I am very happy with my JBL system. The speakers are great and give amazing sound when it comes from an external device (like an Ipod). However, the sound coming from the radio is flat. Is there a way to enhance its sound without changing the speakers or installing a subwoofer ? Thanks
I assume that you have gone into the audio settings and set the Bass & Treble? If not there's a good place to start. If you upgrade speakers, you are going to have match the impedance of the OEM JBL speakers. If you fail to do so, it's not going to sound or be pretty! The system is based around having specific speakers with a specific impedance! It's a method of achieving a balanced flat point of audio to start adjusting tone controls from! Third idea is do like I did and install a small subwoofer. I just want to hear a little more Bass, it does round the system off nicely. I don't really care if I can't be heard 5 cars away! To that end I went this route, read away... http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...3215-give-gift-base-boom-bottom-end-xmas.html Inexpensive, easy to install, and, I have the schematics of the JBL AMP you will need when you want to tap into it if you go this route! Think about it!
if the speakers are flat with the radio, why are they better with ipod? i thought my whole audio was bad. maybe i'll try an ipod.
I totally agree, The JBL system is killer when I play a cd or use another device other than the radio. The radio sounds lousy. What gives? It doesn't even sound like the same system????
Crappy FM receiver, I am strictly a Ipod guy. 40Gb , shuffle mode, kicks nice person! Oh and I have the Loudness mode engaged on the Ipod. Gives a boost on the lows and highs!
I replaced the OE radio with a Pioneer HD radio (#33HD, $250 installed) in my 2004 Prius. The sound quality in HD mode (FM and AM) is significantly better than the OE radio (and the CD player is now reliable!) JeffD
I suppose as long as the JBL preamp output does not exceed 1 volt, you should be able to pull it off. However the fact that if you place it at the preamp output which is variable you have to hope that the response curve will track as the volume is brought up. At some point you run the risk of exceeding the power amps clipping point. When that happens, either A, the Amp blows up due to too much signal input, B, the output reaches levels of distortion that would sound bad, hurt your ears, and possibly kill your speakers! Normally a Equalizer is placed up stream of the Volume control for these specific reasons. Now you could try it, it might work for you. I dismissed this idea for the above stated reasons. That's why I went the small subwoofer route. It fills in the bottom end that the eq can't reach. After filling the bottom end, you will be surprised at how much better things start to sound!
Haven't tinkered around with the Prius enough to know if this'll work, but as a general suggestion, using damping (or dampning?) material will cause a system to sound better. It 'deadens' the doors by adding weight so they don't vibrate with the music. It should also be used to seal off any holes in the doors. Many cardoor is Swiss cheese: compare your home HiFi speaker (and not any small surroundcrap, but the 70's and 80's quality speakers of 2 cuft or bigger). Do you think they sound better when you drill 20 holes in them? That's what the average cardoor is... Link here. Negative side effect: less doorrattle will make your system sound more quiet. It isn't, but the lack of rattle will make it appear it is...
