Big Blue XK
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Registered: 09-2017
Location: Southeast Alabama.
Posts: 117
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Stereo/Sound system upgrades in my 08 Commander.
So I had the Factory Boston acoustics REC MyGIG Media Center 430 CD/DVD/MP3/HDD 6 speaker Premium Sound System with the 276 watt factory amplifier in my Commander when I bought it - and while the system was adequate, I wanted to make it better.
So, I did several modifications.
First and foremost, I got rid of the factory head unit after replacing it twice (2nd time didn't cost me anything but still). FCA dealerships only have reconditioned head units - you can't get them "new" anymore, yet they still charge you "New Head-Unit" Prices $950.00 or so, as I recall.
I've found that the reconditioned head units just don't last.
So, I opted for the reliability of a new Pioneer AVH-X490BS CD/DVD RDS AV head unit, with Sirius XM Receiver.
One of the best upgrades I've made to date, it takes a little while to learn how to navigate the Pioneer software, but, well worth it for the reliability of a NEW head unit - plus I have Blue Tooth now, which I did not have previously with my factory unit as it did not come with the U-Connect option.
Additionally, the Pioneer AVH-X490BS hooked up to the factory wiring harness for the back-up camera with a simple adapter, so, this unit does work fine with the factory back-up camera.
I can play CD's, stream music via Bluetooth Audio or with Pandora, Spotify etc.
Even with the extra $100.00 I had to spend for the Sirius XM Receiver, the entire job (parts & labor) was still $170.00 cheaper than the price of a Factory reconditioned head unit, from the dealership and I'm not getting something that's been sitting around in a box for 8 or 9 years, in who knows what kind of environmental conditions.
Second thing, I upgraded all of the factory speakers and the factory amp with the "MOPAR Kicker Upgrade package" which included the following components:
77KICK18AB 8 Channel, 368 Watt amplifier.
77KICK11AB Front 6x9 mid-bass speakers and 3.5" 2-way dash tweeters.
Additionally, I changed out the only remaining factory speakers, which were the rear door speakers, with Kicker 77KICK10 6.5" 2-way rear door speakers, which were NOT included in the "MOPAR Kicker upgrade package".
Lastly, I added a 10 inch self-amplified Bazooka Tube (PART # BTA10100) which has it's own self-contained 100 watt amplifier; this was the icing on the cake. This gave my sound system that nice rich bass that it was missing.
It's a pretty impressive sound system that is far superior to the factory Premium Sound System & now having hands-free Bluetooth capability I'm on cloud 9.
Here are some pics:
Last edited by Big Blue XK, 1/24/2024, 8:10 pm
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http://bthefloridacommandersclub.runboard.com
2008 Commander Sport; 4.7L Flex-Fuel V-8; QT-II 4WD; 105,XXX Miles
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6/24/2018, 3:04 pm
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