00' Sound system upgrade Help

krmccour

krmccour

New member
So I'm a newbie when it comes to sound equipment, my 03' Accord had excellent sound so I never had to upgrade. However, coming from premium sound to my new-to-me 00' 4Runner...well...it leaves something to be desired :) I figured I'd ask some more experienced people for some help.

Currently, everything is stock.

What I'm looking for:

A quality head unit that puts out good sound, not interested in GPS or DVD playback, more interested in sound quality, reliability, bluetooth, XM/Sirius functionality, and AUX/ipod in. I don't have a smartphone so app-compatible radios won't serve a purpose. I'm pretty set on Pioneer, as everyone seems to like them and they have reasonable prices (would consider an Alpine if the price is right). What are key specs on the HU's that I should look for (such as voltages, outputs, etc.).

I have a 12" Alpine Type R with an amp I'd like to hook up to it as well.

I would also be interested in upgrading the speakers, but I'm unsure if I would need to buy an external amp to power them. Again, not looking for something that will get really loud, but something that will sound great, better than stock, but without breaking the wallet.

If I could get away with spending <$500 to upgrade the HU and speakers, I would be very happy. As a side note, I'll be sound deadening most of the interior as well.

Thanks in advance for any advice! I'll keep everyone updated with the progress and any interesting things I may find along the way.
 
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I started with

the alpine r (slim) series 6.5/tweeter components up front and 5.25 coaxials in back. Then went with a JVC KWR500 HU. I spent around $500 in all.
 
So you didn't need an external amp to power those speakers? Under what circumstances would I need to purchase an external amp? I like the HU btw...
 
If you want the best sound quality to cash spent ratio do what I did ...

Buy a high end used Alpine for ~ $100 on EBAY and a brand new Alpine faceplate for $115 on EBAY.
Pair that with either the Alpine 40W RMS upgrade module $100-$150 (I believe) or a 4 Channel Amp.
Buy some Infinity reference components new from an eBAY seller.
Run new 14G speaker wiring to all the doors (do this!).
Install a sound dampening door kit for the front doors $99

Don't worry about the rear door for now. It would be better to buy quality parts (deck, amp and speakers) for the front and add the rears in a few months when you have the additional cash.

To see exactly what I did click on my build thread. I am very happy with my audio setup. I have an Alpine 9835 with a new FP. It is awesome and better that a lot of these big LCD radios where most of the build cost went into the touch display and not the audio.
 
Well I have 75W RMS but I am not exactly sure about the wire size. I am pretty sure I used the same gauge as my home audio setup but it was a few years ago.

Be sure to use true 4G power cables not 8G.

.
 
One option is to just leave the rear speakers stock. Run a 4-channel amp to power front speakers and bridge the rear channel to run your sub. Then all you need is front speakers, amp, sub, head unit. I have Polk 6.5" components up front and a clearance Rockford hatchback sub and amp that I picked up from Crutchfield years ago. Total for speakers and amp was <$350. I did not upgrade my headunit because previous owner put in a Pioneer nav system.
 
Hey man i just put this in my 2000 SR5: Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.

I couldn't justify getting the Bluetooth because i would never use it. If i want to listen to ****ty pandora on my phone I can just plug it into one of the two inputs, wireless means nothing to me. The unit sounds fantastic much stronger than the factory.

I am also a week or two away from ordering speakers to put in my front doors then I'll be done with the stereo i think. I do not plan on using subs or an amp but that can be addressed down the road. Considering my rear seats are almost always folded down I only care about the front.

PM me i'll hep you out or send you some pictures of my work if you want.
 
Thanks all the input guys. Currently I'm looking through craigslist for some good used speakers for the rear, or a deal on some new ones for the front. If I don't see anything there, I'm leaning towards the Infinity Kappa 62.9i off of amazon, 2 pair for $135 seems like a great price. If I want more power down the road I can add an amp, but I think those paired with my 12" Type R should give a substantial upgrade over stock.

As for the head unit, I'm still very much debating. Lots of choices, and I'm upgrading my phone soon so what I decide to upgrade to may make a difference.

Any more opinions on my choices? Recommendations? I'll keep this thread updated with my progress.
 
Don't try to run kappas off only the head unit. They will sound bad and might be damaged.

Kappas need 75W RMS and most head units push 16W RMS.

Just be sure to get a 4 channel amp or instead run Infinity Reference speakers which are also very good. I have run both.
 
Would one 4-channel amp power all four Kappa's? If so, I could still get away with ~$500 for the entire upgrade (amp, 2 pairs of Kappas, and HU).
 
Sure, my main point is that you need some kind of 4 channel amp, probably 40+W RMS per speaker.

If you only have 40W per speaker and not say 75W RMS then you may want to consider going with the Infinity reference speakers because the wattage rating is a closer match.

You can get a decent new Alpine 4 channel amp on eBay for $150-$200. Probably 45x4.
 
EDIT: Nope

krmccour said:
So you didn't need an external amp to power those speakers? Under what circumstances would I need to purchase an external amp? I like the HU btw...
Click to expand...

Plenty of sound adjustment to get the HU were youd like it w/o needed an amp. Im fine with the 4 x 50W.

YMMV:frog:
 
Last edited:
So I've decided on a set of front component speakers:

Amazon.com: Infinity Reference 6030cs 6.5-Inch 270-Watt Two-Way Component System: Electronics

The front will cost ~$100, and the rear pair will be ~$55.

For the HU, this JVC has a lot of great features and a good price. It'll cost ~$120 or so.

Amazon.com: JVC In-Dash CD Receiver Built-In Bluetooth and Dual USB Ports: Car Electronics

So altogether, without an amp, I'll be spending $275 to upgrade all the speakers and HU. Not too shabby imo considering what I'm getting. Now for the HU...where should I start looking for a mounting kit? Also, I'm guessing somewhere like amazon will be the best bet for looking for wiring, but what gauge should I be looking for considering what I'm getting?
 
krmccour said:
So I've decided on a set of front component speakers:

Amazon.com: Infinity Reference 6030cs 6.5-Inch 270-Watt Two-Way Component System: Electronics

The front will cost ~$100, and the rear pair will be ~$55.

For the HU, this JVC has a lot of great features and a good price. It'll cost ~$120 or so.

Amazon.com: JVC In-Dash CD Receiver Built-In Bluetooth and Dual USB Ports: Car Electronics

So altogether, without an amp, I'll be spending $275 to upgrade all the speakers and HU. Not too shabby imo considering what I'm getting. Now for the HU...where should I start looking for a mounting kit? Also, I'm guessing somewhere like amazon will be the best bet for looking for wiring, but what gauge should I be looking for considering what I'm getting?
Click to expand...

For the mounting kit, you just need a Toyota Pocket. You reuse the stock brackets and bolt them to the radio using the existing bolts.

You want Metra 88-00-9000. I ordered from Sonic Electronix and the shipping was free. I had it in 4 days. If you are already ordering from Amazon then you could just add it to you order for free shipping.

For the wire harness you want Metra 70-1761 Radio Wiring Harness For Toyota 87-Up Power 4 Speaker - this kit bypasss the factor amp that is located behind the dash. You just unplug the factory amp and plug in the harness to the wires going to the back of the amp.
 
krmccour said:
So I've decided on a set of front component speakers:

Amazon.com: Infinity Reference 6030cs 6.5-Inch 270-Watt Two-Way Component System: Electronics

The front will cost ~$100, and the rear pair will be ~$55.

For the HU, this JVC has a lot of great features and a good price. It'll cost ~$120 or so.

Amazon.com: JVC In-Dash CD Receiver Built-In Bluetooth and Dual USB Ports: Car Electronics

So altogether, without an amp, I'll be spending $275 to upgrade all the speakers and HU. Not too shabby imo considering what I'm getting. Now for the HU...where should I start looking for a mounting kit? Also, I'm guessing somewhere like amazon will be the best bet for looking for wiring, but what gauge should I be looking for considering what I'm getting?
Click to expand...

Let me know how it goes... I'm also looking to upgrade my 3rd gen and I don't have a ton of experience with speaker and sub installations. Preferably, as plug and play as possible with speakers. Let me know about the install, how it sounds without an amp, and if you are happy with it over stock. Thanks
 
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