2021 Speaker Upgrade with amp and Factory Head Unit

I am thinking about replacing the factory speakers in my 2021 TRD Sport and want to put an amp on the after market speakers. I may hook up a sub in the future and may or may not upgrade the head unit. I have installed car audio before but always replaced the speaker wire and put in head unit and speakers and amp. I am not sure how I would go about connecting the amp to the door speakers and the factory head unit and later connecting the sub if I decide to add one. Is there a good guide on this process anyone knows of? I have looked for stuff but it is mostly people installing whole systems or different setups then what I am planning. Sorry if I my explanation is confusing.

 

Not really into car audio like I used to be I would check out Crutchfield and use their fitment search tool. I just did it for the 2021 and they list a lot equipment and will also have any kind of harness you may need to use.

Also not sure how upgrading the HU in these trucks would work since a lot of functions in the truck are controlled through it.

 

Yeah i was worried about losing function if I upgraded the head unit but seen that they have a device that connects to the truck and retains the functions.

I have been on crutchfield looking at speakers but I haven't looked at amps, maybe I will select an amp and see if it gives me any kind of kit or instructions for that as well. I know it gives you the mounting stuff and instructions for the speakers.

 

If using the factory head unit, you will need some sort of line-out converter or an amplifier that has high level inputs.

You can use speedwire and make a harness to get the input from behind the radio back to you amp and pump out the amplified signal back into the stock speaker wiring. This will alleviate the need to run all new wiring to all the doors. I would highly recommend not cutting any of the factory wiring and spending the money for correct harnesses.

 

Awesome, so I can get something that would connect to the speaker wire directly behind the head unit, that makes sense. I was trying to think how to get all the cables back to the amp. I for sure don't want to cut any of the factory wires and really don't evenlike tapping into them if I can help it. Do you have a link of any kind to a harness you are referring to? That would be sweet! Thanks for the response.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2017-Toyota-Factory-Radio-Add-A-Subwoofer-Amplifier-Plug-Play-Harness-/143928640738


you can cut this one up to run into high level inputs.

 

If you want to do it right get the add an amp, or DSP harness. That would include connectors for grabbing/returning speaker wiring as well as amplifier turn on.

 

So I have been watching videos and doing research, trying to figure this out. I found that you can get an amp that takes the speaker level input from the stereo. If I used that I would just unplug where the factory speakers go into the head unit and make a harness to go out from that location to the amp RCA. Then make another harness to plug into the speaker cable connection I unplugged from the factory head unit and run it back to the amp and connect it to the speaker channels? Does that sound correct? Not sure if I got that right.

I am still trying to work it out in my head how to set up the line out converter.

 

Pac-audio.com has the AmpPRO, a little pricey, but looks to be a plug and play option

 

Sweet, yeah it is a little expensive but they also have the cables listed under it and might be able to make something out of those. Considering upgrading the head unit just to bypass all this stuff and make it simple, but a decent one is very expensive.

 

Many of us use maestro to retain steering wheel controls on aftermarket head units. I have the pioneer 6600. See the thread on it, we are all happy, and yes it isn’t cheap.

I’ve done custom connectors for others doing speaker injection and also for high level outputs but in 2020 the connectors changed so I don’t think I have the ones I’d need for your truck. @JJD92 might have some pointers for you guys with your nice shiny new 2021’s

 

Awesome, thanks! I was looking at the Pioneer DMH-WT8600NEX and the Kenwood head unit comparing the two. I was also looking at the OEM Audio option maybe. So many ways to do it, it's a tough choice, just want some quality audio lol.

 

Check out the pioneer thread and maybe hit up @svermilyea too, he is the man.

 

Kind of forgot about these guys but check out OEM Audio Plus. Not at all cheap though!

https://oemaudioplus.com/toyota/tcd1600/

**Just saw you already posted about that**

 

yeah I was checking that out for a simple solution, but you pay for it. I would like to find someone with it installed and hear it, may look on facebook and see if anyone close has it.

I will check that out! Thanks!

 

Pioneer thread

OEM Audio thread

 

I still have a factory H/U in my 2nd gen, I originally went with audio control lc7i. Went and got the wiring harness diagram from a forum on here ran wires from the back of the radio head to the lc7i and then add the amps. I just upgraded to the audio control d6.1200. If you wanna spend some money and get the high level input and an amp like you were talking about they have have the LC series or the D series. the D series has a dsp built into it, which I'm running in my truck with a separate amp for my subs. The LC doesn't have the dsp option which is why there's a big price difference between the two.
(1) LC7i - Add Amplifers to Stock Car Audio System - AudioControl - Bing video
LC7i | AudioControl
LC-5.1300 | AudioControl
D-6.1200 | AudioControl

 

Yeah I was eyeballing that LC7i as well, looks like it would work nicely. I seen those amps and they are super nice, buttttt mannnnnn, that price. It seems like no matter which way I go though something is going to cost a lot lol. Do you still have your factory head unit in yours?

 

Yes I do, I don’t mind the factory head units on the Tacoma’s, it does what I need it. It’s the non jbl engine radio head. The only thing about the Lc7i that was a little bit of a pain was setting up the accubass. Too much causes distortion but other than that it was perfect for me

 

Kicker key??