Simple Stereo Setup

[maxtheminor]

Hey guys, I own a 2004 Toyota MR2 and I’m wondering if there’s a way I can simplify my audio setup to just a Bluetooth receiver going to my speakers, no head unit or if anything just a small panel with a couple essential switches, nothing special.

I’ve been considering buying a head unit or wiring in a Bluetooth adapter to my stock stereo, but I’m just curious if it’s possible to get rid of the head unit altogether and have a Bluetooth receiver and nothing else, as that’s all I need (and the tiny bit of weight reduction would be appreciated lol). I don’t like the look of 90% of aftermarket options (they’re all bright and piano black plastic and have big ugly screens and stuff), I just want to be able to not have to plug my phone in when I get in the car and have a nice, clean interior.

I’m not an audiophile or anything so I don’t really need to be able to adjust the setting of the audio. I’m also not really into car audio so maybe I’m missing something here and this is just a dumb question outright because the head unit is vital to getting the audio to the speakers, any and all advice/thoughts are welcome!

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[huberoy123 10+ year member]

Don't know of any stand-alone Bluetooth units. However, there are aftermarket amplifiers with Bluetooth built-in. This allows you to get rid of your current receiver, but you will need to wire your speakers to the amplifier, and find another source for your amplifier turn-on wire. Good luck.

 

[blazian87 10+ year member]

Hey guys, I own a 2004 Toyota MR2 and I’m wondering if there’s a way I can simplify my audio setup to just a Bluetooth receiver going to my speakers, no head unit or if anything just a small panel with a couple essential switches, nothing special.

I’ve been considering buying a head unit or wiring in a Bluetooth adapter to my stock stereo, but I’m just curious if it’s possible to get rid of the head unit altogether and have a Bluetooth receiver and nothing else, as that’s all I need (and the tiny bit of weight reduction would be appreciated lol). I don’t like the look of 90% of aftermarket options (they’re all bright and piano black plastic and have big ugly screens and stuff), I just want to be able to not have to plug my phone in when I get in the car and have a nice, clean interior.

I’m not an audiophile or anything so I don’t really need to be able to adjust the setting of the audio. I’m also not really into car audio so maybe I’m missing something here and this is just a dumb question outright because the head unit is vital to getting the audio to the speakers, any and all advice/thoughts are welcome!

Yes it's possible to get rid of the headunit completely and play everything through bluetooth. There are some amps these days that have bluetooth built-in but I can't find any amps that are small and light weight. I recently installed the Dayton DSP-408 with bluetooth 4.0 module and it is super lightweight less than 2 lbs. It plays music flawlessly through the phone. It requires a small amp tho. The smallest amp I know is the alpine power pack which is very compact and light but it is a bit overpriced for what it is I must admit. You can also just simply buy an aftermarket headunit with bluetooth and run your speakers through the internal amp. That would be the simplest TBH. The only con would be that they would sound weak as hell in a loud car. If you really feel the need to go headunit-less, then I feel the option above would be worthy for the space.

I've always liked the MR2's BTW.. My bro had an '87 and my cousin had a '05 spyder. Many people had them back in the day. I do see them around once in a while but they are rare these days.