A customer from Westminster, Maryland came to WSS Westminster Speed & Sound recently with his 2014 Toyota Tundra Crewmax for us to install some motorized steps and a remote start. While it was here we had an opportunity to listen to the JBL premium audio system in the vehicle. The first thing we noticed was that the navigation display might have been premium, but the sound quality was bottom basement. We spoke to the customer about this and he agreed. He asked if we could start out by giving the truck some good quality bass. He felt that was really lacking. If you look at the picture we took of the tiny woofer in the plastic enclosure, you can get a pretty good idea of how poor it sounded. So we worked up a solution for the customer that kept all of the usefulness of the truck intact.
Hertz HCP1D Amplifier Provides the Power
This vehicle uses a factory amplifier downstream of the in-dash radio. We utilized an AudioControl LC2i to get the musical signal from the JBL amplifier and send it to the Hertz HCP1D amplifier. Both of these units were installed under the driver’s side rear seat. We built a custom enclosure behind the rear seat to house a JL Audio 10TW3 subwoofer. This woofer id unique in that it is very shallow, yet has better output and sound quality than most woofers that would be too deep to fit behind the rear seat in this vehicle.
Stinger Roadkill Eliminates The Rattles
We installed Stinger Roadkill in the back wall area of the truck to eliminate the possibility of rattling and we made a simple panel to recover the back wall as the original panel had to be removed to install the subwoofer enclosure.
Bass Knob Allows For On The Fly Tweaking
In the front of the vehicle we installed a bass level knob to the left of the steering wheel, giving him full control of how much bass he would like to have at any given moment. The system was then thoroughly tuned to best match the stock stereo system and the requirements of the customer. The AudioControl LC2i gives us a lot of flexibility to get the tuning just right.
Toyota Tundra Bass Upgrade A Success
When the customer picked up the vehicle, he loved the improvement. Now when his music has a bass guitar line or kick drum, it delivers it with authority and realism that was not present with the wimpy stock woofer, all the while keeping the integrity of the truck intact. If you would like to improve the bass response in your vehicle, stop in, give us a call, or send us an email. We will work with you to custom design and install a subwoofer system that meets your unique needs.
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