Thanks for that - I'm not very good with stereo equipment (obviously) and specifically here I really sucked.
So I installed 4 Hogtines speakers.
2 ohm
Look at the size difference in the magnets from the stock to the Hogtunes
You think they'd be so much better.
Underwhelming really.
Yeah I think they're a little better but it's very marginal.
So it's the amp.
[img alt="The sound quality difference doesnt jump out at you.
Eh."]https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdforums.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/pxl_20250822_011302996_833b593976c535c21272abfcb16 4f4bab2a9676e.jpg[/img]
The sound quality difference doesn't jump out at you.
Eh.

 

I see there is 3 pages of responses already. Well here we go.
Listening to music on the bike as a serious audiophile is a waste of time. Another waste of time is using a single disc cd player on the bike.
Regardless of how you like to listen to music, the realism is the road noise, wind, and exhaust profoundly degrades the sound of ANY stereo on a Harley.
If you only listen to Am, sports, and talk shows then you don't need to upgrade, problem solved.
For music, and as a minimum, to listen to streaming music such as Spotify, you can get a Blue tooth player ($15-$30) that can plug into the mini jack of the stock radio.
To update the radio to a Blue tooth streaming unit is a relatively painless up grade. Adding speakers and an amp is also pretty easy too.
For me, I just needed the audio to be loud enough to hear at highway speeds and be able to control it all from the handle bars.
You could go with the Sound Stream stereo (I almost did this) that provides a large display that also adds Apple play and Android play crap-ola.
Yeah, having a high tech display is nice but do I really need it? No, not really. All I need a an audio source and an amp that can be controlled from the grips.
SO you choose how much that you want to spend. Someone here told you that this is a rabbit hole, and he is right, it's deep too.
Think about what you want, why you want it, and how much will it cost to get it.
If you want to go high tech, check out this radio: SoundStream Reserve WHD.SG Plug-N-Play Upgrade Headunit for 1998-2013
Then there is the ultimate up grade, replace the inner fairing and add a double din radio, amp and big 6" speakers. The bottom line here is cost and what you are willing to spend. Some where in the audio section is what I did and what it cost.
Give yourself a budget, and try to stick to it. Good luck, but have fun doing it.
Here is what I did. I replaced the stereo, amp and speakers (front and rear).
It cost me about $750 total, if I remember right. If you can wait till Black Sunday or Christmas you will say some big $$$!

 

Does this amp go under the touring pack or near the radio inside the fairing?
And to hook it up to the stock Harley radio do you need a cable? I don't see any free access plug on the radio.
Also some of these say it includes the mounting bracket some don't mention it. was this shown with the mounting bracket?


The sellers on eBay can't tell you anything about what they're selling, they take it off a bike, sometimes list what bike they took it off but can answer no questions.

 

I got to wonder...where do you guys with the big stereo, speakers and amps ride your bikes??? Out in rural straight line secondary highway Kansas? I mean when I'm riding canyons, forests, sagebrush and twisties in East Washington and Oregon, I need to focus. Same with the little bit of in-town riding I do - got to watch the traffic. I just don't get where you get to use this stuff. Already too much racket on the interstate making us deaf, so where do you use it?

 

I use it riding back and forth to work just like I do in a car.
Same with my coffee thermos in my drinkholder.
Neither prevent me from watching the traffic.
Not many twisties, canyons or sagebrush around here

 

I like having a CD player on a bike. So when you lose cell signal, or the phone/app isn't set up, you always have something to play. a USB drive works too.

I like bluetooth and it is my goal to get it on my 2007, I think USB is louder, than bluetooth on my other bike.

I don't ever want want to be audiophile. I just want to sing along to the songs I like.

What people now say is impossible to listen to, somehow we were when it came out.

 

OP - bottom line is you need an amp and speakers at a minimum. New head unit is preferred but the amp will make up for some of that. You have an older bike so don't get concerned about dealer firmware updates etc. Pretty simple. My experience is that some speakers do not fit the tour pack, and an adapter is needed. the one time I did this they were a PITA. The adapters inside the fairing were super simple. Don't over think this it is really straight forward.

 

I ended up simply replacing the 4 speakers with Hogtunes 352f-aa and 352r-aa.
Underwhelming.
it amazed me there was so little improvement from the little OEM speaker magnets compared to the Hogtines large magnets - both 2 ohm.
The Hogtine 450 amp that kind of goes with those speakers is $400.
And while it may be an easy install for an audiophille the instructions look ridiculous to me - at least it's put in on top of the radio rather than under the touring pak like a lot are.
Maybe someday when I have absolutely nothing else to do.

 

There's a lot more to a speaker than the size of the magnet...


That's what sh.... Nevermind.

 

Well of course there is more to a speaker than the size of the magnets.
But what I am saying is there was nothing worse about these new speakers and they certainly had bigger magnets - and yet there was no improvement in the sound
So what are you saying? What other factor other than the magnets did these speakers have that wasn't at least as good as the OEMs?
Is there something worse about them than the OEMs that would explain it.
There is more than the size of the magnets - so what specifically did I put in that was worse?