Maestro RR Flash

Just installed a Sony XAV-AX4000 head unit with a Maestro RR module on my 2016 SR5 (non-jbl). I have (what I believe to be) the factory amplifier under my passenger seat. Everything seems great, however there is very little power going to all 4 door speakers but the dash speakers seem good to go. I'm assuming this is related to the amplifier because the dash speakers are powered by the head unit itself.

When flashing the maestro module, you're presented with 3 options:

• JBL
• Non-amplified/non-jbl
• Non-jbl w/amplifier

I selected non-jbl w/amplifier due to the factory amplifier. I'm wondering if I should've just gone with non amplified/non-jbl? Maybe the non-jbl w/amplifier would be for an aftermarket amplifier?

Does anyone have any experience in this?

 

I chose non-JBL w/amp in my 2016, but I have an aftermarket amp in place of the seriously wimpy OEM amp. Do you still have stock door speakers?

 

I'm fairly certain everything is still stock, but I've not directly checked.

OEM amp is certainly wimpy, that's the next step.

 

What's probably going on is you've got better sound coming out of your dash speakers and OEM/craptastic sound coming out of your stock amp. You didn't hear the difference when everything sounded craptastic, but now that your dash speakers are being pushed to their full potential, your door speakers are left holdin the bag.

 

??? Looking to buy a sony an looks like i have a non jbl system 2019 limited with that black box under the front seat. Am I right or wrong for when ordering unit to pick non jbl with non jbl amp. Lady on my teck call said if I pick wrong I need to refresh the maestro. Is that hard to do? ,I'm not a tech person...

 

Sounds like you have a non-JBL with the factory amp. If you need to reflash the Maestro, it's really simple. The website/software walk you through it and it comes with the tiny USB cable. Make sure you use the cable it comes with, some of my longer, cheap-o USB phone charger cables didn't work with it.

 

You're right.

 

So another?? I've read it seems like a 1000 post on here.so lots of comments on reflash an how easy it is.. Do u need to remove radio every time you do a reflash ??

 

Depends on where you stashed the Maestro unit and if you can get to it without plugging the radio

 

Any chance you didn’t connect up the amp outputs from the HU to the maestro harness? Not familiar with the Sony, but is there a setting you need to use to enable it to output to the amp pre-outs?

 

I'm pretty confident that I followed the wiring guide thoroughly for the maestro. I've been all over the settings with no luck.

I've now ordered one of the harnesses to splice together and put into the factory amp to just bypass the damn thing until I get the full build planned out and put in. I'll reflash the maestro to non-jbl/non-amp and hopefully this will solve my problem.

 

Just as an FYI for anyone doing future systems, if you get the RR2 (I think it was $50 more) it can be reflashed via bluetooth without removing the unit.

It also gives you the ability to program a couple of relays to control light bars or whatever.

 

Have the full wiring diagrams here: All Years Complete Audio System Wiring Diagrams | Toyota Tundra Forum

With the factory (non-jbl) amp in 2016, your wiring/speakers are setup like this:

1) Head unit has built in amp. Head unit sends amped signal of ~20w @ 4 ohms to each dash corner. Each dash corner speaker is 13w 6 ohms and is wired in parallel to one side of the dash center speaker which is dual voice coil and 10w + 10w 8 ohm resistance on each voice coil. 6 ohms + 8 ohms wired in parallel ends up being ~3.4 ohms and 10w + 13w = 23w for each side of the dash + center. Round 3.4 ohms up to 4 ohms and the head unit is probably putting out about 20w at 4 ohms, which is essentially what all head units will put out for power, stock or aftermarket. Head unit is also sending an amped signal directly to the rear tweeters in the rear doors. The rear tweeters are labeled 4 ohm 20w, which matches the math for the dash corners + center. Your Sony XAV4000 has a built in amp which also puts out 20w rms @ 4 ohms x 4 channels. With the included wiring for your install, your new XAV4000 should be sending the same power to the dash corners and rear tweeters just like the stock head unit.

2) The stock head unit also sends a pre-amp/data signal to the factory amp input for the 4 door woofers. The factory amp then bumps up the power of that signal before sending it to the door woofers. The front woofers are 6x9" and the rear woofers are 6.5". All of the door woofers are 2 ohm and 35w. Replacing the head unit in theory shouldn't affect the 4 door woofers, however, and maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can chime in, it might be affected due to the difference in pre-amp voltage output of the stock head unit vs your new XAV4000.

The XAV4000 lists a pre-amp voltage of 2v which would be for the RCA outputs, but I have a hunch that the outputs/part of the wiring harness that ties into the factory wiring to send signal from the XAV4000 to the factory amp is also 2v, which may be lower than what the stock head unit puts out. If that is the case, in theory you would need to turn up the gain on the amp to make up for the lower volt pre-amp input signal, but I don't think/highly doubt there's a gain knob on the factory amp. Other option would be thumbing through the settings on the head unit and seeing if you can turn down the 4 amped channels it has (connected to dash corners + center and rear tweeters) to match the output level of the door woofers. Bypassing the amp altogether (I think) will result in worse sound as you'll be removing what amperage the door woofers are getting, and since the door woofers are 2 ohms, idk it might run the risk of damaging the head unit.

 

I appreciate all the information.

iDatalink informed me that the maestro is unable to raise amp gain in non-jbl systems, and I've been unable to locate any way to raise it through the Sony head unit. iDatalink agreed that bypassing the factory amp for now is probably the best fix. Still unsure what the disconnect is exactly.

So this is the current plan. Still bypass the factory (non-jbl) amp. I've got a set of cheap Rockford components and kicker full ranges lying around, both are 4 ohm. I'm thinking I'll put them in the doors for now to get by til I overhaul the amp/drivers/wiring/add sub. This way I'm not overworking the head unit. Re-flash maestro to non-jbl/non-amp.

Now I'm considering unhooking all 3 dash speakers. My thought is the cheap dash speakers will be sapping power that could be going to the door speakers. I'll be installing the tweeter from the components in the front door sails, so I think that will fill the zone that will be potentially empty without the dash speakers.

Do you think it would be worth unhooking any/all of the dash speakers? I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult to try it both ways and see which is best. I'm not looking for the best I can get right now, just need an improvement from where I am because I'm basically just listening to music through the dash currently.

 

I could be wrong, but what I was trying to say/explain above is that you can’t remove the factory amp without replacing it/bypass it or you’ll lose sound entirely to the 4 door woofers. The head unit powers the dash and rear tweeters. Although not through RCA cables, the head unit does the same thing in sending a preamp signal from the head unit, over factory wiring, to the factory amp location. The stock head unit and any replacement head unit are sending power on their 4 channels to the dash/rear tweeters which is separate from the door pre amp channels, removing the dash would theoretically not have any affect on the preamp signals for the door channels. The closest thing you could do in theory would be to identify the 4 head unit powered channels, splice those to the 4 preamp channels, and loop the signal at the factory amp, that way your head unit is powering the doors, and then the dash would be disconnected.

 

That sounds like a good idea, think I'll get one of those.

I just had to reflash mine a few weeks ago cause I was an idiot, but that's beside the point. One thing I noticed is if I flashed it with the most current firmware I lost the ability to program a steering wheel button to view my front camera while driving. I found that odd...

 

I believe I'm tracking what you're saying.

I'm not planning on removing the factory amp currently, just bypassing it at the factory amp location. My understanding is this would allow the doors to be powered directly from the head unit's high level outputs? I'll put in the 4 ohm aftermarket drivers in the doors so they match the output of the Sony.

This thread is the one I found in regards to the amp bypassing:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/non-jbl-factory-amp-bypass.127437/

 

Oh, that's not good, I like that feature!

 

I was under the impression that the 4 channels in the factory head unit and and after market head were the only high level/amped channels and those were connected to the dash/rear tweets and the other channels going to the amp for the doors were low level. I’m curious how the wiring works since people have had success doing it, wonder if it’s split at connectors and the amp inputs are t’d off in a connector somewhere with the other side going to the dash and rear tweets

 

I just reflashed it with an earlier version so I have it back

 

I had

I had great instructions from @1lowlife when I installed my Pioneer headunit and speakers. I got rid of the dash speakers and put the tweeters in the sails. I replaced the OEM amp with a Kenwood. He provided some great directions.