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ChrisD90



Member Since: 14 Aug 2013
Location: Middle Earth
Posts: 71

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Tips for fitting component speakers
Looking for a bit of advice please guys....

I have a Focal ISN100 component speaker set to replace the fronts in my new 90;

http://www.focal.com/en/universal/389-isn-100.html

The kit does not include grills for the main drivers. I removed one of the standard LR units earlier for a quick look and the grill seems to be attached to the speaker? I didn't try too hard to separate it as didn't want to break it..

Is it possible to remove and re-use the grills from the original LR drivers or would I need to buy some more grills?


Also does anyone have experience removing the stock tweeters? They seem to be very tightly fitted!!

Any help much appreciated Thumbs Up 2013 Defender 90 HT
Range Rover Evoque
Post #282710 16th Nov 2013 4:48pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20442

United Kingdom 
The grilles on the OE speakers are bonded if I remember, you will break them if you try and the chances are they won't work out anyway. Looks to me a bit like the woofers you have are designed to not have a grille (probably to allow cone movement better)
Unless they do a grille especially for your model I doubt anything else out there would fit properly..

Tweeters, you have two options....
Either use something like a thin blade to get under the edge carefully like a knife (ideally not sharp!) and pop it up. They have no fixings as they are a push fit and clip into place.
Or you can pop out the air vents each side of the dash, again push fit and then pop the tweeter out from underneath..
Personally I would do both or the latter because it gives you a lot better access.
Some photos which may be of use of mine here:
https://www.defender2.net/gallery/thumbnai...amp;page=6

Any other troubles I'm happy to help. Thumbs Up No Guts, No Glory.
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Post #282712 16th Nov 2013 5:02pm
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ChrisD90



Member Since: 14 Aug 2013
Location: Middle Earth
Posts: 71

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Thanks Steve, very helpful.

I've emailed Focal asking about grills - I can see the cone getting damaged without them given placement in the Defender!

I'll have a pop at the tweeters tomorrow Thumbs Up

Once I've decided on a replacement HU I might need some advice on fitting one of these Thumbs Up

http://www.focal.com/en/plug-play/274-ibus-20-3544050750135.html 2013 Defender 90 HT
Range Rover Evoque
Post #282717 16th Nov 2013 5:19pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20442

United Kingdom 
Good luck & you can drop me a PM at a later date if you want any more help. Thumbs Up No Guts, No Glory.
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Post #282720 16th Nov 2013 5:34pm
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barbel jim



Member Since: 12 Dec 2012
Location: Northants
Posts: 1423

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 HT Tonga Green
Do the old speakers and grills screw in ???? On my TD5 the grill and OE speaker came apart. Those Focals are designed to fit in car doors behind the OE door card where the grill is built in. Our defenders are different Whistle You should be able to buy covers, Even TD5 ones Wink You may need a small spacer to help them fit over them. Would have thought Halfrauds or a decent Ice sop would be able to help. I doubt very much they are designed to run without covers as damage to the cones is all too easy. Regards the active sub pretty simple 3 wires for power/earth and you'll need some RCA leads - plug and play Thumbs Up Your replacement head unit will need at leat 1 line out (RCA) to provide a signal
Post #282740 16th Nov 2013 6:20pm
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ChrisD90



Member Since: 14 Aug 2013
Location: Middle Earth
Posts: 71

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
The LR speakers are held in with 4 screws. Once these are undone the whole unit, grill & speaker, drops out.
As Steve said, the grill is attached to the speaker so I don't think it will come off without damage occurring.

If Focal don't have anything suitable I'll be needing something like this;

http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=MON121960

As you say, this type of solution might need spacing out a bit Thumbs Up 2013 Defender 90 HT
Range Rover Evoque
Post #282744 16th Nov 2013 6:30pm
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barbel jim



Member Since: 12 Dec 2012
Location: Northants
Posts: 1423

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 HT Tonga Green
Post #282748 16th Nov 2013 6:40pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20442

United Kingdom 
Just depends how it sits on the speaker, if it doesn't fit nicely it will look awful. No Guts, No Glory.
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Post #282763 16th Nov 2013 7:19pm
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barbel jim



Member Since: 12 Dec 2012
Location: Northants
Posts: 1423

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 HT Tonga Green
Yep thats why you might need the spacer Steve Thumbs Up I've done a fe, some need the spacer some dont. Those spacers sit nicely over the chassis of the speeker
Post #282767 16th Nov 2013 7:23pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20442

United Kingdom 
Didn't notice the spacers at first. Thumbs Up No Guts, No Glory.
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Post #282770 16th Nov 2013 7:26pm
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ChrisD90



Member Since: 14 Aug 2013
Location: Middle Earth
Posts: 71

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
thanks fellas - that looks like a good solution if Focal don't have anything bespoke Thumbs Up

I've just been unpacking the Focal IBUS20 sub, it comes with a nice, long ISO loom that connects to the existing wiring and all plug & play - quite a neat system, no need to run additional power cables or anything.

However, I recall reading recently on here that the latest Defender does not have ISO connectors.. Have I got this right? 2013 Defender 90 HT
Range Rover Evoque
Post #282790 16th Nov 2013 8:28pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20442

United Kingdom 
Yes you need an adaptor, available online or Halfords. No Guts, No Glory.
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Post #282792 16th Nov 2013 8:36pm
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ChrisD90



Member Since: 14 Aug 2013
Location: Middle Earth
Posts: 71

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Thanks for confirming.

Less than a week of Defender ownership and already the fun just doesn't stop Laughing 2013 Defender 90 HT
Range Rover Evoque
Post #282795 16th Nov 2013 8:38pm
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ChrisD90



Member Since: 14 Aug 2013
Location: Middle Earth
Posts: 71

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Made good progress with this today...

After seeing someone selling 'new take-off' LR 4" speaker grilles on eBay I figured they must be removable so I applied the sh*t or bust method and gave mine a decent pull. They kind of peeled off, looks like some weak glue and a gasket between the grille and the speaker.

Both came off without damage and they fit the Focal's just fine, new speakers went in within minutes and are a great improvement over standard Thumbs Up

I followed the advice from custom90steve (thanks mate Thumbs Up ) for removal of tweeters...

What worked best for me was a very thin flat blade screwdriver which I was able to slide under the lip of the LR tweeter and then prise it up. It takes patience but I got both out with no damage.

The Focal tweeters have a longish cable due to an inline filter (crossover) which removes the low-mid frequencies.
This terminates in a soldered cable end which much to my delight pushed firmly into the female ends of the LR block connector Cool

I secured the connection with some tape and all tested fine - It couldn't have been simpler.

The flush-mount fitment for the Focal tweeters was a very tight fit for the dashboard holes, too tight to be honest.
I gently ran some emery cloth around the inside edges of the holes, then spread a tiny bit of lubricating wax around the side of the tweeter housing. It is now a perfect press-fit and looks like a very nice factory finish.
The only thing that gives it away is the Focal branding... and the sound quality Thumbs Up

The clarity has improved hugely and thankfully the Focal tweeters are far less bright than the LR ones.
I had the treble at -6 on the Alpine HU with the standard tweeters as I found them unpleasantly bright, harsh and distorted.
The Focals sound perfect with the treble set flat and they compliment the woofers rather than overpower them.

The system would sound great if it were not missing the bottom two octaves of bass Rolling with laughter but I'm sure the IBUS20 will address this issue Wink

Thanks again to all who offered advice with this task and I hope this update helps others.

ETA: The rear speakers are now letting the side down so I'm thinking of replacing them with some Focal PC100's, anyone tried them?

http://www.focal.com/en/expert/275-pc-100-3544051750103.html 2013 Defender 90 HT
Range Rover Evoque
Post #282903 17th Nov 2013 4:11pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
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Thumbs Up No Guts, No Glory.
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Post #282906 17th Nov 2013 4:25pm
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