Greetings, new guy here with stereo questions... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

IrishChamp · 10-06-2008, 03:47 PM

I'm trying to surprise my Aunt with an new stereo in here 96 Avalon with 4 speaker system. I was hoping to keep her stock head unit for stealthy reasons, both so I can surprise her when she turns it on and so its easy to use but she told me her head unit 3 disc cd changer does not work anymore.
I'm planning on doing four 5 inch speakers in the doors and I was hoping to do a 8 inch free air sub in the back shelf, I'm assuming its easy to remove the metal piece covering the hole as its never been used.
Anyway, if funds and simplicity permits I'm going to do a 4 or 5 channel amp and either run every speaker off the amp or run the 2 front and the sub off the amp and the 2 rear off the head unit if that’s replaced too.

I read a post here stating that there are some difficulties with the factory amp and bypassing it but it was very vague, can someone please explain what would be involved with installing a new head unit or a working factory head unit and an amp? I was hoping to avoid cutting factory wires by using all the necessary aftermarket wiring harnesses and just having to run speaker wires and sub wires. Any help is greatly appreciated,
thanks in advance!
IrishChamp

Equipment I’m planning on using:

CDE-9872 Alpine Deck $120
Or
DEH-2000MP Pioneer Deck $97
Or
DEH-P3000IB Pioneer Deck $115

db501 5 inch polk speakers $70x2
Or
SPS-400 Alpine 4 inch speakers $50x2

MRP-F300 Alpine 4 channel 50w x4 amp $140

DLS Performance oa8 8 inch open air sub $90
Or
I’ve only found this one, anyone else have any input?

I’ve not been able to find a 5 channel amp for a reasonable price so if anyone has some advice please chime in!

EDIT: also considering the Clarion APX 4241 amp $110.
EDIT: also considering the Pioneer TS-D402P 4 inch speakers $64.

Jigg007 · 10-06-2008, 10:07 PM

I can't think of a way of achiving this without splicing into the factory wiring. The only possible alterntive I can think of would involve taking a visit to a scrapyard/ebay and lobbing off the factory stereo harness from an Avalon or Camry. Using that in junction with a new aftermarket wiring interface. With this you can make a harness that is plug in play, letting things like the power antenna and other things intact, and dirvert the signal levels to your own audio lines going to the aftermarket amplifier, just be sure to ground the factory amplifiers rca lines. Then in each door just detach the factory plugs and run new speaker wire back to the new amplifier.

In my car I just bypassed the factory amplifier completely, spliced onto the amplifiers speaker outputs, and ran those to my Pioneer radio. However you wish to keep the new radio so what I'm saying right now is garbage.

The power antenna is odd, where it has 6 or 8 wire harness that goes to it, and links back to the factory amplifier (my best guess(when I detached the factory amp the antenna no longer tried to work(it was somewhat broken anyway))) ()()(@!! .

As far as raw speakers go, you can find some good speakers on MCM, really cheap too. Going even bolder you could make a box for it. Or you could work in a 1/2 or 3/4" MDF/birch baffle you'd get much better performance from the subwoofer.

Honestly I dont even think you need to replace the factory door speakers if its a 6 or 7 speaker system. (excluding subwoofer). Adding an amplifier to the factory speakers and a filter to roll off lowend at like 50-80Hz, you will get amazing performance from the system with an added subwoofer.

IrishChamp · 10-07-2008, 11:27 AM

thanks for your help, I believe its just the 4 speaker system, only 4 holes in the doors, no other speakers or sub. maybe I will have a local shop intall the head unit, I found a place that will install it for $35 or Circuit will do it for free if we buy from them. Any stereo shop should be able to wire it properly don't you think?
Maybe a 8 inch sub in a small speaker box secured in the trunk will be better, that would be easier to install as well.
thanks again,
IrishChamp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jigg007

I can't think of a way of achiving this without splicing into the factory wiring. The only possible alterntive I can think of would involve taking a visit to a scrapyard/ebay and lobbing off the factory stereo harness from an Avalon or Camry. Using that in junction with a new aftermarket wiring interface. With this you can make a harness that is plug in play, letting things like the power antenna and other things intact, and dirvert the signal levels to your own audio lines going to the aftermarket amplifier, just be sure to ground the factory amplifiers rca lines. Then in each door just detach the factory plugs and run new speaker wire back to the new amplifier.

In my car I just bypassed the factory amplifier completely, spliced onto the amplifiers speaker outputs, and ran those to my Pioneer radio. However you wish to keep the new radio so what I'm saying right now is garbage.

The power antenna is odd, where it has 6 or 8 wire harness that goes to it, and links back to the factory amplifier (my best guess(when I detached the factory amp the antenna no longer tried to work(it was somewhat broken anyway))) ()()(@!! .

As far as raw speakers go, you can find some good speakers on MCM, really cheap too. Going even bolder you could make a box for it. Or you could work in a 1/2 or 3/4" MDF/birch baffle you'd get much better performance from the subwoofer.

Honestly I dont even think you need to replace the factory door speakers if its a 6 or 7 speaker system. (excluding subwoofer). Adding an amplifier to the factory speakers and a filter to roll off lowend at like 50-80Hz, you will get amazing performance from the system with an added subwoofer.