Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

How do I check which entire I have to see if it’s worth upgrading the speakers? I’m not really wanting to add an amp etc

 

Google your Faceplate ID to find out what head unit you have.

Reference:
Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

 

I don’t see a number. It’s an 8” head unit though not sure if that’s helpful

edit: 2021 off road, not the premium trim

please excuse the dust that mid day makes look worse

 

Hmm, maybe they stopped putting that ID on the newer units.

Try this, and Google the numbers you find.
https://youtu.be/tEWCEVztvHs

 

Thank you, found it. 86140-04230. Now to try to figure out what that means as far as which entune

edit: according to this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-entune-radio-head-unit-comparison.682700/ its a "plus" so I guess there's no point in upgrading the audio?

 

Agreed. On a Plus, I don't think you'll see an improvement by upgrading the door speakers, unless you add an amp. You may still want to consider doing just the tweeters in the dash though.

 

yeah I think I’ll do the tweeters and call it a day



thank you for the help

 

Get in your truck, and turn on the radio. Press and hold the AUDIO button on your radio.
Turn the lights on and off three times.
The radio will now be in service mode.
Press the "Information" Button, and it will provide a part number.
Go here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-entune-radio-head-unit-comparison.682700/#post-24064779 to determine what head unit you have. (Mine is 86100-04161; This is a Premium non-JBL head unit).
Turn the car off to get out of service mode.

If it's worth anything, my truck's build sheet called out "Premium Audio"...

(Ooops, didn't read far enough. Sorry for the redundant information...)

 

Always appreciate someone trying to help. Tweeters are nice. Wish the 6x9s would be more helpful. Probably end up doing them at some point anyways just to know. I think someone in the “what did you do to your 3g” thread said the kickers in the front doors still helped but the rears not so much

 

As I understand it, factory head units do not provide much power to the rear door speakers, which is why many recommend doing nothing with the rear doors unless you plan to install an amp.

The front doors are next on my list after the tweeters.

 

spoke with a Kickers engineer. Told me without an amp leave the OEM in the back. Change the doors and dash.

 

Hey all! I have a 21 SR with the base entune. I purchased the metra kit…and will purchase an alpine mini amp 45x4 RMS along with Rockford Fosgate Prime series coaxials for doors. Already have kicker Subaru tweeters in dash. Question is….have you all added an amp wiring kit as well? Or just ok with the metra kit I will piece together? Crutchfield told me I can risk everything catching on fire. Help!

 

I ran 8 gauge from the battery to power my 2 kicker key amps

 

would I need anything for 1 small alpine mini amp?

 

Probably not but it’s always best to check the mfg specs. Just to be sure. I think most people run off the factory harness I was just running a sub amp anyway and that required bigger wire so I added a junction block back there for the other amp. Bigger wire never hurts.

 

I did the kicker CS 3 ways and the DS18 tweeter and added a 10" JL T3. While its a VAST improvement over stock. The highs are just WAY WAY too much. I have to set my treble to 2 from full negative or your ears will bleed. Not sure if its the DS18's or the CS 3 ways or both. But man its just too much ear piercing highs. The sound stage sounds horrible too. I hear mostly highs and vocals in front of me and my sub sounds like its so far behind me. This is a horrible sounding setup IMO.

Im tempted to get the kicker KS 6x9 components to replace the CS 3 ways and DS18 tweeters now because of it. And add an amp to the door speakers so the rears actually work and fill in some sound.

 

Treble for me was much more pronounced after I swapped out speakers (Subaru's in the dash, KS in the front doors), but I attribute that to lack of bass and punch that the stock premium head unit just can't deliver. I miss the thump from the subs in my old ride, but I can't justify dropped one or two large to get that, considering how much time I spend in my ride, and how much better it now sounds. BAss is much better (I did sound deaden the doors), but it ain't what it was.

What I really miss is hearing sound from behind me, as the stock head unit in my Inferno delivers nothing to the rear door speakers.

I spoiled myself... If you want the concert hall, I imagine it's gonna cost you. I can't justify buying.

 

Yeah the deck rear output is nothing. That part really sucks. Interesting that you have no bass with your 6x9's. Mine rattle my mirror no problem. I did however use a crap ton of sound dentening. I got my sub JL T3 10" for 400 bucks and a custom tacoma box that fits in the rear passenger set cubby for 100 bucks. I did however have an amp for it already. So adding my sub was roughly 600 bucks self installed.

Are you KS the two way ones? I am thinking of trying the KS component 6x9 with the tweeter those come with. I suspect the subaru and or DS18 tweeters are what's making it over the top harsh high

 

Oh don't get me wrong... My KS speakers rattle the door panels with the right tunes on... It's just that for 16 years, I had a subwoofer in the tailgate of my old ride that provided sound this unit can't...

I have the 3-way KS 6x9's. For me, the high's aren't harsh. It's the lack of the "rest" that I miss (bass thumbing from the cargo area, and volume from behind my head).

 

Lots of posts to go through and everyone appears to have learned a lot over the years, so maybe someone can help me with my questions on what I've gathered from reading _most_ of it...

According to the part number, I have the "Entune 3.0 Plus (8" screen)" , which seems to be at or near the bottom as far as the output goes for the various OEM head units. I think this head unit didn't appear until 2020?

I see differing opinions as to whether just doing the less expensive DS kickers is worth it on this head unit (especially not the rear doors), where the older non-JBL Tacos seem to have gotten head units with a bit more power.

But then I see that adding something like a low power Kicker Key amp may make the DS speakers _worse_ ?

Any (long term) thoughts on those that have been running that head unit and doing these upgrades on the later 3rd gens?