the kit before they stop supply.. and b. if needs be speak to Njay - he knows how to fit them now ;)

Thought my ears were burning.

You will need a nylon trim removal tool as that dash marks easily. Other than that I think I can remember most of what Ben did ☺️

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4 hours ago, benmmellor said:

get the kit before they stop supply

Are Focal planning to discontinue the IS165TOY?

The speaker upgrade is on my To Do list, so do I need to do it sooner rather than later?

Also, anybody know the cheapest place to get these speakers?

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1 hour ago, Philip said:

Are Focal planning to discontinue the IS165TOY?

The speaker upgrade is on my To Do list, so do I need to do it sooner rather than later?

Also, anybody know the cheapest place to get these speakers?

not sure what the actual situation is but they were getting hard to find stock. I got mine from Dynamic Sounds

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I was looking at getting these speakers too. Spice girls isn't sounding that great anymore.. I mean Boyzone...

I'm useless at DIY, not even sure how to get the old ones off. Never changed speakers on a car before. 

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On 28/11/2017 at 11:16 PM, TommyC said:

I'm surprised that there is a bedding in period, but I look forward to another improvement 😀

 

There is for higher end speakers. I have Focal 3's and was told not to give them too hard a time for the first week or so. 

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You should break in all audio equipment be it car speakers or home audio like sound bars.

I had Focal K2Ps in an old car which were fantastic and got even better after a month or so.

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12 hours ago, Cerastes said:

I was looking at getting these speakers too. Spice girls isn't sounding that great anymore.. I mean Boyzone...

I'm useless at DIY, not even sure how to get the old ones off. Never changed speakers on a car before. 

where you based ? someone may be willing to assist.

The speakers on the GT86 (fronts anyway!) are pretty easy to change.

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Really couldn't be an easier job - what have you guys done with your tweeters? They don't quite fit in properly i.e. 'click' into place. I've put mine in the grills but just hoping they don't drop out and they haven't so far.

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Not strictly true - bit of a misunderstanding with 'run in'.

It's not like an engine where if you go too hard you'll do damage. It's more of a case of the voice coil from the factory is stiff and won't move as freely as one that's been used. Because of this stiffness the speaker will sound slightly different - tweeters a little harsh and woofers slightly lacking in depth. This improves with use - in fact with the studio speakers I use at work they can take over 100 hours before we 'trust' them. I typically find a room that's not in use, point a pair at one another, wire one out of phase and fire pink noise off for the whole weekend! :)

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7 hours ago, McDude said:

Really couldn't be an easier job - what have you guys done with your tweeters? They don't quite fit in properly i.e. 'click' into place. I've put mine in the grills but just hoping they don't drop out and they haven't so far.

Mine are cut into the top of the door panel, just ahead of the door handle. It's a better position than on top of the dash. 

15733473583_9580859f56_c.jpgUntitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

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13 hours ago, 86_Minty22 said:

You should break in all audio equipment be it car speakers or home audio like sound bars.

I had Focal K2Ps in an old car which were fantastic and got even better after a month or so.

I've always liked a good audio setup. My friends have been into HiFi and car audio in the past and quite knowledgeable too (although I've never heard them mention bedding in). I can honestly say I've never heard of this, but it makes sense to me now I've bothered to think about it.

Thanks folks 😀

Every day's a school day ! 🙂

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10 hours ago, McDude said:

Really couldn't be an easier job - what have you guys done with your tweeters? They don't quite fit in properly i.e. 'click' into place. I've put mine in the grills but just hoping they don't drop out and they haven't so far.

I spent a good few minutes examining them to see why they don't fit as well as the factory items. The plastic moulding on the Focals is deeper than the originals but has a little gap/join line around the circumference. This is not quite at the same height or the same depth as the moulding on the originals but the clips grip it.

A gentle test satisfied me that they will grip enough to hold it unless you were to smack a pothole big enough to write a wheel off or start 'dukes of hazard'-ing around the place! 😂

I suppose some very carful dremmel work (or similar) in the right places would ensure the vice-like grip of the originals...

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