hands free bluetooth upgrade?

Has anyone ever upgraded from the factory hands free speakers/bluetooth? The connection is terrible in the 2014. Would this just be a, 'go to your local car audio store' thing?

 

Crutchfield makes many components, as does CarID:

https://www.carid.com/universal-bluetooth/?vehicle=12196

You may also consider upgrading the entire head unit. Then you'll get updated GPS, a larger/newer screen, bluetooth, Apple Car Play/Android Auto and a few other features.

 

It's the microphone. It's total garbage. I can't use Siri or dictation through the mic on my 2011.

 

The built in mic sucked on my 2023 also, UNTIL I upgraded my stereo with an amp (and after market speakers). Now when I call someone via Blue Tooth, they said the quality is excellent. It's as if I'm next to them talking. Before the amp upgrade, they would complain "Are you driving with the window open? I can BARELY hear you!" I would have the volume turned all the way up too.

 

Yeah, your new head units mic is prob. leagues better than the OEM mic. Sucks, Ford has fantastic mics and hand's free systems, not sure why Toyotas is so bad for so long.

 

My built in mic died a year later on my 2020. Have not replaced it yet. Need to justify spending $140 for a new one.

 

Plenty of ways to be frustrated for free, no need to spend $140 on it.

 

Rocko, so you didnt replace the mic, just amp and speakers and that fixed the issue??

 

Is there a way to upgrade the factory microphone? Or is it a software/hardware limitation with the OEM head unit?

 

I didn't replace anything. I have stock Navigation equipped head unit. The oem mics are total garbage. Replace the head unit with a good name brand will have a better microphone for sure.

 

I have read on here someone tried to add an aftermarket mic and it either didn't work or didn't sound any better.

 

Yes, you can upgrade (I think?) just the mic without changing the head unit. But again, the volume of the new mic will go through the head unit (which has no amp):






Edit: If you have the aux jack in your truck, you could try this: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-e...1_H3vZuGJmNL-WtT8CEaAsFiEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

I don't think you can plug in an aftermarket mic to the stock head unit. The factory mic has a preamp circuit on it.https://www.4runners.com/threads/using-factory-mic-with-aftermarket-headunit.26853/

 

Toyota fucked us, yet again!

 

I have tried to replace with after market mic and did not work (just to see if it might work without spending any money). To me it is not worth fixing or replacing.

 

Yeah, it sucks. I got my 4runner used and it has a lifetime Sirius/XM subscription. That's the only reason I don't upgrade. The stock mic is utterly useless.

 

Well, technically the stock mic isn't utterly worthless, it just requires another upgrade. I kept my stock head unit & mic, but I upgraded my speakers and added an amp. Adding the amp not only made the aftermarket speakers sound freakin' awesome, but it really helped out the mic.

I called someone via blue tooth after the mic was installed and they mentioned how great the mic quality was. They said if sounded as if I was standing right next to them. Before the amp was installed, people would tell me "Are you driving with your window down? Roll it up and turn up the volume. I can barely hear you."

So you can improve how shitty the mic is, but you'll have to pay up to do it. You can add an amp to the stock head unit (and even keep the OEM speakers if you want) to fix your mic problem. I wrote a thread about it in the Audio/Video section.

But to your point, the stock mic as installed, it fucking worthless.

 

I am not sure how speakers and an amp would help. Not saying it didn't help your situation, but technically it should not have mattered. The OEM mic and head unit process the sound the caller hears. Speakers and amp shouldn't matter.

 

The speakers did not help, at all. The amp did. Because the Kicker Amplifier did its job. It amplified the entire system; including the microphone. Anything that comes out of or into the head unit, passes through the amplifier. Get it?

 

No. I don't get it. You have an OEM head unit. You added speakers and an audio amp. How does your oem mic interface with this amp exactly?

 

The microphone is connected to the head unit.

Before any sound comes in or out of the mic, it passes through the amp first; which boosts the sound of the microphone.

 

That's not how it works when using an oem head unit. Sound/signal exits the head unit at speaker level. That signal enters the amp, exits amp at amplified speaker level, goes to speakers. The factory mic signal enters the head unit directly. It's input signal is not amplified outside of it's original preamp built into the back of it.