@Audiophiles - Sony HI-Res RSX-GS9 in a 4R

[niadh0]

******
****** Lesson 101 on hi-Res ====> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ultp3tofA6Q
******

hi guys, if you are an audiophile then this thread will interest you.

i am currently using OEMAudioPlus 500Q reference with one sub and my Fiio X5 hi-Res player. The results are superb. I am moving to 2020 4R and the headhunt no longer supports AUX input so I have asked for Old_Red's help in figuring out the AUX input.

Anyways, while that is going on, my ultimate target is to use Sony's RSX-GS9 setup ( Sony RSX-2 Hi-Res Music System Includes RSX-GS9 digital media receiver, two 6-3/4" speakers, two supertweeters, 4-channel amp, 12" sub, and mono sub amp at Crutchfield ) with all recommended gear... speakers, super twitters sub etc in my 4R... replacing the OEMAudio+. I am going to start looking into having this in addition to the Factory head unit and feed the factory HU output into the Sony Hi-Res before feeding the o/p the Sony Amp.

Has anyone attempted to use this unit in a 5th Gen 4R? if yes how did you mount i and where? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. please share your experience. if i inure it all out then I will somehow mount it where all the dead space is around the USB inout jack.

thanks

 

[niadh0]

update for any one interested in my Audio upgrade....

Last weekend I installed the new Sony Hi-RES speakers.... replacing 500Q OEMAudio+ setup. It served me really well and I thank OEM+ for all the support over the years. 2020 took out AUX connection so I could no longer connect my external hi-res DAC via AUX to play via OEM+. Found a local buyer for the OEM+ system.

so here is what I bought ... some of this is still in the mail so I will be completing the install over several upcoming weekends. Will try to capture some pictures.

Parts list... prices in CAD$

(01) Sony RSX-GS9 Hi-Res Media Receiver Retail $2000 x Qty 1

(02) Sony XM-GS100 Sub Amp Retail $329 x Qty 1

(03) Sony XM-GS4 4 Ch Amp Retail $329 x Qty 1

(04) Sony XS-GS1621C Front and Hatch Spkr Retail $350 x Qty 2

(05) Sony XS-GS1621 Middle Spkr Retail $279 x Qty 1

(06) Sony XS-GSW121D Subwoofer Retail $169 x Qty 1

(07) For 2020, Metra 70-1765 to connect Amplified speakers back to Factory Speaker Harness

(08) For 2020, Metra 71-1765 to connect to Factory HU Speaker Out to Sony RSX-GS9

(09) any type of 12inch Subwoofer enclosure you like

(10) wires fuses etc etc

(11) Noico 80mil sound deadening for all doors

(12) Roadkill Fast rings for all speakers

(13) Metra 72-8104 Qty 6 for connecting speakers

(14) Scosche SAT6 Speakers mounting brackets Qty 2 sets

(15) Metra 82-8147 Speakers mounting brackets Qty 1 set

(16) Toyota Factory Dash tweeter adapter (eBay) For 2010+ Toyota 4Runner Tweeter Dash/Front Speaker Harness Adapter Cable (Pair) | eBay


****** the Front Dash was able to accommodate Sony Cross Overs inside the dash, and so is true for the hatch. All in all I have two tweeters (two in the dash and two above the hatch panel.

 

[Jernik]

A true audiophile wouldn't consider me one, but I do appreciate good, powerful, clean sound. I just can't justify the spend on the really good stuff. That said, I hope the system performs to your expectation. Do give us an update when it's up and running!

 

[J-Roc]

Would love to hear about your home theatre system lol

Keep us updated on the install but I’m sure it’s more of a “You have to hear it to believe it” type of thing.

Looks killer

 

[Whippersnapper02]

Has anyone attempted to use this unit in a 5th Gen 4R? if yes how did you mount i and where? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. please share your experience. if i inure it all out then I will somehow mount it where all the dead space is around the USB inout jack.

It's meant to be the headunit of the vehicle. When I saw this installed and displayed at a THE show, it was in the dash with a single DIN dash kit.

 

[usdmej]

have heard nothing but good things about that Sony unit.

look forward to seeing the install. please post pics!

 

[rc10mike]

As a car audio guy this Sony unit confuses me...

It can play Hi-Res audio and Im sure thats great and all, but wheres the proper processing to actually make it sound good in a vehicle? Independent speaker EQ, crossovers, time alignment, etc will all make a MUCH larger improvement to sound. Without any of these options, it doesn't matter how good the source quality is.

 

[usdmej]

it seems like the SQ community prefers the modularity of a standalone sound processing unit, if anything it looks like the industry is trending towards baking that into amps instead of head units

 

[CITYRNR]

I did something like this using a DSP mini by Audiotec Fischer. Mounted it under my seat as it has a separate unit for control (they call it the Director). I had a custom enclosure made for it that takes the place of the coin hole thing under the AC controls. Find any custom audio place and they can make an enclosure for the unit around there if you don't mind losing that USB or in the space under it if it isn't much of a reach for you.

 

[GuySmiley]

... Can you take advantage of high quality audio components in a 4Runner without gutting the interior and putting in a layer or two of sound absorption material?

 

[1jzgte]

i might be behind the times with car audio but has any car audio company come up w/ a Auddsey type or YPAO type of microphone calibration for car audio?

If home theater receivers are able to self calibrate these days why not car audio receivers?

 

[niadh0]

LoL. i am actually in Toronto as well so you are welcome to come by and experience it when the setup is completely done.

and yes about the HT and a couple of two channel setups (one of them hi-res) i have inside the house... they are killer

Would love to hear about your home theatre system lol

Keep us updated on the install but I’m sure it’s more of a “You have to hear it to believe it” type of thing.

Looks killer

 

[niadh0]

Hi guys,

good to see the interest.

Here are a first set of pictures.

a bit about this head unit.... here is a review by a reputed installer who happens two be a you-tuber and posts about various install and good install tips.... The Best car stereo out the Sony RSX GS9 - YouTube

as you can see there is nothing fancy about this unit besides great processing capabilities. it is not very intuitive but i am ok with it.

RSX-GS9 is meant to be a head unit that would replace the factory head unit. In my case I am going to keep the 2020 HU where it is and feed the amplified speaker output from the factory HU to the RSX-GS9 in its hi-level input terminal in the back as AUX2 input. anything I play off the Factory HU will go through Sony's DSEE-HX processing and get enhanced. Any Hi-Res source I have will be plugged directly into Sony hi-res specific USB ports... via phone/iPad/USBFlash etc. As for the location inside the 4R, I am going to sacrifice the middle console with a nice custom made mount for the GS9 where i can see the face then i life the lid. The amps will under the front two sets - most likely one on each side... haven't decided until I receive them.

Keep in mind that this is just a sound processing unit (more like a pre-amp in your pure home theatre setup) that carries top quality DACs for digital to analogue conversion. The converted signal is then passed to Sony's AMPS --- the GX4 amp for the four channel amplification and the GS100 for the subwoofer amplification.

The amps have all the settings for optimal calibration... this is for anything that you can not control from the GS9 processor. GS9 alone has good sound optimization options. In my case the GX4 Amp i fill feed one set of component speakers for the front... that has the woofer in the front L+R door, super tweeter in the L+R dash (along with a cross over units inside the dash). GX4 will feed two more sets that run in series - the first is the middle door speakers where two way speakers are mounted and the second is the hatch component speakers (woofer and super tweeter with cross over). Toyota runs the front+dash factory speakers in parallel, and the middle+hatch speakers in series... this is why the tweeter adapter is needed. the wire mapping is shown in the pic below but I will explain with a dedicated diagram in the future. The GS100 amp will feed the dual coil Sony 12inch sub that will run at 2ohm load.


And I must mention that I am not cutting any factory harness to run the speakers off the amp or running any new wires throughout the 4R. the two metra adapters i mentioned above that just got released for MY2020 will help me connect the Factory HU to the GS9 processor, and then GX4 amplified speakers back to the factory speakerharness.

BTW I am open for ideas for where to mount the AMPS and any alternative location besides the centre console compartment for the GS9. I also need recommendation for the sub enclosure if anyone knows any make then let know - i need at least 0.9 cubic ft volume. so far i narrowed down to Sound Ordnance Bass Bunker Sealed single 12" subwoofer enclosure (Model BB12-95S) from Crutchfield. Thanks much


[MENTION=113024]Jernik[/MENTION]
[MENTION=147171]J-Roc[/MENTION]
[MENTION=512269]fleurnoir[/MENTION]
[MENTION=91192]Whippersnapper02[/MENTION]
[MENTION=596738]usdmej[/MENTION]
[MENTION=390004]rc10mike[/MENTION]
[MENTION=291841]CITYRNR[/MENTION]
[MENTION=516559]GuySmiley[/MENTION]
[MENTION=148166]1jzgte[/MENTION]

 

[niadh0]

unfortunately this is a deep unit and the area around the USB jack+12V outlet below the climate control area is not deep enough (it is wide enough) to accommodate this unit. That was my initial idea until i saw how shallow the depth is

Has anyone attempted to use this unit in a 5th Gen 4R? if yes how did you mount i and where? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. please share your experience. if i inure it all out then I will somehow mount it where all the dead space is around the USB inout jack. Kodi nox

+ [MENTION=291841]CITYRNR[/MENTION]

 

[niadh0]

As a car audio guy this Sony unit confuses me...

It can play Hi-Res audio and Im sure thats great and all, but wheres the proper processing to actually make it sound good in a vehicle? Independent speaker EQ, crossovers, time alignment, etc will all make a MUCH larger improvement to sound. Without any of these options, it doesn't matter how good the source quality is.

between the sony GS9 and the GS4/GS100 amps, all configurations you listed are possible. that is the second thing i made sure besides its ability to process hi-res formats. as for the GS9 interface, yes its confusing but you do the config changes via a PhoneApp on the GS9 - as well as sub cutoffs, and on the amp the tuning knobs and HP/LP filters and cross over settings are on the amp.

 

[niadh0]

it seems like the SQ community prefers the modularity of a standalone sound processing unit, if anything it looks like the industry is trending towards baking that into amps instead of head units

the basics remain the same irrespective of the application... that is CAR vs HomeTheater vs Music listening setup at home. first is the source and the uncompressed information it carries that can be converted and amplified to be played back in a system. Then comes the conversion (in this days mostly digital) of the source signal into analog signal that can be amplified. Then comes the EQ/Config/or-what-ever you call it that allows to achieve optimal listening experience by calibrating/configuring the system depending on the area/dimensions/placement/distance/or-many-other-parameters where the system is installed/hosted. ones' taste drives it all... that is how crazy one becomes to get the most value and satisfication from what they have

 

[niadh0]

you are so right man. i also wonder the same but haven't really know of any consumer grade setup that comes with such a self-service type calibrator.

I am using a Marantz AV8802A processor at home and it does a phenomenal job at learning and automatically applying the corrections needed for my HT.

i might be behind the times with car audio but has any car audio company come up w/ a Auddsey type or YPAO type of microphone calibration for car audio?

If home theater receivers are able to self calibrate these days why not car audio receivers?

 

[niadh0]

I never had any sound deadening material applied when i was using the OEMAudio+... never thought about it, and yet it sounded so good when i was playing hi-res via an external DAC via AUX in my 2019.

but this time, I spent two days in just applying the Noico mats in the door panels etc ... just so i have no regrets later. one thing for sure is that the doors (when I knock on them lol) sound solid. the quality of the door metal feels like my old 99-LTD 3rd Gen - Solid . most car audio installers online recommended putting the mats around the speakers at least and also put Fast-rings so that no sound can escape from the speakers.... so I did that.

will know how good it it once everything is done.

... Can you take advantage of high quality audio components in a 4Runner without gutting the interior and putting in a layer or two of sound absorption material?

 

[shdw03]

Nor sure where you could mount that. Only thing that comes to mind is the center console? Depending if you have a 4wd. If you don't, next to the gear selector there is a ton of room. A vertical mount?

on a different note, why wouldn't you rather go dsp route? Helix sells modules you can add to HI-res aux in to the dsp.2 and dsp.3. Think minidsp takes an aux/toslink and spdif. They can both integrate with the factory system as well

 

[niadh0]

Nor sure where you could mount that. Only thing that comes to mind is the center console? Depending if you have a 4wd. If you don't, next to the gear selector there is a ton of room. A vertical mount?

thx. mine is an OffRoad edition so unfortunately the centre bank is full if thats what you meant by putting vertical mount where the 4Hi-4Lo shifter is. Also thought about putting everything in the trunk but that is too much wires running (power cables as well as the speaker to/from the HU area). so i think i am stuck with the centre compartment.... which would not be a bad idea... at least i can easily operate if i need to.