Any way to upgrade just the JBL subs?

I may have to get this set up.
Anyone wanna buy it kicker comp 8 dual 1 ohm sub? Its pretty much brand new. Would best be powered by an amp but fits nicely in the OEM sub box. Sounds a little better than the stock sub but and amp would be ideal

 

I’m hoping someone will do a write up on the electrical connections... not my strong suit. Does the kit include all the hardware and connectors or do you need to buy all that separately?

 

oem wire green + , black -

 

F it, ordered the tech12volts JBL replacement sub...

 

Me too. figured for 200 bucks it's worth a shot.

 

Following Thread... Sounds like i am with everyone else... Disappointed in the JBL premium sound. My biggest complaint is the lack of EQ adjustments. High/Mid/Bass... That's It? Seriously?? I would simply like to adjust bass down in my doors and bass up from the sub? Should be simple. Like others on this thread, I am not looking for earth shaking bass, i just like full distortion free, clean sound at all volumes. Both front doors now have a slight rattles and i am sure it's becuase of the amount of bass the 6x9's are trying to produce. I am considering adding simple bass blockers to the door woofers. Anybody try that? physical bass blocker at each woofer and then use the pitiful EQ to adjust bass up which in theory would give it more sub??? And yes i need to add dynamat or equivalent behind all 4 door panels to help with the rattle and overall sound. the $200 sub replacement mentioned above isn't a bad option... although we would still be stuck with lack of EQ control.

 

I replaced my HU within a month of buying my truck, and had plans to as part of deciding on Tundra vs F150. I think the entune deck is a big limiting component

 

I debated this, but for the cost, I wanted to try something else first. I got quoted about 1k installed for a Pioneeer 4400 NEX, which would be sweet, but idk if that sweet....

 

I did 4200NEX (purchased when the 4201 was current about 2 years ago), all in with Maestro and harnesses was about $550-600. DIY install with the JBL system is pretty easy if you know how to build a harness. I'd say $1k installed is a little high but if it comes with Maestro and all accessories to keep steering wheel controls and cluster display it's worth it. There's a $150 rebate from pioneer going on that might sweeten the deal for you.

 

Let me know how you get on replacing the head unit. I'm curious what you'd lose. Back up camera? Entune?

 

So all you did was put the wires in the terminal blocks as shown or did you need to crimp?

 

No crimps, just put the wires in the terminals, same like home theater speakers

 

Looks like a good investment for $200 , the Phoenix HU really woke my sound system up but this looks like it would be the icing on the cake.

 

I wish you would have been able to make the Auburn Brewery meet earlier this year. I wanted to check out your ride and hear your exhaust. You could have checked out my system also. After most people left, a few people listened to mine and complimented it. They got a kick out of my sub box as well. It's not something one sees everyday.

 

I like the idea of adding bass blockers to the doors. Nice and easy and kinda old school but it should work I may pick up this sub and box from tech12volts and grab some bass blockers to try.

 

Actually I wonder if I can just buy the box from tech12volts and use the kicker 8" dual 1 ohm sub I recently purchased ?

 

I spoke with James at tech12volts and he said that he could build me a similar box for my kicker 8" but it would not come close to this setup with the JBL 10". Price would be about the same anyway. So pending one more review, I'll be getting this setup. I'm so glad these guys stepped up and found a solution for us JBL guys that doesn't involve spending a fortune and ripping apart my truck.

 

Alright guys, update on my end on this thing. I decided that for 200 bucks the tech12volt system was worth a shot. They shipped it fast, and while the website could use some updating, they answered my emails fast.

Product/Install
The box seems well built. The packaging was good, but it got a bit of a beating in shipping. The carpet is applied well, and everything seems professional, as far as I can tell.

As far as install, I did it in about 30 minutes at night. The hardest part is wrangling around with the big seat. Steps:
1. unbolt seat (4x bolts, one has a unique thread).
2. tilt the seat forward, exposing the sub behind it.
3. 3x 10mm screws to remove the stock sub, and unplug.
4. Place new sub in place, use wire connectors into the terminal on the sub (just like home speakers).
5. Wrangle seat back in place.
6. Bolts back in and torque.

Note that in 5, shit is tight. Like someone else here mentioned, you can get the seat right in, but there is a hairline gap in the back. I threaded everything hand tight, then torqued in a star pattern, and she pulled down flat and flush. At this point, the sub is not going anywhere.

@Pudge I didn't trim any of the back insulation at this point. If you have extra deadening material back there, it might be a bit tight. However, you could easily trim that stuck insulation blanket (I almost did anyway), and then I don't think you would have any issues.

Sound Review
For reference, I am *not* an insane audiophile. That being said, I used to be an engineer at a well-known speaker company, and so I like to think I have a decent ear. I always felt like the stock JBL system kinda sucked, but not enough to really bug me. Specifically, it felt like it had nothing under the hood. Very twangy, with no kick. Hence my interest in the sub.

After verifying the functionality of the driver and getting everything back together. I began to test. First, just for fun, I put on some super shitty mumble rap with a ridiculous baseline (streaming Spotify through my phone). VERY noticeable improvement in raw low-end power. I wouldn't crank it like this, as it just sounds way too bass heavy, but I wanted to see what it could do. Honestly, it shook pretty hard, and I was impressed.

After that, I played through some various rock, grunge, country, etc. All sounded way better. The system doesn't feel totally new, but it feels like it *should* from the factory, in my opinion. It woke it up quite a bit, and just feels a lot more full.

Again, I'm not a musician or anything like that. Rather, I'm an average joe that likes to listen to music a bit too loud.

Summary
Worth the effort to install and the 200? Without a doubt! Seriously, install was like 30 minutes, and the improvement is very noticeable to me. I think a lot of that comes from the improved driver, but also the big heavy wooden box. The stock one is pathetic, just a little piece of plastic.

If you're considering doing it, I would say do it. It's a very nice improvement in sound and experience. If the cost was 500, I would probably say think it over. But for 200, easy sell.

Hope that helps some people interested!

 

glad to hear there's some hope for you JBL guys! great write-up

 

Thanks @cantle
I think I'll order it and give it a go. I will need to modify my sound deadening back there but I'll get it done. Appreciate the time you took for this review!

 

A couple pics of mine:

You're welcome man. I don't want to oversell it, as it's still the same amp, but I found it to be a noticeable improvement and worth my dollar.

 

Thanks for your review @cantle I’m leaning closer to pulling the trigger.

 

I totally get what you're saying. I think its exactly what I want from what you describe.

 

Group buy? I can talk to James and see what he says...

 

I’m so down if you can save us some $$$

 

Email has been sent to James

 

Keep me updated. I’m ready to pay if he says yeah. Thanks!

 

Will do. I hope to be able to start a thread tomorrow for a group buy. Fingers crossed.

 

Good luck guys! It's totally worth 200. Any cheaper, and it's a no-brainer.

 

I'd jump on a group buy as well!