Focal Install

Hey Friends,

Specifically and only looking for insight as to if someone has installed the Focal plug and play kit from Trailgrid Pro.

Please don’t tell me about other speakers, what you think is better, etc.

Purely wondering if the 1,000$ focal kit is worth it and sound great.

Appreciate you.

 

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_091ISTOY69/Focal-Inside-IS-TOY-690.html

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_091ICTOY65/Focal-Inside-IC-TOY-165.html


660 + 380 at Crutchfield 1040.
Looks like you save a buck, but Crutchfield is worth the extra buck to me.

 

I’m curios on the sound upgrade here as well. Curious if the Focal speakers provide an added quality for the price point. Have always like Focal speakers.

 

If you upgrade the head unit and amp i am sure they will be awesome.

 

Definitely my hope

 

I have a feeling our Made in Japan Panasonic headunit would sound better than Chinese ones. Adding a matching Amp + Speaker + Sub combo might be a good upgrade. Last time I checked the install cost for this was $400.

 

Actually no! Even though the Chinese head units are buggy and known to be a pain, they are essentially android tablets and have very good sound quality from inbuilt DAC.
The problem with our OEM head units is the eq curve that comes from factory. It is shit.
Even just swapping with a 400$ pioneer/Sony will open up the sound stage, dynamics and pretty much everything from treble to base.
My problem is, I am a sucker for the OEM look. So it's a toss up between good sound or good looks.

 

Yeah, it's terrible. I tried my best to keep the stock head unit and it was a disaster. Kenwood DMX FTW!

 

On another note. Maybe there are higher end Focal 6x9 component speakers that may do better with an aftermarket system if you are going this way. The front speakers give 80% of the sound and pretty much all the low end. I went high end on my 6x9's but i should have stepped up one more tier. My fronts were almost $400 alone.

But if you are starting stock that package seems like a good start.

 

When I asked the audio shop they did not recommend going for good focal speakers without amp. They said said either buy good speakers + amp or go with lower end focal until I'm ready for a good setup.

 

Makes sense. I’d do a nice HU plus speakers for the start. Then add amp down the line if I need more juice

 

Good insights. Appreciate everyone!!!

 

Are you contemplating the Focal for their convenience or you actually like the focal sound?

 

...you could use a DSP such as the JL Audio Fix 82 to take the signals from your stock HU and correct all the nastiness programmed at the factory. Then, from the DSP you send a clean signal without any of the equalization, time correction, etc to your amp of choice. You get to keep your stock HU and can build a quality system that is stealth. That's what I did.

 

Sweet!!!

 

Convenience plus decent sound. Heard them once and was amazed. Sure there’s better but plug and play has value.

 

New head unit with factory speakers will be a more noticeable difference than factory head unit and new speakers. You will have to turn up the new speakers more, but they will sound cleaner than the factory.

 

This was my setup before selling my 21 tundra Pro. That had the JBL system. Out of all my systems in my Toyota’s over the years I changed the headunit. So that time around I kept the oem JBL headunit. And I must say it still sounded pretty dam good to keep the oem look.

My audio guy that does all my installs all Arc Audio. Dual subwoofers , 5 channel amp and new speakers with sound deadening. Then the processor Rockford Fosgate DSR1. I would probably do the same setup if I decide to do my 23 Pro. Except for the dual subs box. Not sure on that decision with the sub.

 

As far as convenience is concerned, any after market speaker within the same dimensions, 6x9 front and 6x5 rear will fit right in with the adapter harness. No cutting, no splicing. At the most you might need to trim the door speaker ring if the speakers are really protruding but again a 3 minute job.
Focals are good but I think the package is quite expensive for just conveienc.
Cruthfield will do the same for you at a much lower price point and larger options.

 

I did this with multiple DSP's, it was a disaster after replacing 3 DSP's from blowing and popping from the amp due to the OEM amp overpowering things and the muddy signal from the stock HU. It sounded better when it worked, but nowhere near when i replaced the head unit.

 

Wow, that does sound like something was definitely up with your stock amp; my setup has been flawless for almost two years it sounds amazing, all with the stock HU so no stock functionality lost and it looks just as it did from Toyota. The JL DSP and amp sound great, no muddiness anywhere. Glad you found a solution!

 

Aren't stock JBL systems 2 ohm speakers? These Focals are 4.

 

Can you share your set up details?

 

Sure thing:

• JL Audio Fix82 DSP
• JL Audio VXi 600/6i amp (powers Focal components and JL sub)
• JL Audio DRC-205 control
• JL Audio VXi-BTC BT dongle
• JL Audio Fix LSA-4
• JL Audio 8w1v3-4sub in factory JBL sub enclosure
• Focal ES 165KX2 components (front stage)
• Focal RCX-165 6.5” co-axials (rear fill in rear doors)
• Audio Control ACM 2-300 amp (powers Focal co-axials)
• Crutchfield CK4 amp wiring kit
• Dynamat Extreme Door Kit x2 & Extreme Trunk Kit x1
• Taco Tunes speaker mounting adapters for all Focal speakers in doors and dash mounted tweeters
• Knuconcepts BK-424 power distribution blocks (2) & 8ga power and ground wire
• Rear hatch speakers deleted

 

Amazing setup!!! Great job. What is the total cost if you don’t mind me asking please.

 

Thank you. I'm very pleased with the system. It sounds great, super clean at all volume levels. You cannot see any of the aftermarket stuff and this is just how I wanted it. I bought all the gear from Crutchfield so you can add it up there (sorry, I did not keep track of the total cost). I did all the installation myself.

 

and this replaced/bypassed the OEM JBL system?
Did you had to run new speaker wires or somehow you were able to reuse the OEM?

 

The only remaining bits of the OEM JBL system are the head unit, amp and the sub enclosure. I kept the amp which only serves to get speaker level outputs to send to the Fix82 DSP to be cleaned up and turned into a quality signal to then send to the JL amp. I'm using the line level output from the JL amp to send full range signal to the Audio Control amp that power the Focal coaxials in the rear passenger doors. I ran all new speaker wire to the front speakers and sub; I could not find a way to run new speaker wire through the B pillar to get into the rear doors so I did cut the factory speaker wire at the B pillar and connected it to the new speaker wire that goes back to the Audio Control amp.

The front Focal components are running active. The setup on the JL VXi amp is amazing; full control of the output levels of each driver along with every other parameter that affects the sound. I spent quite a bit of time with the Tun software, measuring microphone inside the truck, etc to get levels, time alignment and equalization right. So worth it; it's the best system I've built so far and the first to not use passive crossovers. Active is the way to go!

 

Wow. If I even understood what this all meant I’d be halfway there. Sounds like you know your stuff. Enjoy the system. When I’m ready I’ll need someone to install for me.

 

Take a look at this guy's channel; you can learn a lot here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdGTWpwCoTg