Stock stereo is mediocre. Any suggestions are welcome

Hello,
Got a June 2024 Toyota Tundra Crew max. Not too terribly impressed with that stereo. I don't necessarily need booming bass. But I like it crisp, clean, and I like a little more volume than the stock stereo does. Any suggestions are welcome.

 

The BeatSonic Amp/DSP is a plug and play solution that many here use and gives good results. Their older model was pretty reasonably priced (less than $300). They have now come out with a newer model with some additional features like line level output but it's also more expensive at $500.

The best part of this system is that it's easy to install and fits behind the dash. No splicing of wires is required.


https://www.beatsonicusa.com/produc...ra?_pos=1&_sid=b454bd642&_ss=r&_fid=4f38ecd40

 

For me the answer was to add a 5-channel Kenwood amp with a PnP harness (so, no splicing) and a 10" JL Audio shallow sub. Really upped the sound... and could be improved further with aftermarket speakers. This thread has a lot of info on how many of us went about it.

3rd Gen non JBL sound system Upgrade Info | Toyota Tundra Forum (tundras.com)

 

I have a JBL setup and got the Beatsonic amp when it first came out. Really woke up the entire range. It's a quick little upgrade to get you a bit more out of your stock HU. IDK if I would go with the DSP though...I'd rather go full aftermarket if I was to start investing that much.

 

I think the most important question to answer is, what’s your budget?

 

Speakers are generally the best solution for better sound. Not sure what your setup is, but better, more efficient speakers might be the answer. If not you can up the amps, but without better speakers not sure how much good it would do you.

 

Can you post links for amp and harness?

 

I used the Taco Tunes 17' PnP amp integration harness and remote turn on harness. You need to go to the product page and make the selections to see the correct price. The harness you need is $99. You can get the 0 foot version and add your own wires to save $, but not worth it for me. You can also roll your own remote turn on, but again, why? Here:

https://*********.com/product-categ...-cab/2022-non-jbl-tundra-plug-play-harnesses/


As for the amp, there are plenty of choices. One key feature is to get one with a bass knob that controls the sub. Run the control knob up to the console. You can also get a stand-alone processor from Audio Control that does this. But many amps come with that feature built in now. This is what I used:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113XR9015/Kenwood-Excelon-XR901-5.html?tp=35808

 

I've come to believe that the biggest issue with the factory stereo is the pre-amp channel when using digital media (USB, Spotify, Pandora, ...). When I tune an FM radio station the volume seems to double at the same setting and have megga-bass. The low cost Beatsonic Amp/DSP does improve the sound quite a bit but I'm still running factory speakers (9 speaker non-JBL) and the clarity I'm looking for is still not quite there.

 

can’t speak for android but if you have apple, make sure sound check is turned off (settings/music/soundcheck). This tones down albums to play at same volume and hinders a lot of music meant to play at louder volumes/higher quality. The only appreciable difference I found in steaming through CarPlay and the radio was the Sirius xm was noticeably louder on some stations compared to CarPlay but the regular radio was almost 40% quieter

 

I feel the same,with the free trial of XM Radio the music was undisturbed and crystal clear with a wider range in tonal values,bass midrange ect.
Why is it with the JBL system with the 10" sub sucks to the point of non existence,honestly why even both putting it in when you can't even feel anything from it,was this all marketing?
I haven't kicked the dog or lost any sleep over it but really!
Am I the only one who doesn't know how to use it/wake it up and shake the dust?
Is there a secret switch nobody has found or is the switch located in our wallets to buy something that actually works?!

I dunno what else to do but continue watching this thread to see what's available to remedy this disappointment of an alleged Toyota upgraded stereo system.

 

I was with you guys and hated the sound of my factory JBL upgraded stereo. I added the beatsonic plug and play upgrade for the front and door speakers but the bass was lacking. I ended up going to a stereo shop and added:
https://www.ground-shaker.com/index...-23-toyota-tundra-crew-max&Itemid=104&lang=en
The his box is made for both hybrid and non-hybrid and is amazing!

I put in 2 - 10” Rockford Fosgate shallow 10” subwoofers.
Rockford Fosgate P3SD2-10
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_575P3S210/Rockford-Fosgate-P3SD2-10.html?tp=111
With this amp
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_575R2500X1/Rockford-Fosgate-R2-500X1.html?tp=35834

Then added the LC2i Pro converter.
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-gbIau...l8SVsq4l-hFSl87tZ2Ze0ndeJo7AJdRUaAtY0EALw_wcB

This thing sounds amazing and a must if want some serious bass!

 

Thanks for your input it is very much appreciated and I really like what you've done and I'm tempted to follow your lead.
This box housing will go in place of the jbl and is there a sub level controller or not necessary and can be manipulated from the HU.

 

I wish I had never signed up for the XM radio trial. It was a PITA to unsubscribe, expect to spend 30min+ on the phone to get them to cancel the subscription. Reminds me of the cable TV's companies, you have to let them try and talk you out of it for 30+ min.

 

Are you talking about settings in the head unit CarPlay? I've looked on my iPhone and there are no such settings.

 

mind sharing some pics?

 

Just posted pics in my original post

 

That thread above on the Non JBL upgrade has a lot of great information, but it takes hours to digest and understand if you aren't an enthusiast or pro. It is still very helpful. This is what I learned from it.



The biggest problem with "make it better" is that there are many, many things you can do spanning a few hundred to tens of thousands of $'s. Starting with OEM, you get the head unit (big screen) that pushes out signal to the front and back speakers in pairs of left/right. That signal is a bit weak and "tuned" for the mediocre OEM speakers.

Quick and easy boost - the BeatSonic. This is an amplifier with some signal processing. There are two options, one with a DSP that is more expensive. The DSP model is slightly easier to install since it uses the power and ground from the head unit. The other one requires you to pull the head unit out and screw the ground into the side. Basically, you unplug the 8-wire speaker harness from the head unit and plug in the BeatSonic. The BeatSonic then plugs into that original wire you unplugged and you have the speaker wiring done. There is another wire bundle you unplug that has power and activation that goes through a similar process.

You can then add speakers. The nicer speakers do want a stronger amplifier, but BeatSonic says any 4 ohm speaker will work (use Crutchfield to search). The hardest part with speakers is wiring them into the OEM plugs. Toyota has multiple speakers wired together, so there are 4-wires coming in and you need two out with the OEM speaker being the bridge. T*Tunes makes wiring harnesses that help, but you'll likely still need to splice a few wires. Not hard, but can be a little scary the first few times. There are a lot of options with speakers too. Coaxial are simple, but if you are swapping, component are better with a separate tweeter. I'm adding 3-way components up front which means adding a tweeter to the a-pilar, swapping out the door and the dash corner. Options with no wrong answer, just better and more money.

If you are adding speakers, sound deadening becomes a tempting project while the door panels are off.

And, if you are adding speakers that are better, they want more power and a better signal.
For a better signal, you are looking at a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). This cleans up the OEM de-tuning and lets you make things nice. Lots of work, but some allow you to put in a microphone to auto-tune.
The better signal goes to the Amp. The Amp needs one of two types of signals. The Head Unit puts out a High-Level signal. Many amps can use that fine, some need a low level. For those, you will need a LOC, Line Output Converter.
The amp then needs to get to the speakers. Using the OEM speaker wires is easiest and a t-harness is smart.

A wiring t-harness will be like the BeatSonic above. Plug into the back of the Head Unit, run to DSP/Amp and then back to the speaker harness from the head unit. I got the one from T* Tunes that is 17' long. That 17' has two 8-wire bundles. One is 9 to allow for a 12 volt trigger to turn on the amp. DSP -> Amp is a short run and them Amp to speaker plug is long again. I went with the Kicker Key 200.4 which is a combo DSP + Amp. After the auto tuning... wow, big difference.

At this point you've probably bought the BeatSonic and headed off to do something more fun, but there is more.

A subwoofer does add a lot. I put in a Kicker HS10 behind the rear seat in the middle. It just fits and is self powered. You need to tap into the speaker wires for signal. BeatSonic sells an adapter for this. I made my own fairly easily based on a small adapter in the Non JBL thread above. Electric seats take away what might be the best spot for the sub (under them). I did drill a hole for the sub in the plastic behind the rear seat for the wires. I also mounted my amp back there near the sub. With the Sub, you configure the amp to not send deep bass to the other speakers which help them do better. Asking a speaker to play the full spectrum of sound lowers the overall quality.


Quick - BeatSonic
Quick Plus - BeatSonic with a small self powered sub
Upgrade - speakers

Getting into it - DSP + Amp + Sub + Speakers and there are limitless combinations.



I'm sure I'm missing a lot and making the smart people cringe. Lot of research. Lots of confusion. And, so far a fun project over the past few weeks.


My current journey:
- Kicker Key 200.4 DSP Amp (behind rear seat, power from small distribution block in space behind rear seat)
- Kicker HS10 Sub (behind rear seat, power from small distribution block in space behind rear seat)
- Sound deadening on back wall and all 4 doors. Was more noticeable in my 4-runner.
- Focal RSE-165 2-way in rear door. There already is a 2-way there, so why not.
- Focal 165-AS3 3-way up front. Waiting on wiring harness, door 6.5" are both in. Going to mount tweeter in existing a-pillar, may upgrade to OEM JBL a-pillar in future. Mid's going in corner spots.

Initially I just did the amp and sub. After tuning the amp, big improvement. The rear speakers have been a small improvement, but that is expected; they are fill and for people in the back.

 

Hey, all good stuff. I have the JBL system and wanted to upgrade the sub. Went today and the hs10 fit great in my gen 3 hybrid, but the installer said he did one for another guy and it made no improvement. Does it hit? I had Jl audio 8’s in my gen 2, hit hard and fit behind the seat