Replacing door speakers - best options

Anonymous · June 12, 2003, 23:15

Are the 03 stock door speakers any better than the 00-02 (which were crap). What is the current thinking on the best makes for a direct swap?

Cheers,

Mike

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 07:54

I've been wondering that. I've put a new head unit in my 03 and it's not too bad. Dunno whether the problem now is the speakers are poo or I need an amp....

J

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 08:35

PM Buster - he is an ICE wizz and should be able to help you out - on the old forum he recommended a load of different makes that will fit in the '2 - ask him nicely and im sure he will try to repost the message! s:D

s:D

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 08:47

I am going to be slightly controversial here, but am I missing the point here with the stereo on the '2?

Now, I LOVE music. I always have and always will. But having to fit my own Pioneer head unit and Infiniti speakers in my old Mk1 and not having ANY bass response, as well as having a huge old Renault, which I thought had a bloody CRACKING 6 speaker stereo in it, the stereo in the '2 is pretty bloody good!!!

Why do people complain about it? The Sony unit in mine still surpises me occasionally. I have been playing CD's in it ever since I got the car, but I had never used the tape deck until last night and I thought it was cracking.

I have always been a bit of a Hi-Fi buff and have always prided myself on a decent stereo at home and being a good judge of a good sound. And I for one dont think that the '2s stereo is as bad as some people make out. What are people WANTING in a car? Mobile discos? You can only listen at a certain level for so long without deafening yourself, so why improve on what is already in the car when it is pretty good as it is?

If you lot think the '2s unit is bad enough to change it, then I would LOVE to hear what you are putting in there.......

Sheesh........ s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 08:53

s:idea: :idea: s:idea: Don't PM Buster- I wanna know the answer !

J

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 08:58

John,

Have you seen the stereo in the '03 model...? Its like a Fisher Price 'My First Stereo'! s:lol: :lol: s:lol: (Its the non-sony branded unit)

I 'IMHO' think the stereo is ok, loud enough to play music clearly with the roof down at speed. In my old car i had a pioneer headunit on standard speakers, and it just sounded SOOOOO much better.

I have a mate that puts subs in his boot, changes all his speakers and stuff... i dont do that, i think its OTT, but each to their own i guess.

Im thinking of changing the headunit in the '2 but not just yet - im happy for now. s:)

s:)

Slacey · June 13, 2003, 09:05

My car was a UK spec imported from Denmark and it came fitted with a single DIN, Toyota branded Panasonic unit. It was crap. I've now installed a Sony H/U which is great, but with both units the biggest problem is the shite stock speakers, which I will be swopping out (hopefully) at JAE (you sorted that price for me yet Buster? s:wink: :wink: s:wink: ). I've not heard the Sony unit you guys get, but if it's anywhere near as good as my new one then I probably wouldn't have bothered swapping it either.

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 09:13

Ok, fair enough, I can understand the "strange" fittings of some stereos (the imports and the "Fisher Price" stuff!!), but I had heard rumours of some changing ths stock Sony units and I for one don't think the speakers in there are that bad. Ok, they do distorts a little bit, but only when you have the "digibass" full up and the volume at ear shattering levels.

I don't have a problem with the HUGE stereos that some people put in there cars (Buster?) cos I have to say, I have heard some and they DO sound quite nice, but havint 400 or more Watts in a car is clearly insane and completely unecessary! You just can't listen to it and it just brings attention to you. In all the wrong ways.

Most of my mates and a LOT of other people as well don't think that it is "cool" when a car goes past and all you can hear at 100 yds is "Boom tish boom tish boom tish......". Usually the Max Power brigade admittedly (not you Buster, I can't comment. I haven't heard your stereo, except for the Chelmsford meet videos!!!! s:wink: :wink: s:wink: ). But is just not cool, its, well, a bit sad really.

Perhaps everyone should raly Toyota to tell them to put back the old Sony units in the cars under warranty and see what they say!!! s:wink: :wink: s:wink: s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 09:37

I'm with you on this one John. The Sony head unit in the pre '03 models is fine, I can cruise down the motorway with the top down and get Radio 1 at a level where I can hear it clearly and loudly, without any distortion. Why would I possibly want to have it any louder than that, I'm not about to go down my B&Q carpark on a Friday night to have a sound off against some Muppet Nova owner.

--H--

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 09:40

LOL!!!

My thoughts exactly. In the words of a well known afternoon duo:

NOOOO NEEEEEEEEEEDDDD!!!!! s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

So, for all post '03 people, do you know who makes the head units in yours? Will be interesting to know......

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 09:49

It says Matsushita on the back, who are the owners of Panasonic I think.
I didn't find the sound too bad, it was the ergonomics that drove me mad.
I'm also a bit too disorganised for single CD head units - I end up with CD's all over the car and nearly killing myself changing the CD on the move. s:(

s:(

J

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 09:56

Ahhh.... not yeah, there is THAT problem and I have to agree there. I would ideally like a changer, but, although there have been posts on this, there really isn't ANYWHERE to put one that makes sense. ALL the places take up to much room. As much as this seems stupid, I kinda need SOME practicality! s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

As for the ergonomics ofthe new head unit, try fiddling with Sony unit! ALL of the buttons on it are made for toddlers (i.e WAY too small), so what I tend to do is set it up before I move off and hope that changing CD's doesn't change the set up too much.

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 09:56

The sony unit is a pain to work on the go too. I got the Sony wired remote control for it and fited that on the steering column, it's much easier (and safer!) now.

--H--

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 10:02

Yep, everyone with a Sony headunit should get one - there are plenty on eBay for a few quid.

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 10:11

Can I rescue my thread back (please)...

IMO the 00-02 Roadster had poor quality door speakers - I replaced them with Pheonix Gold units. The difference was truly amazing.

As mentioned by virtually everyone in this thread the Sony stock head unit is fine... I really liked it (until the car got written off) s:cry: :cry: s:cry:

Nonetheless, I'm still curious about the quality of the 03 door speakers, and people's opinion re: best options.

Can't wait for my new Roadster s:)

s:)

Cheers,

Mike

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 10:20

Mike,

I again didn't see a problem with the 00-02 door speakers. I think they are ok. I have no doubt that there are better speaker out there, but the ones that re in there are more than adequate.

'Core, the remote. I too think it would be a good idea and have toyed with it myself, but I am not sure I want to go drilling into my steering column. I think that these kind of steering controls should be standard on all cars anyway, for saftely reasons alone.

How much was the column shift and how does it look? Was it easy to fit? (I know there was a thread on this before, but I think it was on the last forum...........)

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 10:34

and can you get a stick remote for the 03 models?

even my LX focus has this and thats 4 years old now!!!.

Toyota have scrimped so much with this!

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 10:48

John,

I bought the Sony remote (RM-X4S) from eBay for about £18 IIRC. You can get them from the shops but they cost about £30 I think!!

Fitting is soooo easy. The only work is removing the lower part of the steering column (three screws!) and drilling two very small holes through it (it's soft plastic so again very easy). You then attach the braket with a couple of screws and feed the wire back behind the stereo and plug it in to the back of the head unit at the bottom on the passenger side.

Well worth the money/minimal effort invloved.

--H--

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 10:55

COOL! Thanks Hardcore. Gonna look into it!

Ta!

John

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 11:18

Here...

--H--

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 11:27

Cheers 'Core. Just put a bid in. And thanks as well Jim. Much appreciated.

Will let you know how I get on.

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 12:53

'Core is right about the wired Sony remote stalk thingy.. I've fitted a couple in various cars, and it's a breeze to fit.. now I can control everything at my fingertips without even taking my eyes off the road!

My '2 didn't come with a stereo at all, so I bought a 50Wx4 Sony head unit and 10 disc changer.. which lives happily in the storage bin behind the driver's seat, and I've never found it too intrusive on stowage space - despite it being enormous compared to the very latest ones!

I think that the stock speakers are adequate.. but I'm seriously going to upgrade them to Buster's choice Focals soon, I'm fed up with turning the bass right down at motorway top-down volume!

Tim

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 19:15

Facts:

00-02 modle has 25 W speakers around 10 Rms peak

03 modle has 25 W but can handle 15 Rms peak,

Had notices a small differance in bass in the 34-42 Hz range sounds a lot deeper than 00-02, Nothing to shout home about tho

Head unit in 00-02 25 W RMS *4 bringed down would give 40 W rms (mayb at a push)

03 head unit be lucky to get 15 W RMS out of it and then it would over heat on reset it's self ( how mnay of the 03 people have noticed that littel gem) s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

So it looks like toyota have put better speakers in teh 03 but put a poor h/u in,

NOTE:

Gromets in the doors of teh 03 are larger so a thicker speaker wire could be passed throgh maybe a 10 AWG instead of 12 awg s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Thaks for all the links in the posts tho Guys s:oops: :oops: s:oops: sorry i didnt reply earlier had my last exam yesturday and got very very drunk last nite LOL s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 19:26

Does that mean any new head unit that we put in can have the 4 channels bridged to improve the output if only two are used? If so, how?

Here's hoping.
J

Anonymous · June 13, 2003, 19:29

Do you mean stock H/U or facotry fit