Kicker hideaway- final upgrade to the $250(+) 3rd gen premium upgrade (+Kicker Key 180.4 amp)

Anyone near Phoenix Arizona that really knows how to install this type of stuff wanna help a brother out?

 

Can anyone confirm which wires I need to splice? Is it better to do it at the kick panel, or behind the head unit??

 

hey OP with regards to the compact sub under the seat did you need an amp or does it have one built in somehow?.... i read through most of the thread and skipped the whole arguement phase and rather would just ask it direct, if its somewhere i missed let me know and i'll read through it

 

It's a powered sub, so the amp is integrated. I have one in my 2013 AC and I like it for what it is.

 

thats a good thing to know for the future, thanks @dirtdigginjoe, one question though, would you buy it again knowing what you know now or would you just do without?

 

I'd buy it again if I had an Access Cab to build. If I had a double cab I'd do a legitimate sub. My previous car had a Kicker L7 12 which bumped HARD but sounded great.

The hideaway is perfect for single cabs and access cabs. I have a Kenwood DDX9702S headunit, Kicker KS speakers all around, which are amped with a Alpine PowerPack (

$290 KTP-445U Universal Power Pack

KTP-445U). The hideaway helps make it sound nicer than a premium audio setup, and still has plenty of adjustability because of the headunit. I wouldn't waste money adding a Hideaway if I was retaining the stock headunit though. But that's just my opinion.

 

you wouldn't with the stock headunit because?....my knowledge of stereos is limited to changing stock speakers and maybe a head unit if i can take it out of the box and plug it into the harness and slide the radio in....never really had the money for much else...only reason i sound like a dumbass when it comes to this stuff...thanks for the advice for the future

 

The stock headunit gives little to no adjustment, or control of the sub. Running it off the rear speakers doesn't really allow for the best filtering (sound quality/crossover) so it doesn't sound as clean. The biggest upgrade comes from the headunit being replaced. You don't need a crazy DDIN radio to see the effects, either. You can do a decent single-DIN for about $130 and get all the adjustments and inputs needed to do it the right way.

No problem, that's why we're here! I'm an installer for BestBuy as well so anything we can do to help you learn more is always a plus!

 

So hopefully you can answer my question. Where is the easiest place to splice my rear speaker wires on my double cab for the stock head unit?

It is also for an under seat sub/amp.

 

Right side kick panel in passenger footwell. You should see the connections

 

Any chance you know which wires are for the rear speakers (color code)???

 

I ordered Metra pigtails and did my connections that way. The pigtails plug between the head unit and the main harness. The kicker hideaway is a powered sub with the following connections: Power, speaker and remote turn on. Power I went right to the battery. Ground I connected to the kick panel area.

All of the install information is in the first post including the Metra pigtail part numbers.

I personally am very happy with the hideaway with the stock head unit and the kicker speaker upgrade. I am not a major audiophile but I love the sound since the upgrades. I am actually considering replacing the stock subwoofer in my BMW Z3 with a hideaway based on how it sounds in the Tacoma.

 

Okay. So I ordered the Alpine Power Pack today at my local Best Buy. My installer there is really good. Is this gonna be a big difference with my SR5 Engine HU and Kicker KS speakers. Also did the Subaru Kicker tweets.

 

That will be a huge upgrade! I am an installer at best buy as well, and I personally run kicker KS series. Those speakers need power to sound good, but luckily the power pack puts out a good amount for its size. Not the cleanest at very high volumes, but it will get the job done compared to the radio's power.

 

So I should probably run a dedicated power wire from the battery ? And thanks for the input. My KS speakers sound great. But I can peg my HU at 56 . It's loud there but I shouldn't have to go that big. Also should I pick up the

$8 Metra 70-1761 Radio Wiring Harness For Toyota 87-Up Power 4 Speaker

Metra 70-1761 and 70-1761 leads for the install ?

 

Yes, you should run a dedicated power wire. I would not pull the power off another fused accessory in your vehicle and i doubt the OEM radio circuit is rated for 15A. Considering you have to run a dedicated power wire from the battery for the hideaway powered subwoofer you might as well just run it off the same power wire and use a power distribution block to split your main power wire to both products.

 

I never run new power wire for Power packs (an neither do any other professional installers I know) and I have yet to have a factory fuse blow.

Not sure what year your Taco is, but on 2017's, the radio circuit is fused at 20 amps. This is more than enough to run the factory head unit and a power pack. Or you could always disconnect the cig lighter and use its power wires, those are fused at 15 amps each.

 

That being said, You will need a power wire run to the battery for the Hideaway. And if you want to run a 2nd wire for the power pack while you're at it, it definitely won't hurt. I'm all for people doing more than necessary! But if you don't feel like buying/running a 2nd wire, the radio power is what myself and most other geek squad installers would use for the power pack.

 

@destin_meeks can you school me on this Alpine Power Pack? I was done with upgrades after the Hideaway but people keep posting shit to make my drive even more awesome. Since you know my setup already with the Metra pigtail harness would you splice the PP right into the Metra harness where the Hideaway is connected? Would this have any negatives by putting an amplified signal into the Hideaway?

Do you think this is a worthwhile upgrade? I have LOTS of sound in colder months with windows up but the last week with windows down I am not lacking volume but it isn’t as booming as with windows down. Might have to upgrade the title to $250+++++ upgrade.