Tacoma Upgrades Abound For Gainesville Client

A client from Gainesville came to Sound Depot and Performance with his 2016 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, looking for several different upgrades. One of our team members went out to the vehicle with the client so they could look it over together, explore options and share ideas. Once they were done looking at the Tacoma, they came back inside, where our salesman showed him different products that would work well in the truck.

One of the things that separates Sound Depot from the competition is our state-of-the-art showroom, equipped with interactive displays. It allows our clients to see, touch and hear the products we are suggesting, much in the same way you test-drive a car.

When our team was done meeting with the client, we worked up a solution that we felt best fit his needs and he liked our proposal, so we scheduled an appointment to start working on his Toyota.

Factory Radio Has Features Worth Keeping

The factory radio had enough features to warrant keeping it in this system.

The wiring to integrate the new system with the factory radio was nice and neat.

As you may know, modern Toyotas come with a touchscreen radio that integrates well with modern smartphones, so the client was covered in that area. Where he wasn’t covered was the sound. Modern Toyota stereo systems are weak-sounding, almost lifeless. The good news is that we can make this vehicle’s system sound fantastic by upgrading the speakers and adding an amplifier and subwoofer.

Kenwood Amplifier Offers Five Times as Much Power

The small size of the Kenwood amplifier allowed it to fit under the front seat.

We started the upgrade by adding a Kenwood Excelon X301-4 amplifier that gets its signal from the stock stereo in the dash. We mounted it securely under one of the front seats, completely hidden from view. The client went from a wimpy 60 watts of power to more than 300 watts of clean power. Now, when he wants to jam, he has all the power needed.

Front Speaker Upgrade

A full complement of sound proofing, FAST rings and a custom adapter plate are used to mount the Hertz speaker in the front door.

We were able to angle the Hertz tweeter in the dash for better sound.

Once our upgrades were done in the door it sounded much better, but looked stock.

Once the truck had the power needed, it was time to upgrade the speakers. In the front, we replaced the cheap, paper cone speakers with new ones from Hertz – the DSK165.3. It combines a 6.5” woofer and a tweeter with a dedicated crossover network. We installed the woofers in the front doors using custom speaker adapters for a perfect fit, sound-damping material around it to eliminate vibration and our FAST rings to improve mid-bass response. In the dash, we installed the Hertz tweeters on custom angled mounts to reduce the reflection off the windshield, improving the staging and imaging of the sound.

Rear Speakers

The rear doors were upgraded with Hertz Dieci 5.25″ coaxial speakers.

In the rear doors, we went back to Hertz, choosing the DCX165.3 6.5” coaxial speakers and mounting them in custom speaker mounts, just like the front doors.

JL Audio Offers Great-sounding Bass

The JL Audio subwoofer was a perfect fit for behind the rear seat.

Since any good car audio system needs a subwoofer for good low-end bass, we chose the JL Audio CP108-4 enclosure. It includes one of their famous 8W3 subwoofers in an extremely compact ported enclosure, about the size of a briefcase. Both the woofer and the enclosure are made right here in Florida, which gives us a lot of pride. Our installer was able to mount the enclosure behind the rear seat, resulting in no loss of space in the vehicle.

Tuning for Maximum Value

When the installation was finished, our team spent time on tuning the system for maximum clarity and output potential.

Compustar Remote Start

The Compustar remote starter installation begins with bench-wiring the system.

If you live in Florida, you already know how hot it gets in the summer, so we installed a Compustar remote car starter using their RF-2W1BSP remote controls. These little remotes do everything by the push of a single button and, as an added bonus, the client gets confirmation back to the remote of any requested function. This includes both remote starting and keyless functions.

Floor Protection by WeatherTech

If you want your new vehicle to look new for a longer period of time, adding a set of WeatherTech custom-fit floor liners is a great idea. We installed them in this vehicle, so now they will catch all the grime and crud tracked into the vehicle by the occupants. When the liners get dirty, the owner simply removes them, dumps out the crud and reinstalls them.

Bed Cover Adds Protection

The bed cover enhances the looks and safety of the Tacoma.

The final piece of the puzzle was installing an Extang TriFecta bed cover to protect his cargo from the weather and prying eyes.

Need Toyota Tacoma Upgrades? Contact Us Today!

When you are ready to upgrade your vehicle, come see the experts at Sound Depot and Performance in Gainesville. We will work with you to find the perfect solutions for your needs. You can also contact us HERE for more information.