2014 Aftermarket Radio Help

Hello,

I am looking at updating my factory radio to something better. I do not want to keep the factory head unit and I am uncertain as to what I should do.

I have a concern about whether the aftermarker radios will work with my factory rearview camera as this is a feature i would like to keep.

I don't own a smart phone so not having those related features doesn't matter.

I would prefer some suggestions as to makes and models that do fit in the stock location. Not looking for navigation, just something that can play audio well, having a dvd receiver is also optional. I like some of what Kenwood and Pioneer are offering.

This would be connected hopefully to a Alpine PDR-V75 along with new components for the front and co-axials for the rear along with a single 10" shallow mount.

Any help would be most appreciated.

 

I am a fan of Alpine. I upgraded to the near-top-of-the-line single DIN alpine head unit (at the time at least). The model is CDE-HD148BT. If you go to a double DIN alpine unit than I think there is only one option (CDE-W235BT) that doesn't have GPS/NAV/DVD. For a double din unit without GPS/NAV you would probably have to look at other brands.

The "BT" means it comes w/ Blue Tooth (i.e. it is not just a 'blue tooth compatible head unit). If the unit says 'blue tooth compatible or blue tooth ready' it likely requires an additional adapter for 100+ bucks. This unit has that built in and actually runs blue tooth out of the box and it includes the microphone. Even older and non super/smart phones have blue tooth so its probably worth looking at as a feature! In my area its illegal to use your phone and drive unless its on BT.

To fit a single din receiver into the stock location you need a mounting kit (I think I paid 40 to 50 bucks for one at my local electronics store). They come in black or grey usually with a few different patterns (smooth, or textured etc.). If you dont want an adapter then you need a double din unit to match the height of the factor head unit.

As for your amp, as long as the amp runs on RCA cables (i.e. probably every car amp or 99%), any head unit with RCA outputs will work for you. Some head units have more customization options for the signal it sends to the amp. For the unit that I have there are options like time delay/correction on the signal to each speaker (i.e. it will delay the signal to the speakers that you choose so that when you sit in the drivers seat all of the sound from each speaker reaches you at the same time). The unit I have also has a 9band custom equalizer which allows you to fine tune the signal (there are also some factory settings that you can select from like most units ex. 'rock', 'classical', 'vocal' etc.).

If you have a 4ch amp only then you want to look for atleast 4 RCA outputs (2 pairs of red and white). If you have a sub as well or intend on installing one in the future (i.e. a 4ch and mono amp lets say) then look for 6 RCA's or 3 pairs of red/white.

Good luck.

 

Pioneer AVIC 4000NEX. It has it all:

7 Inch Display
HD Tuner
Backup Camera Input
6 Channel 4 Volt Preamp Outputs
DVD Player
14 Band Equalizer with Auto EQ Capability
HDMI Input, AV, & Aux Inputs
Sirius XM Ready
Apple Car Play with Iphone Enables Navigation Function

You may not have a smartphone now but you may have one next year.

 

First off, thanks for the replies.
I should have rephrased my question.
I know how to install car audio this will mark my 5th build but it's different now because I have a Tacoma where as in the past I had an 04 Wrangler.

The main thing I am trying to figure out is how to get the factory back-up camera to work with the aftermarket head-unit. I'm cool with needing the surround because what dash doesn't need a kit. That's what Metra is for.

Agreed most amp have RCA's but not all. The latter go with either high level input or some form of balanced line. The amp and sub make no difference in my original question and I only gave the amp specs in case somehow it's setup might conflict with the head unit I am looking for.

I don' t want NAV. My wife and I travel a lot and to only have NAV in the Tacoma is no good. Plus it's cheaper to have a portable unit anyway. Like I said DVD is fine if it come with it.
I used to own a JVC El Kameleon with a 3" screen, loved that HU.

P.S: I will never buy a Smart Phone unless it was the only thing left and there was no other option. I have very high opinions of these devices but's that's another debate.

I'm not a car show guy or trying to win any awards, I just want my music clean and my stuff to last.

 

Does the factory backup cam use an RCA jack cable? As long as it does, any double-DIN unit with a backup-camera video input will work.

In the 2014 - it goes to your head unit and not to the rear view mirror, right? Some earlier tacomas with backup camera sent the image to a small display embedded within the rear view mirror.

 

Check the Kenwood DDX371 - it sounds like it might meet your needs.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113DDX371/Kenwood-DDX371.html

 

I just realized you have a 2014 and the backup camera appears to display through the factory head unit! Oops! I have 2011 and they went 'old school' and connected it to the rear view mirror. So I didn't have this issue.

 

My recommendation is to go on toyotaowners.com, register, enter your VIN, pay fifteen bucks and get temporary access to the exact schematic for your truck.

Someone will chime in and say you don't need that and offer to send you a link to a PDF of a wiring diagram of a 2006 for free - but that's NOT what you need. You need YOUR trucks wiring diagram. Look and check if it'll tell you if that reverse cam wire uses an RCA jack or not. OR at least if it's got its own dedicated plug vs being part of the rest of the harness.

If it's RCA - you're golden.

If not - you may need to physically pull your head unit and look at the back and decide if you can wire backup cam signal cable up to a standard RCA that you can then plug into an aftermarket head unit.

 

You can totally get the backup camera to work with your aftermarket head unit - I just did it the other weekend. I have a 2015 Tacoma DC.

There are a couple options out there:

1. There is a long thread about splicing a couple wires near your fuse box, and building your own RCA cable. That is for some of the older trucks, but would probably still work on the newer ones as well.
2. Contacting an eBay user named "ckremernimrod1" to make a cable for you. Search around here on his user name, and you'll see others have used him as well.

I went with option #2, and it was super easy. For around $30 shipped, I got a plug and play cable that tapped into my factory camera plug and then had an RCA connector that plugged right into my Kenwood head unit. I had to tap one wire into my reverse wire, and a second wire to ground (I just grounded it with my other grounds and the head unit). Couldn't have been easier, and the image looks great on my Kenwood. I don't begrudge the guys that want to build their own cable and run the wires like the one thread talked about, but for me, it was tons easier to get this plug and play cable and tap the easily accessible wires, and go from there.

 

Thanks dude, I really appreciate that info. I didn't think it would be as simple as a video cable, I sort of thought it would involve some form on integration with the head unit cables.

What kind of equipment are you running in your truck?

Just trying to get some ideas. I am a big fan of subs at 4 ohms. I'm thinking a single 10" most likely shallow mount and a compact 5 channel. My previous setup was 2 Eclipse SW8210's, that was overkill. That was installed in a Wrangler with an interior comparable to the Taco. So maybe just one 10" would be better.

 

Normally you can produce good bass with a 10 in a 1.5 cubic foot sealed enclosure that would fit nicely in a trunk and not take up too much room. the problem in a double cab is you wont be able to give the speaker more than .75 cubic feet, there is just not enough space. I would go with two 10s. Supercrew Sounds makes an excellent custom got enclosure giving each speaker .75 and has a amp rack in the center.

 

Glad you found the info helpful.

For my truck, I am putting in nice stuff, but not going overly high end. I just want good, solid sound for my interior, and calling it a day.

I'm adding the following:
Alpine 6.5 Type-R component speakers in the front
Alpine 445U amp in bridged mode to drive the front speakers
Pioneer TS-SW2501S4 10" shallow mount sub-woofer in the back
Custom sub-woofer box made by Mr Marv (going behind rear, passenger side)
Precision Power i450.1 amp to drive the Pioneer (4 ohm mode)
Kenwood DNX-891 HD head unit
Maestro RR steering wheel controller and guages/display

So far, I have the Kenwood and Maestro RR installed. When I get my sub-woofer box from Mr Marv, I'll do the rest of the install some upcoming weekend.

 

BluePanda when you installed the Kenwood, did you use the Metra dash kit? If so did you need to use/modify any of the Kenwood supplied factory trim kit or just the Metra?

I see a tiny gap with just the Metra and I was wondering..

I am also using the 891hd in a 2013 DC without factory nav

 

I did use the Metra kit, and just like you, I have that slight gap. Not super excited about that, but couldn't come up with an easy way to fix it. Maybe on a weekend when I have some time, but right now we're in the exact same boat.