Upgrading audio, what do I need?!

[wmflyfisher]

Yes there are many threads on this subject with A LOT of different senarios and options. This is what I want to do. What do I need?

2005 Limited with navigation and the JBL system sub amp and all. I want a new aftermarket DVD player and new front and rear door speakers. I will not be adding an amp to power the speakers. They will run off the head unit power.

Does the factory amp power the door speakers in addition to the sub? I don't care about retaining steering wheel controls. Will all 6.5 speakers fit the doors with adapters? Will my backup camera still work going this route? What harness do I need??

Any help would be great. Thanks

 

[Pir8hippo]

Crutchfield.com

Ordered my headhunt from there, they threw in all the adapters that i needed for free... you input your vin, or what your truck has, and they will tell you what will work, plug and play...

i have an 03 SR5 with JBL... they hooked it up, and made it easy...

 

[TheThunderRunner]

I highly advise running your speakers off of an amp. It will be a day and night difference I promise. Keep in mind that the factory amp pushes 4 ohms to the front speakers and 2 ohms to the rears. So if you get two sets of 4 ohm speakers the rears will be very very quiet. That was the reason that I ended up running an amp. Not to mention the drastic difference in sound quality. If you do keep the stock amp though you will also probably need the weird adaptor for the stereo to the amp. It's called like a pac/tato or something? I needed that on mine to change from the JBL synthesis system. Can't think of anything else off the top of my head. Your's may be different from mine because I have the 03 that had the JBL Synthesis with no navigation.

Also I ran 6x9's that fit straight into the stock 6x9 plastic frame thing. Though many people advise you go 6.5 components. I ran 6x9 alpine coaxials and then also replaced the tweeters at the top of the door. So I'm basically running 4 tweeters in front. I love how it sounds but if you don't want to do that I would get 6x9 components and just run the tweeters up to the stock mounts. (which you may need to make some custom mounting plates for). It's super easy. Just cut a piece of plywood or cutting board or something and drill holes through it.

 

[wmflyfisher]

I highly advise running your speakers off of an amp. It will be a day and night difference I promise. Keep in mind that the factory amp pushes 4 ohms to the front speakers and 2 ohms to the rears. So if you get two sets of 4 ohm speakers the rears will be very very quiet. That was the reason that I ended up running an amp. Not to mention the drastic difference in sound quality. If you do keep the stock amp though you will also probably need the weird adaptor for the stereo to the amp. It's called like a pac/tato or something? I needed that on mine to change from the JBL synthesis system. Can't think of anything else off the top of my head. Your's may be different from mine because I have the 03 that had the JBL Synthesis with no navigation.

Also I ran 6x9's that fit straight into the stock 6x9 plastic frame thing. Though many people advise you go 6.5 components. I ran 6x9 alpine coaxials and then also replaced the tweeters at the top of the door. So I'm basically running 4 tweeters in front. I love how it sounds but if you don't want to do that I would get 6x9 components and just run the tweeters up to the stock mounts. (which you may need to make some custom mounting plates for). It's super easy. Just cut a piece of plywood or cutting board or something and drill holes through it.

Thanks. I know an aftermarket amp will make a huge difference but I really don't want to go that route to install everything not to mention the added cost. Is there any way I can bypass the factory amp and just run off the head unit?

 

[Jhawkins2330]

Thanks. I know an aftermarket amp will make a huge difference but I really don't want to go that route to install everything not to mention the added cost. Is there any way I can bypass the factory amp and just run off the head unit?

You would have to run the outputs directly to the speakers rather than the rca output to the amp and then the speakers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wmflyfisher]

You would have to run the outputs directly to the speakers rather than the rca output to the amp and then the speakers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So there is no way to run the door speakers off the head unit without running new wires from the unit to the speakers? No harness that will make this possible? Just want to clarify.

 

[Gatafly]

I would also suggest Crutchfield. They are amazing with their knowledge and can help you with every step and tell you exactly what you need or dont need based on what you want to do. I had trouble with an install several years ago after purchasing equipment from them. They knew that car like they had disected it. I even called them about another install where I did not purchase from them, but since I was a previous customer they helped me out again. I will never forget that and will always use them in the future.

 

[Jhawkins2330]

So there is no way to run the door speakers off the head unit without running new wires from the unit to the speakers? No harness that will make this possible? Just want to clarify.

Depends how your car is wired. But if you have an amp pushing your speakers, generally you'll have rca cable outputs running to the amp, and from the amp the speaker wires run to the speakers.

Usually if you run the speakers off the head unit there's a plug you can use, and connect it with speaker wire to the speaker. I'm trying to explain it best I can. Lol

Just depends what kind of outputs you have available on the head unit. I'm sure you can find some diagrams on google to help too. But I know with my alpine I can send signal using a variety of outputs, however since I'm amplifying everything, I have all my outputs through RCA outputs. Alpine did give me a plug I can use to hook up speaker wire to the head unit too though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Powder_Hound]

Why are you trying to "bypass" the factory amp? All the wires are there and for about 100 bucks, you can run a PAC RP4.2-TY11 — Wiring Harness, Steering Wheel Control, Radio Replacement Module (https://www.crutchfield.com/p_541RP4TY11/PAC-RP4-2-TY11.html), which will let you power all speakers, maintain steering wheel controls (I know your not worried about it), and have all things working as they did from the factory with better sound.

I don't believe there are any wires to speakers in the wiring harness as almost all 4th gens run off the amp.

 

[wmflyfisher]

Why are you trying to "bypass" the factory amp? All the wires are there and for about 100 bucks, you can run a PAC RP4.2-TY11 — Wiring Harness, Steering Wheel Control, Radio Replacement Module (https://www.crutchfield.com/p_541RP4TY11/PAC-RP4-2-TY11.html), which will let you power all speakers, maintain steering wheel controls (I know your not worried about it), and have all things working as they did from the factory with better sound.

I don't believe there are any wires to speakers in the wiring harness as almost all 4th gens run off the amp.

Well I was under the impression that the signal was produced from the amp and not the factory head unit. My thinking was that bypassing the amp would get me a cleaner signal. Is that correct?

I will also be limited to using only 2ohm speakers if I go through the factory amp which really limits my speaker choices.

 

[dsieber]

There's also this system that Crutchfield sells too:
iDatalink - Maestro - Home

I can tell you that it works just fine with the stock JBL setup, as I just replaced the stereo in my '07 Limited last fall. It was an easy connection, and also gives you control over the stock steering wheel connectors (I know you said you don't care, but heck, if it didn't cost extra...)

 

[TheThunderRunner]

I initially just bypassed the stock amp. I found the corresponding wire colors coming from the amp output and cut them then wired new wires from the head unit and tied them into the output wires from the amp. After about 2 weeks then I just added an aftermarket amp.