Confused on what to buy

I have a 2008 Tundra Double cab, base model. I'm have already replaced the factory speakers and now I am looking to upgrade my head unit and add an amp. I have talked to Crutchfield multiple times over the last month or so trying to determine what I wanted. I just spoke with them and they added things to the cart that I haven't had before.

This time, they told me I would need speaker wire (to run from the amp to the speakers) and additional RCA cables to run from the amp to the stereo. I guess what is confusing me is we have been talking about the same amp each time and the previous people I had never told me I needed the speaker wire nor the cables...so I'm a little confused. I just hate to order it if I really don't need it.

The amp I'm looking at is a Clarion XC1410.

 

Do second gens have a factory amp (on 3rd gens its under the front passenger seat)?

If you dont, you would run RCA's from the back of the new deck to where ever you mount the new amp, and speaker wire to go back up to behind the head unit to connect into the factory harness' output. You could use something like this to make life easier:


If you do have a factory amplifier then you would put the new amp in place of the factory one (still have to run rca's from the new deck to the amp), but all your speaker connections are right where the factory amp was.

 

No, mine does not have a factory amp.

 

You would need to run speaker wire back to behind the head unit.

What amplifier are you looking at?

 

Clarion XC1410

 

Oops, i saw you listed what amp.

That looks small enough that you might be able to fit it behind your head unit. Make sure its got some room to breath.

If you are able to fit it behind the head unit, you would just need a short rca cable to go from the head unit to the amp (and of course power and ground to the amp)

 

So my stuff came in last night, new Kenwood head unit, clarion amp, wires, harnesses, etc from Crutchfield. Anyone have any advice on where to mount the amp? They told me this one is pretty small, and that there would probably be room under the glove box for it, that it was light weight and could be zip tied in place. I want everything to be clean and not pieced together with installing it, just trying to make sure if it needs to be mounted under a seat or something I go ahead and get stuff to mount it to before I start.

 

So you dont have to extend a bunch of wires, i would look somewhere close to behind the head unit, maybe the glove box.
If you find a good flat surface, maybe velcro or 3m double sided tape (i'm not a fan of zip ties).

this stuff works wonders!

 

I replaced my head unit and got much better sound.... would an amp be necessary for a casual listener?

 

You've cleaned up the sound quality by replacing the head unit. If you want it louder, add an amp.....but be careful, your stock speakers wont last long (with the new head unit, they are probably already over their rated handling)

 

I probably only needed the new head unit to get what I wanted, but I didn't want to have to add an amp later if it wasn't what I wanted. I like riding with the windows down, and between that and the exhaust and road noise, my stock stereo is horrible.

 

Well, I got everything wired up over the weekend, and what a HUGE improvement. It should be with new head unit, amp, and speakers, but it blows me away at how effortless it is now to drown out EVERYTHING else. The sound is much cleaner and clearer, and doesn't take much to where I can't hear exhaust, tires, road noise...nothing but music!

I do have a little bit of static noise, so I'm wondering if my ground from the amp needs a better connection. Haven't had a chance to mess with it anymore.