2010 Prius II audio quality

Hello, welcome aboard! One of the first things I did is swap our the Head Unit and replaced it with a 7" Pioneer. It was enough of an improvement for me that I ended up not replacing the speakers although I did add a sub. The new HU was just under $700 at the time.

 

I have a III with JBL and was surprised at the absolutely poor quality of the sound. This is the worst sounding stereo I have had in a car since I had a 1968 volkswagen with a mono AM radio with a rear speaker. But I can live with it since I'm not into music as much as I used to be. Still surprised at how poor the quality of sound is...

 

That kind of exaggeration removes all crediblity (if there was any) from your comment.

 

double posted

 

OEM radios are usually not the best. Just replace it.

I kept my II, as the speakers aren't that bad, really, but I feed iPOD and XM through the Aux and added a sub. Sounds decent, and it was cheap!

 

sad thing is that was no exaggeration. The JBL stereo in the III is really really bad.

 

And you think it was designed that way?
If it sounds like the radio in the '68 beetle you had then something is broken. Take it to the dealer and let them hear it.

 

the stereo in the base gen II is horrible as well. sometime, i can't even tell what song is playing. as i look at gen III model II vs III, it's an extra grand for the III and all you get is the upgraded system. might as well get the II and put the money into an aftermarket unit and speakers?

 

Something is wrong with your radio or you're not adjusting it right. I have had many cars...and the Prius JBL is one of the better ones for sure.

Get a good quality CD with a good recorded song...don't listen to radio or XM! XM sounds just horrible! These are my adjustments:

ASL ON
Treble 0
Mid +1
Bass 0

Good luck in finding a good aftermarket system for under $1k (equipment + labor).

 

I have a 2010 level III with navigation and the JBL speakers the sound is not great but descent, overall I was expecting more for the quality of the car in general I love the exterior and interior design but the built quality is under the average of today's market. I see Hyundai's with better construction quality and value than Toyota cars, it's my personal opinion! I have been analyzing the market for a long time I saw the difference but the real hit was trading-in my Honda accord '03 for a '10 Prius WOW! what a difference!

 

Try getting a good CD and a good song. Adjust +1 on treble, bass, and mid. ASL OFF. I have been playing around with the settings since day one...and so far, this is the best for me. Play around with the settings. It is a pretty good system IMO.

 

The price difference between a 2010 Prius II Base and Prius III with JBL/Nav was $3030, all other things equal. The JBL system is not upgradable because of the amp. The base system is crap, but upgradable. The speakers used are same for both, just 2 extra squawkers on the JBL.

Opinions vary, but to me the 2010 Prius Sound systems are horrible. Change the HU and Speakers and you'll be good to go. $750-$1000 is realistic, more if you want Nav. Good Luck.

 

Typically the stock, basic sound systems (Prius II) lack lows and highs. Basically, they usually kinda suck.

Better systems (the JBL) immediately have stronger low and pronounced highs. Amplifiers make a big difference, so do speakers.

I found the 3rd gen Prius JBL to be a'ight for a stock system. Doesn't match the premium audio in my Accord EX which has a sub.

I don't like thrown together systems where the bass is way overkill. I like a unified, clear sound.

I like systems where you can get a nice sound and presence even at low volume settings. In the Mazda3 with Bose system, had to turn it up pretty high to get something going, like 45 out of something.

 

One of the troubles is you don't have an amplifier in the prius II system. New speakers will help, but I believe without an amp, the system isn't going to pop much.

Adding an amp will require re-wiring, something I'd rather not do on a new car. New speakers require pulling door panels. Even Hayward Toyota cracked a panel putting it on, so I would likely screw it up.

I don't consider a car if it doesn't have a pretty good system built in, but that's just me. Others prefer to DIY.

 

I'm not buying that at all. Either you need to adjust the sound or something is broken in the system.

And try a decent sound source. A crappy radio station or CD won't get you anywhere.

 

Heard that. Plus, do you really want some shop monkeys ripping your new car's carpet, trim and panels off / apart?

Didn't think so. Toyota won't put the system in, and whatever is put in is not under warranty.

 

The price difference between Prius II and Prius III w/o nav w/ JBL is exactly $1,000

plus the III adds bluetooth for your phone. Gotta have or add that.

 

Actually, the JBL system adds BETTER quality speakers and amplifier, along with BT audio streaming capability. All the base speakers are different from the JBL system. Nothing is carried over.

NAVI adds additional functionality beyond navigation itself:
1. Rearview camera
2. USB connectivity
3. BT Audio streaming capability

For me, even though i don't use the navigation system itself much, it is a must have for me for the other reasons noted.

 

Sounds right. For $1000 you get a bad HU with low volt preamp out, an amp that cannot be used with anything else and crap speakers. Sorry, I'm looking at them right now, they are crap. For $3030, you add the outdated NAV technology.

I read about this before buying my car. It is well documented on this forum and elsewhere. OP is lucky to have the Level II Base radio. It can be fixed for at lot less. Most aftermarket HU's now come with BT.

If a person likes the Toyota Sound systems, them it makes no difference and my respects to them. However, most do not.