2021 Limited - the JBL system is underwhelming.

Awesome set up!!

 

Suits me just fine.

No ragrets.

 

None? Not one ragret?

 

Not many get the reference. Btw, great ride man. That was my 1A choice, but I got my 1B because 1A is literally like hunting for a Unicorn in Whackafornia

 

That Nightshade is pretty nice. You definitely have a more comfortable ride than I do. Lol

I just want to upgrade a few things in my sound-system and hope that I can find the law of diminishing returns… I am under the impression that the JBL amp is wired in such that if I lower the impedance on the mids and highs, it will take that extra power and push it towards the sub… so I have 4ohm Kickers planned for my dash and door speakers and a dual 1-ohm sub planned for the rear sub replacement.

I hope this works out!! Lol

 

Did you end up installing the Kickers in dash and doors? How do they sound? Improvement? I am looking into replacing with kickers as well minus the sub. I have Limited with JBL.

 

All great points and I agree completely. The very good news is the stock head unit can be used to get very, very good sound if you're willing to upgrade everything else. I did this on my '21 Pro. I left the stock HU and amp; from the JBL amp I fed signals to a JL Audio Fix 82 DSP and from there to JL Audio VXi 6ch amp running bridged (3 way output; 2ch bridged to power each front 2 way component speaker set and 2ch bridged to power an 8" JL Audio sub in the factory sub enclosure. I also have a 2ch Audio Control amp powering a pair of co-axial speakers in the rear doors) The factory co-axial speakers in the rear hatch were deleted and all the factory JBL speakers went in the trash where they belong. The system sounds very clean and balanced.

 

Super nice! Where did you get those A pillars trim with the tweeters?

 

I made them, nothing like cutting up perfectly good a pillars.
Pair number 2 in the works

 

My regular cab f250 work truck pumps out more bass vs my 4 runner with more speakers lol

 

I replaced it with an Alpine head unit and Alpine speakers with an amplified bass tube. Lots of power. I know what you mean about the JBL, disappointing for sure. I could crank that up to 50 and the Alpine equivalent is 15. Best of luck!

 

Searched high and low for a solution that wasn’t gutting the system. Started with speakers, but slowly noticed that none of the videos or replacements online for the dash speakers even looked like mine (it has a coaxial tweeter as pictured, part 86150-35091). Realized the aftermarket stuff was about the same quality, different impedance, and pointless overall as an upgrade. Considered all-in-one solutions like the bundles from Trailgridpro, but again, none were specifically designed or optimized for this JBL system. Disconnected the dash speakers to see how they add to the system. Ended up realizing three clicks to the rear on the fader actually tidied that up. Been living with it since and it’s not that bad; certainly better than lower trims. I even went to listen to a late model GX Mark Levinson and they just aren’t what they used to be (they even have the same lousy speaker placement!). Also, the trouble everyone seems to go through these days with losing features or adding problems and idiosyncracies (floating screens, wtf?) with infotainment-style head unit changes just isn’t worth it.

In the end, I learned to live with it and it’s alright; 6 out of 10.

Brave new world killed DIY. #enshittification

 

I would like to agree, until I remember I paid $63,000 CAD for my ORP. Should be able to have at least decent sound system for that price. At least replacing the non JBL sound system is easy enough I suppose.

 

Great discussion. I've never made enough money to become a true audiophile, but I've gotta' say the JBL system in my '24 Limited is much better than the horrible Bose systems I've had in my '19 CX-9 Signature and my '08 Infiniti EX35.....and much, MUCH better than the stock DSP system that I tried to augment in my '01 740i.

Growing up in MA, my buddy Brian lived next to Dr. Amar Bose and once in a while we would stop over at his house to listen to some of the new products he was developing...his home sound system was something to behold. He was a genuinely interesting guy, was nice to annoying kids like us, plus he was very proud of his work and willing to show it to pretty much anyone who was interested. Anyway, my point is... he's probably turning over in his grave as a result of some of the audio crap they've put out there with his name on it.

TimG

 

Following up on my thread here. Finally found the AP4-TY13 from PAC and wow it works well. Plug-and-play with the 2021 JBL stereo and offers 6 pre-outs from line-level, a level knob for the sub, and option to get an optical out for future expansion (processors, wtv). Disconnected the old sub by reaching into a partially removed side panel and now the stock radio plays well with a 12 inch sub and Alpine amplifier with built-in digital processing, both of which just happen to be 20 years old because stuff was made well back in the day.

 

You started this thread in 2021. Next post on this thread was 2024, and now you follow up in 2025.

I really appreciate you following up and sharing info to the community. I hope you've been well during all these years.

 

I used the PAC on my Limited also. Stuffed it in the center console with the crossovers for the infinity components (woofers in the door, tweeters in the dash). Got a 4channel for the door speakers and a mono for the sub (8” JL in stock location). Cheaper than buying a new HU, but I may look at simplifying someday with a Daisata HU and 5 channel amp. Much better than factory for now though.

 

Yep, I feel like mine bumps just fine

 

So once you install the harness you will need to run new wires to the doors and dash and power with a new aftermarket amp? Or does this harness give you option to connect to the wires that are already running to the doors and dash locations. So something along the lines of:
Radio -> new Harness -> new Harness RCA's -> new amp -> new amp speaker output -> new Harness -> New harness to existing speakers in dash/doors

OR do we need to go:
Radio -> new Harness -> new Harness RCA's -> new amp -> new amp speaker output -> run new cable to all doors and dash

 

I have JBL with sub in mine. It's better than most Toyota systems, but they have never been great. I will go Alpine one day for the best sound. You get what you pay for in a Lexus.