JBL and premium sound

i kinda went nuts with this.

got a MT Pro
I'm 6'1" and wanted the sunroof but didn't want a low ceiling. turns out the electric rear glass slider is perfect and i don't miss the sunroof at all, AND i get a high ceiling which is preferred.

i also wanted better than Entune, but also better than JBL. so i gutted the system and replaced it entirely. here if curious:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/sq-redo.496742/#post-15652498

now i have tunes, ceiling room, and a rear electric window so it's kinda perfect. expensive tho.

 

i am 6 ft and I never thought about the rear electric window. Cool. Yes can upgrade for sure but to me the money gets too out of hand when changing everything. If I decide to stay Pro then I will just live without sunroof and live with stock tunes.

 

I never use the sunroof. Here in AZ we spend most of our time trying to stay in the shade. Unfortunately the TRD OR came with the sunroof otherwise I'd have opted out of it. Just one more thing to leak or break.

The few times I have ever used a rear slider a bunch of shit from the bed blows into the cab. Completely useless from my experience.

If I want outside air I just open the front and back windows for max air flow.

 

Where did you put the sub? I'm looking at getting a bazooka tube just from the lack of options of putting a sub in without compromising half of my back seat.

 

The benefit of getting the Factory JBL for me was that it is all rolled into the purchase price of the truck and for $600 to $700 you'd be hard pressed to get much better sound aftermarket AND without the added risk of somebody tearing apart your "factory assembled" interior....breaking clips, not putting things back together correctly, more rattles start cropping up down the road, etc. I've had high end systems put in past vehicles when I was in my 20's and they sounded great but often times I ended up with some of the issues detailed above, no matter how "reputable" the shop was who did the install. Now that I'm approaching my late 30's I just want less shit to worry about like that, especially with the interior. Also I want everything electronic to be covered under warranty with no questions asked as the electronic gremlins can be some of the most difficult to trace and resolve. For me the JBL has a decent, balanced and full sound. I don't need the eyeball rattling and mirror vibrating bass these days. I don't need the treble that can crack glass and make ears bleed. Been there done that and I have the high frequency hearing loss to prove it. It's all about experience and what the individual wants and is willing to deal with.

Shit the last time I put a custom sound system in a vehicle I think I spent $1200 on the deck alone.

 

this was my attitude on my last car. i modded the drivetrain and chassis/suspension but stayed away from the interior and electronics. i enjoyed driving but never enjoyed tunes, meanwhile i had a pile of expensive stereo gear.

when i got the Tacoma and knew I'd be keeping her, i decided to not wait and just get it over with. yeah it was a big job, expensive, PITA, but now I'm totally set and the truck is like a second home, so glad i did it this time w/o waiting.

 

look at the under-seat subs like the one he's mentioning. find more on Crutchfied.

 

I absolutely hate sunroofs, but that is just me. I would prefer the headroom and I'm only 5'9". I most my cars have had them and I always leave them closed entirely as I hate the sun coming down on my face and head.

But I do love the JBL audio/prem tech package in my OR.

 

I love my JBL. I was really impressed with it being 'stock'.

 

I have a unique situation. I had a "left-over" basslink from my 2000 Tacoma. My back seats are for the kids so the the foot space is of no concern for the next few years. I put the all-in-one sub behind the passenger seat and it fits just fine. In the future, I will end up having to sell the Basslink and use the newer/more compact Infinity Basslink and mount it behind the passenger rear seat OR mount it under one of the front two seats. May need to get a bit more creative and not use an all-in-one unit when that time comes.

I planned ahead and used quick disconnects with my current Basslink so removing the sub takes all of 10 seconds in case I need to utilize the foot space or something.

Definitely understand your reasons and they are good reasons. However, just so we're not freaking the DIYer out... getting to the back of the head unit and running cables down the door sills is extremely easy in our 2016+ Taco's. There are great videos on Youtube on how to do this. You literally just pull the panel surrounding the deck (has the two heater vents attached) w/your hands. You are then given full access (and plenty of it!) to the head unit. Head unit comes out with ease after removing four screws. Much easier than my 2000 Tacoma head unit removal.

 

for "stock" jbl is one of the best sounds systems ive heard. I think its better than my brothers 15 sti with harmon kardon. Drove the new 2017 honda civic type R and its supposed to have a 500 watt system man was i disappointed.

 

When my truck was at the dealer service dept (again) last week they gave me a loaner Corolla. The radio sounded like it was being piped through soup cans compared to the JBL Audio.

 

I had the sound adjusted/tweaked and was disappointed as well with my Corolla as well, soup cans is perfect description, I wonder if I ever jump back to a stock tacoma if I'd notice the difference, I didnt mind my 16 without JBL, but spoiled with the 17.

 

JBL system is great. If you get HD Radio reception it sounds awsome.

 

i have JBL and love it. I also agree with Smitty99. Too big a pain in the ass and too big of an expense to do after market stereo that tends to go to crap over the years. I went through 2 receivers on my 11 Tacoma. Plus, they were so complicated you needed a degree to operate them.
I don't understand what the complaint is about headroom with the sun roof. I personally wouldn't have had a sunroof if I had had a choice, but I'm 6'2" and have ample headroom. But with long arms and legs I have the seat leaned back quite a bit.

 

I got the JBL in mine, and I would not go back. Also, the dual climate controls are worth it. Yeah they don't do much, but it gives her control And she appreciates that.

 

I would rather have the JBL but the premium sound system isn't a slouch either...

I don't really think about it much...mine cranks ok...

All depends if you have the few extra $$$ to spend...

 

As other have stated, I am happy with the JBL. The only thing I wish I had more control over is the equalizer. There are only 3 options. Songs are played better via bluetooth than USB. The sunroof is a great added bonus for driving on the freeway without the same wind noise you get from opening a window. If sound is a big concern, you could always opt for the OEM+ option. Its about 1.5k, and everyone seems to be pleased with it.

 

For those of you with the Premium sound package and looking for some crisper/cleaner high tones, check out the direct swap Subaru Kicker tweeter thread. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/easy-tweeter-upgrade-3rd-gen-non-jbl.478318/

It'll cost you right around $90 and 30 min of your time.

If I had not purchased the Pro, I would have upgraded to JBL. However, after adding a sub and doing this tweeter swap, the system sounds fantastic.

 

can't beat that 4/60 air