Someone please talk me out of buying a new HU - 2022 Tacoma

I have a 2022 Tacoma Sport with the premium package including the JBL Premium sound system. I bought it this past weekend used (15K miles). My first Tacoma. I love it, except for one minor, yet aggravating issue.... I posted about this on the forum earlier in the week and long story short I hate that my JBL Head unit will not allow me to adjust the voice/text volume and will not play on any other speaker besides my front driver side.

I've come to learn over much research on other forums/facebook groups that it is what it is and there is no workaround, other than replacing the HU with an aftermarket one (if this isnt true please someone message me).

Anyway, should I decide on replacing the HU, what aftermarket one should I consider? I have 1 requirement: It MUST have a volume knob. No exceptions. I will not compromise.

I'm leaning toward the Stinger Heigh10, I like the looks. Has anyone had this unit a while and care to give me an honest opinion?

The Kenwoods (i.e Kenwood DNR1008RVS) with the volume knobs are nice, however much more pricey, and I kinda hate the physical buttons on their HU's that look the same as the buttons I had on my Kenwood back in 1995.

I also noticed the Alpine Halo has a wireless bluetooth volume knob, not ideal but would be an option I guess.

Also being able to keep the OEM microphone, SiriusXM antenna, etc would be nice.

Honestly what is the reason these major HU retailers dont put volume knobs on them? It cannot be that complex. I mean even the Boss and Jensen el cheapo HUs have knobs. Anyway i digress -- Anyone have any suggestions? (Install pics would be nice too).

 

I'm in the same boat. I've been hemming and hawing over a new HU and I LOVE the Kenwood DMX1057XR. Still doing a bunch of research though.

 

No long-term experience with aftermarket HUs, but personally I haven't touched the volume knob in years. I've always used the steering wheel buttons.

 

trailgridpro has the Sony XAV-9500ES, it has great reviews and everyone says you get to keep all the vehicle functionality and more, check it out.

 

I feel ya. But I have a 2014 Wrangler that I have an aftermarket HU (Alpine ILX-007) which does not have volume knob. I've had this same vehicle with same HU since 2014. It is configured to use the steering wheel controls, but I still hate it.

 

Thats a nice looking radio. However it doesnt have a volume knob and like I said in the original post, a volume knob is a must-have, i will not compromise.

 

Price and features considered, the Stinger has never impressed me. Yeah, the integration is nice and all, but the price killed it.

I went with this https://www.crutchfield.com/S-Xw4bPhRsSFd/p_113DMX1037/Kenwood-DMX1037S.html and loved it. And I have never loved a headunit. Unfortunately, the price has gone up a few hundred bucks since I bought mine, but it is what it is. And it has a volume knob.

 

I've looked at it. And it is one I'm considering. Do you have a photo of it installed in your tacoma? Did you keep your OEM microphone and sirius XM antenna? I dont like those buttons on the bottom but at this point im just being picky haha. I do like the Kenwood brand as far as being a quality radio tho. Do you like the "floating" style? I'm not sure how I feel about it. From what I gather the Stinger isnt a floating HU

 

I think price is the only thing holding me back right now. Bummer it used to be cheaper though!

 

I would personally skip the Stinger Heigh10, as it has what I consider to be a lot of compromises and less customization options. It adapts the steering wheel controls and such, but it costs the same or more as piecing it together with a Maestro, yet has less customization and functionality. The only reason to choose a Stinger is for the clean look and the fact that they have bundled together a kit that takes away all the brainwork. But, there is not a lot of brainwork with the other routes either.

Stinger also has issues with the mounting design, where screws go into plastic and eventually loosen up, causing rattling. Overall, the "kits" sell because they are easier, but they are not a good value if you can do a little bit of work. Nearly everything I did to install all my stuff was plug and play, I had to make a few small splices between the harnesses but nothing permanently done to the truck, and none of it was difficult...all just matching colors and crimping with heat shrink.

I would recommend a Kenwood myself, like one of the ones you listed. I can't help about the buttons, I colored those to match my dash so I've kind of forgotten about them. I'd rather them not be there, but I'm fine with them.

For the mic, you will not be able to use the OEM. Get the Enfig mic, look itup. When I detailed out my parts yesterday, I forgot that. It is a very high quality mic that clips into the upper console and sounds better than both stock and the aftermarket radio mics. Very good quality piece and is the perfect choice for a Tacoma. Do NOT get the trail grid pro mic adapter....the mic doesn't hear very well where that adapter mounts it. It works for phone calls but if you tell Siri to do something, like play a song, it will call mom or something similar instead. Not worth the hassle, Enfig is the way to go. Only downside to Enfig is it's hardwired to it's cord, so you can't remove the mic from the ceiling with the console. I just pull it from the mounting spot if I ever need to drop the console, which I never need to anymore. You can leave about 2 feet of slack if you run the wire intelligently, so it's not a big deal.

If you dive in and have questions, I can help sort them out in a PM. The Maestro RR2 is a fantastic device and there's a lot of cool factor with being able to see vehicle vitals on the radio screen, and able to read and clear codes as well. I'd much rather that with a Kenwood and button than a Stinger.

 

I watched a video earlier by Chloe Kuo on YouTube which reviewed the Stinger Heigh10 during install and another video a few weeks later. She specifically mentions the rattling. I checked out your radio build (and alot of other mods you've made overall) and I am warming up to it. Honestly I had never heard of Stinger until I started looking up HUs. Kenwood I know is a quality, solid brand so thats definitely a plus. Im mostly browsing right now anyway, I just dropped over a grand on some new Toyo Open Country AT3s lol but if I found a good deal on a radio I'd probably jump on it right now.

I also checked out your other truck build thread with your mods. Good stuff.

Does your Kenwood allow you to control the speaking volume and have Siri/voice stuff play through all speakers? Also, regarding the OEM mic issue, do you have a pic of it installed in the upper console? I'm a little confused as to what area you are referring to. It seems all of the aftermarket HU's will not use the OEM mic is what I'm gathering.

 

I believe the price had gone up to $1500 during the pandemic. When I bought it, it was $1100, and I was able to work some magic through Googling and got it from $1000.

I liked having the buttons on the bottom. Especially the camera button because I could just go straight to the front or rear camera instantly. It also had a feature that where once you got under a certain speed the front camera would turn on. I thought I would hate that feature at first but came to enjoy it.

With the Maestro adaptor, you can keep your Sirius antenna. Nothing extra needed. If I remember correctly, you can also keep the OEM USB plug with their adapter as well.

The stock microphone cannot stay as far as I know. BUT, I'm fairly certain there are adapters floating around that allow you to use the microphone the unit comes with in the stock location. They didn't exist when I installed mine. I also think there's a place that sells a complete microphone that just snaps into the OEM location. Or maybe that's what I'm thinking of.

I liked the big floating screen. It was great to use onX on trails and other apps through your phone OS of choice. The only annoying part of it was if you wanted to disassemble the dash, the screen would have to come off. It wasn't hard to take it off, just annoying. There's two microscopic screws for a cover that HAS to be installed for the unit to work, and four (?) 10mm bolts.

I'll look for some pics when I get home and post them.

Edit: The Enfig mic was what I was thinking of. So yeah.

 

Any H/U that you get, knob or no, add $200 to the price. Why? Good question. Three letters….JBL. You’re not just going to throw a headunit in there because of the JBL amp. It needs a data signal from the headunit to play music, kind of a plus. You’d need a Maestro RR2 and wiring to make things like camera(s), steering wheel controls and of course the data signal.

If you don’t want to spend that, you’re running wire for new speakers, and new speakers. The JBL ones are 2ohm and most aftermarket stuff is 4ohms.

Nit to scare you, just want to keep expectations realistic.

 

Yeah, her reasons made me glad with the route I went (I did the Kenwood before she did the Stinger if I remember right). Also, some things she mentioned as benefits are actually negatives..such as when she said her brightness goes up at night. That's backwards of how it should be, I'm curious if Stinger really screwed that up that bad or if she just reported it incorrectly in the video.

I hear you on the cost. I'd like one of the large screen Kenwoods with a volume knob, but I used what I had lying around to save money, which was a very good Kenwood HU anyways. Buying tires certainly makes one not want to buy anything else for a bit. Love the Toyos btw, they are my new favorite tire. Anyways, keep browsing and you'll figure out what you want. Kenwood + Maestro RR2 is a great route. For what it's worth, the buttons on the Kenwood you're looking at are much better looking than mine. Mine are on a bar that protrudes from the unit. It doesn't look terrible, but certainly not seamless. But, I'm fine with it.

Thanks! I try to keep it simple, only real improvements for the most part. I don't really update it anymore though, things have changed a bit and I've been bad about updating.

Yes there are two volumes. Siri volume, and audio. Maps guidance, text alerts, etc are all under siri volume. I believe there is a third volume actually, for phone calls as well. They adjust when you're in them. So if a phone call is live and you hit the volume, it will change your call volume but nothing else. Same for music. For alerts/guidance, you need to hit the volume while they're speaking.

For the mic, the Enfig mic for the Tacoma application is built into a little box. It clips into the little speaker grille in the center of the console. Late model Tacomas (I believe 20+), have that spot empty. the OEM mic is above the driver's seat in those years. It stops working with the aftermarket HU. So you pull down the upper console and clip in the Enfig, then run it's cable (3.5mm headphone jack) to the head unit and plug it in. And correct, no aftermarket head unit will use the OEM mic. This is typical, OEM mics of all makes are much different than what the aftermarket uses. Luckily, the Enfig is a fantastic mic and solves the problem while being better than stock or aftermarket-included mics.

 

Pioneer, Kenwood or any of the Sony bundles from trailgridpro.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-pioneer-dmh-wc6600nex-flush-mount-install.668580/

https://trailgridpro.com/pages/toyota-tacoma-accessories#toyota-tacoma-sony-bundles

 

If you haven't seen this channel on YT check it out. She has other videos for the 4 cameras that plug into the head unit to give her different perspective for off-road situational awareness. Another resource that is worthy of your consideration IMO.

 

Yeah I'm beginning to realize there will be some twist and turns, but I'm not opposed to tackling it.

 

I watched her videos last night including her review a few weeks after installing the Stinger, she mentions pros and cons, and the rattling of the mount after driving it a while. I really dont know what is so hard about updating the JBL's software to allow me to control voice via a software patch but clearly that isnt going to happen if its been a problem this long.

 

Thanks man i'll check them out

 

some pics would be awesome. I know more people than just a handful have this gripe about the JBL system but its surprisingly hard to find any solid info about it online