Upgrading Stock Toyota Tacoma System

[jacobyu]

Hey All,

I would like to upgrade my stock car audio on a budget, and would like some opinions on the best way to do this. I am not overly concerned with super high quality, but would just like a noticeable improvement over what I have - a stock 2003 tacoma extra cab system. I play music primarily from a tape adapter to my iphone or ipod, and sometimes cd's. It sounds pretty bad either way, and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of difference between cd and the tape adapter surprisingly (although the cd is noticeably louder and a bit better).

Questions:

If I were to upgrade only one thing what would it be?

Would there be a significant difference in sound if i upgraded the head unit so that I could plug my iphone in directly as opposed to the tape adapter? I have read some topics on this and it seems a lot of people think the difference is marginal.

If I were to spend under $500 including paying someone to do the work, what should I upgrade for the best bang for the buck at that price?

What is the minimum you would spend to get an appreciable different in sound quality over the stock system? Is there a sweet spot for a budget system?

Thanks for your help!

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[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

head unit makes one of the biggest differences in sound bro. People who says otherwise probably dont know how to use their head units properly. Your current stock head unit has at most a 12 bit digital audio convertor. Compared to most 24 bit DAC head units out there.

Give us a total budget and we can help you choose proper upgrades.

 

[WhiteYota]

I would agree with Jeff - I changed out my HU and ran with stock speakers for a little over a week waiting for the rest of my stuff to show up. It made a decent difference in terms of better quality.

HU's are not that hard to change out and you could put the money for installing it into a better HU - most places (online anyways) include for free the radio face plate adapter and a wiring adapter that you connect to the aftermarket radio harness. Then all you have to do is just plug it in.

 

[jacobyu]

thanks for the response. Ok, lets say I want to spend 500 bucks or less and leave room to expand later - what would you buy with that? Thanks!

 

[mclerico83 5,000+ posts]

change head unit

Pioneer DEH-X8700BH Single DIN Receiver w/ Bluetooth & HD Radio

Kenwood KDC-BT762HD (kdcbt762hd) Single DIN Bluetooth In-Dash CD/

Aura 5700RPM 5" x 7" 2-way Coaxial Speaker Pair

then replace all the speakers with these

on clearance/closeout. amazing speakers. transformed my fathers minivan 10 times better sound. really nice mid bass. neo motors etc.

under budget and will give you a huge boost

 

[WhiteYota]

If you are planning on changing speakers - I would suggest to look up and see either what direct fit speakers or adapters that are available. I lot of these newer cars/trucks/vans are using non standard sized speakers and mounting. Then before you buy the adapters/speakers - look at where they go in your truck and make sure what you order will fit. It will save you hassles with both your time and returning stuff that will not fit.

Crutchfield has a good lookup tool - They are a little on the expensive side for there stuff though. But at least you can use there tools to find out what fits.

If you want to buy local and ever get over to IF - Phase4 out in Ammon has some good deals on there Pioneer HU's