FJ Cruiser Audio Upgrade: “Make it Jam!”

A client from Baltimore, Maryland stopped by WSS Westminster Speed & Sound looking for a Toyota FJ Cruiser audio upgrade.  They explained to us that their sound system was lame and in need of help. We chuckled (and agreed!), and went out to their vehicle with them. We noticed that it had the JBL system, which, ironically, is Toyota’s top of the line system. We asked them to put on some music they liked and we could listen to it together. They put on some old school hip hop and cranked it up. The stock stereo was overwhelmed. We asked them what they would like their stereo to do better. In a very matter of fact answer they said, “Make it jam. The factory system is lame.”

Factory JBL Audio System Gets the Boot

After going into our soundroom with the customer and letting them hear some different equipment we both came to the conclusion that we should just remove the JBL system and start from scratch with a simple, high quality stereo system that could give them the clarity, output, and the bass they wanted.  A deposit was made on the job and an appointment was scheduled to do the installation.

Technology Is Key (Oh… and it has to JAM!)

What we recognized was that the customer cared about technology from the perspective that they wanted their steering wheel audio controls to still work, they wanted Bluetooth for hands free calling and music streaming, and they wanted SiriusXM Radio. And did we mention it needed to jam? So in the dash we used a Sony MEXGS600BT Cd player since it is a very simple unit that met their requirements, while also offering great sound quality. We integrated the steering wheel controls to the unit and added a SiriusXM tuner.

Speakers Are The Foundation For This FJ Cruiser Audio Upgrade!

We chose JL Audio C2-650 front speakers and we put the woofers in the front doors in the stock locations on custom speaker mounts. Foam rings were added to the front of the speakers to seal them with the door panel, which results in noticeably better midbass output. We utilized the stock location in the dash for the tweeters and strategically aimed them in a cross firing pattern for the best sound staging possible.

JL Audio Woofer Fits the Bill

We used a JL Audio 12TW3 subwoofer in one of their pre-made enclosures for two reasons:

1. It kept the cost down
2. The enclosure is very tiny so they kept almost all of their trunk space

Arc Audio Supplies the Power

For power we chose an Arc Audio XDi803 amplifier, which got mounted under the front passenger seat, completely out of the way. This amp sends 400 watts of clean power to the JL Audio subwoofer and 160 watts of clean power to the front speakers. The rear ceiling mounted speakers were disconnected because, to put it simply, they were a poor idea from the beginning. No sense throwing money at a poor design.

The Smile Says It All! (It Jammed!)

Now, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. The customer came to pick up their vehicle, and we went out to the FJ Cruiser with them to demo it. They hooked up their iPod to the new unit in the dash, got it playing, and cranked it up. Then I watched as the smile started. It got bigger and bigger the longer the music played. It was exactly what they wanted. So if you would like your vehicle to have concert quality sound, call us, Contact Us, or stop in. Here at WSS Westminster Speed & Sound we are passionate about audio. We look forward to meeting you.