Just installed my Scion CD player yesterday and I'm very happy with everything except the volume. Was anyone else surprised that this stereo wasn't louder? I'm not looking for 'booming' sound, but it even seems low to me. Anybody put an amp on one of these things?
Nice! Did that unit fit perfectly into the brakets without any modifications? Did you have to make any modifications to the connector or did they just plug and play? Was the Amp louder or quieter than the original? Thanks for the photo and input.
thanks. the unit fits right in place when you swap over the original side brackets on the radio. the connectors were also plug and play - nice thing about putting in a scion radio (along with other toyota radios). the only necessary mods were to the radio and dash. some trimming was necessary on the hidden edges of the faceplate - to allow the lower bracket to sit flush on the dash bracket. on the dash itself, both sides had to be trimmed in the back, so that the dash plate sat flush on the radio. then i trimmed the lower edge of the dash, so it sat flush with the beveled edge of the scion unit. minor hassle, but the install looks clean. it's probably about as loud as the stock unit, maybe a little more, but i thought it would be noticably louder. they quote 160 watts (4x40).
Nice install. I failed to trim any dash parts so mine is not perfectly flush. PO installed old amp under seat which helps but w/o it's pretty low. One culprit may be old/thin/stock wiring to speakers. Next upgrade will involve installing new wiring.
Ability to play MP3's is awesome plus it sat radio ready!
Yeah, mine is identical, and yes it seems like I have to crank it up to '32' or so to get a decent volume, but my speakers are still the stock crap that buzz so I don't get much out of it anyway...
I didn't do any trimming on my dash, only the Scion faceplace. It's got an irritating curve to it so it can never be flush, but it's barely noticeable.
Def enjoy the ability to play MP3's on it, though...
i had mine into the 40s (maxes out at 62, i think) and thought it wasn't loud at all. i'm still on the stock speakers as well, so i'll have to upgrade those in time.
trimming the bottom of the dash opening (an angled and curved trim) got mine to sit flush on that curve of the scion. just took a little more time.
by far, the best $35 upgrade on my 62.
zcruiser said:
Yeah, mine is identical, and yes it seems like I have to crank it up to '32' or so to get a decent volume, but my speakers are still the stock crap that buzz so I don't get much out of it anyway...
I didn't do any trimming on my dash, only the Scion faceplace. It's got an irritating curve to it so it can never be flush, but it's barely noticeable.
Def enjoy the ability to play MP3's on it, though...
Don't those have built in iPod control? That's what I had originally bought my Kenwood for, but it doesn't really control the iPod from the deck. All I can do with the deck is scroll through playlists. I knew it at the time, but now I'm wishing I had waited for something I could control from the deck. Don't the Scion units have an external remote that can be mounted to the steering wheel? How about preamp outputs? Is it wired into the dimmer circuit to control the brightness of the faceplate? I like how it looks factory and the fact that it's a double DIN sized unit. Hell if it's got what I want I might get one of those from a junkyard instead of spending a few hundred (and waiting God knows how long) for a Kenwood that can actually control my iPod...
And how the hell were you able to get it for $35 bucks?!?!
35 is a damn good deal. 60-100 seems to be the going rate on ebay.
from the minimal research i've done, it seems there is an optional aux input so you could have whatever device you want play through the head unit provided that device has a line out.
No iPOD control, no remote, but it may have pre-amp outputs would have to check the manual. It has a connector for XM receiver unit (optional). There may be an aux input, but if so, it's in the back and you would need to create a harness to bring to to a front panel on the dash (maybe part of the XM receiver input?).
It is wired into the dimmer, and you can also program the start-up text on the LCD screen so I set mine to 'CRUISER!', of course.
They are on eBay all the time, just have to get one while no one's looking so some idiot doesn't drive up the price beyond what it's worth...
the price on mine was actually $30.50. $15.50 for the unit on ebay and $15.00 shipping. can't remember the number of bids, but it was only 2 or 3. hard to beat $15.50 for a working CD player in great condition. plus, once installed, it has a factory appearance (minus the scion logo).
the price on mine was actually $30.50. $15.50 for the unit on ebay and $15.00 shipping. can't remember the number of bids, but it was only 2 or 3. hard to beat $15.50 for a working CD player in great condition. plus, once installed, it has a factory appearance (minus the scion logo).
First, apologies for the NOOB questions about this (sweet) upgrade.
1. Do any or all of the Scion HU's work? I sse there are slight differences between the faces and the backs (locations of plug recievers) depending on the year Scion from which the HU came.
2. I read a disclosure from one of the "buy it now" vendors on eBay saying:
"Theft Lock Codes:
If equipped and activated, it is your responsibility to obtain said code from dealer. Paperwork will be included to obtain from dealer. Sometimes, done as a courtesy, many dealers do charge for this service. The theft lock code is not always activated, though, but we cannot guarantee it."
Has anyone here had any challenges related to this issue? Did everyone get the paperwork (code info) with their HU's they bought on eBay?
I have my iPod connected using an aftermarket adpater plugged in the back so it uses the CD player button. No controlling of it but no big deal. The volume of the iPod has to be higher but even that's not an issue.
