4Runner. I have to put in a new radio and sub w/amp. Got jacked, but oh well. Kinda pissed because it was an ORION HCCA competition amp, but got it for pennies from a police auction. It was the best amp ever though. Any way, I want to hear some of what others have done with the same model to mount the amp and type of box. I will not mount the amp to the back of the seat and I saw how some guys are putting their amps where the sub is supposed to be located on 2k3 models. Is there something like that in my model that I can mount my amps, I will have two. Like to see pics to get ideas. Also, how do you get to the rear speakers. I am going to replace all 4 speakers.

Thanks in advance.

O

I got a Sony Xplod HU with AUX input for XM SKYFY2 and an ALPINE digital signal processor with active sub X-over and EQ. Polk db400s for front and db650s for back panel with a Profile 60Wx4 to power those and a pair of PYLE 10" PRO series woofers with a 2.5 or 3.0" VC housed in an 80 oz. magnet. I had these in my townhouse at college and they shook the whole place and next door! I will have 160Wx2 powering those. Some stuff I had (Alpine & Pyle Pros), but overall should be rockin' for around $800.

So all that you just listed added up to around $800? Sounds like a pretty good setup to me, but I don't really know too much about car stereos. Im lookin to spend around $1000 in a whole new setup in my 93'. Its got 4 speakers in the back though, a couple smaller ones on the ceiling.

check out www.crutchfield.com

I see those extra speakers too in mine. Looks like I will get the Polk db6500 which are 6.5" component speaker set. They are $180.00. You can find 4" speakers for around $100, no more.

Amps - find something that has 50Wx4 or 60Wx4. You really don't need any more. A 100W amp is not twice as loud as a 50W amp. To be twice as loud you need to go 10 fold on wattage, meaning that to be twice as loud as a 50W amp you would need to get a 500W amp. You can find one of these amps for around $130.00.

HU - find a good unit that will play the format that you listen too. They all have tuners for FM and then get a cassette deck or cd and if you have an IPOD or external XM or Sirrius radio get an AUX input on the front or rear for that also. I got a Sony XPLOD with CD and an AUX input on the front for my XM Skyfy2. You can find that for about $150 or less. You don't need to spend more money on flashy bouncy stuff unless you really like to sit and watch your stereo play music. Don't worry about how much power the HU has because it will be bypassed.

Subs - This is critical. You should listen to them before you get them and see if there is a way to listen to the box in your car first. How it sounds in the store is different than how it sounds in your car. You don't need anything bigger than 10"s, but go with something really good. JBL makes great subs. and put a good amplifier on them. Go with a minimum of 100W RMS per speaker. So you should have two 10"s with a 100Wx2 RMS amp. You can get that for around $160.00

You are going to have to get the wiring and line connectors for the amps. You don't need the monster cables but don't get the cheapest ones either. a good middle of road line connector is sufficient. With the amps, you can run one line from the HU to the SUB amp and there usually is a bypass for the component speakers to come out of that amp and go into the next amp for the rest of the 4 speakers.

You'll be right at $1000.00 and have a great sounding stereo. When you are listening to your stereo with your friends around your car do you look at the radio playing? If not, then you don't need all the big screens and dancing lights. Go for listening quality and equipment quality as opposed to dancing lights.

just my 2 cents.

O

In the rear, there are two storage compartments, on either side accessible by removing the covers. The inside bins can be removed and you can mount an amp or cd changer or hard drive or whatever else fits in there. Its a bit of work since you have to remove the whole side panel. Its hidden but still accessible if you need to get to it. Only bad thing is whatever you put in there is pulverized if you ever get into a wreck and get hit there.

Stay away from Sony. Seriously, stay away.

Some people like it, but I've got 4 years experience selling it and its all shit. There is no good way to put it. Sony makes nice home tvs, cameras, and computers...but their mobile audio is shit. Their marine unit is nice basically because there isn't any competition for it. People from other countries are the only people I have the balls to sell sony to.

JBL is OK... not ever going to see it in my car but it's not as bad as some stuff out there. Don't get confused with JL and JBL though...it isn't the same.

Crutchfield is nice for DIY people, but in all honesty go to a local shop and see what they have. Plus they actually know what they are talking about....well most should anyway.

Brands I've had experience with and like...
Head Units - Pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine, older Eclipse
Amps - JL, MTX, Memphis, Alpine
Subs - JL, MTX, Memphis, Alpine
Mid-Range - JL, Memphis, Alpine, Kenwoo, MB Quart, Focal,... just a few
Connections (amp kits, RCA, etc) - Stinger, Streetwire, Memphis, JL

Brands to stay the F*%$ away from....
Sony, AudioBahn, Clarion, JVC, Panasonic, I know i'll get shit for this but Kicker... this list is long too, so I just named the ones you'll have contact with on a daily basis.

Heres a good rule of thumb... If you can only find a product in bestbuy, circuitcity, or online... theres a good chance that these products aren't in specialty shops for a reason.

Oh, and just because you can get a Pioneer deck at a shop and at BestBuy, doesn't mean it is the same quality. Many manufactures send different quality products out, and i'm not referring to Premier vs. Pioneer. The same pioneer units at a specialty shop are 10x less likely to break over a pioneer at a bestbuy. According to my pioneer rep that is anyway.

MY REPLY IS IN QUOTE - ALL CAPS TO SEPARATE.

Thanks a lot for all the advice its going to help out a lot.... just a few questions and comments.

I have never had any problems with Sony, other than there speakers sound like crap compared to other brands.

I plan on shopping for all my equipment at Ultimate Electronics. Is it possible to install everything myself or is it worth paying to get it done?

And one thing im worried about is where im gonna set up the subs??? I still want to be able to have plenty of cargo space and be able to fold down the seats and have room to sleep a couple people.

Yes, personally, I like Sony HU, but rest of Sony stuff is crap IMO also, but check out what you like and stay away from some of the items listed before.

It is possible to install everything yourself. I did with my first set up. I installed the HU and got a wire kit to use the existing speakers and not cut anything. Now there will be more involved with new speakers and amps all going in so there will definitely be more work involved. It depends on how much time you have to do it, how much time you want to put into it and how much your time is worth. If you don't have much time to put in to installing everything yourself and your time is worth a lot to you, then have them install it. If you have a lot of time, and are willing to put a lot of time into it, then DIY. If you don't know how to run the 8 gauge wiring and set up distribution block for powering the amps and grounding and don't know how to run the connections between the HU and amps and set up the subs (in stereo/serial/parallel), then you should look into having it installed. Do you know how to take the rear panels off in the back of the 4runner? Taking that off may take some time and there are no short cuts. It may take you a couple of hours to figure it out and do it and may take only 1 hour or less for a professional to do it if they have done it before. As said before, if you have them install it, you may have a longer warranty and they will make sure that it is sounding right before it leaves or you make sure it is right before it leaves!! As soon as you take it out of the shop, it will be more for them to do anymore work on it if it isn't right. You might also have better warranties on the products too.

The sub placement. I posted this thread to get ideas on what people have done to mount the amps and subs in hideaway places or designs that still left room for cargo just like you want. I haven't gotten any replies on sub placement, but it looks like you are going to have to have a box sitting in the rear. You can have it facing the back of the seat or backwards. If it is facing the backseats and pushed all the way up, then the subs will be protected from damage of loading stuff in there. You will have to have quick disconnects on the speaker connections and remove the box when you want to sleep in there and put the box in the front seat.

O