Thread: Saab 9-3 dash speakers upgrade

Originally Posted by DjTicojon75

The Kicker's are monsters. They don't even come close to fitting. I'd have to bend steel to make these fit...
The search goes on.

I was afraid of that. Well at least now we know for sure. I thank you for trying. I have not ordered the Kappa's yet, but if I do end up getting anything, it will probably be them. I am actually getting more and more dissuaded about replacing the doors since no one has been absolutely happy with their replacements.

P.S. Did you end up disconnecting the center speaker? I wonder if it's better to disconnect or try to find someone to split a BA pair and replace with that.

Originally Posted by dfb11

I was afraid of that. Well at least now we know for sure. I thank you for trying. I have not ordered the Kappa's yet, but if I do end up getting anything, it will probably be them. I am actually getting more and more dissuaded about replacing the doors since no one has been absolutely happy with their replacements.

P.S. Did you end up disconnecting the center speaker? I wonder if it's better to disconnect or try to find someone to split a BA pair and replace with that.

I did end up ordering a pair of 'Infinity 60.9CS' for the doors (cheaper on Amazon). I really hope they fit...I'm accumulating quite the collection of speakers. I did unplug the center speaker. My understanding is that the center/dash speaker and door speakers are connected to the amp. The mounting depth on the center speaker is less than 1.5”...don’t thing anyone has found a speaker that fits. I also read that the center/dash speaker is set up for mono. I remember the center speaker in the dash being a bit over powering compared to the left & right dash speakers.
I’ll let you know how the Kappa’s work in the doors. I read that they’re oversized 6.5” and will likely require spacers to allow them to fit.

Originally Posted by dfb11

I was afraid of that. Well at least now we know for sure. I thank you for trying. I have not ordered the Kappa's yet, but if I do end up getting anything, it will probably be them. I am actually getting more and more dissuaded about replacing the doors since no one has been absolutely happy with their replacements.

P.S. Did you end up disconnecting the center speaker? I wonder if it's better to disconnect or try to find someone to split a BA pair and replace with that.

I did end up ordering a pair of 'Infinity 60.9CS' for the doors (cheaper on Amazon). I really hope they fit...I'm accumulating quite the collection of speakers. I did unplug the center speaker. My understanding is that the center/dash speaker and door speakers are connected to the amp. The mounting depth on the center speaker is less than 1.5”...don’t thing anyone has found a speaker that fits. I also read that the center/dash speaker is set up for mono. I remember the center speaker in the dash being a bit over powering compared to the left & right dash speakers.
I’ll let you know how the Kappa’s work in the doors. I read that they’re oversized 6.5” and will likely require spacers to allow them to fit.

Originally Posted by DjTicojon75

I did end up ordering a pair of 'Infinity 60.9CS' for the doors (cheaper on Amazon). I really hope they fit...I'm accumulating quite the collection of speakers. I did unplug the center speaker. My understanding is that the center/dash speaker and door speakers are connected to the amp. The mounting depth on the center speaker is less than 1.5”...don’t thing anyone has found a speaker that fits. I also read that the center/dash speaker is set up for mono. I remember the center speaker in the dash being a bit over powering compared to the left & right dash speakers.
I’ll let you know how the Kappa’s work in the doors. I read that they’re oversized 6.5” and will likely require spacers to allow them to fit.

Gotcha, thanks for the info. I probably will end up disconnecting the center.

Hopefully all the hassle is worth it in the end and the 60.9's provide a much better sound.

Good luck and hopefully your next update is full of good information.

Originally Posted by dfb11

Gotcha, thanks for the info. I probably will end up disconnecting the center.

Hopefully all the hassle is worth it in the end and the 60.9's provide a much better sound.

Good luck and hopefully your next update is full of good information.

I installed the Kappa components set (minus the tweeters). The magnet is big so I had to do a little work to the plastic housing that is attached to the door. It could have been easily cut with a dremel or small modeling saw but I grabbed a small pair of pliers/cutters and snapped of as much as I needed to...it took about 60 seconds. These are high quality speakers...very nice! With that said...if you’re looking for a big impact you’re better off changing the dash speakers 1^st and adding an amp & quality speakers to the rear shelf/deck 2nd...which leaves door speakers 3^rd. If you need more bass then add a sub 3^rd and leave the door speakers for last.

For additional reference I'll continue...
I threw in some fair 4" speakers to the rear shelf/deck as a test; what a waste of time.
I bought some West Coast Custom's component 6x9's made by Diamond Audio a while back. They were 75% off at Best Buy so I figured I had nothing to lose. They surprisingly made a noticeable difference from the stock 4”, the 4” testers and chepo 6x9's.
So at the moment I have Polk Audio db351 in the left and right dash, Infinity Kappa 60.9cs in the doors and West Coast Custom’s WCC-690 in the rear shelf/deck. Once I’m amped I’ll add 4” to the rear shelf/deck and a sub. I have no clue about amps so I’ll have to spend some serious money to have an amp installed...which is why I’m putting it off. I’ve only spend a grand total of $250 on those 3 sets of speakers. The retail on the WCC or Kappa’s alone are close to $200. I’ve had great luck on Amazon and Sonicelectronix.

Originally Posted by DjTicojon75

For additional reference I'll continue...
I threw in some fair 4" speakers to the rear shelf/deck as a test; what a waste of time.
I bought some West Coast Custom's component 6x9's made by Diamond Audio a while back. They were 75% off at Best Buy so I figured I had nothing to lose. They surprisingly made a noticeable difference from the stock 4”, the 4” testers and chepo 6x9's.
So at the moment I have Polk Audio db351 in the left and right dash, Infinity Kappa 60.9cs in the doors and West Coast Custom’s WCC-690 in the rear shelf/deck. Once I’m amped I’ll add 4” to the rear shelf/deck and a sub. I have no clue about amps so I’ll have to spend some serious money to have an amp installed...which is why I’m putting it off. I’ve only spend a grand total of $250 on those 3 sets of speakers. The retail on the WCC or Kappa’s alone are close to $200. I’ve had great luck on Amazon and Sonicelectronix.

Interesting note about adding the 6x9's. I had figured the stock setup would not have been powerful enough to make 6x9's a reasonable option.

Do the Kappa 60.9's improve the bass sound quality over stock?

I do not plan to add additional amps, etc. so I was looking for the best bang for my buck in replacing the stock speakers with replacements. If the Kappa's don't make a huge difference because of the crappy amp I might just suck it up and just do the dash and rear shelf.

Thanks again for all your information! It has really been helpful.

Originally Posted by dfb11

Interesting note about adding the 6x9's. I had figured the stock setup would not have been powerful enough to make 6x9's a reasonable option.

Do the Kappa 60.9's improve the bass sound quality over stock?

I do not plan to add additional amps, etc. so I was looking for the best bang for my buck in replacing the stock speakers with replacements. If the Kappa's don't make a huge difference because of the crappy amp I might just suck it up and just do the dash and rear shelf.

Thanks again for all your information! It has really been helpful.

You'll be surprised at what a decent set of 3.5" in the dash will do...I was. Absolutely do the 3.5" first. Grab a torx bit and remember that you'll be competing with the windshield for space so a small ratchet with a torx bit will make life easy.
Those stock 4's in the rear shelf are absolute garbage. Look for 6x9's that will sound ok without needing too much power. Don't spend too much money on these because you won't get much out of them.
The stock 6.5" door speakers are without a doubt the best speakers in the system (pretty low bar though). The cones are not cheap paper...they have more of a durable plastic feel.
I wanted to give the 6.5" Kappa's a few days to "break them in". I've heard people mention that in regards to speakers but I'm not totally sure what that means. With the previous set of 6.5" Infinity's I was starting get the feel of where the settings needed to be depending on type of music and volume. So I attributed the improved sound to 'familiarity' rather than the speakers "breaking in"...who knows? Likewise with the Kappa's. Depending on quality, volume & type of music I can get pretty decent base out of the system. So in my opinion the Kappa's are a slight improvement...but nothing earth shattering. You'll be much more impressed installing high quality 3.5's in the dash. At this point, depending on the type of music, I can turn up a high quality song up to max volume, with a little adjustment to bass, treble & fade, and get reasonably loud sound with no distortion. Honestly, my girlfriend drives an 06' Impala which I believe has a stock 4-speaker (6x9) system and from a loudness standpoint (not quality) it is easily equal to my upgraded system.

Originally Posted by DjTicojon75

You'll be surprised at what a decent set of 3.5" in the dash will do...I was. Absolutely do the 3.5" first. Grab a torx bit and remember that you'll be competing with the windshield for space so a small ratchet with a torx bit will make life easy.
Those stock 4's in the rear shelf are absolute garbage. Look for 6x9's that will sound ok without needing too much power. Don't spend too much money on these because you won't get much out of them.
The stock 6.5" door speakers are without a doubt the best speakers in the system (pretty low bar though). The cones are not cheap paper...they have more of a durable plastic feel.
I wanted to give the 6.5" Kappa's a few days to "break them in". I've heard people mention that in regards to speakers but I'm not totally sure what that means. With the previous set of 6.5" Infinity's I was starting get the feel of where the settings needed to be depending on type of music and volume. So I attributed the improved sound to 'familiarity' rather than the speakers "breaking in"...who knows? Likewise with the Kappa's. Depending on quality, volume & type of music I can get pretty decent base out of the system. So in my opinion the Kappa's are a slight improvement...but nothing earth shattering. You'll be much more impressed installing high quality 3.5's in the dash. At this point, depending on the type of music, I can turn up a high quality song up to max volume, with a little adjustment to bass, treble & fade, and get reasonably loud sound with no distortion. Honestly, my girlfriend drives an 06' Impala which I believe has a stock 4-speaker (6x9) system and from a loudness standpoint (not quality) it is easily equal to my upgraded system.

Ok, I suppose that is consistent with all of the other info available.

I am about 99% sure I am getting the Boston Acoustics (dash and rear) for Christmas. Because they will be gifts with no $ out of my pocket, I will probably just leave the 4" in the rear since the rear shelf doesn't get much power anyway.

I will try out those four, possibly disconnect the center and see where I stand. I can always add on later.


Once again, thank you for all your input. It has been enormously helpful to have someone one or two steps ahead of me provide me with this info.

I just put in the Boston Acoustics SE35 in the front dash. Best $35 bucks I spent on the car. I have the 2006 so with the fiber optic stuff I don't plan on upgrading anything else. I do need to fix a vibration in the driver door from bass at higher volume. I wouldn't mind adding an amp to power the rear seat speakers as they just don't seem to deliver much sound thru the factory setup.

Thanks for the info. I did the tear out, solder, and install in less than an hour.

I did add amps. One 2-channel powers all four speakers in the rear shelf and the other mono-block amp powers the sub box. I actually got a ‘line out converter’ which allows the amp input to use the rear speaker wires rather than trying to find the ‘pre-amp out’ in the stock radio. If you’re looking for a serious sounding system this is the way to go. If you are going to add an amp, don’t bother replacing the door speakers unless they’re blown. The only challenge is running a power line from the battery to the trunk. A 2-channel ‘line out converter’ will have left (+,-) wires, right (+,-) wire and a ground…so four wires plus the ground. It takes your four rear speaker wires and converts them to a pre-amp signal RCA input.

Thank you for the info. I will review the line out converter info. I would just do amp for the rear side panels.

Originally Posted by DjTicojon75

I installed the Kappa components set (minus the tweeters). The magnet is big so I had to do a little work to the plastic housing that is attached to the door. It could have been easily cut with a dremel or small modeling saw but I grabbed a small pair of pliers/cutters and snapped of as much as I needed to...it took about 60 seconds.

I am about to do the exact same instal. Have modified the Saab plastic speaker housing but one issue I am not so sure of and would appreciate your advice. Did you use the standard connector that comes with the Kappas? Seems very large, so wasn't sure about using it inside a door panel.

Frank, much appreciate your hand holding instructions!

Bought the older style BA speakers on Ebay for $45 (S35 you used, not the newer model SE35), followed your instructions and installation was a breeze.

Now my Saab Stereo sounds so much better, it gets better milage and my hair is no longer greying.... Well one of those is true!

Dear Dr. Frank Saab (Wulfers),

I took your advice for medicating my auditory issues while driving. The first step of changing the diseased component (dash speakers) was a common sense move that borders on brilliant. I would have to say it ranks up there with sliced bread. The second step of recycling the connection points to the replacement of the diseased component increased the brilliance of the remedy. I feel that my audio sensory issues will be on the mend.

Much appreciated,

A happy patient

I have a 2010 SS and will be replacing all 7 speakers and will be keeping the head unit. Not adding an amp. Looks like the S35's are discontinued. Anything 'better/same' quality but the same size so it will fit?

Originally Posted by net1994

I have a 2010 SS and will be replacing all 7 speakers and will be keeping the head unit. Not adding an amp. Looks like the S35's are discontinued. Anything 'better/same' quality but the same size so it will fit?

I'm not sure what is available, but it's going to have to be light. Unless they've upped the power of the amps, even my Infinity Kappa's (rear) and Boston's in the front, while disconnecting the center speaker, maxes the levels fast. I found an article at, I think, saabnet, where someone mentions "splicing" in new amps. I'm going to go that direction. I've talked to my Dad (former Saab tech) about it, he says it's easy and would work fine. I haven't gotten all the details at this time, due to other projects. However, if you feel capable, I'd go that route and add amps... you'll need it.

I called crutchfield and now a bit confused about two things:

1. I hear people say to discconnect the center speaker after upgrading and not use it. Others say it will sound great after putting in a new center speaker? Should I upgrade it or not? If not, should I disconnect it after upgrading the rest?

2. What are the sizes of the center dash and rear speakers? Crutchfield said to use 3.5" speakers, but will they fit? I thought I heard they are 4" speakers? Crutchfield wants me to use Polk Audio db351 3.5" speakers for everything but the doors.

Originally Posted by net1994

I called crutchfield and now a bit confused about two things:

1. I hear people say to discconnect the center speaker after upgrading and not use it. Others say it will sound great after putting in a new center speaker? Should I upgrade it or not? If not, should I disconnect it after upgrading the rest?

2. What are the sizes of the center dash and rear speakers? Crutchfield said to use 3.5" speakers, but will they fit? I thought I heard they are 4" speakers? Crutchfield wants me to use Polk Audio db351 3.5" speakers for everything but the doors.

Well, welcome to the world of the misinformation. Or is that disinformation? Either way, the best way to know is to actually look and hope it's not a mirage. Ok. The rears have room for 4" AND 6x9's. Yep! There are 4 spots for speakers. 2 for 4" and 2 for 6x9's. Not sure if the rear deck could hold up all the weight, but you could put 4 speakers back there! A jammin' machine on wheels! But wait! How do you power that much speaker? That's where I will be "splicing" in my amps.

And YES! Disconnect the odd center speaker. It's sucking power from the rest. The door speakers are 6.5" speakers. There should be no worries for space in the doors or rear deck. I haven't upgraded my doors, yet. Now, I have a '97 900 that I wanted to upgrade as well. It worked out because the amp in that system was integrated in the stereo unit. More easily bypassed. When I "splice" mine in, I have to be aware of which speakers I will be amping. In the '97, it powered the rears only, I believe. In this generation of stereo system, I believe it powers the doors and the rears.

I know this went afar from what you were asking, but you will be underwhelmed when you want more volume. So, I wanted to address the option.

There is a link here that gives a schematic of the different stereo systems available in this generation of Saabs. Then grab your infotainment manual and check out where things are located. Also, Frank could answer some of your questions better than I, I'm sure. Let's hope he's watching. Don't be embarrassed by your questions. We have all asked them and some are still looking for definitive answers. They exist... somewhere in this world. AND... Crutchfield is very informative but not much help when it comes to Saabs. 10:1 they were reaching for the 10' pole when they heard you mention Saab.

http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=175652 Try this link for some decent info.

Originally Posted by ShaneB4Saab

Well, welcome to the world of the misinformation. Or is that disinformation? Either way, the best way to know is to actually look and hope it's not a mirage. Ok. The rears have room for 4" AND 6x9's. Yep! There are 4 spots for speakers. 2 for 4" and 2 for 6x9's. Not sure if the rear deck could hold up all the weight, but you could put 4 speakers back there! A jammin' machine on wheels! But wait! How do you power that much speaker? That's where I will be "splicing" in my amps.

And YES! Disconnect the odd center speaker. It's sucking power from the rest. The door speakers are 6.5" speakers. There should be no worries for space in the doors or rear deck. I haven't upgraded my doors, yet. Now, I have a '97 900 that I wanted to upgrade as well. It worked out because the amp in that system was integrated in the stereo unit. More easily bypassed. When I "splice" mine in, I have to be aware of which speakers I will be amping. In the '97, it powered the rears only, I believe. In this generation of stereo system, I believe it powers the doors and the rears.

I know this went afar from what you were asking, but you will be underwhelmed when you want more volume. So, I wanted to address the option.

There is a link here that gives a schematic of the different stereo systems available in this generation of Saabs. Then grab your infotainment manual and check out where things are located. Also, Frank could answer some of your questions better than I, I'm sure. Let's hope he's watching. Don't be embarrassed by your questions. We have all asked them and some are still looking for definitive answers. They exist... somewhere in this world. AND... Crutchfield is very informative but not much help when it comes to Saabs. 10:1 they were reaching for the 10' pole when they heard you mention Saab.

Saba’s ES2 150/7 Stereo Upgrade, OR 'How To Add Aftermarket Amps/Speakers to '03-'06 - SaabCentral Forums Try this link for some decent info.

Thanks shane! I was wondering if anyone would ever get to my questions. I'm thinking of buying 2 pairs of Boston Acoustics S35 speakers. Unfortunately they have been discontinued a while back, but I found them on a few websites new for a decent price. Going to put two in dash and two in rear deck, even though they are a measly 3.5". Should I use Bass Blockers on the S35's?

But for the rear deck, could I add two 6x9" speakers instead of the Boston Acoustics S35? Just take the wires that would go to the 4" stock speakers and connect them to the 6x9" speakers? Wishful thinking? Or can I only really use 6x9"s with a new amp?

Everyone has said I will loose a bit of volume with the change over. Well I hope not too much as I would never, EVER add amps myself as I'm not that electronically inclined.