I have the system - my take after 3 weeks with it!
Hey everyone. I haven’t posted in a bit but wanted to give this as good a review as possible.
I was lucky enough to already get the OEM Audio Plus Reference 4Runner speaker system installed in my 2017 TRD Pro. Long story short, a good friend of mine knows the owner (Sandy - super cool guy and answers any questions really quickly) and they needed a 5th gen 4Runner to do his new install videos on. I live about an hour away from their Anaheim office, so it all worked out. On to the good stuff…
Quick background - I have now had the system in my rig for about 3 weeks. I wanted to test it in all conditions and music genres - and get some miles under my belt before jumping to any conclusions. I am NOT an audiophile by any means. I have done stereos in older cars growing up and usually upgraded head units and subs, etc. Nothing too major. I normally wouldn’t care too much about a new stereo but the 4Runner stock system really did suck. I ride with my windows open a lot and it simply wasn’t loud enough. Also had zero lows… and just overall was underwhelming across the board.
I read a ton about OEM Audio Plus on other models and they seemed like a great company/solution. I really wanted something where I didn’t mess with anything factory, and also didn’t require me to learn all about building my own system etc. I simply don’t care enough to spend the time building a custom system from the ground up. I wanted something that worked well and always would work well.
INSTALL:
I can’t comment on this - I was lucky enough to have them install it at their offices. I can tell you that I checked all wiring (that are visible) and Sandy walked me through how he wired things when I picked the truck up. It looks completely pro and, well, OEM. There is no question they do a quality install job.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
When I sat in my car and turned on some music, it was a night and day difference. The sound was rich and SUPER clean. I could turn it up to around 40 and it was almost too loud - keep in mind, the stereo tops out at 60 and I regularly had it around 50-60 while driving with windows open with the stock system. I played a few different types of music (EDM, classic rock, hip hop, classical) and all of it sounded super nice. The 8 inch sub filled in the lows well and remained (most importantly) totally clean with zero rattle.
IMPRESSIONS AFTER 3 WEEKS:
I have gone on multiple trips with this sucker installed and I feel as though it sounds better now than it did on first install. Sandy did say the speakers “break in” and he was right. Either that or I refined my EQ settings a bit. Let me just say, this is exactly how the stereo SHOULD HAVE SOUNDED from the factory. From podcasts to loud metal, to hip hop and classic rock, this thing really holds up. I’ve listened to songs in traffic and heard instruments I’ve never heard before. I’ve been flying down the PCH with all 5 windows open and 5 people and surf gear, coolers, etc packed to the max and had this thing bumping music….sounding fantastic. I even thought I was being pulled over by the cops only to be pleasantly surprised that the siren was a part of a song I was listening to! I also have listened to movies while sitting in Memorial day traffic and audio it all works amazingly. The sub in the back has gotten banged around by luggage, etc… and no issues. The things is built out of fiberglass and feels more solid than the rest of the truck
CONCLUSION:
I know this isn’t a professional review by any means. I am a guy who wanted a better stereo in a car a paid damn near $45k for. I love music and I listen to music every day in my car. Toyota dropped the ball on their stock audio and OEM Audio Plus delivers an audio experience that blows away any factory stereo. Yes, it’s not some thumping, high wattage, crazy award winning audio system. Yes, I’m sure if you are resourceful and know what you are doing with electronics, wiring, etc, you could build something similar in this this price range. But for the ease of use, the pro install job, and the sound quality, I wouldn’t want anything more than this. This is perfect for my lifestyle and I can’t imagine many of you needing more than what this delivers. If you want something that truly feels OEM, doesn’t affect storage space, power consumption, or electronics reliability, then this is a no-brainer.
I am in no way paid or endorsed by OEM Audio Plus. I literally am just a happy customer and I got way more than I hoped for in the stereo set up. If anyone has any questions, reach out. Also, if any of you are in the LA area, I’m happy to show you it and give you a listen. I understand that spending that type of money before hearing it in action is hard, but I am 100% happy I made the decision to get it.
Here is a link to the page with the kit I got - along with the install video preview.
http://oemaudioplus.com/toyota/4runner/
