Issues getting factory JBL amp to work with aftermarket stereo

There are lots of posts on this subject but I can tell you that I installed a JVC KW-NX7000 using the Pac TATO. The installation was a walk-in-the-park and the sound is UNBELIEVABLE (in a good way). You might check something simple like the fader setting on the Kenwood HU.

 

To OP.

Any resolution to your sound issues? What did you end up doing to get sound from the fronts and the rears?? I am looking at the same HU and don't want to suffer the same issues.

Thanks,
Charles

 

I went through the same thing before I replaced everything. The best and easiest way to do this is to replace the JBL amp with an aftermarket amp. The JBL amp is made for the JBL HU, 8 channels.

This should be in the Audio & Electronics section.

 

Thanks AJC

To my knowledge this is in the audio section. So there really is no way to incorporate the JBL amp with a Kenwood HU? Are the factory speakers any good with this upgraded JBL stereo or should I look into replacing those as well?

I have some MB Quart component speakers from my previous car I could probably toss in if it would make a significant difference. Ultimately I was trying to modify as little as possible internally.

 

I'm using the Pac audio adapter with my JBL amp and speakers and a JVC HU. I like the sound a lot. Although the volume from the rear speakers is easily 60% lower than the front, that performance also occurs with the factory JBL HU and amp. It's possible that's the way it's supposed to be. Maybe Toyota/JBL intended the rear speakers to act as tweeters only. I don't know.

 

Take a look at my Thread about my
Complete Audio Upgrade --> http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-audio-electronics/75574-complete-audio-upgrade.html

This will give you a good idea of what you need to do. My results were great with outstanding sound quality. Let me know if I can help in any way. Good luck.

 

Using a pac-TATO, the sound is fine with my pioneer HU (X920BT). I did notice that overall volume is not as loud as JBL (with full 7db gain set on TATO). Still loud enough, though.

 

What's the purpose of replacing the JBL HU with an aftermarket HU if you do not also replace the JBL amp and speakers?? The only thing I can think of - replaced by a NAV.

 

You dont have to replace the JBL amp when installing a new HU. All you need to do is add the Tato interface to the existing JBL amp and your good to go. This is the most cost effective approach to take.

 

As ABL mentioned - if your car already has JBL - you can use it (amp and speaker upgrade) with the Pac-Tato interface. You get the benefit of better amp, and speakers from standard, and at $80, it's reasonable.

Realistically, most (if upgrading HU) will then want better speakers - which then *requires* moving away form the JBL amp, and hence kind of dumping the system. That said, there is a very real and good market for Toyota JBL components on Ebay - you may recoup your costs if you are an Ebay follower... I think the amp is used on other cars too...

you may get arguably better sound from some *hacked* older series Pioneer GPS and component speakers front and rear (total parts cost $650).

 

now - i am having the same issue with a DNX9960, and the amp. ALL of ur problems i can duplicate. now the PAC-TATO is not for a 5v deck - which i beleieve the 9960 is - atleast according to my installer that is the case - so, if we do have to replace the JBL amp - Where is it? and are there any good options to replace it with?

 

Is the North American JBL fit to the Prius different to the EU JBL version? If its the same as the EU version then you don't need any fancy interface to drive the JBL amplifier properly. As standard, the EU JBL amplifier is driven directly by the front speaker outputs from the head unit, the only extra wiring is a wire in the Toyota loom (marked as AMP on the Toyota wiring diagram) that needs to be taken high to turn the amplifier on. This wire is connected to pin 9 of connector A (the 10 pin one) that is hooked up to the head unit.

Like others, I've fitted a replacement head unit to a JBL Prius and found it works fine and drives the amplifier perfectly. The amplifier is under the front seat, BTW. There is a wiring diagram for the EU Prius, including the JBL amp wiring, attached to this post: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...74-chinese-replacement-hus-3.html#post1127553 Further on in that thread there is some discussion on the amplifier turn on connection and some photos of the wiring, including a photo in this post here: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...74-chinese-replacement-hus-8.html#post1146729

Of course, the NA Prius could have a completely different set-up, but the connectors on the rear of the units look to be very similar, if not identical, to the head units fitted to the EU Prius.

Jeremy

 

The PAC-TATO suggests using it with a HU that outputs at least 4 volts. Two posters suggest it won't work with a unit that outputs more then 4 volts (Kenwood 9660).

scabbit and Hawki--Did you get it to work? Did you wind up getting a different HU?

 

Correct - the JBL HU has a substandard pre-out (volts) therefor the JBL amp cannot handle a powerful HU. Lose the JBL amp and replace with a aftermarket amp and you will never look back. My Eclipse HU has 5 volt per outs hooked up to a Alpine PDX 4.100 amp which can handle up to 8 volt pre-out. You will get much better sound quality from a HU with higher volt pre-outs.

 

How many volts can the JBL amp accept? It won't handle 5 volts will a 4 volt amp work? Will a 2 or 2.5 volt HU provide sound as good as (if you prefer as bad as ) as the JBL HU?

 

I can't answer this directly, but can say that both the cheap Chinese HU and the Kenwood DNX 5220 provided enough drive for the JBL amp in my 2010 Prius. I can also say with certainty that no fancy interface is needed to make the JBL amp work with an aftermarket HU. All that's needed is to hook up the power aerial feed wire from the new HU to the JBL amp power-on lead and ensure that the speaker leads from the HU are connected the same way as in the original radio installation (the JBL amp takes a high amplitude signal from the speaker terminals, not a pre-out feed from the head unit).

I'm pretty impressed with the JBL system, it's not the best I've heard, but is certainly pretty good for a built-in system. My major criticism is that the woofers are built in to the doors on the JBL fit, so won't take high volume without exciting some door resonances. If I have some spare time I may get around to opening the doors up and seeing if I can add some damping material.


Jeremy

 

The UK JBL must be different than the one sold in the US.
Do you have a trunk subwoofer in yours? I saw in the european documents that some JBL systems have them. If you do can you post a picture of it?

 

There's no separate sub-woofer in mine, just the ones in the front doors that are driven by the JBL amp under the seat. The HU drives the front dash speakers and those in the rear doors directly, the JBL amp only seems to drive the front door speakers.

I wonder why they decided to fit a different JBL system to US models? It doesn't seem to make sense economically to make the US version so radically different to the versions sold elsewhere (all EU versions are the same as the UK version, with the JBL amp (where fitted) driven by the HU in the way I've described).

Jeremy

 

I have no idea why the amp is different but the us one does require a special cable providing only left chanel/right chanel then other information about fade, equalization, etc. I used the european documentation for dealer installation of a jbl and nav unit. It looks like the speakers are the same, but the european JBL amplifier unit also has a sub out and a toyota subwoofer can be connected that goes over the spare tire.