Trail Grid Pro - Plug and Play Bundles

Curious if anyone has taken this path and used the Trail Grid Pro Plug and Play Bundles. If so, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I'm currently running the Alpine ILX-F511 head unit and the rest of my stereo is the factory amplified JBL system. I did a little research and see that I could buy the individual components cheaper elsewhere, but I like the fact that the Trail Grid Pro systems are designed to be plug and play and include all of the additional items such as the speaker adapters and plugs. They also have great customer service. I've used them previously for a few items.

I'm really tempted to purchase the below Alpine 10 speaker plug and play bundle.
Alpine 10 Speaker Plug & Play Bundle | '14 - '21 Tundra – Trail Grid Pro

As well as the Kicker JBL Bypass Plug and Play 5 Channel amplifier kit.
Kicker JBL Bypass Plug & Play 5-Channel Amplifier Kit | '14 - '21 Tund – Trail Grid Pro

They also have an Alpine Bypass Plug and Play 5 Channel amplifier kit
Alpine JBL Bypass Plug & Play 5-Channel Amplifier Kit | '14 - '21 Tund – Trail Grid Pro

Any thoughts between the two amplifier options would also be welcomed. Just wondering if this would be a good upgrade where I'd be satisfied with the results at the end of the day or if I should be looking at other options. I know there are much better speaker/amplifier options out there, but if this would satisfy my needs I think the price point is decent and I'm not looking to have a full blown competition style stereo, just something that is much better than I have today. I would still be using the factory JBL sub for the time being, but would ultimately be replacing that down the road also, so hoping either amplifier above would still be sufficient at that time.

If I take this route I'll likely purchase it before the end of the month and will definitely share my impressions once everything has been installed for others.

 

Local Phoenix Mobile Electronics Installer James of "Hardwired Toys" is a great dude, very knowledgeable, does great work and is a member of the local Tundra community.


https://hardwiredtoys.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hardwiredtoys

602-684-5391

 

Not for speakers but in a similar vein, I went with the Sony XAV-9000ES bundle from Trail Grid Pro and it actually ended up being ~$165 cheaper than Crutchfield and came pre-wired, Maestro flashed etc. I would recommend Trail Grid Pro 7 days a week for customer support and supporting a small business. That said, looking at the breakdowns, here's what you're getting if you pieced them together yourself:

Alpine 10 Speaker System:
Alpine S2-S69C Next-Generation S-Series 6"x9" component speaker system at Crutchfield - $200 (includes pair of 6 x 9's for front doors and 3.5" midrange with integrated 3/4" tweeter that would go into front dash corners)
Alpine S2-S65C Next-Generation S-Series 6-1/2" component speaker system at Crutchfield - $150 (includes pair of 6.5's for rear doors and 1" tweeters for rear doors)
Alpine S-S10TW S-Series 1" silk dome tweeters at Crutchfield - $90 (extra pair of tweeters for sail panels)

That puts total cost at $440 and Crutchfield includes speaker wire adapters for free. If replacing your speakers, one important thing to note is that the stock JBL amp isn't super powerful. The way things are wired, especially with these Alpines since they have inline vs external passive crossovers, makes them a really nice choice. With an aftermarket amp, you'd want an amp channel for each door, as well as the dash corners, and then a subwoofer channel. Honestly since the 6x9 component set comes with 3.5" midranges with an integrated tweeter, I might forgo the extra set of tweeters as it might end up being high range overkill, in which case you'd only need a 5 channel aftermarket amp to power everything. You could also still get the extra tweeters and power them straight off your head unit. The only catch is that if you get an aftermarket 5 channel amp, you'd have to run a new length of wire from each dash corner to the door woofer if you went that route, not too difficult but a slight pain speaking from experience.

Kicker 5 Channel Amp setup:
Kicker 46CXA660.5T CX Series 5-channel car amplifier — 65 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms + 300 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield- $404 on sale, plus wiring kit ~$50, plus factory integration harness from AutoHarnessHouse say another ~$50 for a grand total of ~$500.

Alpine 5 channel amp setup:
Alpine S2-A55V S-Series 5-channel car amplifier — 40 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms + 300 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield - $400, plus wiring kit ~$50, plus factory integration harness from AutoHarnessHouse say another ~$50 for a grand total of ~$500.

I would say that if you're looking at doing one, i.e. amp or speakers, consider doing the other as well. If you're going to do one first due to cost, I'd do the speakers first. An aftermarket amp will likely be too powerful for the stock JBL speakers and risk blowing them, whereas the stock JBL amp might be too weak for aftermarket speakers, but you won't risk blowing anything. The Alpine 6x9 component set calls for 100w RMS @ 4 ohms. The 6.5" component set calls for 80w RMS at 4 ohms. Of those two 5 channel amps, the Kicker would be a better suited (which is odd since the Alpine are Type S speakers and the Alpine amp is their Type S too so you'd think the power matching would be better).

As for those deals, I personally would pass on the speaker deal as you can piece it together for cheaper and they're not really giving you anything extra. As far as the amps go, I see some value there in having everything pre-wired etc. and having everything be more or less plug and play. How much value is the million dollar question. All totaled they're charging a couple hundred dollars to do that work for you which could potentially be a great deal depending on your desire/experience with car audio. It's not rocket science by any means, but like they say time is money.

If you have a budget in mind, I'd be happy to give some other recommendations for amps/speaker combos as well as helping with the wiring/layout of things. In a JBL truck, it's kind of nice because everything is powered off the stock JBL amp.

 

Thanks for all the info! Quite a bit to digest.

My thought was to purchase both the Alpine 10 speaker bundle and the Kicker amp bundle together at the same time and do one install. I get they might be a bit overpriced on the speaker bundle, but agree with you that their customer support is top notch and I really like to support smaller companies whenever I can.

I would say that I'm pretty well versed with the install and do not have any hesitation to tackle something like this. Plug and Play always peaks my interest since I have to work in the driveway and it's still over 100 degrees outside. I planned to use the 4 channels on the doors and have the dash speakers run off the head unit. The 5th channel would go to the factory sub.

Would you say combining both of those bundles would give a pretty decent upgrade over the factory system for around $1,200? I think I came out to $1,220 with the discount code applied. Also, would the factory JBL sub be okay with the aftermarket amp? I imagine it cannot handle too much. I do plan to replace the sub/box a bit later as well. Like I said, just looking for a decent bump in sound quality w/o breaking the bank.

 

That combo would definitely be a solid upgrade over stock. One thing I didn't notice when I was originally looking, but just saw after watching the first couple minutes of their video is that they include their own heavy duty speaker rings. The ones Crutchfield would give for free are the cheapy Metra "hollow" ones, definitely something to consider. Buying those kind of CNC'd ABS speaker rings from door woofers from other places would add $100+ dollars to the cost having done that myself. That makes that package a lot more desirable as you're only paying ~$100 for them to put everything together. The other really nice thing about the Alpine sets is they have in line crossovers, makes the wiring/install a good bit easier.

Originally I saw more value in the amp setup since having the wire harnesses all setup to be plug and play is a huge benefit. After seeing they include the heavy duty speaker rings I'd say both kits are equally valuable. The Kicker amp does 150w @ 4 ohms. I'm not sure how much power the stock sub handles, but I'd guess it's not even that much. Keeping your gain and bass boost low on the sub channel until you replace the sub would be a good idea. When it's time to replace, you could get a shallow sub that handles 300w @ 2 ohms to fully take advantage of your amps power.

The only thing I noticed in their install that I would definitely recommend in addition is an amp rack. The cheapest one I've seen (and also a really really solid company, well revered in the car audio world) is from Sounds Good Stereo. Custom Made Amplifier Rack/Plate/Board Compatible with 2014-2019 Toyot – Sounds Good Stereo. Looks like Trail Grid Pro uses velcro to secure the amp. I'd spend the extra $60 to get an amp rack to bolt everything to.

 

Thanks again for all the detailed info. Very much appreciated. That’s a good call on the amp rack as I did watch the Trail Grid Pro install video and wasn’t to keen on using the heavy duty Velcro to secure the amplifier into place.

I think I’m definitely going to take this route and do the Alpine 10 speaker bundle along with the kicker amp bundle and also add the amp rack that you linked above.

I’ll be sure to take some pictures and update this thread with the install process and initial impressions for others.

 

Nice best of luck with the install! Other nice thing about going with Trail Grid Pro is their install videos are super detailed. If/when you decide to upgrade the sub you'll have plenty of options for a single shallow sub.

 

This was my recent experience as well, and the company was a pleasure to deal with. Before I ordered from Trail Grid, I called Crutchfield to compare, and piece together what I needed and the Crutchfield Rep on the phone was not nearly as knowledgeable as Trail Grid, so I went with them. Price aside.

Trail Grid also had a little adapter to put the Sony Microphone in the OEM location for a cleaner install for a few bucks, that nobody else had and I’ll happily pay a few bucks to the Team who spent so much time to do the install videos that let me do it myself instead of paying $500 in So-Cal to some installer. Support those who support us

Agreed. One of the major reasons I supported them, is their effort to enable folks like me to wire up the stereo. If I went to an installer in San Diego it would have added $500+ dollars.

 

FWIW I recently installed the 9500ES and their Kicker speaker bundle in my '11 CrewMax ... non-JBL system, no amp.

Straightforward install, and their videos were really helpful. The new head unit is nice and feature-rich. But that's where it ends.

It sounds like shit ... no bass, tinny. No amount of EQ adjustments can overcome this unit's lack of sound.

OEM speakers were much better for being cheaply made featherweights. Makes no sense to me.

 

It is not the head unit's fault. The Sony XAV-9000/9500ES are some of the best sound quality head units out there. The problem is power handling/optimization of the factory system vs aftermarket. Those Kicker speakers are 100w RMS (both front and rear). The Sony head unit has a built in amp that does 20w RMS. Essentially the speakers are getting 1/5th their rated power, hence the lack of bass. They're not getting enough juice to really move. The factory radio probably also had a built in amp that did ~20w RMS, and the factory speakers were probably rated at ~20w RMS, meaning they were better matched/optimized.

Long story short, to get bass out of those speakers you'd need to get an aftermarket amp to power them. Disappointing that TGP would sell them without informing people of the mismatch in power and bass you'd lose and I agree, with just head unit power the factory speakers probably sound better.

If you need/want help picking an aftermarket 4 or 5 channel amp and wiring etc. to tie into your factory wiring without having to splice anything I'd be happy to assist.

 

I did the speaker upgrade first and was disappointed. They said the Sony would drive these speakers more effectively and sound better. Ehh, not really.

Apparently they didn't like my critical 3-star review highlighting the lack of sound with this "upgrade" where I suggested that it needs more power, because they haven't published it.

 

Dang man I’m sorry that’s super disappointing to hear that especially since they should know as well as anyone that power hungry speakers on standard head unit power are going to be disappointing 99.9% of the time. Only time they won’t be is if your previous speakers were totally blown. Trail Grid Pro should at the very least give people with your year range and non-amplified a heads up that they’ll need to get an amp, either that or get speakers that have a much lower rms rating.

 

I'm glad I found this thread. I'm about to purchase from TGPro the head unit Plug and Play Bundle with the built-in internal amp (16 watts RMS CTA-2006/50 peak x 4 channels) along with their Alpine Plug & Play 8-Speaker, 4-Channel Amp & Powered Subwoofer Bundle (with a

$332 Alpine KTP-445U Universal Power Pack

Alpine KTP-445U 4-Channel Amplifier and PWE-S8 8-inch powered subwoofer). I have zero clue when it comes to all this. I am learning as I go. I'm replacing all factory stock. Am I shooting myself in the foot with this set up? Let me know what you guys think.

Alpine iLX-507 Head unit

• built-in internal amp (16 watts RMS CTA-2006/50 peak x 4 channels)
• Compatible with factory steering wheel controls, factory backup and 360 cameras.
• MFR # iLX-507

Alpine KTP-445U 4-Channel Amplifier

• Dimensions: 7-7/16” x 1.5” x 2.5”
• Weight: 3 lbs.
• Power Output: 45W x 4 @ 4 Ohms / 2 Ohms

Alpine PWE-S8 Powered Subwoofer

• Dimensions: 13-7/16” x 2-3/16” x 9-1/16”
• Weight: 10 lbs.
• Power Output (RMS): 120W
• Frequency Response: 25-152Hz

S-Series 6x9 Component Set

• Woofer Size: 6x9"
• Mid-Range/Tweeter: 3" with built-in 3/4" Tweeters (Coaxial)
• Power Handling: 85W RMS / 260W Peak
• Frequency Response: 65Hz - 40kHz (Hi-Res)
• Sensitivity: 90dB

S-Series 6.5" Coaxial Speaker

• Woofer Size: 6.5"
• Tweeter Size: 1" (Coaxial)
• Power Handling: 80W RMS / 240W Peak
• Frequency Response: 70Hz - 40kHz (Hi-Res)
• Sensitivity: 88dB

 

Not at all! So long as you get an amp for aftermarket speakers which you are, you’ll be in good shape. TGP makes it nice and easy with great install vids and everything you need to get the job done in one nice tidy package, completely takes the guess work out of doing a system upgrade. The discussion above was in regards to Trail Grid not suggesting an amp if swapping out speakers which is all but required in my opinion.

 

Thanks!!

 

No problem, I’m sure you’ll love the upgrade. Alpine makes solid stuff across the board.

 

TGP isn't interested in helping me out. Pretty disappointing.

So I'm left to figure out something easy that will get me the bass/sound that I had before.

Would replacing the Kicker 100w RMS front door speakers with something like Memphis Audio PRX69S (60w RMS) sound better?

Or just bite the bullet and get OEM speakers from eBay, where the prices are almost as ridiculous as getting them from a parts supplier, and remove all the Kicker speakers?

Anybody got some non-JBL OEM speakers they wanna sell me for cheap?

 

Replacing the Kickers with the Memphis might be a slight improvement, but really I'd suggest just getting a 4 or 5 channel amp. I'm sure you could find some OEM speakers for relatively cheap, but I personally would just as soon put that money towards an amp. You could get a 4 channel amp for a couple hundred bucks, and the wiring and everything for another ~$50 or so. All totaled maybe a few hundred bucks and your time to install the amp, but Auto Harness House makes plug and play wiring harnesses so you wouldn't have to splice/cut any factory wiring. 5 channel would be a little more expensive but then you'd get to add a sub as well, which would get you the bass back but also cost more money/time. Other option would be to add a small powered sub under a seat. They're not too expensive and with the head unit you've got a sub output so install would be fairly easy. Do the Kicker speakers play loud enough without distortion for your taste/ If so, I'd probably lean towards the powered sub route as it would get you the bass you want and would probably be the most cost/time effective, but ultimately it also depends how much more money you want to sink into it.

 

I'd been wondering if a powered sub might be the least painful & more cost effective. I did one a long time ago in my '98 Tacoma and it was decent.

Crutchfield has a number of offerings that look appealing and should fit under one of the front seats ...

 

Well, I'm a bit late since I started this post back in September of 2024 inquiring about these products, but I just ordered the Alpine 10 speaker plug and play bundle with the Kicker JBL Bypass Plug and Play 5 channel amplifier kit. Hoping for a quick turnaround so I can get them installed before a trip over the 4th of July. Their website stated 7-10 business day lead time, so we'll see what happens.

Alpine 10 Speaker Plug & Play Bundle | '14 - '21 Tundra – Trail Grid Pro
Kicker JBL Bypass Plug & Play 5-Channel Amplifier Kit | '14 - '21 Tund – Trail Grid Pro

Anyone have experience with the soundskins precut door kits? Not sure if that is worth the investment if I do not plan on adding any additional sound deadening (floor, behind rear seat, roof, etc). Would it be worthwhile adding this to the doors only and would it still provide some decent sound improvement and cut out some road noise?

Tundra Pro Cut Sound Deadening Kit | 2014 - 2021 Toyota Tundra – Trail Grid Pro

Edit: Got a hold of James Taylor and he’s going to ship out a JL 10w1 2 Ohm in a ported box to be paired along with the rest of the system.

Update: amp rack ordered today from Sounds Good Stereo. Thanks for the link @Snert

 

Amp rack is scheduled for delivery tomorrow and I just got the email notification that Trail Grid Pro has shipped the speakers and amplifier which will arrive on Tuesday. If all goes well I should be able to plan for install over the weekend of June 28th - June 29th. The only remaining piece is the JL sub and box from Tech12volts which hasn’t shipped just yet.

Still up in the air about ordering some soundskins for the doors. Not sure if that is worth the roughly $400 in cost for what I’d gain from it.

 

Amp rack arrived today, just waiting on the speakers and amplifier which are a few more days out. Still hoping for an install to happen next weekend.

 

Speakers, amplifier, and wiring showed up yesterday from Trail Grid Pro. Still hoping to find the time this weekend to get it all installed. Still waiting for the shipping info from Tech12volts for the JL sub and box, not sure if that will make it before the weekend or not, but that can always be installed later. It’s coming together slowly, but surely.