Audio Upgrade & Replacement

Hi Everyone,

Can you guys link your threads or post photo/info of your upgraded audio equipment "parts list", speakers, amp, harnesses, plug converters, speaker brackets, and ect? I would like anything to make the process easier and less time consuming.

I haven't installed a system since I was in my 20's and I don't know which brands are still decent. Kicker, JL, Polk, Alpine, Pioneer, Cerwin Vega, and the many other brands that could have changed these past 20 years.

I want to replace all Speakers and use an Amp to run them from the factory head unit. I listen to both Rock and Rap, so I would like something that hits a little without having to buy a second Amp and Sub.

I see that a lot of people buy the Subaru Kicker tweeters. One thing I would like to ask is how the 3 sets of speakers are best wired into the 2-Channel amp. Are the 6x9s and the Tweeters on the same channel and is that the best way to wire them or is there a better way to balance them?

Any help is appreciated, because I really can't decide on how to approach this crap factory stereo situation.

Thank you in advance!

 

A lot off component lists below

Audio & Video | Tacoma World

 

The 6 x 9s in the front doors and the dash tweeters on on the same channel.

 

What year is your Tacoma? The newer ones have different wiring adapter parts. You may need to make your own harness. I ended up with:

Front doors and dash:
Kenwood Excelon KFC-XP6903C

These were not a direct fit, the mid/highs in the dash required cutting. The KFC-XP6902C should be a more direct fit, but I wanted the mids.

Rear doors: JBL GT7

Kicker Key 4-channel amp, running in bi-amp mode (2 channels to the dash, 2 channels to the doors). Rear speakers are run off of the head unit just to provide some fill, my dog doesn't care.

I made a harness from 2 Metra connectors (1 male and 1 female) that spliced in wires to send signal to the amp. I have a 2018, and those were easy to find and cheap. Newer models may require a a different approach, and appear to be more expensive adapters.

I went through a few iterations before landing here, and this is the best setup I have found that retains a mostly stock setup with much better sound. Amazon has their Amazon Basics sound deadener for cheap, and I would recommend doing that as well.

 

I guess the back doors are too low of a profile to add some of the deeper 6.5in. Do you guys know how much room there is to work with?

I will probably just end up ordering speakers that you or other people have suggested, but I was looking at the crazy variety of sizes on the market now-a-days.

I have never seen magnets this big on speakers. The last system I did was in my brand new 1997 z28.


I will probably keep it under 200 or 300 watts since I can't hear as-is.

For some reason I have never cared for the 6x9 and 6.5in speakers with the built-in Tweeters in-front of them.

I had a bad experience with a pair of Sony that were made like that.

When having a pair of Tweets already on the dash, doesn't adding more tweets in the doors end up making the sound too high?

 

I just got the 2022 Off-Road "not the JBL" They are trying to pull those same cheap sound tricks that Bose tries to pull, but it just sounds terrible.

I am not sure if the rear speakers just suck that bad in the 2022, or if the Head Unit is not providing the same amount of power on the back channel.
If you fade to the back doors, it is literally maybe 1/4th as loud as the front doors and it almost sounds like they are being ran on an RCA signal. No Joke...
I had a 2017 Taco and the sound in the back was just as good or better than the front.
The 2022 might as well not have back speakers.

I go to Toyota in the morning to have my rails attached and to pick up a bed mat. I am going to fuss about it and see what they say, but I am sure they already have their sell and have heard it all before.

 

It's the HU. For whatever reason they thought that under powering the rear speakers was the way to go.

 

That is just hideous. Thanks for letting me know.

I wonder if it would be a good idea to leave the tweets on the front head unit signal and then do all of the doors on the rear signal through a 4-channel amp.

The reason I think this is because the head unit would have decent power for the new set of tweeters on the dash.

Then with the amp, each door speaker would have its own channel without doubling up the Tweeters with the 6x9s.

Also the fade function could help with adjusting the highs more.

Does that sound like a decent idea?

 

Sorry, I'm really the wrong one to ask... I just did a bunch of reading in the audio/video section to try and find out what route I'd like to go on an upgrade. But the long and short is that the HU needs replacing, and or an amp to have better overall sound. And if I'm not mistaken, the front speakers have a proprietary crossover for the tweeters in the dash.

 

Yeah, I am not sure who to ask. I will stop at a audio shop since I am going to Vegas today and I will see if they know anything about it.

Do the tweeters have their own wires going in the stereo or are they on the same wires/leads as the 6x9?

Back in the 90's I remember buying Pioneer subs and the bandpass box had tweeters. Yet the tweeters and the subs were ran from the same leads with no type of crossover in the box.

I never thought I would have to look into car stereo systems again. I was content with the stereo in my 2017 Taco. This one is just the worst trash that I have seen in a car/truck.

I played Youtube from Bluetooth, I was able to Max the volume, and it was only half as loud as SiriusXM. I know the bitrate of YouTube audio makes music not sound great, but this is just so bad when compared to other car stereos.

 

Crutchfield.com
Input your year/make/model then choose the components you want.
I've swapped the HU, all door speakers and added amps to my Tacoma. You also need some other components to retain the steering wheel controls.

 

I've been through all this. I also was committed to using the stock HU, (although I did replace the HU with one from a Sienna to get Carplay and Andriod Auto). I like my metal loud and clear. I've replaced various components 3X. Did the Kickers and tweeters all around with the Key amp and under seat sub. Replaced those. Then added a Audio Control LC7i Line out converter to with some Alpine Type R components to the front and some Hertz speakers in the rear with and NVX amp (with the LOC and an Alpine self powered sub under the seat. Much better but still wanted more. The I bought from a vendor that has been blacklisted on here (TT) This sounded even better but felt like it still needed a little more. I then put the Type R components in the fronts again along with the Hertz (never took them out too lazy). Then added a JL Fix86 which really cleaned it all up and added the power back in the rear. The thing that really pushed it over the top was a

$900 Alpine X-A90V 5-Channel Power Density Amplifier w ID

Alpine X-A90V 900 Watt 5-Channel amp which really powered up the 12" sub from TT.

Several things that I learned which sound like you are figuring out. The rear speaker are EQd way down from the HU. The JL FiX 86 fixes that along with a QUALITY amp.
The front speakers set up in series (instead of parallel) using passive components to act as a high pass filter. If you use Aftermarket component speakers you will need to reconfigure the wiring. There are adapters made to plug into the harness at the tweeter to be able to add in aftermarket components. A good sub is almost a necessity.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some things because I've been trying to perfect the sound but it has been a journey.

 

I'll try to answer some of your specific questions in this post:

1. That speaker looks too deep. Might interfere with the window operation

2. I assume your talking peak watts - 200 or 300W since that kind of power is unnecessary in the rear - a good 40 to 75W RMS Coaxial (speaker with the tweeter in the middle) will do fine in the rear. The extra tweeter back there is down low and doesn't really mess up the front sound stage. Some Coaxials have tweeters you can aim.

 

Why the addition of an LC7i after replacing the HU?
Aren't line converters used to retain the factory HU and for adding RCAs for adding amps?
Did your Sienna (which i

Everything about the look of this picture screens no way this fits in a door. In fact, it looks like a performance 8" driver from the look of the stitching, cone, frame and magnet. You don't see 6.5 beefed up like this, to my knowledge.

 

i never put an aftermarket stereo in.

 

I guess I misread where you wrote you did replace the HU with one from Sienna for carplay and android auto.

 

Agreed. After doing that I would call them and ask their recommendations for exactly what you are wanting in your system. They blow me away at their knowledge of systems and what works best ib different vehicles. I have used them twice in the past and they even helped me with a system the person I was helping did not even buy from them.

 

I was reading about amps and some have "High-Level Amp Inputs". I was thinking that I needed an LOC to keep from frying an Amp, but I guess not.
Were you just using them for even better sound or did your amps not have those High-level inputs?

How was the kicker system? I am sure it wasn't near as good as having a sub, but what didn't you like about it?

I have never been a huge fan of Metal, but I have my moments when I want to hear some Metal. I like a lot of 90's hip-hop and Classic Rock.

I usually take Dogs with me everywhere I go, so the days of 15inch Kicker-comp subs are gone for me. However I do need an Amp for the door speakers. The head unit doesn't have enough power for anything decent.

I will probably keep my budget around a grand and I have almost decided to just get a used amp on Ebay. It seems the price on a new one is much more than a used one. Most of them now-a-days have protections, right? I hate the idea of a used one, but I would get more bang.


Why was the vendor removed from Taco world? If it was nothing nefarious, can someone PM me?

 

An LC7i is under 200$. You can get an LC2 for much less and it performs the same basic functions

 

I used the LOC for several reasons. The main one was to equalize the front and rear signal outputs. I first noticed it when I had my powered sub (Alpine PWE-S8 8") running of the rear signal and I had almost no response as I turned up the volume. Also wanted to use it to run low level outputs to an amp.

I liked it. Especially like the Key amp which had a cool self-tuning mode. It just didn't have enough power (50W RMS x4 channel) to create the loudness I wanted.

If you're talking about payment protection then yes they do. If you use PayPal you have 6 months of protection. I bought the Alpine amp I have now on Ebay and saved almost 50%. It had a couple scratches and didn't come with the bass knob but I didn't care about those things.