My JBL Take

Thundershout.
Im also considering this, just dont know if ill be impressed as real amps are inexpensive these days...
Yeah, suck to pay a premium for a jbl system & you end-up gutting the whole system.
The sub is where the system totally sucks.
Im suppose to hook-up with a gal in my area "redhead jesss" but shes 35 minutes from me & were clashing on schedules.
She already has the beatsonic amp in her truck, we just need to meet-up so I can take a 3 minute listen...
some folks are really happy with it, I just dont know if the juice is worth the squeeze to my preference.

I emailed them & they made me aware of who in my area has one installed. Very helpful....

 

@slater

I agree on the price point for modern amps, they are pretty cheap. The sub is, historically, awful in the 3rd gen and seemingly the 4th as well. I'd be really interested to see what you think after you get to listen to it.

That's pretty cool they gave you an option to track one down.

Is the juice worth the squeeze.....we will find out I guess!

Thanks for the reply.

 

Great post. Seeing that you're probably way into audio more than the majority of people, I am guessing from your review that this will be more than adequate for those like myself simply wanting better sound without having to rip into the interior and add one aftermarket.

I opted to order the expensive (probably too expensive) $8800 "TRD OffRoad Premium Package", simply because it not only included the JBL Sound, but also included the 14.1" screen (unlike the $4400 "TRD OffRoad Upgrade Package") and an assortment of other usable upgrades.

$53K is no doubt a little too much for a TRD OffRoad Premium", but that being said, like many of you, I spend a lot of time in my truck. I enjoy driving, and I enjoy good sound / music. These days, it's one of the few "escapes" from this crazy world we find ourselves in. So....I pulled the trigger on a white TRD ORP with all the goodies. I can't wait.

 

But the upgrade package does include the 14.1”…

 

Nope. It only includes the JBL Sound. The 14.1" screen is an additional option. The TRD OR Premium includes it. When you order one with TRD OffRoad "Upgrade Package", you'll see on the window sticker for those equipped with the 14.1" screen....and additional charge and I think it's like $800...

 

There's the difference when you add the 14.1" screen to the "Upgrade Package". The base Upgrade Package does not include a 14.1" screen.

 

Weird I havent seen a single TRD truck that has the JBL upgrade package without the 14.1 so assumed it was included. I see its called premium audio or something as a $800 upgrade.

 

Yeah it can honestly be confusing. But after I "did the math", I just figured spend like two more thousand bucks and get the "leather" interior, moonroof, and all the other goodies.

 

big question which I dont have the answer to:
Is the 14" premium audio the same as lets say the jbl system in my SR5? other than the bigger screen...
same as in amp, & individual drivers, sub, etc?

 

The 14.1" display and the JBL Audio are two different things. You can get one without the other. If you get the TRD OR Premium, you ge them both as part of the package.

 

So the jbl in the sr5 is the same as the jbl in the trd? theyre both identically meh...?

 

Yes. The 14.1" screen is the same regardless of the trim level, as is the JBL Sound. They kinda go together IMO, but many do not like the 14.1" screen, I am reading. I do, simply because a large screen is a must-have for me...

 

Ive got zero issues with the larger screen, would also prefer it but was trying to be conservative on my purchase....
I was more curious if the sound system was identical which sounds like it is...
Just sucks that the sub doesnt do more....
& theres no real adjustment, tried fading more-so to the rear to maybe liven up the sub, that didnt help, it actually choked everything out....

 

bumping an old thread because music on the JBL sounds terrible through android audio. switching to regular bluetooth makes a huuuuuge difference and it sounds quite decent, but it's such a a pain in the ass to have to do. regular radio sounds good too.

searching around tells me this is another age-old "known issue" with AA. so many cars use it now, how has google not fixed this yet?

 

I couldn’t stand my JBL system.. I swapped out the door speakers with focal performance 165 coaxial speakers and put some focal twu 1.5 tweeters in the dash. My buddy installed a audio dynamics mk1000.6 amp with a audio dynamics 812-hifi dsp and the system is just out of this world.. also removed the a-pillar tweeters and am not using the JBL center speaker.. can’t get over how great this system sounds now that the junk is gone.. we also spent some time to eq and do the time alignment on the system

 

Initially I felt the same and considered an amp until installing Poweramp EQUALIZER Premium.

After installing I selected the Bass & Treble preset EQ, custom set the EQ to my preference, and then played with the built in Compressor settings.

After the install it sounds like a completely different system and the sub actually thumps the cab a little depending on the track.

Typically I'm listening to Spotify that was downloaded onto a Galaxy S23 Ultra through Android Auto and prior to installing the EQ app the volume and bass were almost nonexistent.

Have to agree the center speaker is overkill and doesn't seem to blend well with the L/R imaging. It's unfortunate there's not a function to fade this afterthought speaker out a little...

Like others have said, Android Auto and Spotify don't see to work well together on this system and an easy fix was the Poweramp EQ app.

I recommend anyone on the edge of considering upgrading the amp to give it a shot.
Next year I'll throw Dynamat Extreme on the doors and probably call it a day.
Good luck with yours.

 

I tried Poweramp EQ but it doesn't work with Pandora. Sounds like switching streaming services may be in order. My family is gonna be annoyed at losing all their playlists lol

 

I think the system has some strange gremlins when it comes to devices and EQ apps with AA.

I run AA on a Pixel 6 Pro and agree with everything the OP said in his review. At one point I tried out some EQ apps from the play store and the one for YT Music and they made everything sound awful. Most negative reviews/comments seem to be from people with Samsung phones. I am curious if Samsung and other brands have something causing issues with AA (built in EQ or encoding). I would be curious if unhappy JBL owners have listened to music via USB and still have the same complaints?

 

I have a Samsung phone. I think the JBL sounds perfectly fine with both USB and via Bluetooth. Though I agree the removable speaker makes it too center-heavy. I wish there was a setting to turn down just that speaker.

Have you compared AA vs. passive Bluetooth? That difference is VERY noticeable.

 

I like the review, would you please explain to me what "Listening to Spotify music natively" means. Thank you