Tundra audio components to beat girlfriend's Harman Kardon in her Volvo.

I need help guys! My girlfriend has a premium Harman Kardon audio system in her car. We both love it. She is teasing me about my Tundra's crappy stock sound system all the time. Yes, it is not amazing for sure. I also LOVE clear real sounding music, opera, classical music and hip hop.



My plan is to build an amazing sound system in my Tundra which equals or sounds better than the all around rich, detailed sound of her Volvo.



So HELP ME!!! I am desperate.



My Tundra is a non JBL system, no amplifier and no subwoofer. It has 6 speakers. (2 front, 2 rear and 2 on the instrument panel. no tweeters. )



I would like to replace the stock radio. (Android audio wouldbe great and reverse camera input, the rest I don't care. I just wan to have crystal clear sound...)



Budget: under $1000 or maybe $1500? I am willing to buy used amplifiers, speakers, etc!



Please help a Toyota owner to impress his girlfriend!!!!

 

What year and configuration (crewmax, double cab, access cab, regular cab) is your truck?

 

With a new head unit, its going to be tight, but should be able to fit it into the 1500 budget.
Kenwood headunit with maestro + harnesses are probably going to eat up half your budget.
5ch amp
1 set of components for the front (or two if you want components in the back, you could also use coax for the rears if you are tight on budget)
Single 10" sub + box, probably go sealed, but if you ever like to thump it...go with a ported or two 10's in a ported.
get a 4ga amp kit and just re-use the factory speaker wiring. What trim level is yours, i'm not sure about the SR trim, but i believe all the other ones at least have a factory amp under the passenger front seat, put your new amp there.

I've bought most of my audio equipment (along with a lot of people here) from James at tech12volt, he specializes in tundra audio. Email him with your music preferences and budget and he'll put a system together for you. tech12volt@gmail.com

 

2010 Double Cab. No JBL.

 

This is all good advice, especially the last 2 sentences.

@haring It's a blessing you don't have JBL.

You could do this in steps if you want.
Do one thing and see how it sounds and go from there.
I ran stock speakers with Fosgate amps on my 2005 and it didn't sound bad at all.

First, replace the HU (radio), see how it sounds with the stock speakers.
Most prefer Kenwood or Pioneer.
I lean more towards Kenwood after owning a few of both.
Go for wireless carplay/android if you can afford it.
You'll need a maestro + harnesses as @Danimal86 stated if your truck has steering wheel controls.

Then on to the door speakers, a decent coaxial in the front door will be better than a cheaper set of components.
I wouldn't even bother with the dash speakers, just leave them disconnected.
Or buy a nice set of components and put your tweeters in the dash.
A rear door coaxial will be fine, no need for a separate tweeter.

Then if you want to go for an amp, go with a 5 channel so you can add a sub and enclosure if wanted.
For the sound you are wanting a good single sub should do it.

As @Danimal86 stated, contact James at tech12volt.
He knows his way around Tundra audio and has helped several members here including me..

Taylors Audio – Custom Car Audio

His store

For all your car audio and video needs (tech12volts.com)


Crutchfield is a good place to shop and look at options and reviews.
They also have an awesome return policy.

Crutchfield: Car Stereo and Audio, Speakers, Home Theater, Pro Audio, TVs

 

guys, you are the best! I will get all the components from tech12volts.com

 

Trying to beat the Harmon Kardon in the wife’s Volvo for $1500 will be tough. You’ll definitely have to bargain shop. I miss the days of car audio shops that I could go and listen to speakers on the big sound board back to back to help decide which sounds best. Some are thin and sound tinny. Some have warmth, but lack brightness. Trying to find the Goldilocks is tough when buying on line on a budget. Some brands that have never let me down, Pioneer and Kenwood head units and amps. Polk audio and higher end infinity speakers. I did buy a set of lower end ($110) Infinity coaxials for my sons Mustang and am very disappointed in them. Most swear by Focal, but those are spendy. Lots of good reviews from Taco tunes and Tech12volts. Haven’t used any of their stuff to comment. Just as important as the equipment will be the tune after install. The HK in the wife’s is mid grade components, but tuned and well
Matched.

 

Focals speakers are nice.
I have PS 156 FX components in the front doors and AC 100s in the back door.
The fronts with tweeter in the 2014 door sail gives a great front stage.
I ended up disconnecting my dash speakers..

I'm leery of taco tunes for electronics although they do make nice speaker adapters.
Posting links from their website is banned from this forum.
So there is that..
*********.com - Toyota Audio Upgrade Solutions

 

I've had really good luck with the speaker adapters from t12v, only thing i had to do was paint the mdf black so i cant see them through the door speaker grills.

 

I have been very pleased with my set up from James. Factory JBL with everything Arc Audio and

$298 Rockford DSR1 8-Channel Interactive Signal Processor w/Integrated iDatalink Maestro Module

Rockford DSR1. My system kicks ass. So glad this time around kept the factory headunit.

 

Here is a probably the best sound you will get on a budget of less than $1500


Silver Flute W17RC38 6 1/2 speakers for the front doors
$70 for the pair.

massive audio CT2 tweeters
$80 for the pair
Mount them in the sail panel

head unit. Anything with decent crossovers and time alignment capabilities

If you run a 2way active setup there is no need for rear door speakers if you are going for sound quality




Jvc 750bt on crutchfield $500. I have this headunit in my sons mustang, it is a great head unit. It has all the tuning features needed without going to a full DSP multi amplifier setup

If you don’t want all the features of the idatalink RR. You can get a basic dash and wiring kit for $36 on crutchfield

If your tundra does not already have a rear view camera add one for $40


Don’t laugh on this one
Subwoofer. Go look at some videos. Or go check out some car audio forums.
the blaupunkt 8 inch subwoofer you can order from Walmart for $25.
Someone posted this sub on low power in a box at .80cf with a single 8 flexing the roof on a 4 door suv. Another member on one of the car stereo forums set up 2 10 inch subs and hit just a little over 140db
They also claim the blaupunkt has decent sound quality



build the box yourself. $60 in materials

5 channel amp for the door speakers and subwoofer
Soundstream rubicon nano. Amazon $220



do some sound deadening in the doors
Amp wiring kit
Run new speaker wires through the front doors. You will need control of the tweeter and woofer independent of each other if you want good sound quality

rca cables
Speaker wire
Fuse blocks
Amp wiring kit
Other cost
Taxes

should be able to do a good sounding system for $1300 or less


A good sounding system is mostly in the install and tuning
Not so much in what you spend on the speakers.

Yes a set of focal $1000 speakers will sound better than a $100 set of speakers.


But a set of $200 speakers set up and tuned correctly will sound better than a $700 set just put in the doors with a factory passive crossover and no tuning done to them.

 

For $1500 you'll have good sound, but you'll need about $3000 to beat her Volvo.

 

I'd say 3-4k, 3 way active with a good dsp.