Installation/Review JL Audio C5-570 Component Speakers

[lmichel75]

Birdman, are you still happy with this setup? Will this tweeter wiring work on a 2012?

I probably will be installing,
Front doors-JL C5-570
Rear doors-JL C5-570x
Sub-Stock (For now)

If needed i will clean with a RF 360.3 and amp later, but don't want to unless needed. I really just want a cleaner and clearer sound.

Any comments or suggestions???
Thanks

BTW, yes I'm a newbie and this is my 1st post.

 

[BIRDMAN]

Birdman, are you still happy with this setup? Will this tweeter wiring work on a 2012?

I probably will be installing,
Front doors-JL C5-570
Rear doors-JL C5-570x
Sub-Stock (For now)

If needed i will clean with a RF 360.3 and amp later, but don't want to unless needed. I really just want a cleaner and clearer sound.

Any comments or suggestions???
Thanks

BTW, yes I'm a newbie and this is my 1st post.

I am happy with the setup still, absolutely. The tweeter wiring should be the same on a '12 but let us know.

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

yep. speaker wire colors didnt change, so his write up will work for you

 

[lmichel75]

Big Thanks to Birdman, n Car Stereo for a great write up. Definetly helped me make my selection. Pulling the trigger on C5-570 & C5-570x now!

 

[mike d]

I'm new here and I don't have a Raptor, but I do have an XLT that came with basic sound (no Sony, no Nav). I found this thread when searching info on the JL Audio C5-570 speakers. I installed a set into the stock system a few days ago with some Kenwood Excelons in the rear. I have an amp and sub that I haven't routed wires to yet, but I'm super happy with improvement already.
The JL tweets fit the stock holes (after a little sanding) nicely, and sound freaking fantastic.
Here's the F150 thread that got me looking at the JL audio stuff.
2013 Pillar Tweeter dimensions - Ford F150 Forum - Community of Ford Truck Fans

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

morning..........

im glad our info helped you out.

 

[mike d]

I still want to amp the speakers. I have a 5 channel amp with sub, and planned on just running front and rear speaker wires through an LOC and to the amp, then back out, to the crossovers in front.
My questions is: Do the fronts 6x8s really go through a crossover? If so I can't use them with an LOC to go to the amp and get full range. How can I get a full range signal to the amp?

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

you need a signal summing device. after you sum the signal, then you can run it to anything you want. a few processors have the summing built in. the jl audio is 2 seperate parts, but the easiest to tune. for higher end systems we use the mosconi 6to8.

 

[mike d]

you need a signal summing device. after you sum the signal, then you can run it to anything you want. a few processors have the summing built in. the jl audio is 2 seperate parts, but the easiest to tune. for higher end systems we use the mosconi 6to8.

I guess I dodged a bullet. The XLT wiring must be different, and the diagram shows that the stock tweets are in parallel with the front 6x8s. They run through a cap (found it) as a high pass filter just after the speaker connector (under the pillar). I'm pretty sure either the tweet or the 6x8 lines will have full signal if I tap in before the cap.
I'm still torn between using the front and rears as is, and adding a sub (just tapping the fronts), or rewire the fronts and rears for an amped signal (and then I can run the fronts through the crossover that the C5s come with, instead of using the factory filter).
Thanks a lot for your help!
Here's the schematic:

 

[Tornitron]

Thank you for this thread. I just installed these today along with C5-570X coaxials in the rear doors, and the instructions here were quite helpful.

I did do a few things differently. I opted not to use the crossovers in the front, and re-used the factory tweeter wiring with the built-in bass blockers for the tweeters. For the rears, I did use the JL crossovers as there is only one line in from the amplifier for the factory coaxials. In comparing the overall sonic balance of those to the fronts, I don't think anything was given up (other than the switchable tweeter attenuation) by not using the crossovers for the component setup. Of course, if I were using an aftermarket amplifier, they would be a necessity.
Also, for the front tweeters I did not find the strap necessary. I filed the holes for a very snug fit, and there is no way they would ever fall out.

For some background, I am a pretty serious home audiophile and have some rather elaborate speaker and headphone setups, so I wasn't really expecting to be knocked off my feet with anything in the car audio realm. That said, for the price of the components I installed today, I was quite pleased with the results.

Overall, this was a worthwhile upgrade, even though I am using the factory amplifier. The C5s in the rear were probably overkill, but if I am going to go through the exercise of installing something like this, I may as well spring for the matching set to the fronts.
JL's tweeters really make the biggest difference here. The imaging on the front components is lightyears beyond the factory Sony's, which frankly at times you couldn't even tell if they were on. The detail and resolution on the C5s are excellent for a car speaker in this price range.
The one downside to these is that they further emphasize how pathetic the factory subwoofer is. Even with that placebo effect polyfill mod. Everything in the highs and mids sounds good, but the subwoofer is just belting out faint sonic queefs. I will need to consider some options to address that.
At some point, I plan on installing an appropriate aftermarket amplifier for the door speakers so they can really shine. Unfortunately, it is a little more of a task than I want to take on myself right now, and I'm not sure I trust the shops around here for that.