Suggestions for aftermarket setup in 2011 DC.

I have a 2011 DC non-JBL and want to install a new system. Not looking for anything way louder than the stock setup, just cleaner and with a little more depth/bass. I was looking into the Pioneer double din AVH series head units but want to make sure I have the following:

1. Use of the controls on the steering wheel.
2. iPod/iPhone connect/control
3. Satellite built in.

I am also looking to replace all the stock speakers with something better and adding a sub.

Any suggestions?

 

Budget?

 

$2000-$2500

 

Any unit can have steering wheel controls with a SWI JACK or similar. Its $40 wholesale, $80 retail.

ANy unit requires the satellite as an add on but you can use the prewired antenna on your truck if you have one with an adaptor... still need the tuner seperately as well with pretty much any head unit.

The best deal on a good all in one amp is the Kenwood XR5S or Alpine PDX5 (less power and clarity in the Alpine). Wont beat the cost to benefit ratio and efficiency with anything else.

For speakers... listen to what you can audition and afford. Choose what sounds best to YOU. Listening to others opinions on items you cant audition wont help you. To many good options to list.

For a sub you will NOT need more than a single 10" sealed sub from your description of what you want. Try not to get a shallow mount sub as they dont have good low end extension. These are also preference. Alpine Type R, JL Audio W3, Image Dynamics IDQ are all popular sound quality choices. Try to listen to them.

You will need speaker, amp wiring, and RCA wires. Lots of goood options. Kicker, Stinger, Knuconceptz, etc. Monster puts plastic down the middle of their speaker wire and cheats you out of propper gauge size but is other wise pretty good. Get what looks best and is cheapest. The only thing that matters on speaker wire is gauge and thats its copper... twisted does not matter at all and 100% oxygen free is not a big enough a deal to matter if you get good gauge wire 16-18 for mids and highs and 12-16 for your sub.

For RCA you want sheilded. Nothing else matters. You do NOT want unsheilded twisted pair as you cant count on having balanced inputs on your gear and sheilded works well enough you cant gain anything from unshielded balanced pairs.

For power and ground wire you want 4 gauge and enough strand count to be flexible.

You wil need a trim kit for the head unit... Sosche or Metra. Metra black does not match base truck black interior but the silver does. Soche black matches beter than Metra but Meta wins on the silver. I painted my Metra black and my othersilver parts too. I reused the factory metal brackets and redrilled the holes to get the needed depth. The plastic brackets suck and wobble.

You will need a wiring harness for the head... any one will do.

You will need a model specific ipod wie hook up. I ran mine to the glove box cause its simple. Get one that deos video too if posible.

 

Thanks for the very detailed info, rep for you! This info will be good for when I visit my local audio shop this weekend. Thanks!

 

Realise that an audio shop pushes three things in wiring... thingsthey carry, things they make profit on and ease of install. So if a Kicker amp kit (one of the very best) has pre attached connectors they will want to push that. Just make sure you are picking things that matter like guage and strand count and not twisted speaker wores etc. My speaker wire is twisted but that was strictly for the sake of color matching and it came that way lol.

Few places will know about the Kenwood amp. Lots will know about the PDX amp. Realise the new PDX amps are all improved EXCEPT the PDX5. It is the same as last year... get the Kenwood for $20-30 more.

Dont discount speakers because of price. I have heard lots of speakers that sounded better but were cheaper (even half the price). If you listen to some good high end speakers it may spoil you though so be warned... its hard to accept less once you have heard what is possible.

It makes perfect sense to buy amps and head units from an authorised distributor... they are expensive, complex, and fail at a much higher rate than speakers. Id buy speakers online unless you get some kind of killer deal from your shop. I got Focal 165 KR and Focal 165 CVX for under $600 out the door. Thats is over $1000 retail in speakers. Buying from the shop vs buying from online means taking a step down in sound quality across the board for very little insurance on your investment. Bad speakers are pretty rare and if they are good on day 1 they are usually good forever... thats not true with head units and amps in my experience.

Also, any shop can sell things cheap. A shop is all about the INSTALLERS. Make sure they are experienced and have been there a long time. It would make sense to spend more on your install at a good, long standing shop than save $100 having it done at a chain audio store or even worse a Best Buy or similar.

If you like your install once its done... tip your installer. Even if all you can afford is to bring by a pizza for their lunch break.

 

When I saw this thread, I said someone is reading my mind. Bought me a 2011 DC TRD OR Barcelona Red this week. Ready to start the improvements. Been reading the sticky's regarding audio. I was hoping someone woulod chime in on this thread with a few suggestions regarding replacing the door speakers ie.. Brand and size ?? I'm not a hardcore Audiophile just want good clear audio and not break the bank. Not that money is a problem just know that good quality can be had for medium price. Also would like some feedback on HU's. So anyway Hello to all. From a newbie here but have owned 8 Toyotas starting with a new FJ40 in 74.

 

Run 6.5" components up front and 6.5" coax rear. You will need some MDF speaker baffles/adaptors especially up front because its a 6x9 up front from the factory.

For cheap speakers I like Infinity. They are kind of bright but do well with less power.

For more expensive the JL C5s have great midbass but lack a tiny bit in the tweet clarity.

Focal K2 are bright and clear but pretty expensive. The polyglass seem to have a bit less midbass and the highs are a little harsher with the metal inverted domes.

If you are willing to use pressed paper cone speakers there are lots of good options, so many that its really prefereance and beyond the scope of a genreal thread like this. At some point I know I will flood my doors so I didnt want paper cones.

The Polk SR speakers have to be on axis with their tweets. You cant mount them in the factory location up front or they sound bad. They have an option to run them coax and at an angle which makes for a better sound.

For a head I run a Kenwood DNX9960 but its $1300 and while its got every feature and option you may ever want or need it may be too much for your needs. My only complaiants on it are the voice input is kind of limited, the unit does not support 3D Garmin topographic maps for offroad use (it does regular topo maps though) and it occasionaly hangs on voice input POIs like if you want it to find the nearest XYZ store.

 

I have read/heard I may have reception issues trying to use the factory XM antenna with aftermarket head units, is this true? I'd hate to have a second antenna mounted up there...

After seeing the cost to do the complete setup like I want, I think I am going to have to do this in steps. After listening to the various speakers mentioned int his thread and then some, I preferred the sound of Boston's. Had them before and was happy with them.

I will probably do the head unit and door speakers first with an amp, then come back later and add the sub...JL stealth box. I think the Boston's had the best sound on there own with no sub and can be adjusted once I do add the sub.

Thoughts?

 

New Bostons or old? Boston, MB Quart, etc are not what they used to be, though IMO, MB Quart just tanked itself into a mediocre company and Boston still sounds good. If you have not listed to current production Boston dont assume they are still the same.

I did mine in stages. In fact my complete system is getting finall install and sound deadening in 2 days, monday morning. Research sound deadening too, I just spent $500 ON DEADENING MATERIALS ALONE! It is going to add 100 pounds to my truck lol. n Its my first time to deaded with MLV so we will see how it goes. Expect a full pictorial review next week.

 

DevL,
Tnx for the info, that was what I was looking for. I looked through Crutch's site but no C5 comp speakers. I had ball-parked spending up to $300 on fronts and around $150 or so for rears. for the head unit, 200 to 250. Maybe add a box, amp and sub later behind the rear seat if it needs it. 7 yrs ago on 03 Taco I had no problem upgrading audio, but been out of the audio loop since and don't know where to look and buy things now. So any more info "aka suggestions" will be appreciated. Only 1 car audio shop around here, seems like they are a " little fly-by-night" so hard to find somewhere to actually listen.

 

C5s can be had online for $300. Problem C5 coax rears are identical to the components (same crossover and drivers) so the coax rear is like $275 lowest I found online. The silk dome is smooth and never gets harsh but lacks detail. For instance during live performances the crowd is not as clear and becomes muddied. Regular voices sound great though.

I dont run XM so I cant help, just ipod via cable, CD, and Pandora bluetooth streamed through my phone.

Crutchfiled is WAY overpriced on everything. Full ass retail on many items. Try woofersetc, sonicelectronix, ebay, etc.

Dont they have personal cars to demo speakers to you at the shop? THats better than a sound board anyway so long as they can tune worth a crap.

Oh yeah one last tip... dont use those plastic speaker baffle boxes to seal your mids inthe door. WAY WAY to little air space and it will kill your low end extension for the midlrange. I am cutting one in half to use as a rain shield only.

OK last edited add I promise... got to hear the JL Stealthbox. Its just OK. It lacks in the very lowest octave. I have noticed this in the 13W5 slim woofers too. You can get MUCH better results with your own woofers and box IMO for the same or less. I will pay $480 for my V3 IDQ subs from woofers etc. and can build a box or have one built for $200. It wont be as tiny as the stealthbox but will give me more low end extension and clarity. Look at the cost of the included JL woofers in the DC model, (2) 10w1s. Both subs are worth about $250. That stealthbox is like $650. Thats not a box worth $400 IMO.