Sound quality of JBL Radio

adding one of those enclosed subwoofer to your sysem will greatly improve overall sound quality!

 

Well, I personally don't like that booming sort of bass that can be used to bust up pavement.

That said, I found that you really have to play around with the bass, mid, and treble to get it sounding right. You also need *different* settings for CD vs FM!

I usually listen to BOB FM 99.9 and after adjusting the settings - which took a *long* time to get just right - is sounds fine:

http://www.999bobfm.com

I think the lack of Speed Compensated Volume is a major oversight on Toyota's part. My 2000 GMC Sierra SLT 1500 had SCV and once you adjust it properly, you *really* appreciate it.

If GMC can do it for an otherwise POS pickup truck, Toyota should be able to do it for a flagship hybrid car.

 

Here's what I did to make the JBL sound the best it can without adding a Sub (bass is still lacking, but the extra watts helps):

Treble to MAX
Mid to 2 below MAX
Bass to 1 above Midline

Here's the important part: Fade about 3 down to rear from midline!

For some reason the JBL Amp puts most of it's power to the front speakers. Dropping Fade to the rears equals out the sound in the cabin and forces you to up the volume to get the same level you had before. Higher volume = more power from the AMP = better sounding speakers.

Factory settings I was listening at around 38-42 for volume. Now I listen at 48-50. I believe the max is 60. The settings will also give you more Treble, which sounds a bit tighter than the muddled Treble you got before moving Fade towards the rear.

Give it a try.

 

With all due respect, if you want a decent stereo, NEVER opt for a factor installed system. I just bought a 2005 Prius and knew from the start that the stereo would be, at best, something that a "family guy" might opt for. Take into consideration the shape of the car. You got no real room for a standard setup to function properly. It CAN be done, but you would have to opt for a SERIOUS system and possibly some alterations ... not a factory install.

 

I guess it's all in what you get accustomed to. I thought the system sounded pretty darned good compared to car systems I've had in the past but I've never been in the luxury car market and haven't had the coin to drop on a top of the line after market system though I have dropped a few hundred into a system that didn't sound as good as the Prius.

Besides, unless you're in stealth mode the road noise is going to significantly pollute the sound quality anyway. Listening to a high-end system on the road would be like using the home theater system while the vacuum cleaner is running!

All of course in my humble opinion!

 

Gil - You can hide a subwoofer under the floor of the storage area with excellent results. See: http://www.priuschat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=107 (Photos on page 4 of the thread.)

 

I totally agree. The price we paid for this system is OUTRAGEOUS. The sound is sub-standard for the price.

 

I also agree the JBL could have been better. I think the main weakness was not having a sub.

Gil, some have changed the speakers, and have not gotten as good results as adding a sub. Spend the money where the weakness is; get a sub.

 

Good advice, DanMan.

P.S. How much does the JBL system cost anyway? I don't recall it being itemized when I bought the car.

 

I can't speak for the JBL sound, but my 'base' system is 200% better after adding two 6" subs in boxes under the front seats (no NAV or JBL amp under there to worry about!). I put the amp in the below-floor trunk in back. outa-sight and it sounds nice. Not over-the-top bass that shakes the mirrors and glass, but a really nice low end to listen to punk rock with. Now the factory speakers can go about playing their mid-range and everyone's happy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Vernon\";p=\"68395)</div>

You probably got it as part of a package.

Looking at the MSRP of packages offered in your area, package AI ($2,190) includes package AG ($960) plus JBL and full air side airbags, so JBL and airbags cost $1270.

 

As I've commented elsewhere in the forum, I think that the sound quality problems with the "premium" JBL system go beyond simple frequency issues. I honestly think that there's something materially wrong with the electronics that handle the sound rendering.

To my ears, the sound quality from all sources (be it FM, Tape, or CD) *all* sound digitally artifacted, as if they were going through a digital sound processor that wasn't using enough samples to render the sound properly.

Put it another way, it sounds to my ears like a VERY over-compressed MP3.


(Unfortunately, if I'm right, that means that no amount of speaker replacing or sub-woofer additions is going to help. The culprit, in my theory, would either be the electronics in the head-unit or the under-seat amp)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanMan32\";p=\"68746)</div>

You probably got it as part of a package.

Looking at the MSRP of packages offered in your area, package AI ($2,190) includes package AG ($960) plus JBL and full air side airbags, so JBL and airbags cost $1270.
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Well, it just isn't that bad pricewise when you go to the Toyota.com website and "build" a Camry with the same package options that come with the BC or 2005 package six. Cost is the same, so we are not getting soaked there.

I do really enjoy the integrated systems and this, for me, is the nicest system I have had, my perception is that it is better than the F150 Lariat package 2001 truck my father in law had.

There WAS a nice story about "improving the Prius" before the crash took it off this site and the backup of the data did not have it. This was a nice opening page story with links and pics about installing an amplified woofer (bazooka? was it?).

That linked story needs to be located again and put back onto the opening page.

 

I am installing new speakers and let me tell you, if you want to do it right, you have to go with an Amp. Because of that fact you are facing an uphill battle.

Here is what I had to do:

1: Cut the wires for the rear speakers away from the Radio.
2: Reroute the wires to the amp.
3: Install the amp using a kit (Ground, Power, Turn-on Lead)
4: For the front speaker you can get the wire through the rubber if you are very careful. For the rear, you will have to rely on the original wires. There is a harness were the rubber meets the car body. I cut these wires and attached the speaker wire from the amp to these wires that were going to the factor speakers.
5: You will need an adaptor plate of some type. The hole is 6-3/4 inches in diameter. The mounting holes are much further away. I found a good piece of metal that fits Hondas (It can be made to fit the Prius)
6: Next you need to mount the speakers. I went with 6-1/2 speakers from Sony (Confession, i have not got to this part yet, I finish this friday. It took me a week to figure out how I was going to mount the speakers. The factory mounts are sealed and thus they are useless to you.) You will also need to cut the wires to attach it to the speakers.
7: Pray it all works and turn on the radio.

I also installed a Bazooka Tube Subwoofer. Very easy to install if you get their t-harness. You can even tap into one of the wires and use that as your amp turn-on lead.

I have a standard stereo and the Wattage was reported on the speaker as 20 Watts. My guess would be that is the RMS rating. I replaced them with 60 Watt RMS Sony speakers. When I finish i will post my opinion on how it all sounds but it should be 3 times better than the stock system.

 

XravenX, with all appreciation to your detailed instructions, I believe this is a thread involving the JBL System, which includes the under-seat amp. If your setup isn't designed to connect to or replace the JBL system, might I suggest that a different thread would be a more appropriate place for your description?

(My intention here is NOT to be snarky, but it seems like every time someone makes a post about the sound quality of the JBL System half of the responses come back from people with tons of knowledge about the "basic" speaker/radio package who seem to have overlooked that there are some very real differences between the two packages.)

ok, rant done.

 

I thought they were both JBL systems, one is just an upgrade.

The poster will still have to do the later steps like cutting the wire harness and getting a mounting bracket.