Florida Client Gets Toyota Tundra Audio System

A client from Orlando, Florida, contacted Westminster Speed and Sound via email about upgrading his 2016 Toyota Tundra audio. He had seen several of our Tundra builds that we had posted on our website and liked our work, so he decided to reach out to us. The client was living overseas and would be coming home in a few months. His truck was being stored a couple of hours away from our store, and he figured he could have a friend drop it off to us. After several e-mail conversations and a few phone consultations, our team worked up a proposal that he liked, and time was set to begin working on the vehicle.

No Need to Change the Toyota Radio

First and foremost, the client liked his factory-installed Toyota radio, and we explained that great sound could be had while keeping it, so he was pleased from the get-go. But if we were going to extract great sounding music, we would need to eliminate the equalization that Toyota adds to the music. We were able to do that by adding a digital signal processor.

An Audison Bit10D to the Rescue

The Audison DRC was mounted within easy reach of the client.

The processor and amplifier fit neatly under the rear seat.

In this Tundra, we chose an Audison Bit10D processor. It accomplishes a few different things for us. First, it allows us to strip away or de-equalize the musical signal, getting us back to a pure sound from which to build. Second, it gives us a flexible crossover that also includes digital delay, allowing us to get the sound to stage in front of the driver instead of heavily biased to the door area. Third, it gives us five discrete 30-band equalizers, one for each speaker, allowing us to fine-tune the sound coming out of each one. And since we chose the Bit10D, it gave us an external controller called a DRC that gave us the ability to create two distinctly different tunes for the client, based on his mood. The processor itself was installed under the rear seat on the driver’s side and the DRC was placed in a convenient spot in the front of the center console, aimed up at the driver.

JL Audio HD900/5 Supplies Great Sounding Power

When it came time to choose power, we chose the JL Audio HD900/5 for several reasons. First, it has incredible sound quality. Second, it is extremely compact. Third, it is very efficient, so it won’t put undue strain on the alternator. It supplies more than 500 watts of clean power to the subwoofers and 100 watts to each of the four front speakers. The amp is also mounted underneath the rear seat on the driver’s side, close to the processor.

Hertz Mille MLK1650.3 speakers make for Great Sounding Toyota Tundra Audio

Our plans included replacing the factory dash driver with a Hertz tweeter.

Before our technician’s began working on the front door it was in serious need of some speakers and sound proofing.

The Hertz tweeter was angled to reduce reflections from the windshield.

To maximize the output of the door speaker, we thoroughly sound deadened the front doors.

Next it was time to work on the front stage, and we chose the Hertz Mille MLK1650.3 component system. It is made up of their 6.5-inch woofer and 1.1-inch tweeter. The woofer was mounted on a custom-made composite speaker mount in the factory location in the front doors, and the tweeters were installed in the dash in factory locations on custom mounts. Hushmat was also installed on the complete door skin to minimize road noise and reduce the possibility of rattling or vibration.

JL Audio Stealthbox Offers Incredible Bass Impact and Clarity

The unique motorized back glass of the Tundra is a nice feature, but the metal access plate is very thin, Hushmat to the rescue!

Before the JL Audio Stealthbox was installed the back wall was treated with a layer of Hushmat.

Thanks to the JL Audio Stealhbox the client will have all his usable space and lots of bass!

Any good car audio system needs a subwoofer, and in this truck we went back to JL Audio, choosing their Stealthbox. It has a pair of their 10TW3 subwoofers in a custom-made fiberglass enclosure that fits like a glove behind the rear seat and gets bolted into place. Just as in the doors, Hushmat was applied to the back wall to eliminate any rattling or vibration. Once the rear seat was reinstalled, you would never know there were an incredible-sounding subwoofers hidden back there.

Fine-Tuning Makes All the Difference in Sound Quality

After all the equipment was installed, it was time for a member of our team to break out the laptop and begin fine-tuning the system. This is where the rubber meets the road in a great-sounding car audio system. Most shops will do an extremely quick tune and call it a day, saying it is good. Well, good is never good enough at Westminster Speed and Sound. Clients come to us from all over, looking to extract every last ounce of sound quality out of their system, and that is exactly what we are going to give them. We have seen systems improve in sound quality by 50 percent by taking extra time. In short, when you come to us, you expect the best and we promise to give it to you.

A Happy Client Makes for a Happy Team

When the client came to pick up his Tundra, he was thrilled with the outcome. As he looked over our work, he knew he’d made the right decision. And when we turned it on for the first time, he was all smiles. The sound was crystal clear, the bass was fast and tight, and everything was staged across the dash as if he were enjoying his own private concert. If you would like to upgrade the audio system in your Tundra, we invite you to stop by Westminster Speed and Sound in Westminster, Maryland, or simply click HERE. One of our team will work with you to design and build the car stereo system you have always wanted. Let us show you why we are the most awarded vehicle customization facility in the Mid-Atlantic.