Total Sound Makeover - Sound Deadening, Speakers, Processor, Amp, and Subwoofer

Just got back from a trip out west (Jackson, WY and through the Tetons and Yellowstone), putting 390 miles on a 2012 Prius (non-Plug-in) rental with 30,000 miles on the odometer, and had some epiphanies:

• Sound quality on the base system is very good, even with the crappy paper cone stock drivers. I used the same iPod (Lossless AAC, CD rips only) that I regularly listen to in the system described in the original post, and was amazed at how good it sounds in comparison to the sytem I spent chunks of money to install. Road and wind noise were pronounced, and I could hear the ICE kick in loudly every time, which detracted somewhat from the experience, but the entertainment audio was very good - I just had to crank it a little louder than I would normally prefer to overcome the noise.
• If you want to spend any money on improving the sound experience, spend it first on getting rid of noise. Even $300 spent on electronics/speakers cannot possibly achieve the same gains as spending the same amount on noise reduction. In my car, I cannot tell that the ICE is operating (even in the "power" band on the HSI) unless I am looking at the display, or feel the subtle "kick". "Power" band in this rental compained loudly.
• Not relevant to this sub-forum, but the efficiency of the 2012 Prius (Plug-in or not) is simply awesome. I gunned this rental to floored and nearly floored numerous times keeping up with traffic climbing steep hills in the parks, yet still returned it to the rental company with the trip meter registering 62.4mpg, and the calculated mpg after fill-up (first click) at 60.9.

 

It's quiet, but not that quiet. There is almost nothing you can do about windows, so quite a bit gets through the glass. There are aftermarket films that claim to reduce sound (the thicker types that also claim to resist glass breakage). The most effective sound reduction for glass is to replace all windows with laminated glass - a cost prohibitive measure. Advanced Plug-In owners (or any prius with a HUD display for that matter) will be happy to know that their windshield is laminated glass (it is necessary, as the film in between the glass layers acts as the combining glass element of the display), so an unadvertised benefit of the HUD package is inherent noise reduction of its largest and noisiest glass surface.

Great question. If you have the non-JBL system, I'd start with speaker replacement, choosing a set that is reasonably sensitive, yet still capable of being fed a lot of power should you choose later to add an amp. I drove my car for a couple of months with only the sound deadening and speaker replacement, and was quite satisfied with the result.

If you have the JBL system, I understand the speakers sound reasonably good, so I would add a quality sub and seperate amp.

None of the processing that the JBL MS-8 accomplishes is visible to the user, so I cannot really tell objectively.

This was my greatest concern prior to installation, so I measured the the heat buildup using a recording thermometer under several conditions. Surprisingly, the highest temps recorded were not while the battery pack was working hardest - powering the vehicle, and regenerative braking (as little as 15 minutes to use up the entire available charge), but during recharging at 240v in an 80 degree garage (a 1 1/2 hour process). In neither case did the temp exceed 100 degrees F. I haven't gotten around to measuring the temperatures after the installation, but the amp does get warm to the touch after playing for a while at normal volume, and the processor does not heat up at all.

 

Sweet! I just checked my windshield (a non-HUD, base PiP) and the label on the lower driver's side implies that it is in fact laminated due to the "LAMISAFE" designation (as opposed to the "THERLITE-T" on the rear hatch and "TEMPERLITE" designation on other windows):

AGC Automotive​

DOT-20 M8141 AS1​

IOS​

LAMISAFE​

Can any of you folks with HUD's verify that this is this is the same or similar information imprinted on your windshield?

Disconnected the accessory battery completely for the install. Most settings, to include consumption history and radio presets appear to be stored in involatile memory. I did lose trip information and the only settings I recall restoring were time and date. I did have to scroll to find the page on which my audio presets were stored.

I am not familiar with the need to or process of initializing Idle Speed. Car seems to work as well as before the power interruption, so I'll probably wait until I have a more pressing need to sign up for a couple of days of TIS access to retrieve that particular TSB - that is, unless someone cares to reveal the guts of it on this forum.

 

The shop disconnected the battery for approximately 5 days for the gutting and sound deadening treatment with no ill effect. My processor and amp installation only took a couple of hours, again with no issues other than resetting the time and date.

 

Since everything was gutted anyway, I had the shop tap into the stock wiring at the head unit, running all 4 speaker runs through the trunk, just in case I chose not to add an amp, yet with a large enough wire gauge (12) to allow for it. If you are certain you will be using the MS-8, you only need to tap the front speakers, can do so at the front door hinge areas, and do not need fat wires.

I've had no issues whatsoever with hands free, GPS, or any of the voice command prompts. Like you, I'd read that folks with the JBL system had some issues, which (along with odd speaker impedance numbers) drove me toward the base PiP.

 

Wiring diagram as well as all service manuals and bulletins are easily attainable for a small fee. Go to:

TIS

and pay $15 to subscribe for 2 days (they gave me 3). You can download everything you could possibly want to know about every Toyota vehicle.

 

I only have 2,000 miles on it so far (less than 75% of which has been in HV mode), so doubt that the throttle body has accumulated enough gunk for this to be an issue. Thanks for the clarification, though.

 

Sorry for the delayed reply, but I must confess that I got busy and forgot.

Luckily Sirus/XM came to the rescue by timing out my 3 month complimentary subscription and making me wait the week or so until I start playing the silly $4.99/month for 6months - cancel - wait a week for the offer, then - $4.99/month for another 6months, rinse, repeat cycle.

Toyota was also very helpful by simultaneously making the Entune connection to Pandora sporadic at best.

I found a local college station that broadcasts actual music on both regular FM and HD, and they both sound great. As you might expect, clarity of the HD station is superb, rivaling that of lossless AAC rips of CDs on my iPod .

 

After wasting hours online trying to find the color code for the interior (exterior is easy to find), I gave up and brought an interior plastic trim piece to Home Depot for a computer match. Behr Premium Flat Latex - not optimum formulation for a vehicle, but it matched well in both color and sheen. Final coat was applied by pouring a thin layer of paint into a pan, waiting for an hour or so (ocassionaly stirring to keep it from skinning over) for it to thicken, then stippling it on with a paint brush. A single light sanding with 220 grit finished the job.

Painting takes more work and creates more mess. Carpet can be glued over an unfinished assembly in minutes. The multiple steps of filling, sanding, priming, and sanding can (and did) take several weeks of part time work. I greatly prefer the look, so the extra time was well worth it.