$2500 Full SQ System Suggestions

I'm planning a system, and wanted to see what brilliant ideas/systems y'all could come up with!
I've had a few specific questions before, but wanted to get a big picture look with the expertise available here.

- - - - - Parameters - - - - -
- Keeping stock radio, non JBL, 2021 Toyota Tacoma
- Stock OEM locations: Door - up to 8" 3.25 depth, Corner Dash - up to 3" diam. (firing up at windshield), can add tweeter to sail panel if needed. NO rear speakers.
- Sub depth up to 5", 1.0 cu ft max (building my own box, don't need to include price in budget)
- Amps under seats (12x8x2 safely)

So, with $2500, what would your build be?

Speakers
Sub
Amps
DSP
Sound Treatment
Wiring

Planning to purchase in 1 month, and want to have all my ducks in a row to do it asap once my bonus check comes in.

PS. I already have a calibrated Umik-1 and some practice with REW.

 

With that budget, for amp/DSP I'd go with an AudioControl D-5.1300. Powerful 5 channel amp with integrated DSP that is tuned by software via USB port.

 

Wish I installed wire for a rear facing camera when I pulled the headliner.

 

Good suggestions, I even have a local place that can get me a good deal on it. The only problem is that the EQ is a standard graphical eq, not parametric. So you cant specify which freq you want to adjust or the q values. I do love the all in one simplicity of it though.

What kind of wire should I run? I haven't looked into dash cams to much.

 

$2500 going to be tough.

You will need something to unfuck the OEM radio output. JL FiX works well but it won’t restore your bass when it starts to attenuate at fader 25. You might want to look into the Helix holy shit DSP/amp but I can’t give you first hand feedback on that.

 

this was also my experience with a LC7. if you are any kind of SQ focused, the stock HU has gotta go!

 

According to this thread https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-entune-audio-curve-graph.608790/ there is no bass roll off. And I could always use a remote from the amp or dsp to turn the bass up/down

 

That’s from a 2018. In my 2020 the bass stops keeping up between 25 and 30.

 

Were you able to test this via Freq output, or based on what you were hearing? With the oem speakers or after market? thx

With this budget I'll have a dsp (helix or minidsp) most likely.

 

I saw it on a BIT as well as the DM 608 before I yanked those out and put in a FiX.

 

My 2018 did the same thing. Just get a head unit and save yourself the headache ! Stock head unit is garbage

 

Okay but why spend 1/2 of the budget on a head unit when you can get a dsp/ amp combo for even less. I still havent seen a good reason given for the need of a new head unit. Bass roll of and some eq issues that need to get fixed... is that is?

 

I refuse to get a new head unit. I like the stock one to be honest. I'm going with a LC7i. You just have to wire your high level inputs correctly to get the best results. For instance, the LC7i auto converts Channel 2 inputs to the subwoofer input, so I will wire my front speaker inputs into channel 2 to get the max bass signal going into the LOC. I was going to install everything Saturday but my family wants to do a damn gathering.

 

Hey there, I'm running a $3500 sq oriented system with the stock head unit, so I might be helpful.

110%, I'd recommend the CDT Unity 8.0's in the dash locations, and you can get the refurbs for only $120 right now...stupid good deal. Can't recommend them enough, you won't need tweeters in the pillar or sails. SO good. I find myself listening to female vocalists like Whitney and Mariah just to hear these things shine.

I'd leave the rears stock or disconnect them altogether and put the funds elsewhere.

I'm running some CDT 6x9's in the doors as well, but at this point (I haven't hooked up my mic for a true tune yet, doing so this week) I don't know if they're a keeper or not. Audio Frog's get great reviews too.

I'm running the JL Vx800/8i, but find it underpowered for my JL 10w1. Without rears, I think the 1000/5 is perfect along with a 10TW3 sub, but perhaps pushing things out of the budget.

The new hotness in sound deadening is Resonix. 50% coverage with the CLD squares in the doors and rear wall go a long way. Better than 100% coverage with Dynamat or another, budget brand. Costs a bit more but needing way less helps keep it in the ballpark. Some of their foam and butyl rope in the doors to round it out.

 

This is very close to what I was planning! Unity 8's seem amazing, and their CL-69 woofers in the doors. I already have the rear doors turned off and like the clarity of just a front stage.

Does the 10tw3 get loud enough? Of the hundred sub iterations I've modeled the 10tw3 was in the top 5 (along with ds4 10/12, DD SL612, 12tw3), it just had much lower output compared to some of the others.

According to jtrosky's models, the cl-69 and the audio frog model close to each other in their car. While I'd love the coolness factor of 8" woofers in the door, it seems like with such a small freq range, they all model similarly.

 

Besides distortion starting at Volume setting 49, none of the channels have the same output voltage, there’s also some time correction required. This is why I chose to use a JL FiX 82, it corrects the OEM output delays (you need a time corrected signal for subwoofer because that is a sum signal), but also it provides a digital output to feed my DSP.

I chose to prioritize those things and decided to do what you mentioned, use the bass knob, which I didn’t really want to do but that’s the trade off I made.

 

Thanks for the input! With 1000watts in the system I probably wont need to go over 50 vol, and I was planning on using just the front 2 channels from the HU (rears disconnected). Delay can be fixed via the dsp. So hopefully the bass roll off wont be to much of an issue, but I can use the remote if it is. Thanks again

 

I added parenthetically to my comment that you want time corrected signal going to your DSP (unless yours will do this) because subwoofer signal is derived from L/R sum and an output delay can’t correct that.

 

Are you saying the front L and front R channels have different time alignment (ie front L is delayed 0.00X)? So if, I send a signal to the subwoofer using both L and R it wouldn't be synced up? (the sub would get the signal twice, once delayed by 0.00X)

If I'm understanding you correctly.. couldn't I use the L or R signal for 100% of the sub signal (are those low freq always mono, or would i miss out on sub freq played on the missing side)... or could I time adjust the sub channels 5/6 so they are in sync via a dsp.

 

Yes. How you fix it is your choice, or don’t, but you did say you wanted SQ and correcting the signal before it becomes a subwoofer output is the right way to do it.