Questions about Yaris 2021 subwoofer install

[GruBGruB]

I am a true Yaris Hybrid driver in that I am more about the MPG than the MPH.  When I took the lease on the 2021 model I upgraded to get the JBL stereo system as I really enjoy electronic music that is very bass heavy.  If I am cruising in my car on the commute I want to listen to music I love.

Some years ago my son and I added an aftermarket stereo to his first car - a Micra.  In the boot we installed an amplifier and 12 inch subwoofer.  It was awesome in such a small car.

The subwoofer and amp went into storage as his next car was a big upgrade and we didn't want to mess with the OEM head unit.

Now he has a Ford Transit Custom that he has converted and we put the subwoofer and amp back in.  Again - awesome sound.

This has rekindled my desire to do the same, and here is the issue.

1. My car is on PCP and I don't want to change the head unit or splice any wires if I can avoid it.

Until just now I didn't realise that under the rear seat is the 12v Battery (I knew that is where the hybrid batteries were).

So in theory a sub with amp could be easily powered from that.  But the helpful internet and Yaris forums have shown me there is a box under the driver's seat that is linked to the head unit already and is also amplified ( I believe ).

2. Can I connect anything to that to get my signal without cutting wires?

3. If that feed is amplified do I need a sub with a built in amp?

4. As this is a hybrid Yaris is there any big DONT’S?

[GruBGruB]

Following help from Magnus T on the Yaris GR Forum I looked at the current specs for the new Yaris. 
 

In Yaris Dynamic documentation from Japan on the internet I found:

 JBL premium eight-speaker sound system

My guess is the box under my seat is a DSP amplifier. 

[RonYarisX]

On 10/18/2022 at 7:58 PM, GruBGruB said:

My car is on PCP and I don't want to change the head unit or splice any wires if I can avoid it.

Obviously entirely up to you but PCP means you are driving someone elses car so when you say "if I can avoid it", the simple answer is avoid it.

As for the updrade. I used to fit my own systems but as I'm awaiting delivery of my Toyota, I'm clueless how the electrics is setup. My understanding is the Battery under the rear seat is for the hybrid system so I wouldn't be going near that. Is there not another Battery in the engine bay?

Regarding aftermarket upgrades - when you mention DSP then generally they're not upgradable. Any std system that's been enhanced will have it's own amplifier which means the Speakers are being fed by that and not the headunit.

Adding a sub is relatively straightforward on a normal powered headunit - the easiest way is to feed the output in to a box of tricks ( which may or may not include an amplifier ) and that will split the signal for your sub.

Don't want to cut wires? Again it's relatively simple, that said I don't know what is and isn't available off the shelf for a Toyota. There will be a block connector going in to the back of the headunit. What you need to do is extend that block unit. It's a case of buying both a male and female block and wiring them together. Then find out which wires are the L+R speaker out and hey presto - you can cut the connector you've made without tapping in to the existing wiring. You then feed that in to your box of tricks, your box of tricks splits the signals, then feed back in to the connector you made and it goes out to the Speakers using the exisitng wiring.   That's why DSP's and additional amplifiers of manufacturer systems pose a problem for upgrading because the signal would then go to the DSP rather than the Speakers. The next stage would be changing the speakers themselves although that brings in a whole new set of issues. If you get it wrong it may make the system sound worse!

It's all personal preference of course but for me, the upgrade cost of a sub would be prohibitive and not sure what you'd gain. My thought would be if someone is looking for better sound ( in a non DSP car ), they'd be better off investing in better amplification to the existing speakers.

Again haven't a clue about Toyota but some years ago I upgraded the std system in a VW. Have a look at https://www.audiotec-fischer.de/en/match/  which will explain better than my dribble...  🤣

Hope that helps.

 

[flash22]

It's not worth the hassle, the amp lives under the driver's seat

the JBL system is tuned for the car, the GR is a very different car to a standard yaris - Standard JBL was 8 Speakers, 2 in the dash, 2 in the A pillar one in each door without a sub, the door Speakers are a mid speaker they will not produce major bass

regarding the head unit - it uses speaker level out to feed the amp, but not in a standard way these head units don't like a resistance imbalance

RON - Toyota carry nothing on the shelf audio wise, and are not interested either

As it's on PCP you can not touch the car as you don't own

I'm unsure if the DSP can be tweaked

Edit.

Example of the premium/JBL Amp (JBL cars get the noise-canceling module)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155140641090

[MikeSh]

And if anyone wants to know why 'cars is bass', so to speak, this YouTube video happened to drop today:

How The Car Gave Modern Music Its Signature Sound

(About 6½ mins)

[flash22]

Had a closer look at the amp, it looks like it has some sort of usb interface port the connector looks a bit odd tho

[GruBGruB]

On 10/22/2022 at 3:08 PM, RonYarisX said:

Obviously entirely up to you but PCP means you are driving someone elses car so when you say "if I can avoid it", the simple answer is avoid it.

Ron, poor choice of words by me.  You are correct.  I do not want to even remove the head unit let alone cut wires.

[GruBGruB]

19 hours ago, flash22 said:

Had a closer look at the amp, it looks like it has some sort of usb interface port the connector looks a bit odd tho

Flash, I have contacted customer support for JBL in the UK which is under Harman and I have asked them if there is a connection I can simply plug into the installed amp to add an output to a subwoofer for the boot.

I am not going to cut, move or alter anything.  If it came to that I would have to stop my dream of a subwoofer and be satisfied with the JBL 8 speaker system that I have.  

As with other posts in other forums the JBL subwoofers do not produce much bass and if you have it too loud the doors rattle.

[flash22]

IF you get a reply they will say No or tell you to speak to Toyota, as Harman are just an OEM for Toyota it's a bit of a one way street, i have been down this road many a time with a lot of technical question/requests

[GruBGruB]

flash22,

So right you are. 
 

Hello,
We only offer JBL aftermarket products, not factory installed products are programs.
We cannot help you.
Br,
Milko van der Veldt 
Co-owner 

[GruBGruB]

Not sure if this is the same model as mine but it does explain the USB port. 
https://manuals.plus/m/5ec6edaca431a257eab4a4693b35fd773cecc6ddcd2784b5b7aa38fcc455af24_optim.pdf

[flash22]

It's not the same retail and oem are very different beasts

i will have to look into it a bit more but it takes time

[RonYarisX]

On 10/22/2022 at 4:46 PM, flash22 said:

RON - Toyota carry nothing on the shelf audio wise, and are not interested either

Agree with everyhting you say. Toyota certainly won't but people like Audioleads etc might. Even if they can't you can always buy the ISO blocks, pins and cable yourself and wire them up.

example off the shelf:  ISO connector  You can cut and tap into wires on that as much as you want without messing up the manufacturer's wiring.  I don't know what Toyota use but chances are they'll conform to some ISO standard.

( Proprietory hardware went out the window years ago - too expensive to manufacture these days. )

But that's for bog standard systems. As you correctly say, whenever they introduce amps and DSP then it screws things up.  It's not impossible tho, the goal is to take whatever signal is coming out of the source and and convert it back in to it's most basic form, then you can start introducing your own DSP / Amp etc to do with it as you please. The only problem with that is 1: eye watering cost for little gain and 2: where would you mount all this equipment in a Yaris?  Would probably need a roof rack  🤣

Oh and 3:  I've never been near an electric hybrid before - I'd have guessed messing around with the electrics may prove to be a very costly exercise if it goes belly up.

PS - Again you're right, USB's found on amps etc are usually for hooking up diagnostics and/or upgrading software.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by RonYarisX
wording

[flash22]

..

[GruBGruB]

https://www.audison.eu/products/apbx-10-as2/
 

Something like this should work but without cutting wires where does the high level input come from?

https://www.audison.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/JBL009_Audison_PRIMA_APBX-APS_Owner_Manual_revN_x-web.pdf
 

https://www.audison.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/AUDISON-Prima-APBX-AS2-Tech-Sheet.pdf

[SouperChris]

On 10/18/2022 at 7:58 PM, GruBGruB said:

I am a true Yaris Hybrid driver in that I am more about the MPG than the MPH.  When I took the lease on the 2021 model I upgraded to get the JBL stereo system as I really enjoy electronic music that is very bass heavy.  If I am cruising in my car on the commute I want to listen to music I love.

Some years ago my son and I added an aftermarket stereo to his first car - a Micra.  In the boot we installed an amplifier and 12 inch subwoofer.  It was awesome in such a small car.

The subwoofer and amp went into storage as his next car was a big upgrade and we didn't want to mess with the OEM head unit.

Now he has a Ford Transit Custom that he has converted and we put the subwoofer and amp back in.  Again - awesome sound.

This has rekindled my desire to do the same, and here is the issue.

1. My car is on PCP and I don't want to change the head unit or splice any wires if I can avoid it.

Until just now I didn't realise that under the rear seat is the 12v battery (I knew that is where the hybrid batteries were).

So in theory a sub with amp could be easily powered from that.  But the helpful internet and Yaris forums have shown me there is a box under the driver's seat that is linked to the head unit already and is also amplified ( I believe ).

2. Can I connect anything to that to get my signal without cutting wires?

3. If that feed is amplified do I need a sub with a built in amp?

4. As this is a hybrid Yaris is there any big DONT’S?

bluetooth?

[GruBGruB]

I have tried a small yet powerful bluetooth speaker however I couldn't get my iPhone to run via USB to the car stereo and the speaker simultaneously.

I now understand that as the JBL system uses the amp under my seat, I would need a system to connect via a high level input that would need to be then amplified.  

As Ron stated above, this is cost prohibitive.  Dream shelved 🙂