JBL audio quality

[booch2024]

For those that have the premium JBL audio, how's the quality?
I've read mixed reviews. What does it compare to?
Is it worth the upgrade or would it be better to add aftermarket speakers etc?
Can the JBL system be upgraded/tweaked more?

 

[Deleted member 1003]

I’ts not harman kardon or bowers and wilkins (bmw) but i think its like a 7 out of 10 and nicer than i would expect for a Toyota.

 

[Lenny33]

I have wondered the same, but I wonder how the stereo is for us common folk getting the regular Land Cruiser trim

 

[EOD Guy]

Spark-O-Matic baby!

 

[tfarab]

It’s pretty good. It’s clear but lacks power and punch. Thinking about a small sub, waiting to see what custom solutions come out.

 

[Lenny33]

I have always been intrigued by the slim self powered subs that mount under a seat. I wonder if that would be enough to make it sound better?

 

[Trailman]

Subwoofer in the LC 250 is located in the rear door/hatch. Watched a review saying it is hardly noticeable it even has one and the audio controls are pretty basic treble, base etc. No eq tuning currently. Interested to see what people come up with for solutions.

 

[stec06]

I have wondered the same, but I wonder how the stereo is for us common folk getting the regular Land Cruiser trim

Take this with a grain of salt, but I really like the base stereo in the 1958 and haven't even bothered to tune it. The soundstage is high and forward. Highs are clear/snappy and mids strong. I really haven't pushed the low-end because I'm mostly listening to podcasts and the occasional rock/EDM track.

Coming from a '15 DCSB Tacoma with several iterations of aftermarket sound systems, last being Image Dynamics speakers all around, 8" Sundown subwoofer behind the rear seats, 5-channel Sundown amp, and Alpine ILX-W670 head unit. I could never get that truck sounding totally right... it was loud for sure... but I can hear a lot more detail in the LC's OEM stereo.

Main difference is that when I bought the Tacoma I knew right away I'd have to mess with the stereo. No so much with the 1958.

 

[MHead]

Take this with a grain of salt, but I really like the base stereo in the 1958 and haven't even bothered to tune it. The soundstage is high and forward. Highs are clear/snappy and mids strong. I really haven't pushed the low-end because I'm mostly listening to podcasts and the occasional rock/EDM track.

Coming from a '15 DCSB Tacoma with several iterations of aftermarket sound systems, last being Image Dynamics speakers all around, 8" Sundown subwoofer behind the rear seats, 5-channel Sundown amp, and Alpine ILX-W670 head unit. I could never get that truck sounding totally right... it was loud for sure... but I can hear a lot more detail in the LC's OEM stereo.

Main difference is that when I bought the Tacoma I knew right away I'd have to mess with the stereo. No so much with the 1958.

I agree here...though I really didn't buy the 1958 for its stereo. I did however, replace the two small dash speakers with Infinity speakers(someone on this forum listed them) for $60 and it took all of 30 minutes to do both. The result was crisper highs and more clarity...there's enough bass in the the 1958 stereo to balance things. Things are basically stock...and I am happy with that.

 

[phxdsrtrat]

I have found the JBL to be clear and balanced. It lacks power if you enjoy a truly loud experience. It's loud enough for me and the bass has gotten better as the drivers have started to loosen up a bit.

-Curtiss

 

[Altitude]

I have always been intrigued by the slim self powered subs that mount under a seat. I wonder if that would be enough to make it sound better?

I had a BMW E60 that located the OEM woofers under the seats. I had occasion to upgrade the entire speaker system with a packaged speaker set that a German car audio specialist offered, which included those subs. So I have a point of view here.

Undeniably it’s effective to have subwoofers firing directly into your ass. It works, and certain theaters are adding that to their sound experience. On the other hand, under your seat there’s nearly no space for a speaker enclosure, or just for a very small one, so the output capability of a sub down there is compromised.

So it’s a cool effect but doesn’t replace a nice sub in an enclosure. I was actually able to make it easy to switch the wiring in the E60 between the under seat subs and a Polk Audio 12” cabinet I had, to the point where I could do it in 30 seconds. The Polk was in the trunk firing directly into the back of the rear seats. It was a much more satisfying effect, frankly, but any time I had a gig the sub box wouldn’t fit back there together with my stage amp. So it was useful to switch.

Anyway - to do something like this in the LC, you’d have to intercept the speaker line leading to the rear sub and run that under the seats to your aftermarket units. What I don’t know is where the power comes from - it’s either an amplifier near the head unit or in the sub itself. If the latter, you’d also have to invest in a power source for your under seat subs, which would make the project quite a bit more involved.

 

[EOD Guy]

I had a BMW E60 that located the OEM woofers under the seats. I had occasion to upgrade the entire speaker system with a packaged speaker set that a German car audio specialist offered, which included those subs. So I have a point of view here.

Undeniably it’s effective to have subwoofers firing directly into your ass. It works, and certain theaters are adding that to their sound experience. On the other hand, under your seat there’s nearly no space for a speaker enclosure, or just for a very small one, so the output capability of a sub down there is compromised.

So it’s a cool effect but doesn’t replace a nice sub in an enclosure. I was actually able to make it easy to switch the wiring in the E60 between the under seat subs and a Polk Audio 12” cabinet I had, to the point where I could do it in 30 seconds. The Polk was in the trunk firing directly into the back of the rear seats. It was a much more satisfying effect, frankly, but any time I had a gig the sub box wouldn’t fit back there together with my stage amp. So it was useful to switch.

Anyway - to do something like this in the LC, you’d have to intercept the speaker line leading to the rear sub and run that under the seats to your aftermarket units. What I don’t know is where the power comes from - it’s either an amplifier near the head unit or in the sub itself. If the latter, you’d also have to invest in a power source for your under seat subs, which would make the project quite a bit more involved.

I think the amp is located under the carpet, under the driver's seat

 

[Altitude]

I think the amp is located under the carpet, under the driver's seat

Might be pretty easy then, if there’s already a powered post-crossover speaker line right there. You’d feel the output but questionable whether it would be low enough or loud enough.

 

[Browndirtcowboy]

The JBL system lacks all around. With all the windows up then the sound is decent. It has ok seperation, the clarity is lacking. You have some bass but it isnt what one would expect from a 14 speaker JBL system. I often wonder how a stand alone speaker like a sonos move can sound better than a complete system. Beat Sonic has a plug and play amp that sits within the dash that may be worth trying. if I have the sunroof open the JBL cannot drown out the noise. I have hit the max volume and was surprised that all the system had to give.
The JBL system as most know comes with the premium pkg and its the other upgrades I was most interested in. primarily the digital rear view mirror, wireless charging, HUD and power passenger seat, for the cold box is laughable in size and how cold it gets.

 

[chancellor]

I have been happy with the 10 speaker basic speakers on the LC trim after upgrading them

@SOCAL250 has put a lot of work into upgrading the JBL system: LC Trim base level stereo

 

[ferrari1898]

In previous vehicles I have purchased I have upgraded the speakers, added an amplifier, and subwoofer. I went with the middle trim with the premium package in large part due to the JBL sound.

• The JBL sound Good. I would not put it up against a modest setup with parts from Crutchfield, but what there is lacking in the sound quality is made up for in the lack of cursing and issues with upgrading yourself. Infotainment systems (for better or worse) are like car stereos from the 1990's. I had issues with the Starlink (Subaru's Onstar) not registering the speakers when I added an amp, the TPMS sensors were acting up on my Honda because the amp wire was causing too much interference. So at the end of the day the JBL sounded good enough to not try and deal with the issues that can arise with a DIY install.
• While the thought of getting a 1958 was on the table (I personally liked the cloth seats), the lack of trunk space made became an issue. I did like the battery being in the back (so no firewall issues). I am not talking about a box with 2 X 12", We go camping frequently and 1 freezer chest eats up 1/2 the floorspace. With a dog and generator the back is at capacity. To be fair, the JBL subwoofer is nothing amazing, and a good set of 6X9 with an amp I think would hold its own against the JBL.
• The middle trim has something like 10 speakers. If I am going to upgrade the sound system I prefer just the 4 door speakers and pillar tweeters to work with. Manufacturers (marketing) put a focus on quantity of speakers instead of quality.
• The 1958 has the smaller screen, something I just couldn't accept with the 1958 price tag and something that can't easily be changed.

At the end of the day, if you can find a few things on the premium package that have value to you, I think something you can live with. You will never shake the glass, but the sound is good. If I had to do it again, I think I would be in the same optioned Land Cruiser. For $55k the 1958 trim would leave me with buyers remorse every time I look at the small screen. If you have the time, knowledge and resources to upgrade the middle trim (now top trim) have fun. The JBL delivers a good setup without all the headache.

 

[Altitude]

Now that I’ve been living with my LC and the JBL stereo a bit -

It sounds great. Better than the Bose in my Tahoe and surprisingly better than the Burmester in our Mercedes, which was rather a let down.

The sub is not there to make this car sound like a Subaru WRX banging Travis Scott at a stoplight. It’s there to improve output on the lower octave or two, picking up where the door speakers leave off. It’s fine.

The tweeters in the A pillars could be slightly brighter for my taste, but that is personal preference and might be affected by years of gigs I’ve had standing next to the drummer’s hi-hat. In terms of clarity they sound quite good.

I haven’t done a volume test to see how this system stands up to a good crank. That’s often where OEM weaknesses appear. We’ll see but so far, for daily listening going to and from I find it quite satisfying.