The Radio...

[Chupacabra]

Hey guys....I was doing some errands today and I have to tell you that I am extremely disappointed with the radio in my car. Have any of you guys experienced the almost "non-exsistent" reception? It's not like I live in a valley or something???....just a gripe I guess but my wife's 2008 XD gets great reception. :iono:

[tetzyamis]

My radio has no problem with reception.
Since your wife's xD doesn't have problem either, it can't be the area.
I'd take it to the dealer.

[b_hickman11]

Same here. My 07 and 08 stock radio has great reception. Maybe the plug came loose on the back of the radio or maybe they never connected it.

[09TRD]

Hey guys....I was doing some errands today and I have to tell you that I am extremely disappointed with the radio in my car. Have any of you guys experienced the almost "non-exsistent" reception? It's not like I live in a valley or something???....just a gripe I guess but my wife's 2008 XD gets great reception. :iono:

Addressing your particular concern, I have noticed weak FM reception with my stock radio ('09 base model hatch with the "convenience group" upgrade.)

The entire stereo and all four speakers need to go; they're the car's single weakest points, IMO - assuming you're OK with the stock (vs. TRD) suspension parts. The stock speakers are one way, paper cones with tiny magnets. They are pure junk and the factory receiver isn't much better.

I'm having a Pioneer FH-P8000BT, four Infinity Kappa speakers and XM installed as I type this. I already heard it with just two of the four Infinitys installed and the difference was astounding.

FRONT SPEAKERS:

http://www.infinitysystems.com/car/products/product_detail.aspx?prod=KAPPA63.9I&cat=KAP&ser=KAP&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA

REAR SPEAKERS:

http://www.infinitysystems.com/car/products/product_detail.aspx?prod=KAPPA52.9I&cat=KAP&ser=KAP&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA

HEAD UNIT WITH INTEGRATED HIGH POWER AMP (22 watts/ch. RMS; 50 watts/ch. peak)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc136/harddrivin1le_album/FH-P8000BT_main_hi.jpg

[Chupacabra]

Nice unit....I may have to upgrade.

[09TRD]

Nice unit....I may have to upgrade.

That Pioneer is REALLY nice. It's a "double DIN," so it fills the factory dash opening with no visible adapter kit.

It looks and sounds beautiful. My brief listen was limited to a local FM station and it sounded REALLY nice.

The Infinity Kappa speakers I chose are probably the best - assuming you want to stay with the factory openings.

I'm not going to bother with an amp or a subwoofer. This is all I want or need.

[09TRD]

Lovely Pioneer I saw it at our Futureshop/BestBuy. My only thing that i find a down side is the display, I prefer the matrix display over the segement display.

It's got Bluetooth, so I'm having the mic wired in even though I probably won't use it.

An orange (to match the Yaris's instrument cluster) display would be nice, too...

Can't have everything, so it's all about compromise. I'll have to live with the blue.

I almost went with this single DIN Kenwood (with a multi-color matrix display), but I saw the Pioneer and thought it was just too nice too pass up.

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Car_Entertainment/In-Dash_CD_n_DVD_Receivers/1-DIN_CD_Receiver/KDC-MP738U

Kenwood has two double DINS out now. I might have gone with one of those if the installer had one in stock.

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Car_Entertainment/In-Dash_CD_n_DVD_Receivers/Double_DIN_Receiver/

[Chupacabra]

Gotta have double din and yes, I would lean towards keeping the replacement clean with factory size speakers (dimensionally speaking). I just can't believe how bad the stock unit is....I understand the lack of clarity and noise delivery but the reception is sort of mind boggling. I have a "dump-runner" 91 S-10 whose stereo works and sounds better!

[09TRD]

Gotta have double din and yes, I would lean towards keeping the replacement clean with factory size speakers (dimensionally speaking). I just can't believe how bad the stock unit is....I understand the lack of clarity and noise delivery but the reception is sort of mind boggling. I have a "dump-runner" 91 S-10 whose stereo works and sounds better!

The factory stereo just sucks.

Too bad they don't offer a standalone factory JBL option in the Yaris...

[Shroomster]

FRONT SPEAKERS:

http://www.infinitysystems.com/car/products/product_detail.aspx?prod=KAPPA63.9I&cat=KAP&ser=KAP&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA

REAR SPEAKERS:

http://www.infinitysystems.com/car/products/product_detail.aspx?prod=KAPPA52.9I&cat=KAP&ser=KAP&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA


can I ask a stupid question? what is connected to the speakers in those pictures? and if it is, how does that mount in the o.e.m locations?

[CTScott]

Hey guys....I was doing some errands today and I have to tell you that I am extremely disappointed with the radio in my car. Have any of you guys experienced the almost "non-exsistent" reception? It's not like I live in a valley or something???....just a gripe I guess but my wife's 2008 XD gets great reception. :iono:

I've noticed the same and am really wondering if the issue is the radio or the antenna. Stations that lock in solid with the Sony DVD HU in my Xterra are scratchy at best in the Yaris.

[detroiter]

I'm fine with the radio, it's much better looking and displayed compared to some of the cheap units, especially the "tic tac" design the big 3 cars have been using since the 80's and 90's. The thing that has disappointed me was the cd players "error 1" issue where it would eat the cds and not eject or play them.

[Pars]

FM reception was good on my stock 07 radio (5dr liftback). No complaints.

[Sodium Duck]

I had great reception on my '08, until I removed the antenna... There are lots of aftermarket antenna's out there though. Some glass mount, some hidden, some regular mast type ones. They should all fit in the stock hole, if you take the time to remove your headliner, and stuff.

[Sodium Duck]

can I ask a stupid question? what is connected to the speakers in those pictures? and if it is, how does that mount in the o.e.m locations?

It's a passive crossover. Umm, it bassically splits the sounds going to the speaker so high frequency goes to the tweeters, mid frequencies go to the mid, and low frequences go to the bass.

Drill it to something... lol.

[Shroomster]

It's a passive crossover. Umm, it bassically splits the sounds going to the speaker so high frequency goes to the tweeters, mid frequencies go to the mid, and low frequences go to the bass.

Drill it to something... lol.

wtf ? so those speakers are not going to be plug and play are they ? lol

[eric81]

I have deffinately noticed a non-reception of signals in my car. Phone work great, but the radio gets next to nothing for signal. I thought it was due to the new "HD" radio thing. You know, channels between the channels. Well, doesn't that come close to my currnet channels signal? And wouldn't that interfere with the signal that I am currently using? I'm sure it doesn't help that it is the cheapest radio Toyota makes.

[09TRD]

wtf ? so those speakers are not going to be plug and play are they ? lol

Few aftermarket audio components are truly "plug and play." Various hassles are almost always involved, which is why I'm having mine professionally installed.

All four of my speakers are connected, in the car and sound fantastic.

The only change was to the front; the 3 way Infinity Kappas wouldn't quite clear the OEM interior door panel, so the 2 ways had to be used.

Thus, I have 2 way, 6.5" Infinity Kappas in the front and 2 way, 5.25" Infinity Kappas in the rear.

FRONT: http://www.infinitysystems.com/car/products/product_detail.aspx?prod=KAPPA62.9I&cat=KAP&ser=KAP&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA

REAR: http://www.infinitysystems.com/car/products/product_detail.aspx?prod=KAPPA52.9I&cat=KAP&ser=KAP&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA

I'm now waiting on the Pioneer XM module; the car will be done once that and the XM antennae are installed.

[Sodium Duck]

No no no, you still simply hook up your positive and negative leads... they are plug and play... It's just that the signal goes through a crossover to split up the signal before it goes to the speaker...

[Shroomster]

No no no, you still simply hook up your positive and negative leads... they are plug and play... It's just that the signal goes through a crossover to split up the signal before it goes to the speaker...

well, I think 09TRD means the connectors are different....

[Sodium Duck]

They're just positive and negative like normal though... There's nothing different.

[IsLNdbOi]

That Pioneer is REALLY nice. It's a "double DIN," so it fills the factory dash opening with no visible adapter kit.

You do need a double din dash kit unless you have one of the European or Canadian trim pieces from a Yaris that comes with the AVN2210P / TomTom package.

[09TRD]

They're just positive and negative like normal though... There's nothing different.

They're screw terminals, which accept any wire. Most other speaker use blade style terminals.

The guy posting the questions seems to think that every speaker is "plug and play." Virtually none of them are - unless a connector kit is bought from Crutchfield.

The screw terminals eliminate the need for the connector and/or soldering. In that respect they're easier - providing that one knows which wire it "+" and which wire is "-".