JBL or stock audio

I've had my truck for two weeks now. I love the JBL!!!
The sound stage from the drivers seat seems about like my knees up. The highs are very clean and detailed and the bottom end is strong and well balanced between the sub and the doors. The mids take a little bit of fiddling, but one you find your sweet spot, the entire sound stage is alive.

I've listened to so many varieties of music and have yet to hear something where the system falls flat. Some classical with Anderson and Roe on the piano comes through so clean and detailed you can hear some of the nuances in the pianos they play. Breaking Benjamin and Muse are just a fun experience in the drivers seat. Bassnectar and Noisia are two great ways to show off some of the extremes of the sound.

Best of all no rattles, I didn't have to do any work or cut into any wiring and it has an actual warranty! It won't win a sound off and if you just have to tweak something then you'll probably find a reason to change it.

I think the best thing Toyota/JBL did was move the tweeters to the dash. I think it greatly improved staging.

So my focal stuff is now in process of being sold off... Kept it just in case I didn't like the JBL... But I love it

 

I'd go with 4WD and after market audio. JBL is ok but comes with a bigger price tag than an after market system that is much better quality.
The OR only comes with JBL with the premium package.

 

how did you connect the Line Output Converter to what speakers or to the head unit, what are the wire colors?

have pictures.

 

To be honest I have no idea. I bought all the stuff I needed and then took it to an audio shop for them to install. I'm not comfortable messing around with electronics on cars.

However, I'm pretty sure that he spliced it in to the front speaker sets from behind the head unit. I don't know if anyone has done their own install, but the guy was telling me they changed the wiring in this year's taco to aluminum. So, if that is the case, just a heads up for all the solder points.

 

Not true, my TRD-OR with premium and tech package does NOT have JBL. It (JBL audio system) is a $700 option which I would say is well worth it. You will not be able to add an aftermarket sub, amp and speakers for less than $700. Problem is you may have to wait 12 weeks to order a truck with it in my area SE PA.

I had a 2016 Limited that I traded in for the OR and the JBL sounded much better and clearer than my non JBL OR.

 

Def feels good to listen to old hip hop, turn up the volume 60% but left bass 0 and still feel it, love the JBL sub although 8", still packs a punch for me!!!

And yes, i have experience with aftermkt 10", 12" subs and amps.

Can you install aftermarket sound system, hell yeah but he q's for me is can you or they install it cleanly like factory & keep the cost lower than what the factory charge? If yes hen go for it!!! I for one also value quality work/install and i know its there from factory and i for sure dont want some guy to rip open panels to run wires etc...

Seriously the factory 8" sub packs a punch! Some times internet with its unlimited opinions can steer you to a path that will only confuse you.

 

I have to disagree.

I sold car audio for many years, I would say it's going to cost you a LOT more to put a better sound system in after market versus getting the JBL, perhaps less so if you do the installs yourself, but if you can't, then paying for a sub, custom box, amps, wiring, head unit, fronts, rears, 2nd amp for those...you can easily spend $3k on that. If you somehow buy all those items for $1000 then you purchased horrible products that won't sound anywhere near as good as the JBL does.

 

I don't understand why people keep arguing with this. The Premium and Tech package is a must in order to have the JBL audio system. That is a $2,000+ package. So for most of us that do not have any reason to get the Premium and Tech package outside of JBL audio, that is part of the cost. It is NOT just $700. It's more like $2,700+. Hell yeah I can get a professional quality sound system for well under that.

Also I've been in trucks with some nice after market head units that alone can outperform JBL.
JBL is not the shit, nor worth the value. Sorry.

You also can get a Kicker head unit, speakers, and amp installed for about $600. Including all new wiring.
(and yeah I'm insinuating that is better than factory JBL).

But you can't act like the Tech and Premium Package is not part of the cost. It is. Because you can't just add JBL to any other trim level.

 

That's assuming you're doing the work yourself. The only hard part is wiring the amp to everything. You don't need a custom box there's plenty of ones you can buy that will fit in the limited space of the tacoma. The only real big money part is the actual amp as well. Few hundo for the sub and speakers, and receiver plus install kits and dynamats. It's not difficult at all to get for a grand. But I agree with you paying for labor wouldn't be worth your while.

 

JBL system for me. Heard the JBL system in a buddy's previous gen Taco and thought it sounded good for OEM. Made sure that option was included when I was searching for my Taco. I've had aftermarket systems (head unit, speakers, amps, subs) in all my previous vehicles with a long list of known brand names, but didn't want to go through the hassle of finding the right combination of amps/speakers/sub (with custom box) this time around. Yes, you can get better results from an aftermarket system at the same price (more or less even), but as others have stated, the JBL system sounds good and is balanced.

 

There's lots of ways to compare value
Really you could buy truck without JBL sound system, and add a sub, box, and amp, and that would get you damn near all of the sound improvement the JBL system offers. You don't "have" to replace front/ rears and head unit.

 

The SR5 speakers are hot garbage. The sr5 head unit looks nice but its pretty restrictive especially when you get higher end equipment in there I'm more into quality tweeters/ midrange than I am with subs anyways.

 

I haven't listened to it, but generally speaking adding a subwoofer is a much more obvious improvement versus changing out the mids.

your sound quality preferences obviously mandate what is best for you, but for the average person if you did a blind test with shitty mids' highs and a sub, it would sound "better" than higher quality mids - highs and no sub.....the sub fills out a massive amount of the hz that mids/hi's don't cover.

when I sold car audio the average system was $2000, highest was $20k but for those customers who had a limited budget it was always more impressive to add a sub then change anything else...even if it was a cheap sub/ amp combo

 

If I bought all that listed would it all plug in play nicely with my 2016 taco's entune headunit?

 

Not really a fair comparison IMO, the premium and tech package gives you so much more as well, but I get what you're saying. It's not like you can plop down $700 on top of any truck and get the JBL.

When I first shopped around, I knew for sure I wanted premium and tech, but unsure about JBL since i'm not a fan of stock systems anyways. But I found a truck with JBL so FOR ME, the extra cost was $700. After hearing the JBL and tuning it the way I like I, there is no question it was worth the extra $700 for me.

 

All that matters.

 

blkbelt42

blkbelt42 wrote
The sub is a JL Audio 10WX
Enclosure is Audio Enhancers RS38
JL Audio C2690tx
Alpine MRV-F300

all good to read, what costs are we looking at.
as up here in Canada to get the jbl we have to buy the limited which is $4k more. (yes we get leather too)

 

I just ordered my 2016 TRD Off Road with Premium Tech Pkg. (excited). But, NO JBL. What?!! WHY you say?? Because I chose a 6 sp. manual transmission. For the life of me I can't understand why they exclude JBL if you get a manual transmission. THEY DO. Maybe it's for the better as it forces me to go aftermarket. I'd rather not fool with it though. Anyone else frustrated with this?

 

Yes it's weird... Conspiracy

 

I went to a Pro-Car Audio guy locally and told him I was looking for a good overall system. He priced out JL component speakers in the front, a Memphis 10 with box, Kenwood 5 channel amp, and the JL "fix" which is a equalizer for an OEM head unit. All of that is coming in at 1450...much less than the upgrade cost of the JBL system, and will smoke it in every way!