15 Attachment(s)
Saab 9-3 dash speakers upgrade
The stock dash speakers in the Saab 9-3 are really low quality and very inexpensive paper cone products. The upgrade with after-market speakers is really easy to do yourself and increases the sound quality drastically. My sound system is the standard ES2-7 speaker 150W system.
The Boston Acoustics S35 3-1/2" speakers are a popular choice and fit very nice in the dash speaker openings. They are available for about US$ 70, I purchased mine from Crutchfield
The procedure is the same for the 13 speaker 300W system but you will find a pair of stock tweeters in the dash opening as well. These tweeters have to be removed because it would sound bad having two sets of tweeters.
This speaker upgrade works for the 2003-2006 model years. 2007-and-up use a different sound system and installation may be different.
Attachment 57
The change in sound is remarkable. I normally turned the treble all the way up but I had to move it back to the mid setting after installing the new speakers. The sound is much clearer and has so much more depth. As you can see, the stock speakers (left) are very basic speakers and are smaller than the BA's (right). It is surprising that Saab tried to save money on such an important part of the sound system.
Attachment 60
The steps are basically the same with the 7 speaker/150W and the 10 speaker/300W system but I will describe them separately. Start out with both systems by removing the dash grille by using a small screwdriver or butter knife. Put some tape around the end to prevent any marks on the grill or dashboard. They should come out pretty easy without using much force.
7 speaker/150W system
Remove the stock speakers. You will need some kind of tool with a torx head. I used a torx bit from a screwdriver together with a pair of pliers because you don't have a lot of room to work with so close to the windshield. I am sure fancier tools are available but I didn't feel like running to the hardware store. The screws come out pretty easy.
Attachment 58
Here is the dash opening with the speaker removed.
Attachment 52
A close-up of the connector shows two numbers. Wire 1 is negative, 2 is positive.
Attachment 63
The stock speaker shows the + and - of the speaker connections. Please note the image on the speaker is upside down so the + is on the left and - on the right side of the connector in the picture.
Attachment 61
You can cut the dash wires and solder or crimp the speaker wires to the dash wires (4 connectors are included with the speakers). Another solution is to remove the connector from the stock speaker and solder the speaker wires to this connector. This way, you don't have to cut any wires in the car and can easily solder the wire and connector together. I just didn't like the idea of having a hot soldering iron near the dashboard.
I used a fine saw to cut off the connector from the speaker.
Attachment 55
And soldered the speaker wire that came with the new speakers.
Attachment 59
Continue to "Finishing up for both systems" below.
10 speaker/300W system
Remove the stock speakers. You will need some kind of tool with a torx head. I used a torx bit from a screwdriver together with a pair of pliers because you don't have a lot of room to work with so close to the windshield. I am sure fancier tools are available but I didn't feel like running to the hardware store. The screws come out pretty easy.
The tweeters are not secured with any screws so yo can lift them out using a little bit of effort.
Attachment 62
This picture shows how the tweeter and 3 1/2" speaker (removed) are hooked up. Unplug the tweeter cable from the cable going into the dash. The connector is hiding under the foam sleeve.
Attachment 53
You can follow the same procedure described for the 7 speaker/150W system by cutting off the grey connector from the stock speaker but I decided to use the connector from the tweeter cable.
Attachment 65
Cut the cable and strip the ends. The stock speaker in this picture is for reference to show the black wire is negative (1) and the grey is positive (2). As mentioned above, please note the image on the speaker is upside down.
Attachment 56
Solder the speaker wire that came with the BA speakers to the stripped cable. Black to black and grey to white.
Attachment 66
You can cut off the connector for the original dash speaker but I decided to leave it on in case I want to return the system to the stock setup. Tape up both connectors and re-use the foam sleeve to make sure the connectors are not going to rattle against other hard plastic in the dash.
Finishing up for both systems
Connect the wire to the speaker and attach the female connector to the male connector in the car.
Secure the new speaker by using the same screws that held the stock speakers.
Attachment 64
Put the grill back in and you're done.
Attachment 54