Car Audio

C

californiagrown

Active member
I have a 2004 4runner with all stock audio components.

I am thinking about getting an MP3 hookup and speaker system and am curious about the cost.

I dont want something super high end, but i dont want the cheapest shit ever. I am only looking at speakers(stuff i can fit in the door haha), i dont have room for an amp as i throw bikes in the back and sleep back there from time to time.

Im looking to spend less than $300 for the mp3 hookup, speakers, and installation(i dont think i need a new reciever?). Is that a rasonable price? any suggestions?
 
Don't pay someone to do it. New speakers and a new head unit are very easy to install especially if you order it off crutchfield.

$300 is definitely reasonable for doing it yourself. Go on crutchfield, find what you like, order it and they will send you any special tools you need along with instructions to install your new equiment.
 
I got a new head unit for 60 bucks at best buy. For a while you had to pop the faceplate on my old one and then it stopped working. Didn't realize how fucking cheap they are.

I guess it all depends what you want. You can spend a lot or a little. The mp3 connect part is simple, the speakers just depend on what you want.
 
By MP3 hookup i mean i need them to install the auxillary. i have the cable, but i might need a new reciever that is compatible seeing as how mine is the stock tape deck. IDK?

Also, I live in SF where bums break into cars if they see 15 cents in your center console so i DO NOT WANT anything fancy looking for a new reciever...if i could keep the current stock tape deck that'd be awesome. I also have nowhere to work on the car unless i drive it out of the city and post up in a parking lot somwhere which would be a pain in the ass.

I looked at crutchfield and realized i know nothing about car audio. I was thinking about buying the components off that site and then having Best buy install it for $60-$80 bucks.

Anyone have suggestions on components for me? totalling under $200?

I listen to quite literally everything, so a system with a very well rounded sound sould be super...no subs, i dont have room for extra shit.
 
yeah, im not doing any of the work myself. If the whole process takes more than 2.5 hours, i am losing money by doing it myself. And i am damn sure it will take longer than that combined with the risk of fucking up my cars electronics. Not worth the risk to have that small feeling of acomplishment.
 
As said above, do cruthfeild, they send installation instructions with your parts. I would recommend the Sony door speakers I have in my car, good sound, good base for a 6.5", $55 for 2, so far haven't blown them out and that's pretty good. I would put a new USB receiver in, bypasses the DAC on your phone and has much better sound quality and punch.
 
honestly here's your easy solution for aux input

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maybe not the cleanest but for $10-$20 it's taken care of. spend the rest on speakers if you want an upgrade (although lots of people will say a better head unit is the first step to better sound).

there are ways to add an actual aux input to stock headunits by soldering aux wires to the boards in the unit and can then be rigged to play with tape active (or possibly cd changer) but you'd probably have to get on a toyota forum somewhere for more information. i plan on doing this soon for my nissan but ski season eats up my weekends and i havent really had a chance for a few months.

as far as making a new HU/speakers a DIY job- i was able to figure out how to install my own shit at the age of 16 so don't think it's something too hard to handle. just depends on how you value your time/money. at 16 $60-$80 was a lot to me, now maybe not so much so i don't have to fuck with it.
 
thanks for the info on car stuff. But for me, i dont have a whole lot of free time with the hours i put in at work and studying for my professional liscense, so i value my time on the same payscale as my job. I am a technical person and very handy, but 2 hours is not worth it to me right now.

that said, i already have the tape auxillary, its what i use now. I was hoping to upgrade to the direct connection auxillary, and put in some good speakers to i can really enjoy my music while in my car- i tend to roadd trip a lot during the winter for skiing, and my current commute is no picnic either.

Someone recommended those sony speakers, which look like something in the ballpark of what i was looking for. Can anyone else recommend me some good bang for your buck speakers and possibly reciever if you think that is "neccessary".

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far.
 
Do you want to be able to play CD's? if not, The sony DSX digital media player is a good one for like $75. if CDs are a must you would need to spend in the $100 area to get something that wont break.
 
no CD's, no Tapes, just FM/AM radio and ipod.

YOU ARE THE FUCKING MAN!!!! thats exactly the type of reciever that i am looking for. fucke yeah!

now i just need to figure out what speakers i need to look at...
 
figured that might be the case. don't take your buisiness to best buy. best buy sucks at life. go anywhere else
 
Okay, you said bums break in for 15 cents, so KEEP it looking as STOCK as possible. When I had my old van(before I ended up putting in a new head unit) I bought an adapter that hooks into your factory head units antenna jack then gives you RCA inputs which you can attach a standard RCA to 3.5mm stereo "Y" adapter. The part is cheap, I think I paid 15 or 20 bucks.

Let me know what trim level your ride is, it could possibly have a factory amp
 
On my new truck I bought a 20 dollar adapter that taps into my speaker wires, and allow me to hook up a low pass filter, which gives me RCA outputs to hook up an amp to my factory head unit to keep it as stock looking as possible.
 
I just did it on my Dodge Dakota and it was a pain in the ass. I didn't know certain dodge dakotas had Infinity brand pre amps that you had to wire in to. That was me being stupid and ordering shit off amazon thinking I was smart. Order off crutchfield and they include EVERYTHING you need to get it done. But it looks like you're paying somebody.

100 bucks for the headunit and 50 per speaker should get you a decent system that's better than the paper stock speakers. And why no low end? Space issue? I got a bazooka tube 8 inch to fit in the pick up and the thing fucking bumps for its size. It's nuts. But thats probably because of the small cab I have, 4runner you're gonna need something bigger.

But honestly if you plan it out doing it yourself is not that hard and paying somebody can get pretty damn expensive. Get some quotes.
 
Fuck dakota are the biggest piece if shit trucks ever. I have one also unfortunately.

The biggest issue I had, was the lack of a true double din opening, so all you can out in is ugly cheap ass looking single din head units, hence why I opted for the high pass filter to hook up my amp
 
I am constantly putting seats down/taking them out to load up the back, i throw bikes into the back of my 4runner, and i also sleep there from time to time during the winter so i need all the cargo space available.

Im not doing it myself because quite frankly spending 2 hours on it(its probly gonna take a lot more) is not worth my time, which is very limited. Add in the fact that i have nowhere to work on it and its a pretty easy decision to just bring it to the most highly rated car-audio shop on yelp that is close to my work.

Im thinking about getting that Sony DSX reciever unit, and then im still not sure what speakers i want to get, or hown many i want etc. I also dont want to walk into a shop and get sold on something above and beyond what i actually want.
 
Cruthfeild.com has a "find what fits your car" button. Buy the highest rated name brand ones under ~$60. Look at sony, pioneer, alpine, kicker, and kenwood.
 
Kenwood single din HU with a harness. Would take 30 minutes or less. Have done the install 3 times on 3 different vehicles with the same result. I'm sure its been said but check Crutchfield. Refurbished HU with USB connect can run you $150 or less with a harness and mounting kit.
 
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