Aftermarket head unit with JBL factory system question..

[Placemotorsports]

Bought my '04 with an aftermarket Kenwood head unit with sirus sat radio, steering wheel controls work and it sounds great but i can only turn it up to 35 on the volume. Seems like i should be able to crank it up louder to the point of distortion but it wont. Is there some way i can adjust the output to go louder? Im assuming the radio is controling the factory amp for the speakers.

 

[V8.]

Bought my '04 with an aftermarket Kenwood head unit with sirus sat radio, steering wheel controls work and it sounds great but i can only turn it up to 35 on the volume. Seems like i should be able to crank it up louder to the point of distortion but it wont. Is there some way i can adjust the output to go louder? Im assuming the radio is controling the factory amp for the speakers.

Google search your HU to see what max volume is. I've read somewhere that the factory HU has some sort of amplification to it before it goes to the factory amp/sound processor?
Maybe the aftermarket HU has less output than the factory HU. Or maybe he replaced the door speakers with aftermarket 4ohm ones instead of the factory 2 ohm.

 

[Placemotorsports]

I know the speakers are still the factory ones. Guess i'll check on the radio output

 

[Fleethammer]

Did yours come with the factory JBL amp? If so, the installation of an aftermarket head unit requires the volume of the factory HU to be set somewhere in the middle before removal. That "sets" the JBL amp so that your aftermarket unit can have the correct volume range (or as close to stock range as possible). I recently installed an aftermarket HU in my JBL-equipped runner and had to do this.

Also, all the tone controls need to be set for "Flat" no jacked up or lowered down.

 

[Placemotorsports]

Yes, factory amp, even the steering wheel controls work so it was a good install. So do you recommend I unplug the rear harness and hook it up again?

 

[Fleethammer]

You have to take the aftermarket hu out and put the stock one in, then reset all the controls and remove it and reinstall the aftermarket unit. I don't think just unplugging things will work. The way the stock stereo works is that the hu basically controls the levels to the amp digitally. For instance, if one were to leave the volume control set at zero when removing the radio, you would have very little volume when you put the aftermarket hu in. I know bc I messed mine up the first time due to not reading the instructions! Its easy to remove the stereo, but do you have the stock hu?

 

[Placemotorsports]

Nope, i dont have the factory radio. Guess i'll just have to save my eardrums and listen to it at a decent level.

 

[T4RSportGrl]

Nope, i dont have the factory radio. Guess i'll just have to save my eardrums and listen to it at a decent level.

Well that is absolutely no fun, you should find someone with a stock unit out of their car nearby to help. What area do you live in? I realize that may be a big ask.

 

[Djrashonal]

Nope, i dont have the factory radio. Guess i'll just have to save my eardrums and listen to it at a decent level.

i think these's a way to crank it to 11 :rockon:

Spinal Tap - 11 - YouTube

 

[AKmoney]

FWIW, the interface kits that adapt aftermarket head units to the factory JBL amps have a gain control on them. This is true for Metra Axxess TYTO-01 as well as the equivalent offering from Pac Audio. You probably just need to identify which one of these interfaces your car has and then adjust the gain upwards accordingly.

 

[Techsan]

Installed Pioneer AVH-X2500BT hu w/JBL Synthesis

First off, I'm not a big audio guy here, so please excuse my ignorance!

I just recently had a Pioneer AVH-X2500BT installed in my 2003 4Runner Sport w/JBL synthesis & am experiencing the same problems. It sounds like there is no bass coming from the sub at all, and that all bass is coming from the front speakers, which obviously doesn't sound all that great...especially @ higher volumes. As most aftermarkets go, it allows me to turn the sub off or on. When I turn the sub off, the bass sounds exactly the same....would the gain on the adapter have anything to do with that?

I'm not exactly sure if my installer used the Metra or PAC, but am I even able to have that ability to turn the sub on or off with this set up?

Also, where is everyone mounting their iphone/ipod when using aftermarket head units...especially when using a data usb cable. On this model, the usb hooks up in the back of the radio & so I had it feed through the tray under the AC controls, however that data/audio cable is so thick that it will barely close. Is everyone having this thing run up through the center console? I just want a clean look with minimal wires, but also want to be able to see my phone & not just stashed away in the glove compartment or center console.

Thanks for the help.

 

[11Rhino]

First off, I'm not a big audio guy here, so please excuse my ignorance!

I just recently had a Pioneer AVH-X2500BT installed in my 2003 4Runner Sport w/JBL synthesis & am experiencing the same problems. It sounds like there is no bass coming from the sub at all, and that all bass is coming from the front speakers, which obviously doesn't sound all that great...especially @ higher volumes. As most aftermarkets go, it allows me to turn the sub off or on. When I turn the sub off, the bass sounds exactly the same....would the gain on the adapter have anything to do with that?

I'm not exactly sure if my installer used the Metra or PAC, but am I even able to have that ability to turn the sub on or off with this set up?

Also, where is everyone mounting their iphone/ipod when using aftermarket head units...especially when using a data usb cable. On this model, the usb hooks up in the back of the radio & so I had it feed through the tray under the AC controls, however that data/audio cable is so thick that it will barely close. Is everyone having this thing run up through the center console? I just want a clean look with minimal wires, but also want to be able to see my phone & not just stashed away in the glove compartment or center console.

Thanks for the help.

If the PAC is not set right it will not work. I already had this problem. As far as the ipod connection, they make a flat wire that works well and it was cheap.

 

[Techsan]

Yeah, I brought it back to the shop & found out that he had only set the gain on the adapter to 50%...had them increase to 80% & it made a HUGE difference.

I ended up keeping the data cables in the cubby under the AC controls...I just cut a small notch in the top right of the door for the cables to fit through...looks good with the RAM suction mount that goes right below the hazard button. I'll have to post a pic later.

 

[Techsan]

Here's a pic of my setup (prior to installing my dash kit & cutting a notch in the top right of the compartment door).

 

[dmccorkle9]

Aftermarket adapters

HEY GUY I AM A NEWBIE, SO PLEASE EXCUSE THE IGGNORANCE; WITH THAT BEING SAID! I HAVE A 2003 LIMITED WITH THE JBL SYSTEM, AND I AM INSTALLING A NEW AFTERMARKET STEREO. NOW USUALLY THE ADAPTERS ARE USUALLY ANYWHERE FROM 25 TO 50 DOLLARS, BUT I HAVE SOME PEOPLE TELLING ME THAT I NEED THE ADAPTER THATS ANYWHERE FROM 150 TO 200 DOLLARS. ITS NOT JUST A FEW WIRES WITH A FEW DIFFERENT PLUGS, BUT ITS SOME KIND OF CONVERTER BOX AS WELL! I WILL BE ADDING AN AMP AND SUB IN A FEW MONTHS AS WELL. SO I REALLY NEED SOME ADVICE, IT WOULD BE MUCH appreciated. AS THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY... THANKS ALOT GUYS!!!

 

[Okie81]

Is there any consensus on where the volume of the "removed" JBL system should be? Instructions say put it at 50% but everyone that has went >50% seems to have great results.

 

[jmarsh8923]

New Car issues

This afternoon I just bought a 2004 4runner with JBL acoustics and aftermarket kenwood stereo. The steering wheel controls don't work, which isn't a big deal since they are only inches away. Second, there is a icon on the screen for navigation but navigation does not work. The dealership said I just need to download the software and install it through a usb? Lastly, the car stereo sounds really good but, the back to speakers in the trunk don't work when you move the balance/fade around the car.

My only issue is I don't know what model my stereo is to begin looking up these issues. I know it's kenwood and a serial number of 076X0284. I tried to search for that but couldn't find much.

 

[jmarsh8923]

Here are pictures of the kenwood head unit

 

[BOFFROAD]

Is there any consensus on where the volume of the "removed" JBL system should be? Instructions say put it at 50% but everyone that has went >50% seems to have great results.

Does anyone know the answer to this.I just installed a new head unit with the Metra harness and the volume doesn't go loud and when I get to max volume on the new head unit the speakers are getting distorted.