2020 Tacoma LC7I Needed?

(reposting in correct forum)
Hello everyone. I'm a new Taco owner and love it. I've replaced the tweeters and the door speakers with really nice Kickers, but there is almost no volume in the stock radio to the rear. I therefore bought a 5 channel amp to run all speakers, plus a new subwoofer to go behind the backseat, but the question I have is whether or not I can just use the high level inputs on the amp or do I need an lc7i? The only reason I would need the line output converter like that is if the stock radio turns down the bass as you turn up the volume. Some stock radios do, some stock radios don't. I don't know what this one does. Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks!

 

Tacoma radios don’t suffer from bass roll-off (at least none of them up to 2019 have, so I doubt the 2020 will)

the amp itself will be the deciding factor if you need a LOC or not. What amp is it

 

Thanks!
Pioneer G-DX975. Says it has high level input capabilities, so my plan was to run the speaker wires into it and then 14 gauge speaker wires out to the speakers.

 

You’ll have to check what the max voltage the speaker level inputs on the amp can handle. Almost all amps can handle 10 volts. So, measure the voltage coming out of your speakers.

 

This is normal and has nothing to do with needing a amp. The rear speakers on the tacoma just get no output from the OEM headunit. You can add a amp and will be able to turn the rear up a bit, but the output will always be lower than the front.

 

I was afraid of that. I knew it was potentially a processing issue that would carry over to the amp. I decided to get the amp anyways because it was only a little more in cost, including cost of install, and it had to have some benefit to running my 150 RMS and 100 RMS off the amp instead of the stock radio.

Next question. If I replace the head unit to deal with this, what functionality am I losing?

I am coming from 11 years in a G35 with immersive sound and I miss it.

 

You will loose some info in the cluster (song title and nav) depending on what radio you go with you may loose other things. But for the most part, back up camera, steering wheel controls, and gps (radio screen) will work with a new headunit.


When I did my android headunit, it was all plug and play. The only things I lost were the info displayed in the gauge cluster, but I never really used those things anyways.
What I did gain though is - Google maps, internet connection, youtube, all streaming apps, local storage that I can put my music on, android auto/apple carplay, and a few other things

 

Are you sure? Some other member posted to my original thread (in the wrong forum) and said his 2019 had bass roll off and needed an LC7I. Thanks in advance for the insight.

 

It is actually quite the opposite, as shown here.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-entune-audio-curve-graph.608790/#post-20577882

 

And for clarification, these are of Entune 2 radios. I haven’t seen graphs of the Tacoma entune 3, but I have seen graphs of the Camry entune 3 (which is basically the exact same radio) and they look identical to the entune 2.

 

Now that's a definitive answer! Thanks!

 

I have a 2020 and the back is softer then the front. After adding a 5 channel and using the high input. Still had the same issue with rear speaker being a lot softer. So now I used only the inputs from front speakers to input. And it’s all balance now. Getting a LC2i to get more bass too. Feel like there is a bass roll off. But could be the music coming from Spotify. Sometimes is super clean and then it’s less loud from previous song.

 

There is 100% no bass roll off. I ran those tests myself.

The reason there is low volume from the rear is because the stock system sends very little power to the rear speakers. When installing subwoofers, its always recommended to get your signal from the front speakers.

 

Does that doubling the front inputs to the amp double the workload and create potential distortion? I'm probably asking this like a noob, but hopefully you understand.

 

Ideally if your using a 5 channel amp you would go with just the front inputs and tell the amp to use that as your signal. When I have my factory headunit in, I run the front channels to my DSP and set that to take 2 channels in and output 10 channels.

 

Thanks for clarifying. I think I just want it to hit better on the bass . It’s loud for one 8in bazooka tube. But swapping out bazooka speaker for a Skar 8vvx. They have done it here with image dynamics 8. And what a big difference.

 

Did the bazooka tube speaker swap today. Also dynamat the inside tube too. What a big difference. Hits way harder and feels like I have two 8inch bazooka now. Feel like it hits the lower bass notes now.