Opinions, please: quality of Prius II's stereo?

I am happy with my II's stereo but I honestly wished the FM reception was better. Then again I have my auxiliary cable and my iPod or phone ...so I'm a happy camper.

SPH-D700 ?

 

I'm a complete audiophile and I would say that the sound quality is actually pretty good. I prefer to hear the entire frequency range clearly, rather than drown everything out with bass, and so far I've gotten perfectly good sound out of it with a variety of genres -- jazz, rock, electronic, etc. That said the wind noise on the highway is a bit high so you may find yourself cranking it up when you're driving faster.

I suppose my main complaint would be the lack of an iPod USB interface -- there is an aux in jack and a power adapter within the side console but you cannot control the device through the car controls. Aside from that, though, I'm perfectly happy with it.

 

One of my first mods was to remove the head unit and replace it (see sig below). I am OK with the OEM speakers though I will likely add a tweeter in the future.

 

Buy a Prius III and up if you spend a lot of time in the car and listen to the radio/music. I was looking to buy the cheapest Prius possible but the JBL sound system and Blue tooth for a extra $1k seal the deal. The JBL sound system is pretty decent, not Lexus or BMW sound quality but it's not bad at all and definitely worth the extra money over the stereo system on the II, which sounded like uh ... not good.

 

As you read through this forum you find most owners are not satisfied with the base sound system for various reasons, and some are happy with the JBL (with or w/o Nav).

So here is my opinion: Go to the dealership and listen to both side by side. If you like one, there you are. If you like neither, upgrade the base model, because the JBL has dedicated amp and cost $1000-$3030 more.

Best wishes and good luck.

 

WOW !! That's a VERY surprising thing to hear from a self-professed 'audiophile' ....

REV

 

If you like music, Satellite radio is the way to go. I rarely listen to anything else. The FM quality is bad even on the premium system.

 

For $1000, even if you don't need Bluetooth, the JBL is a bargain...there is NO WAY you can upgrade a Prius Two base system to sound as good as JBL for under $1000.

 

To be honest, I find the standard speaker set to be pretty good. My audio system is the TNS510 Nav/Audio system.
Mind you, I'm not overly critical when it comes to audio, but the sound is definitely better than my previous car (Peugeot, 6 speaker set).
Enough high and low tones. Haven't played around with the equalizer though.
If I were you, I'd go to the dealer with a few CDs and try it out.

 

Agreed.

Even in the less-than-optimal acoustic environment of the Prius, the low end sound system is terrible. If the OP enjoys music, I'd strongly suggest listening to both systems (on the road--not in the dealer's parking lot), and decide for yourself. Upgrading with an aftermarket system won't be inexpensive.

 

Most people say the II stereo isn't very good, and I bought a III as much for the better JBL stereo as for anything else. If you adjust the bass and tone settings to max, the III system is pretty good--and I'm really fussy about my stereo. There are complaints about weak FM reception, but there is a TSB for this, so get it fixed before you buy. My III build in spring 2010 has pretty good FM reception.

By the way, if you use an IPod, you can establish an individualized equalizer setting for each song, or for all songs. By doing this, I can get the whole car shaking with bass when I turn up Led Zeppelin!

 

If you have to do the above ... they system sure aint very good. You'll have that JBL underpowered amp clipping in no time doing the above, and distortion will overcome the amp. It sure doesn't say much for the speakers either, if you need to crank the bass and treble to max to get satisfactory sound. A good sound system should sound good with the tone controls set to flat.

'Getting the whole car shaking' with unnatural, boomy, and distorted bass isn't exactly MY idea of a good sound system. I can do that with my II ... I just don't want to.

REV

 

I have to agree with this post.....Satellite radio is really all we listen to. FM sounds so bad coming from my JBL w/o Nav.....that I never move from the Satellite radio......if I do.....it's to a CD........I did not buy the Prius for the radio so this is not a issue with us.

 

This is true. I have my settings almost flat...and it sounds fine.

 

(I have no Gen III. I do have the JBL "premium" stereo in my Gen II. I virtually 0 listening time on the Gen III's stereos.)

FWIW, my Gen II's JBL to me sounds better than the base stereo that was in the Lexus HS 250h that I won a week test drive of. I put 800 miles on the HS during that week.

That said, I've heard Lexuses with non-base stereos (usually Mark Levinson branded) and those are FAR better.

Yep. You will find a # of people unhappy w/the model II's base stereo.

I absolutely agree w/the above advice. Bring some music on CDs and/or portable MP3 player that includes stuff that you like and stuff that will stress the stereo and reveal limitations. One man's treasure can be another man's trash...

 

Base stereos on lower end Lexus are not impressive.

 

What music source will you be listening to? Low bit music on an IPOD and overy compressed SAT radio isn't going to sound great no matter what kind of stereo you install.

I wouldn't waste any time or money on an upgraded stereo unless you plan on listening to CDs or digital music recorded at a high bit rate.

Stock sound system is OK (not great) if you're going to be listening to FM, SAT and most IPODs.

edited to add: You'll hear a dramatic improvement going from FM/SAT to a CD.

 

I recently debated between the Prius Two and the Prius Three. I'm an old guy and my hearing isn't what it used to be however I do value a decent sound system. My problem with the Three isn't necessarily the sound but the technology. A CD changer with only an AUX input? 2004 called and wants it's state of the art technology back! I instead just bought the Two and spent $400 to have a lovely Clarion CX501 professionally installed with SWI. Has bluetooth, USB jack in front, etc. It looks great and sounds okay to my bruised and aging ears. Of course, I now want to upgrade the speakers! I'm sure that I may eventually end up spending the extra $1000 but I'll at least have something that is up to current standards in the process.

 

That's the way to do it !

The JBL system is horrible too.

REV