Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

Ok, so I did the headlights truck and got the model number of my head unit.
86140-04230. Made by Pioneer.

According to the thread, I have a entune 3.0 plus. But the manufacturer is not Fujitsu Ten, it's Pioneer. Whatever... Mfgr doesn't really matter.

What is the logical upgrade path for the Entune 3.0 Plus? Tweeters first, then 6x9s?

 

https://trailgridpro.com/products/kicker-plug-play-6-speaker-bundle-upgrade-16-23-tacoma

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...r-less-than-250.510424/page-244#post-29130997

If you don't have a "Premium" HU, only do the tweeters, unless you're willing to add an amp, and even then, your upgrade path might just be a new HU and speakers, altogether.

The "Plus" is just a "Base" HU with Navigation.

 

OK, thanks. $100 for the tweeters sounds like a good budget option to start. Maybe an powered sub someday. The only time I'm REALLY feeling like the radio is inadequate is when I'm driving with the windows down on the highway. I'd probably need a whole new system to overpower the wind/traffic noise. My old Charger with the 10 speaker Beats Audio system was fantastic, but I'd probably have to do $2-3k worth of work to get my Tacoma up to that level.

 

This is a great write up. I’ve saved it on list of upgrades I want to do.

 

Are you running your four door speakers off that Kicker Key Amp?

I went with the Kicker CS line and did the 6x9's in the front and the round CS speakers in the back doors. Paired that with the Subaru tweeter upgrade. I'm running an Alpine ILX 507 with no amp and I feel like the highs are too harsh, even with the bass turned all the way up and the treble turned all the way down. I couldn't imagine running an amp to them without a sub.

 

I am running all (dash, front door, and rear door) speakers through the kicker key. It self-tunes. Before sealing it up, I had to run its internal setup, which required me to connect the included mic, press a button on its cord, and let it self adjust. Kicker has a link to download lab-grade pink noise, which I ran out to a CD. Played the CD at like 3/4 volume, set the radio's tone controls to flat, put the mic on the driver 's headrest, and let it do its thing. Took like ten minutes. You need to be out of the vehicle, the windows up, and the climate control shut off.

After it set up, I then set the gains for the front and rear so that at 7/8 volume on the radio, the amp wouldn't clip.

Fronts are still stronger than the backs, but it's much improved over stock. No harsh highs for me. YMMV.

 

For some unknown reason my left front door speaker is now blown. I did this upgrade about 4 years ago and love the improvement but starting about a month ago the left front speaker started sounding like shit. Stock head unit, no amp added. Rarely played at high volume. Guess I'll be ordering a new pair of speakers for the front doors. Anyone else experience this? I just feel the Kicker speakers should hold up longer than 4 years of relatively light use.

 

My front left door started making a noise this past summer. But I do like to jam at higher volumes from time to time, so go figure.

When I removed the door panel to replace the speaker, I noticed one of the white plastic clips was missing which hold the panel in place. That might be the source of the rattle and not the speaker itself.

Either way, I have now turned the bass down on my front speakers.

 

I thought my speaker was blown also, lots of rattling. It ended up being the wiring harness. I used electrical tape to wrap the wiring and plastic harnesses together in a small bundle and now the rattling is gone.

 

I had an issue with rattle, too. However, my issue was the plate behind the driver's door pull handle / latch -- the one you need to pop off in order to take the door panel off. I just stuck some silly-putty-look-a-like behind it and popped it into place... No more rattles. YMMV.

 

Crutchfield under their “shop my car” keeps telling me that 6.5’s fit in the front doors of the Tacoma along with the oem size 6x9. Has anyone ever installed the bigger 6.5’s in the front door in here? It’s a stupid question I know, because I’m expecting them to be wrong but they’re the “audio experts” *shrugs*


I mean, I get it. The rears have 6.5’s right? So in theory they should also fit in the front? Just curious, sorry for asking!

 

I'm sure they sell adapter to take it from 6x9 to 6.5. I Kept the 6x9 in the front.

 

Fascinating, thank you for your response! Google just told me that 6x9’s will usually offer more low end/bass so i might opt for the 6x9’s after all

 

6.5s work!

 

maybe they've changed it, but my old 2001 mitsubishi eclipse came with 6.5" door speakers. crutchfield would only ever tell me 5.25" door speakers were all that fit.

i bolted 7" speakers in it without issue.


my current working theory is that they look at the largest/deepest of each speaker and verify fit off that. and not all vehicles are capable of having the largest/deepest of the oem size installed, and there's also plenty of leeway for them to deny 'guaranteed fit' off that.



i'm currently running 7" dayton esoteric's in my other vehicle, which are only about 1/4" larger cutout than the 6.5" peerless hds nomex i'm running in the truck currently. if dayton still sold the esoteric's, the truck would've gotten a pair of them. they're just an interesting speaker, though i don't feel they offer any tonal difference from the peerless hds...

my future upgrade plans for the truck are to install css ldw7 7" mids in the doors. i'm hoping it's a nice compromise between what i have and the 8" mids i'd really prefer, but can't fit.


i tend to stick with round speakers over oval speakers due to the distortion characteristics. when pushed hard, ovals tend to collapse a little more onto themselves due to the race track design.

 

Wow, whadya know. Thank you!

 

Your quality was still good without touching the amp after installing the speakers? My rear sub just blew in my jbl Tacoma. I have an upgraded joying headunit unit as well and I’m in a pickle. Some say that just upgrading the sub produces poor sound quality without touching the amp, and some say it still sounds good. Better than a blown amp? I would rather just upgraded the sub to a RF p3ds2 or the kicker you mentioned. Just stuck

 

dude. mine too. installed them. couple weeks later 6x9 and tweeter blown.
Maybe crossovers are needed.

 

it sounded fine. But I also didn't keep the Taco a whole lot longer after installing. Maybe 5 months. And then I reverted it to stock before selling.