What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

Cool plug n play! Love keeping things factory as possible.
how did you tune the system? Just factory EQ or did you mess with crossover points too?
Did you run that sub off a dedicated amp, or is it still stealing signal from the fronts?

it’s wild what a little tuning and clean power can do… I kept the budget about the same as your build too

 

If you’re on the fence about the Alpine plug-and-play kit, I’d suggest looking into a different route I went with — same budget, way better performance.

My Setup (~$400 total):

• $238 Kicker Key200.4 DSP 4 Channel Speaker Amplifier 40 Band EQ Amp
  Kicker Key200.4 DSP amp – auto-EQ, time alignment, 45W×4 RMS
  
  
• $323 Alpine PWE-S8 120W Compact Powered 8" Car Subwoofer for Under or Behind The Seat
  Alpine PWE-S8 powered sub – fits behind rear seat, super clean low end
  
  
• Upgraded speakers (Rockford Fosgate + Subaru tweeters, but stock would still improve) not included in the $400
  

Why I Skipped the Alpine PSU300-TCM:

• It’s plug-and-play, but the sub is passive and robs two amp channels
  
  
• No DSP or tuning — it just gets louder, not necessarily better
  
  
• Still stuck on stock speakers unless you pay even more for their full bundle
  

The Kicker amp is the real game-changer — it actually balances and cleans up your sound across the whole cabin. With that and a dedicated powered sub, I’ve got solid punch, better staging, and vocals that cut through (even with metal and rock) — and it’s all stealth and Pittie-proof.

Happy to share install tips or pics if you want. Just figured I’d toss this out there since I almost bought the Alpine kit too, but I’m glad I didn’t.

 

Nice!

I just ordered one just last night. Last one got broken by something very large hitting it.

 

I kept my oem head unit, and replaced all speakers. Truck was 15 months old, but finally decided I needed decent speakers, the OEM speakers sounded like my first ever am/fm radio with the antena fully extended. Like crap in other words.

Here's what I got which didn't break the bank. And sounds good enough to crank-up. Sorry, for some of you that would be crank-right.



Sometimes I wish, I had a subwoofer behind the rear seat.

 

Looks like you got a great system now. Wow

 

Never thought I was gonna buy speakers etc, then I got some kicker speakers, 3-way front, 2 way rear. then I got a kicker key amp and it all woke up. And it sounded so much better that I got a kicker 8” self powered sub. It’s unreal how much more clear it is. Oh and I put in some sound skins as well.

 

This one's cheap, fits in the box behind the seat and sounds much bigger than its 8" size.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_575P3008P/Rockford-Fosgate-P300-8P.html

 

Swapped trd pro grill for v2 trd pro grill made custom braket for baja s8 led bar light. Also made custom braket for diode dynamics ss6 led fog lights. And I had 2 roughcountry 12 inch led bars hook them up together for lower led bar. Is it to much?

 

Well, I got a speeding ticket in my 3rd Gen today. It was by one of those new Stealthy Grey Durangos on the 54 getting into Spring Valley. I was only going a steady 80. Does that count as doing something in my 3rd Gen?

 

What?, no ditch lights?

 

Well sadly that $400 has been up'd by about $142, so getting closer to TGP's plug and play.. lol
But I will keep it in mind...

I wouldn't mind a link to that HU though, looks sweet...

Looks like they are all discontinued, and what's left on Amazon will probably be gone by the BF sales, if I can budget it by then... Looks like I will be buying my baby girl a wedding dress sometime in the near future, I mean, doesn't she know she is interfering with my Tacoma time??

Any links or part numbers by any chance??

 

I upgraded tweeters, and it was the big difference, but adding a sub was a huge difference. You can find decent under-seat ones, and can mount them behind rear seat. Probably can fit under one of the seats, too. Haven't even upgraded the door speakers and it sounds pretty decent.

 

Good to know someone else besides me is afraid of the dark! Ha. Jk, because not actually afraid of the dark.. I just enjoy aux lighting, and there's never too much. Well.. unless you're this guy vvv..




Because there does come a point when there's too much, as in diminishing returns over what you already have. If you want a real answer, I'd be willing to bet your rough country bars aren't adding hardly any addtl output over what the baja is putting out already.. The idea is to add addtl lights to supplement each other and/or fill in any gaps. Many run into this issue though with cheaper lights (trying to make up for it by adding more lights), or not choosing the correct optics. One could have just a couple (top tier) aux lights with much more effective optics resulting in more effective and usable output, compared to someone with a bunch of generic cheap China bars with those crappy reflectors.

Then again, you've got people that still go overboard anyways for that wow factor when you flip them all on. Which tbh, can be pretty slick, if you've got the money to blow, and it comes out clean. Like those diode dynamics ss5 crosslink setups you see. Those are pretty sick!

But no, that setup is not too much. I dig it! I really like the grille setup with the baja s8! Some baja ditch lights and fogs down the road, and aftermarket heads (morimoto?) would really top it off I think.

 

All crutchfield

 

I went for a change as well, purchased the Sony 9500es with the 10.1 screen from Trail Grid Pro.Still waiting for the shipping date. Saved a few bucks on their July 4th sale. I agree with you, my head unit is holding back my sound system. Focal speakers and Alpine amps. Pictures to follow when it arrives.

 

You will have a bigger WOW if and when you upgrade the rest of the speakers.

 

ha, holy shit.

 

That’s freakin awesome. Cut to fit aluminum - did you cut it to fit, had a shop, or? Would like to do something like this (or exactly), and have found the off the shelf versions incredibly over priced IMO

 

Nice! The 9500ES is a beast — you’re gonna love the cleaner signal path once it’s in. I went with the Stinger HEIGH10and paired it with a

$238 Kicker Key200.4 DSP 4 Channel Speaker Amplifier 40 Band EQ Amp

Kicker Key200.4 DSP amp +

$323 Alpine PWE-S8 120W Compact Powered 8" Car Subwoofer for Under or Behind The Seat

Alpine PWE-S8 sub. The head unit alone made a huge difference, but the DSP really brought the system to life — especially with proper time alignment and EQ.

Sounds like your Focals are about to finally stretch their legs. Can’t wait to see pics — curious how that Sony looks in the dash compared to the Stinger.

 

Noticed the same thing with mine (even when cold - which in Phoenix is like 90F). Did the first oil change since swapping to the metal housing a few weeks ago and was amazed how much nicer it was to remove.