Upgrading stock radio

I'll add.... Go component over coax or triaxial speakers. The higher the frequency the more directional it becomes. You'll lose a fair amount of highs with tweeters mounted low on the doors

 

Pioneer is the only manufacturer that uses MOSFET output transistors in their head units. The result is slightly more output power than any other manufacturer and clearer sound at high volumes. All other brands use IC chips for their output.

In 36 years of being a professional installer the most reliable brands are Pioneer and Alpine. I'm not suggesting the other major brands are crap but I'm positive about my opinion.

I hate Sony ergonomics and they skew their test parameters to be competitive.

Scoshe is the best install kit by far for the 2nd gen Tacoma.

 

@DG92071 who has the best preamp?

 

I did the Pioneer NEX 4200, Polk Audio DB6502 separates, 8" polk subwoofer with custom box, and JL audio JD400 amp.

Major improvement. If I could do this over, I'd get the next better JL amp as 3 years in i'm getting intermittent static on one channel, and that was their entry level amp.

Crutchfield provided everything I needed including the new trim to fit the head unit in the dash.

 

Agree. you have a spot for the tweeters, so you might as well use it. (although I needed to make custom mounts to fit them in the stock spots)

 

You don't have a second speaker in your front doors?

I'm still deciding whether to go 2 or 3 way component. If I go 3 way, I'll mount the tweeters to the sail panel covering the side mirror hardware or on the A pillars.

 

I have a pioneer 1400nex with CarPlay pretty good I think.

 

I like the way you think.

I'm going with 6x9 Kickers and Kicker tweeters which are installed and playing off the stock deck now. However I'm putting the 6x9s in boxes and going to run them as midbass, a 4" Infinity as midrange where the tweeters are now, and the Kicker tweeters on the sail panels. Eventually I'll add tweeters on the front of the rear view mirror firing into the windshield and cross them over around 10kHz.

 

Weird, everything I typed didn't show up. "User error".

I had a tough time finding a preamp I liked the specs on. I ended up with a Kraftwerk 2V8, which I've never heard of, and still haven't heard it play due to a crazy work schedule on not finishing the system. Anyway it fit my systems requirements well, I liked the specs on it, plus it's a German piece which I like too.

 

Don't discount upgrading to a more modern OEM Toyota Entune unit. You get the features you mentioned above, retain the factory look, and fairly easy to integrate. The radios can usually be found relatively inexpensively on the TW Marketplace, and usually comes with the trim piece.

The following thread contains great info on integration:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...tion-retrofit-diy-w-info-part-numbers.318616/

 

Interesting... My question was aimed more at head units though.
After your comment on pioneer using mosfets, so I thought I would ask.

 

As far as I know there aren't any design differences in the pre amp section of head units between the different major head unit manufacturers.