Best head unit for complete system upgrade

Ok having trouble making up my mind on which head unit to go with. I am upgrading everything completely and removing the jbl system completely from my 1794, I have hated the system since the start and have had everything sitting in my house and at a point now I want to change it.

Head unit will go to dsp then amp for sub, 6 channels for front and 2 for back that will be passive 2 way comp system

have pretty much everything but the head unit. If you had a budget of 750 and main requirements were wireless care play which way would you go?


Leaning to the Desaita as I really like the large screen but wanted more opinions. Read plenty of reviews and obviously best would be the alpine but can’t bring myself to spend 1100.

so I would like to maintain steering wheel controls and rear camera but won’t need the jbl amp or speaker level inputs. I’m ever rewiring all the speakers from my amps, so no factory wires will be used.

 

Any kenwood will be great. Alpine and pioneer and Sony have a good following as well but I’m just a kenwood person. Just pick one in your price range and go with it.

I got the dnr1007xr. Love the size and all the features.

I also did a complete gut of the system.

stereo integrity three way up front
Tm8, m3 and m25
Stereo integrity bmmk5 12s (2)
Minidsp 8x12 dl dsp
3 sundown sdx amps

however I did not change the rear door speakers. I don’t use them.

 

I have precision power 3 way for up front, 2 way for back, jbl me8 for deep, Zapco st-1000.1 for sub and 2 zapco st-4x sq for speakers. Got a sundown 12” Sd-4 for sub.


Im gonna look real hard at the kenwoods. Im more of an alpine guy just from when i was younger but also really like kenwood exellon series.

 

Crutchfield.com is best place to compare products
Great customer service.

 

I have had Kenwood and Alpine in the Tundra - I liked the interface on the Kenwood better.

 

good group of gear. I was always an alpine guy from the late 80s. And I hated kenwood but over the years kenwood really stepped up. Nothing wrong with the alpine I just wanted a volume knob and I liked the interface of the kenwood better. But either will give you a great source. I have heard the voltage is higher on the kenwood from a trusted installer and retailer that sales both. Take that for what it’s worth. it’s mainly about the interface and options you want. But sound wise I doubt anyone can tell a difference.

 

I do want a volume knob for sure. Guessing most like traditional brands over the larger Chinese android screens?

 

If your dsp has toslink optical input

I would order a teyes cc3

I have a jvc z1000w currently

 

It doesn’t, can I ask why I would need that? Is that only steering controls, cause willing to give that up for bigger screen.

does the cc3 have rca out? Can’t tell from page

 

There’s a guy on FB marketplace selling Alpine iLX-F509’s for $800 delivered to your door. He ship’s nationwide

 

The shops in Houston?

 

The guy I saw is on Marketplace in Atlanta.

 

The rca output is low voltage on teyes from what has been reported. But using the optical output Teyes has been reported to be very good.

Teyes CC3 for $462
Mini DSp 8x12 with Dirac Live $940


By the time you buy a 10 inch screen with kenwood, sony, or alpine , add the dash kit and idatalink maestro you are going to be close to $1400


If you plan on using the JBL MS8 for the 5.1 surround then roll with that and just go with the Kenwood DMX1057xr, or the JVC kw-z1000w, the sony 9500es is a good head unit, The alpine halo f509. Probably will not see a big difference between them.



If I had it to do over from scratch, I would have gone with the Teyes and Mini dsp.
To cut some cost the Zapco DSP-z8-IV with autotune is also a killer dsp for $599 on Woffers Ect

Just depends on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go.

 

I will prolly end up zapco later but for now gonna just stick with the jbl. Depending on price for the alpine…

Or I could also just get a line driver for the teyes and go that route to keep the jbl. Leaning that away but need see what the guy can get the alpine for.

or if I add a line driver could also just get the Dayton dsp later

or go with cheaper stereo option. Didn’t really want to spend more than 750 all in


How many rca outputs does the teyes have? Anyone know?

 

Crutchfield also has the stinger High 10 on sale for $599
crux harness and dash kit for $94

This combo will be hard to top for this price.

 

Would you consider a used unit, or does it have to be new?

 

By the time you add the items to keep backup camera etc, ends up over 800

could go teyes and line drive for cheaper

 

Prefer new but pm me

 

The crux is the harness that will keep backup camera

 

I’ve read the thread, and I’ve already done my own previous research on the topic. But I was just wondering if someone would have a concrete answer to this question that has seemed to be burning on my mind.

If money weren’t an issue, what would be the nicest head unit you could possibly throw in the dash of one of these trucks, the absolute cream of the crop, what you want your wife to get you for an anniversary present, etc.

 

Depends on the Goal.
If wanting to stay with the big 3 name brands.
If just doing an upgrade of the head unit and using factory speakers I would probably go with the Sony 9500es, the Sony is a top tier sound quality unit.

If going for looks the Alpine HALO


If doing a full audio upgrade, adding multiple amplifiers, subwoofer system, trying to do a nice sound quality system.
Teyes CC3 headunit. Go watch some youtube videos on it. This head unit is no joke.
add a Mini-dsp 8x12 with dirac live then go from there on the rest of the equipment.

I did a lot of research before I installed everything in my 2016 crew max. My goal was to put together a nice sound quality system with not breaking the bank.

Here is my setup at current cost as of today.
JVC z1000w head unit on sale at crutchfield $999
dash kit and crux to keep swc. $99
Amp 1 sony xm gs4 $198
Amp 2 sony xm gs4 $198'
Amp 3 sony xm gs100 $198
stereo integrity M25 MK11 tweeters on sale $99
Stereo integrity M3 carbon 3 1/2 midrange on sale $149
Stereo integrity TM65 6 1/2 midbass on sale $229
Subs rockford fosgate P2 8 inch subs 2 of them $240
Zapco dsp z8 $599

I feel the above equipment list cannot be outdone at this price.
The Sony amps are crazy good for a budget sound quality amp.
The Stereo integrity speakers at this sale price is a steal.

Only thing I would change on the original list is I would go with the teyes cc3 2k for the head unit.

The install will also add up some on the cost.
I used stinger 8000 series RCA cables.
All ofc copper power and speaker wire.
Building the sub enclosure yourself or have it built somewhere will be $100-$300
distribution blocks
ect, ect ,ect.

 

Why the mini over the zapco with auto tune?

 

Mini has 12 channels of output.
Zapco only has 8 channels.

For most systems 8 channels is enough if you are not going to use rear speakers.

Either is about the same cost when you buy the microphone for the zapco.

 

Man you convinced me on the teyes

gonna try to make the ms-8 work as its new in box and would like to use it if possible

anyone know of a good optical to rca converter?

gonna try rca out and line driver first then high level before trying to convert the optical

 

So I’m a little obvious and I just want to make sure I’m understanding what you’re trying to say here but what exactly would be rear speakers? Would that just literally be speakers in the back of the truck or is that specifically facing towards the front?

 

really appreciate it man, just gonna take a screenshot of this post so I can go back to it as I go forward with my build lol.

 

Rear door speakers when talking tundra

Some do not run rear fill when setting up sound quality based setups

 

The teyes has rca out. I just do not know the quality or the voltage on the rca outputs. The ones on car audio forums are all using digital toslink out

 

Another option is Joying. It is reported the rca outputs on the new joying is really good.

 

After doing a little research I’m back with more questions…I’m a little suspicious of the Teyes CC3. After just doing a simple google search, I found essentially a carbon copy of the CC3 on Amazon for $150.

Just wondering how authentic Teyes actually is? I’ve never heard of the company, never seen any of their head units, and I can’t believe they can fit it into the dash of the Tundra so nicely while you can only get a floater setup or that ugly in-dash kit from Crutchfield. I understand there will be cheap knockoffs for everything, but this headunit looks way too similar for such a low price for me to ignore.
https://www.amazon.com/Double-Din-A...d=1710342184&sprefix=teyes+cc3,aps,159&sr=8-2