08 Gx470 Stero (factory nav) (3 Viewers)

[teamcurtis]

I'm sure everyone is annoyed with this topic by now, but i had a few questions i haven't seen answers to.

Head unit Options
Subwoofer Options

My main goal is to have improved sound. I'll admit it would be nice to have a nav screen that doesn't look like its so old.
The options that seem appealing to me are the Vline V2 or converting to non-nav climate control and adding a stereo.
Regardless I will replace the main speakers in the truck.
What is the general consensus on the Vline? Is it slow to start up? Is the sound quality really improved?

I have seen the SCAR subwoofer upgrade. I don't want a big box in the back, but I would like better bass, so this seems like a great option
I haven't seen anyone do a highline out and add a mono amp so you can run a traditional 4ohm subwoofer. Is there a reason no one seems to be doing this?

Are there newer or better solutions I havent read about

 

[teamcurtis]

Nothing?

The more i read the more the Vline seems buggy and not ideal.

How much is the factory radio holding back the sound quality?
Should I just do the GTA for bluetooth and upgrade the speakers?
Or is adding an aftermarket headunit with the facotry ML amp really going to improve sound that much?

 

[LX470 Owner]

I have an 05 and an 06 GX470. I have a Grom VLine 2 in the 05 and it works as well as any mid-tier head unit replacement. The 06 has a more crisp display being a year newer and 50K less miles, but It could also be electronics improvements between their manufacture. It is never going to feel like a new Carplay-enabled system because of that older display.

Forums suggest the Phoenix head unit replacement may work well if you buy the custom firmware. These reviews trend overly optimistic - everyone shows off the finished product but doesn't come back and update the review nine months later when systems fail. I have a Kenwood in another vehicle and technically you can say the same of that. Kenwood abandoned it after a year with no firmware updates. I physically inspected the Phoenix and it is no worse than any mid-tier head unit. I would not waste time trying to do the dash-control conversion, you will never find the parts.

I put a bluetooth-FM transmitter in the 06 and you are not going to be content with its audio quality. I don't see anyone actually doing it but audiophiles could build a standalone system using a soundbar or similar setup and abandon the in-car audio entirely. The ML mess is too much to unwind, which is a shame because otheriwse simplfiy the electronics (and reengineer it with a timing chain instead of a belt) and the GX would be perfect.

 

[teamcurtis]

I'm leaning towards the Vais bluetooth adapter and upgrading a few speakers.
The FM transmitter is a hard no. Even in the 00s i wasn't ok with those.

 

[BobaChris]

There is the Teyes head unit that can replace the factory navigation equipped system. I plan on going this route with my GX470 and install the 360 degree camera option as well.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 120 / Lexus GX470 GX 470 J120 (2002-2009)

SPECIFICATIONS Brand Name: TEyes Din: One Din Display Size: 9" Digital Media Format: Mp3 Digital Media Format: MP4 Digital Media Format: WMA Digital Media Format: JPEG Special Feature: wifi function Special Feature: Support Steering Wheel Control Special Feature: Support 3G Network Special...

www.teyes.com.au

My friend has it in his FJ and he's had no issues over the past year thus far.

 

[JAGI410]

FM transmitters can be OK if you have open frequencies. Locally, mine does great! If I go 3 hours Southeast though, it's garbage.

This site is great for suggesting channels Vacant Channels on the FM Dial - https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/vacant

 

[teamcurtis]

There is the Teyes head unit that can replace the factory navigation equipped system. I plan on going this route with my GX470 and install the 360 degree camera option as well.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 120 / Lexus GX470 GX 470 J120 (2002-2009)

SPECIFICATIONS Brand Name: TEyes Din: One Din Display Size: 9" Digital Media Format: Mp3 Digital Media Format: MP4 Digital Media Format: WMA Digital Media Format: JPEG Special Feature: wifi function Special Feature: Support Steering Wheel Control Special Feature: Support 3G Network Special...

www.teyes.com.au

My friend has it in his FJ and he's had no issues over the past year thus far.

Thoughts on the T'eyes CC3 system (in-dash Android tablet to replace our crappy old nav screen)

I wanted to put this out there, because I know that the old nav screen is one of the most complained about parts of our GXs (me included!). I saw some guys on the FB GXOR & on here with the T'eyes, & they seemed to like it, so I pulled the trigger & bought the highest spec (I think it had the...

forum.ih8mud.com

This review (and some others) scared me off from this option