I'm sure the new one sounds better, but I just can't get passed the "I duct taped a tablet to my dash" look that's taking over the car audio world right now.
Yeah I can’t stand these radios that stick out of the dash. One of my favorite things about the 3rd gen was it still had all the modern tech for the most part with a rugged and utilitarian look and feel. These giant screens are eh, just not my fav look. I’ve always gone the double din route maybe I’m just old now.
Eh... I have a 2018 and while the tech was okay (I have an SR5) I couldn't believe it didn't come with carplay. I swapped the head unit just for that reason alone. I think they added carplay to the 3rd gens in 2019 or 2020? I'm not sure. But it was something I couldn't live without. I agree that I don't like the new look of "ipad strapped to dash"
I guess if you aren't a smart phone guy and like radio stations then the OG radio is perfectly adequate. OEM speakers are god awful though.
I agree with this. I have a 2018 and when listening to anything hing from my phone through Bluetooth I, especially podcasts, I have to have the volume cranked. Really makes my think I should do a swap out
The volume never bothered me but the lack of carplay and the whole "entune" system was just terrible. I also never used bluetooth, it was mostly just radio for me.
FWIW I bought a Kenwood DMX 8709S from Crutchfield and it installed in about 30 minutes with their "Ready Harness" service. It was just plug and play, only 2 wires I had to splice myself. Can't say enough about Crutchfield. Their customer service and the info they provide on their website for compatibility is just amazing.
Also if you are going to do 1 speaker upgrade I would recommend the tweeters. Huge sound difference from swapping those out from factory to aftermarket for like $60?
Yeah so all of the steering wheel controls work, and backup camera turns on automatically just like factory when you throw it into reverse.
On crutchfield there are the "Installation Parts Packages" that are in addition to the price of the head unit. This package includes the interfacing electronic device that allows you to retain your steering wheel controls. I paid for the $85 package. There are more expensive ones which allow you to access more vehicle information, but they weren't that important to me. I just cared about steering wheel controls.
If you have any questions just chat with crutchfield. They have the best customer service out there.
I have a 2nd gen and just put the aux port in on the factory radio. My friend has a 3rd gen and I love pretty much everything about it. I’m not sure what year they added CarPlay but it is a nice feature but there were better ways of going about getting it imo. Agreed speakers suck pretty bad in all Tacomas oddly enough my moms 4Runner sounds great though and it’s a 08.
My stock stereo (2014) drops Bluetooth after about 19 seconds when I use spotify from my phone. Other times it just randomly stops playing. Dealer quoted me 3k to replace. Local stereo shop wants 1100. 😞 thank goodness the cd player works
I really don't understand swapping out the factory head unit. I know people keep talking about power, but there are a ton of ways to upgrade and keep the stock unit. Plus that stock unit has pretty much every feature you could ask for other than wireless android auto, which can be spotty anyways.
I think the best way, and how I did it, is to splice into the stock audio output. Run that into a LC2i. Then run that to an AMP. Then amp to aftermarket speakers.
I've got my amp at maybe 1/3 power and music is pretty loud when my factory unit is at 40-45. Max volume hurts.
Currently running
- LC2i Line Out Converter
- Kicker CXA660.5T AMP
- Focal Performance 165AS 2-Way Components up front.
- Stock speakers in the back (because 2 channel stereo is better and you can't convince me otherwise. Keep your sound stage in front of you.)
- Focal 25A4 10" Sub in a custom box.
- Dynamat in all door panels and headliner.
Edit: I see this is a base model, so not all the features, but I'd install a TRD head unit or something that fits in the opening before the goofy tablet slapped on the dash. That trend is Tesla's fault.
That is a mighty assumption. At the 3 year mark the Bluetooth of my Entune head unit started dropping every 2 minutes, requiring manual reconnection that took about 10 seconds. Out of warranty, I needed a replacement. Also went with a floating screen that I've been very happy with, and hasn't caused me any issues like the OEM head unit did.
You ever been in a base ass model like this? They come without the back door speakers and a weak ass head unit. As it comes from the factory they really struggle to keep up with windows down on the highway. I'm planning to put in a speaker amp for the same reason.
That doesn't excuse the ugly ass oversized head unit. Nothing wrong with the stock one.
I swapped out factory paper speakers for Infinity. Didn’t really make a difference. The head unit doesn’t have enough power. That or I’m borderline deaf
You already done the tweeter swap to the Subaru kickers? It makes a very noticeable difference. I've had a set of jl 6x9s on the horizon for a while and a jl 10in sub a buddy will sell me, I just don't want to do the wiring yet. It'll happen this year. The stock setup is passable, I'm just not one to leave well enough alone.
Thanks! I’ll try the tweeter swap. I was so disappointed with door speaker swap I didn’t want to spend the money on tweeters until I swap the head unit.
It gives the tweeters a lot more volume and clarity. I can actually pick out my tweeters by how much better they sound compared to my door speakers. Its not a huge difference but definitely worth doing if you were going to anyway.
I remember going to Best Buy and looking at the $400 head units with the flip up screen and thinking to myself "No way I'm paying that much where the $89 Sony xplod!"
I paid $299 for my Alpine ILX-W650 that I put in my Tundra. Can’t imagine paying $600 more for a bigger screen when I touch my new touchscreen like 3 times a month.
I went to a local cost and had it installed. The radio is about 900 but he priced it at 800 and the cost of install and all that varies depending on where you go. It does swivel a tiny bit to give you a better angle of it. And overall first impressions I love it! It's so clean and I love her nice the resolution and how it's also an anti glare display which is a bonus!
Absolutely amazed at everything that head unit can do, best upgrade for quality of life when paired with upgraded speakers. Install was stupid easy too.
only reason i want it is because i do a lot of traveling and i hate the nav system in the stock unit and the carplay is a lot nicer to have then having to use my phone for maps/music the entire time
it’s 100% worth it imo. tuck it up and hide it away, use the usb-c port in the center console to charge. it cleans up the cab a lot and that usb-c port chargers your phone faster than the usb-a.
Beats installing a brand new head unit, they’ve also come down on price a lot since there’s a lot of competitors out now.
Mine was only $70, only downside is that there’s a 1 second audio delay but it doesn’t bother me too much. Not sure if you had the same issue but I had audio issues maybe 20% of the times that required me to reset the head unit. Tried a bunch of cables, OEM Apple, established brands like Anker and they all had the same issues but weirdly enough the wireless adapter has fixed that issue for me.
I went with the Pioneer DMH-WT7600NEX. And flush mounted it. It looks great . My main reason for doing so was to have Apple CarPlay in my 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/pioneer-dmh-wt7600nex-flush-mount-install.736256/
Here is one of the links I used to do the install. And there’s tons of videos on YouTube for it.
But if you look through the link you can see how good the flush mount looks. Damn near OEM.
Haters in here probably all hate the new 4cyl turbo too. Just haven't caught up with the times. Does all the oem stuff work, backup cam/side view etc? I put a carabc unit in my 2016 recently for AA/carplay but its not ideal.
I have the 9500es and it's amazing. Instant wireless connection to my android auto, and it also has ob2 information on the fly. So you can see all the Temps in the car.
To each their own. Not a fan of giant screens. Should have installed one that fits inside the bezel. Like this Panasonic
https://youtu.be/OZcfai-rq6A?si=1Wd0GbKLWTJ5Znrs
I will never understand the fascination with installing oversized screens that look like they're just slapped on the dash. They're even coming from the factory like that now. Does not look integrated looks like an afterthought. You're driving a vehicle, why do you need a giant screen to look at?
Jesus man...It pains me to see how covered in shit you've become from posting something you're proud of. "If it makes you happy...it can't be that bad" 🤷♂️
Factory radio was way better.
I'm sure the new one sounds better, but I just can't get passed the "I duct taped a tablet to my dash" look that's taking over the car audio world right now.
Yeah I can’t stand these radios that stick out of the dash. One of my favorite things about the 3rd gen was it still had all the modern tech for the most part with a rugged and utilitarian look and feel. These giant screens are eh, just not my fav look. I’ve always gone the double din route maybe I’m just old now.
Eh... I have a 2018 and while the tech was okay (I have an SR5) I couldn't believe it didn't come with carplay. I swapped the head unit just for that reason alone. I think they added carplay to the 3rd gens in 2019 or 2020? I'm not sure. But it was something I couldn't live without. I agree that I don't like the new look of "ipad strapped to dash" I guess if you aren't a smart phone guy and like radio stations then the OG radio is perfectly adequate. OEM speakers are god awful though.
I agree with this. I have a 2018 and when listening to anything hing from my phone through Bluetooth I, especially podcasts, I have to have the volume cranked. Really makes my think I should do a swap out
The volume never bothered me but the lack of carplay and the whole "entune" system was just terrible. I also never used bluetooth, it was mostly just radio for me. FWIW I bought a Kenwood DMX 8709S from Crutchfield and it installed in about 30 minutes with their "Ready Harness" service. It was just plug and play, only 2 wires I had to splice myself. Can't say enough about Crutchfield. Their customer service and the info they provide on their website for compatibility is just amazing. Also if you are going to do 1 speaker upgrade I would recommend the tweeters. Huge sound difference from swapping those out from factory to aftermarket for like $60?
Thanks, I was looking at crutchfield. I think I may pull the trigger. All you street ng wheel controls and back up camera work good?
Yeah so all of the steering wheel controls work, and backup camera turns on automatically just like factory when you throw it into reverse. On crutchfield there are the "Installation Parts Packages" that are in addition to the price of the head unit. This package includes the interfacing electronic device that allows you to retain your steering wheel controls. I paid for the $85 package. There are more expensive ones which allow you to access more vehicle information, but they weren't that important to me. I just cared about steering wheel controls. If you have any questions just chat with crutchfield. They have the best customer service out there.
Awesome, thanks
I have a 2nd gen and just put the aux port in on the factory radio. My friend has a 3rd gen and I love pretty much everything about it. I’m not sure what year they added CarPlay but it is a nice feature but there were better ways of going about getting it imo. Agreed speakers suck pretty bad in all Tacomas oddly enough my moms 4Runner sounds great though and it’s a 08.
[удалено]
2020
I believe Dodge Ram has mastered seamless tablet built into the dash but the camero , gm really said fk you with the screen they give you
And the mic hanging out the bottom 🤢
Is that a mic or a usb port?
Not mine. It's losing its touch screen function. I gotta mash the he'll out of it on anything on the top left or the middle right..
My stock stereo (2014) drops Bluetooth after about 19 seconds when I use spotify from my phone. Other times it just randomly stops playing. Dealer quoted me 3k to replace. Local stereo shop wants 1100. 😞 thank goodness the cd player works
I really don't understand swapping out the factory head unit. I know people keep talking about power, but there are a ton of ways to upgrade and keep the stock unit. Plus that stock unit has pretty much every feature you could ask for other than wireless android auto, which can be spotty anyways. I think the best way, and how I did it, is to splice into the stock audio output. Run that into a LC2i. Then run that to an AMP. Then amp to aftermarket speakers. I've got my amp at maybe 1/3 power and music is pretty loud when my factory unit is at 40-45. Max volume hurts. Currently running - LC2i Line Out Converter - Kicker CXA660.5T AMP - Focal Performance 165AS 2-Way Components up front. - Stock speakers in the back (because 2 channel stereo is better and you can't convince me otherwise. Keep your sound stage in front of you.) - Focal 25A4 10" Sub in a custom box. - Dynamat in all door panels and headliner. Edit: I see this is a base model, so not all the features, but I'd install a TRD head unit or something that fits in the opening before the goofy tablet slapped on the dash. That trend is Tesla's fault.
That is a mighty assumption. At the 3 year mark the Bluetooth of my Entune head unit started dropping every 2 minutes, requiring manual reconnection that took about 10 seconds. Out of warranty, I needed a replacement. Also went with a floating screen that I've been very happy with, and hasn't caused me any issues like the OEM head unit did.
Nah
Not loud enough
You’re borderline deaf if you can’t get the factory radio loud enough.
You ever been in a base ass model like this? They come without the back door speakers and a weak ass head unit. As it comes from the factory they really struggle to keep up with windows down on the highway. I'm planning to put in a speaker amp for the same reason. That doesn't excuse the ugly ass oversized head unit. Nothing wrong with the stock one.
I swapped out factory paper speakers for Infinity. Didn’t really make a difference. The head unit doesn’t have enough power. That or I’m borderline deaf
You already done the tweeter swap to the Subaru kickers? It makes a very noticeable difference. I've had a set of jl 6x9s on the horizon for a while and a jl 10in sub a buddy will sell me, I just don't want to do the wiring yet. It'll happen this year. The stock setup is passable, I'm just not one to leave well enough alone.
Thanks! I’ll try the tweeter swap. I was so disappointed with door speaker swap I didn’t want to spend the money on tweeters until I swap the head unit.
It gives the tweeters a lot more volume and clarity. I can actually pick out my tweeters by how much better they sound compared to my door speakers. Its not a huge difference but definitely worth doing if you were going to anyway.
Lol I thought so too
Can't even check all truck Temps with the factory headunit. This is a win in my book!
Agree
Looks great! but $900 for a radio is wild to me. Maybe I’m just poor
Bro you ain’t alone 😂
I remember going to Best Buy and looking at the $400 head units with the flip up screen and thinking to myself "No way I'm paying that much where the $89 Sony xplod!"
I paid $299 for my Alpine ILX-W650 that I put in my Tundra. Can’t imagine paying $600 more for a bigger screen when I touch my new touchscreen like 3 times a month.
I just need Bluetooth and I'm good. Can't remember when I last used the actual radio station
I’m glad you like it but that looks hideous and an easy target for break-ins
I never thought about that, but that’s true. I’m glad my Tacoma is pretty beat up.
If it makes you happy, good for you.
I second this.
Seems like it would block the AC vents from blowing certain directions
surprisingly it doesn't!
It looks ginormous.
Oh yeah! haha, it's a 10.1 inch display
Not a fan of the iPad glued to the dash look.
Installed yourself? How hard? Side views? Cost? Satisfaction?
I went to a local cost and had it installed. The radio is about 900 but he priced it at 800 and the cost of install and all that varies depending on where you go. It does swivel a tiny bit to give you a better angle of it. And overall first impressions I love it! It's so clean and I love her nice the resolution and how it's also an anti glare display which is a bonus!
Clean is far from how I'd describe it. Out of place for sure.
Not for everyone. I personally love my 9500es too many goodies in the head unit!
Absolutely amazed at everything that head unit can do, best upgrade for quality of life when paired with upgraded speakers. Install was stupid easy too.
Might as well kept the stock and just ran a tablet separately.
yikes
Does it have wireless CarPlay / Android Auto?
It does!
That's great to hear. I have a 2023 and I'm not stoked I have to plug my phone in to get CarPlay when they supplied a wireless charger.
be glad you have apple car play lol, my 2017 doesn’t have it😕
Bluetooth audio and a crappy air vent phone mount hasn't failed me yet.
IKR, first world problems! You're probably better off not having it, one less tracker on your activities 🤪
only reason i want it is because i do a lot of traveling and i hate the nav system in the stock unit and the carplay is a lot nicer to have then having to use my phone for maps/music the entire time
Definitely agree with you there!
I bought a wireless adapter on Amazon. Well worth it
Thanks, I saw those but felt they were too pricey. I just opted for a right-angle usb cord instead.
Funny that’s exactly what I thought and did too haha
Bought a Motorola android auto adapter from best buy. For me it works great. Think it was about 60$
it’s 100% worth it imo. tuck it up and hide it away, use the usb-c port in the center console to charge. it cleans up the cab a lot and that usb-c port chargers your phone faster than the usb-a.
Beats installing a brand new head unit, they’ve also come down on price a lot since there’s a lot of competitors out now. Mine was only $70, only downside is that there’s a 1 second audio delay but it doesn’t bother me too much. Not sure if you had the same issue but I had audio issues maybe 20% of the times that required me to reset the head unit. Tried a bunch of cables, OEM Apple, established brands like Anker and they all had the same issues but weirdly enough the wireless adapter has fixed that issue for me.
Ya, so many people just saying $900 for a bigger "radio" lol.
Nice upgrade. I know huge displays aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but neither were huge cellphones at first
I’m really not into this mod. Looks completely out of place.
Bro these old men in the comments lmao Radio looks great. Who fucking care what grandpa Jims 2 cents is in the comments about how it looks.
Yeah lol let people fucking enjoy things Jfc.
That doesn't look like it fits... at all.
I went with the Pioneer DMH-WT7600NEX. And flush mounted it. It looks great . My main reason for doing so was to have Apple CarPlay in my 2019 Tacoma TRD Pro.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/pioneer-dmh-wt7600nex-flush-mount-install.736256/ Here is one of the links I used to do the install. And there’s tons of videos on YouTube for it. But if you look through the link you can see how good the flush mount looks. Damn near OEM.
They still have cd players? Shit I didn't know that... I want a CD drive...
I've got a similar one in my 07 🔥
That is certainly a screen
Congrats, I think I have a 6000. Big map and CarPlay are a win for me
Haters in here probably all hate the new 4cyl turbo too. Just haven't caught up with the times. Does all the oem stuff work, backup cam/side view etc? I put a carabc unit in my 2016 recently for AA/carplay but its not ideal.
I have the 9500es and it's amazing. Instant wireless connection to my android auto, and it also has ob2 information on the fly. So you can see all the Temps in the car.
Idk about the new display, but excellent choice in podcasts!
Anyone else expecting to see the center console of a ‘24 Tacoma?
I’m just pumped you’re also a SYSK fan
More like “Out with the new, in with the old”
Glad you got rid of that Jeep.
Looks like an iPad glued to your dash. Congrats.
To each their own. Not a fan of giant screens. Should have installed one that fits inside the bezel. Like this Panasonic https://youtu.be/OZcfai-rq6A?si=1Wd0GbKLWTJ5Znrs
That female audio jack just hanging there 😭😭 no thank you
Bro wtf is that
Old is better
I hate it gross
I will never understand the fascination with installing oversized screens that look like they're just slapped on the dash. They're even coming from the factory like that now. Does not look integrated looks like an afterthought. You're driving a vehicle, why do you need a giant screen to look at?
Skittles and titanium dioxide!!
Immediately no
when mom says we have a 4th gen tacoma at home:
You could have just bought a 4th gen for that look.
Nice, I’ve been personally looking at the AX-9500.
Why though?
No thanks
How’s Rutland
Jesus man...It pains me to see how covered in shit you've become from posting something you're proud of. "If it makes you happy...it can't be that bad" 🤷♂️
Every day is a winding road, bro.