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Premium JBL Audio - anyone replace the sub?

24K views 32 replies 18 participants last post by  BlackdogRaver 
#1 ·
There has been some dissatisfaction with aspects of the "Premium JBL Audio" system that comes in the Advanced Technology Package, so...

Has anyone replaced the JBL sub?
How about the entire enclosure?

I'm not interested in adding a second sub enclosure that will eat up cargo floor space, but rather only solutions that will utilize the already installed wall enclosure or replace it with a new custom piece in its place.
 
#2 ·
I don't know for sure if that will help with the problems most people complain about. I mean, of course an after market sub will be better. But the signal it is being sent in FM radio(where it seems most of the problems lie) will be the same. Hopefully someone has done it and can reply with their results. Don't think I've ever seen it mentioned here though.
 
#3 ·
Mine is 2016 premium JBL, I think the sub literally has no bass output. I can hear other band of frequency but bass is very very weak. I played music from HD radio and USB drive song. This is not only FM radio issue or the source of the music. It is the problem of the head unit. I think the subwoofer might be fine. Perhaps, the head unit might not have proper band-pass filter or dedicated sub output. I don't know the wiring of his audio system. Typically subwoofer should be connected to a dedicated sub output which has a band-pass filter for low frequency. Replacing another sub-woofer might not solve the issue if the problem is at the source side. I can hear other speakers in the front putting out bass but it is not as solid as a subwoofer. We need to get Toyota to acknowledge it. Audio performance could be very subjective to individual. Some people may have satisfied with the premium system already if the bass from other speakers channels are enough for them. We are talking about real bass from a subwoofer and for sure there is no bass or low frequency band coming out from that speaker.
 
#4 ·
Mine is 2016 premium JBL, I think the sub literally has no bass output. I can hear other band of frequency but bass is very very weak. I played music from HD radio and USB drive song. This is not only FM radio issue or the source of the music. It is the problem of the head unit. I think the subwoofer might be fine. Perhaps, the head unit might not have proper band-pass filter or dedicated sub output.
During one of my test drives, I was fiddling with the stereo and noticed that the little low-end I heard, presumably from the sub, seemed to disappear as I faded the balance toward the rear. This leads me to believe that the sub is simply wired into the front Left and/or Right signal instead of being a dedicated LFE output. This would be a real shame. Can you confirm that yours also disappears when you fade to the rear speakers, sc540i?

I do audio for a living and I was really underwhelmed by this "Premium JBL" setup...especially because the JBL in my 2010 Prius sounded INCREDIBLE...very, very loud and full-range for a factory speaker system.

I don't think this will be a deal beaker for me, as I would probably end up beefing up the low-end eventually, preferably with something that will make a substantial difference yet still fit inside the cargo wall like the stock sub. I really don't want to eat up floor space with a sub enclosure if I don't have to.
 
#5 ·
Stating the obvious...

Has anyone taken the time to turn on their JBL "premium" system, play a song via USB or whatever that has some bass in it, opening the hatch to the cargo area, and actually checking if the sub-woofer is doing anything? If it's not doing anything back there, it's an obvious design problem that Toyota should be made aware of so they can fix it.
 
#7 ·
Stating the obvious...

Has anyone taken the time to turn on their JBL "premium" system, play a song via USB or whatever that has some bass in it, opening the hatch to the cargo area, and actually checking if the sub-woofer is doing anything?
I did this at the dealership, though I didn't crank the system to full blast...I didn't think I'd need to. I was listening from my phone via Bluetooth. Granted, it was right next to a busy and loud roadway, but it seemed like there was little to no signal coming from the sub. I should have really cranked up the volume. Next time I will experiment in more detail.
Would love to hear from someone who has spent extended time toying with it.
 
#8 ·
I played music from USB. Put my ear next to the sub and set the fab to the front and rear respectively. There is more output when the fad setting is to the middle and front comparing to the rear setting. I suspect the sub is not wired to a dedicated LFE but to one of the front channel. When the fad setting to the front, the bass is coming stronger from the front pair of speakers but somewhat distorted as compared to the sub. I can say the single isolated speaker in the truck is a sub-woofer. However, it is not being wired to a dedicated sub output from the head unit. Or the head unit does not have one dedicated for sub. This is a shame and lame setup for a premium JBL.
 
#9 ·
Comparing my 2008 CRV EX and this 2016 rav4 with tech package. I would say that the CRV is somewhat better. I don't think i can hear the "premium" sound from JBL systhesis.

I agree with this forum, i can't hear the sub(base) side of sound. Toyota provide me a 2014 Yaris hatchback. I think that it even sound better than my supposed to be a premium in my rav4. I plan to call my dealer and find out what they say.
 
#10 ·
I wonder what changed from the 2013 to now? The JBL in my 2013 Limited is pretty awesome. I have everything flat in settings with the fade one notch to the rear.
 
#11 ·
Such a damn shame. There's no good excuse for the bass being so low and almost non-existent, ESPECIALLY for having a dedicated "sub."

Another aspect of the "Premium JBL" system that also irks me is the absence of separate tweeters in the rear doors. Sure, the rear speakers are two-way, but that can't compete with actually having separate tweeters higher up in the doors.

As I've already stated, my 2010 Prius that I bought nearly SEVEN years ago had a speaker system that absolutely crushes the Rav4's "Premium JBL" setup. How sad. I only pray that Toyota provides a miracle fix or change by the time I place my order. Very doubtful for that.
 
#12 ·
Certainly there is problem of how the sub being set up in this premium grade. Normally by changing fad setting between front and rear should not affect the output of the sub but it is lounder when moving to front. That being said, it may need a separated amp to drive this sub unless the sub come with built-in amp which is not wired. Other older model of toyota with premium JBL had much better bass performance which I confirmed with friends' car. Toyota obviously try to brand this premium audio as Entune Premium JBL across all Toyota model. The quality of the branding has to be consistent and it is hard to believe such technology of audio spec. is difficult to keep up with across platform or versions. I hope this is a defect in the assembly process and a retrofit shall be amended.
 
#13 ·
The JBL on my 2016 Limited Hybrid is capable of considerable bass power. It seems the issue is inconsistent equalization between input sources. For me, XM has the best frequency equalization and Bluetooth the worst.

My Prius had a center dash speaker which had a mix of left and right stereo channels. That made a huge difference in providing the front passengers with a quality stereo image. In fact, other than a lack of bass, the Prius had a better overall audio package than the Rav4.
 
#14 ·
What year was your Prius? My 2010 sounded incredible on all input sources including Bluetooth, which I used mostly, and had more than enough bass. I was in love with streaming music from my phone and having it sound so good. I'm not sure if I can go back to being wired.

I can't understand why there would be such a difference between input sources, but your comment has me sorta hopefulll that perhaps in a worst case scenario, USB will impress me more than Bluetooth did during my test drives. I REALLY like the convenience of Bluetooth and how it will auto resume where I left of when I re-enter the car, all without having to touch a thing. Bluetooth itself is capable of streaming very high quality, and if there really is a difference between the various input sources, maybe and hopefully the problem can be solved with a firmware update...???? Let's all hope so.

Not to sound redundant, but this single issue has me REALLY bummed out and I hope that if I go through with the purchase, my Rav4's "premium" system will magically sound "premium."
 
#17 ·
How to replace the head unit 2016

Hi everyone, I'm in the process of buying the 2016 Toyota Rav4 Limited Hybrid. I've already got the car on the way, but I'm a LONG TIME audio aficionado, and I HATE JBL. I prefer Pioneer. Currently in my current car I have the pro series sub, and a simple head Unit. As most of you know, Toyota/Lexus decided to put the controls (apps) for the car with the stereo, and anyone who knows audio knows that you need to change the headunit to be able to control your sub in detail. I'm looking at the apple software based Pioneer Mixtrax head unit. Is this possible? What am I going to lose control of? Is there an app? Has Toyota addressed this? Huge Oversight IMHO. What is your experience? Please tell me there is a way....

thanks,
devOpsGirl
:crying
 
#18 ·
While reading this thread and the complaints regarding the bass, I was wondering, if it was possible that some subs are wired out of phase. Perhaps there was a run of subs or even the wiring harness that had the polarity backwards. While I would not expect a system like this with such a small sub, even though it is in a tuned enclosure, I can't imagine that a company like JBL, who spent lots of hours developing this system, would make one as bad as some have said. I am inheriting a 2013 RAV4 Limited with the JBL system and haven't heard it yet (I have to go to pick up the car in another state), so I am rather anxious to hear the system myself.
 
#19 ·
While reading this thread and the complaints regarding the bass, I was wondering, if it was possible that some subs are wired out of phase. .
You could ask the same question about the big door speakers, since they provide most of the perceived bass. If someone really wants to troubleshoot this they'd be well advised to swap wires first on the sub, then put that back and swap one door speaker. My hunch is that the speaker connects will be keyed to prevent direct swapping.
 
#22 ·
Just wanted to add to this:
I don't know much about the technical aspects of all this. However, I went back and forth on whether to get the JBL or not. In the end, the Rav4 I got had it and I took it. At this point, I wish I had actually thought more about it, because if I had, I would not have gotten one with JBL.
I remember testing the sound on the non-JBL limited and thinking the sound was decent. So I assumed the JBL would be at least a little better. I did listen to it for a moment before committing to buy and thinking it was just okay, but I was on a time crunch at that point and not thinking properly. Now that I've have my Rav4 for 5 days, I LOVE almost everything about this car.... Except for the sound system.. It's okay. It's not horrible.. but it's definitely lacking.... For premium audio.. it does not sound premium. I feel like I'm missing out. Music is a major part of driving a car for me.
I'm definitely a little disappointed. Is there something wrong with the sound system or did they just not design it well?
 
#23 ·
I still haven't been able to go to Scottsdale to pick up our inherited car, so I don't have any experience with the JBL system. I hope it is good enough for me. The comments about the JBL system are concerning. I don't really need it to be "Burmeister" or "Levinson" quality (it certainly does not cost as much as those). The system (stock) in my BMW('06 Z4 sounds great. I can't really imagine how 'inadequate' the JBL system might be. I hope I am not too disappointed.
 
#26 ·
I third that it's the head unit. Rumor is that Toyota had the balance tweaked deliberately to reduce the volume to the rear door speakers and subwoofer (at every level on the head unit) because people were blowing them out and they got tired of warranty replacements.

Then they marketed the change as giving you a "front-row at the concert" sound stage. :(
 
#30 ·
For sure! On my 4.5 the bass is drowned out at higher volume..usually the woofer “tweaks” then you back off the volume a bit..or adjust the EQ? With only high/mid/low your limited!!!! But the 4.5 JBL sounds fantastic at low to mid volumes.. at higher volume the sub seems to just shut off?
 
#28 ·
I'm actually eyeing for the JBL Basspro Hub subwoofer
You will still need something like the AudioControl LC2i 2 Channel Line Out Converter. The head unit kills the bass power when you turn up the head unit. The LC2i keeps the bass signal from dumping off.
If you just line off the rear sub or speakers, the bass will still fall away above 15 or so on your head unit.
 
#31 ·
I owned a 2009 Sport for 7 years and totalled last month.it had the standard stereo system and it sounded fantastic. I'm a musician and I have done a bit of sound engineering in my past. I like listening loud as I can't do this in the house, three car becomes my "club".

So I replaced it with a 2010 LTD which has the JBL system. To my ears, it is no better than the stock system. In fact, the sub just plain sucks. It does not project anything lower than 500 or so Hz. When the overall system volume gets up to 75% or so, and all tone controls set flat, the sub starts farting out and sounds awful. I have yo bring the bass setting down to -5 to get the distortion to fall off.

To me this seems like a complete con job the marketing people came up with. Get JBL.to provide some crappy speakers for the same price as the stock ones, make sure everyone can see the little red JBL logos, upsell the customer $900 (or whatever it priced out at) and pocket $900. I would love to have this "premium" system pulled and go back to my excellent stock system.

There is a lot of discussion here, but has anyone actually purchased another sub driver and replaced the stock one in the tailgate? I don't need massive bass at all...I prefer a flat response...but when I crank the volume, I do NOT want the sub to be wrecking the sound of the whole system.
 
#32 ·
This thread started by RickPro made all the difference for my audio system:

JBL Premium Audio Sound Fix

For $30 and 20 minutes I replaced the dash speakers with Crutchfield p35B and the sound quality improved 1000%. The balance of decreased highs in front and increased lows from the subwoofer was the answer. I believe the stock configuration of low-end dash speakers running parallel with the rear speaker was Toyota's fault and not JBL's,

My equalizer settings are:
Highs...............+1
Mid-range........+0
Bass.................-1
 
#33 ·
I owned a 2009 Sport for 7 years and totaled last month.it had the standard stereo system and it sounded fantastic. I'm a musician and I have done a bit of sound engineering in my past. I like listening loud and as I can't do this in the house, the car becomes my "club".

So I replaced it with a 2010 LTD which has the JBL system. To my ears, it is no better than the stock system. In fact, the sub just plain sucks. It does not project anything lower than 500 or so Hz. When the overall system volume gets up to 75% or so, and all tone controls set flat, the sub starts farting out and sounds awful. I have to bring the bass setting down to -5 to get the distortion to fall off.

To me this seems like a complete con job the marketing people came up with. Get JBL.to provide some crappy speakers for the same price as the stock ones, make sure everyone can see the little red JBL logos, upsell the customer $900 (or whatever it priced out at) and pocket $900. I would love to have this "premium" system pulled and go back to my excellent stock system.

There is a lot of discussion here, but has anyone actually purchased another sub driver and replaced the stock one in the tailgate? I don't need massive bass at all...I prefer a flat response...but when I crank the volume, I do NOT want the sub to be wrecking the sound of the whole system.
This thread started by RickPro made all the difference for my audio system:

JBL Premium Audio Sound Fix

For $30 and 20 minutes I replaced the dash speakers with Crutchfield p35B and the sound quality improved 1000%. The balance of decreased highs in front and increased lows from the subwoofer was the answer. I believe the stock configuration of low-end dash speakers running parallel with the rear speaker was Toyota's fault and not JBL's,

My equalizer settings are:
Highs...............+1
Mid-range........+0
Bass.................-1
Hi, thanks.
One thing I don't understand is "dash speakers"...you mean the high end drivers on the doors at the top front?
 
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