Lee, I agree with your concern ... "good luck operating that thing while driving!" I am dreading having a tree run out in front of me while I am fiddling with my stereo settings, but with the remote it makes switching between various functions so-o-o much easier. When I selected my 9813 I was thinking the same thing. I compared the 9813 and the 9815 and decided I really did not need the additional features on the 9815 and I loved the way the 9813 green buttons complimented the dash illumination ... and my eyes. The other important factor for me was power. I did not want to install external amps. Having said that, the 7998 must have external amps and the 7897 only has 20 watts RMS and 50 watts peak power, whereas my 9813 has 27 watts RMS and 60 watts peak power. So, for less many I get more power. I know there is the arguement about none of these power ratings being accurate but lets just go with that for comparison sake. One more thing, as much as I liked the idea of the Phantom Face, I did not feel it lended any security and longevity to my ownership if you know what I mean. I still think the 9813 is a great deal and if you are planning on doing any dash gauge face and / or illumination changes or are not that particular, the 9815 would be my first choice.

 

no, im not a wiring buff, but i shopped around and can certainly see the difference between this guy and the rest. for example, there is a shop in watertown called 'rich's auto tunes' that charges $95 ($75 if you buy from them) to install, and overcharges at least $40 on every head unit. i saw their work in a hummer h2 and it was of course impressive, but thats just ridiculously expensive.

at precision audio, they charge $50 (whether you bring in your own or buy from them) and the guys there are very honest and will talk to you for as long as you need about any of this. they actually opened the dash up to show me the wiring when i saw that the dash was slightly misaligned (i'm anal, anyone else wouldnt have noticed!).. and it looked quite neat.

again, no guarantees here, just a great experience from someone who knows what they do and do not like in thier truck!

 

Well, another brilliant idea dashed ... sort of.
I just got off the phone with Alpine in CA and after telling them about my idea of installing the second BassLink SUB and changing the configuration from a 2-way to a 3-way system with the rear SUBS handling the lows, they told me that I should stick with the 2-way setting. I asked why and they told me that the 3-way system was for guys who are designing really high end systems (thought that was me. ), and then he went on to explain the different filters. When he got to bandpass filters I fell on the floor. So, if I get the other BassLink SUB I should use Y-splitters and hook it up exactly the way my current SUB is installed in a 2-way system. I think I will still experiment with it since I want to test the limits of what I have. I am sure with better speakers all around and MO POWA I would have a much better system for sure, but I just don't want to start figuring out where to install all that stuff. My speaker installation is pristine and I love the flexibility of the BassLink design. BTW, has anyone installed 6.5" speakers in the REAR doors using the plywood mounting plate design we are all using for larger speakers without cutting away any sheet metal from the door frame?

 

I love Alpine stuff; I currently have the CDA-9807 headunit, MRV-1507 amp (1500 watts monobridged) and 2 12" Type R's. I plan on replacing the stock door speakers sometime. It took me a few hours to put in the entire system, pretty easy.

 

Yeah, I think I'll go 9815. Just got to find the best price. Probably off the intenet. I looked at 9827. found a huge variety in price for the same thing.

 

I just ordered my 2nd BassLink from a place in FL called Hooked On Tronics ... www.hookedontronics.com. I researched quite a bit and not only found the BassLink at a good price ($218.00) but also found the Monster MB300 sub cables for $10.00 less ($29.00) than any other place. Their web site is very complete and user friendly, but when I tried to call them I was funneled into interminable hold and then disconnected --- twice. So, check it out for your CDA-9815 but, "buyer beware" .

I have a question provoked by the pictures of the Type R subwoofers. What is the best position to have the subs facing?
Up?
To the side?
Facing toward the tailgate?
Toward the front?

 

Im not sure what the best position is but mine sound pretty damn good facing the tailgate. Ive only had them facing that way so I dont know what to say.

 

I know this line of conversation sounds wierd to say the least. I can move my sub around; however, I would have to change the mounting feet to change the projectory of the sound. Presently, the speaker faces straight up.
I have had it against the tailgate and against the back of the rear seat. It sounds fuller in the latter position. I always see the speaker enclosures facing to the rear so I am curious to try it that way.

 

Im sure it makes a different sound but im stuck with the subs facing towards the tailgate because of how my box was made.

 

I can only guess that the best sound (generally) is produced by aiming the subs toward the rear because that is the way most sub cabinets are designed ... I think?

Anyway, I am expecting my 2nd BassLink to arrive next week along with 2 individual Monster Sub cables. I never knew you should use a special cable for Subs, and DAMN are these things expensive. My engineer friend told me that for these Subs I do not have to run a 4awg power cable before I split them, so I looked and looked for a distribution block for that configuration. Everything I found was 4awg in and 2 x 8awg out. I also was not sure why I needed more fuses when I had one at the battery and the BassLink(s) have them built in. My friend told me that redundant fuses are not bad and are preferred. He also told me that I should not put an 8awg wire into a 4awg connector. So, I finally found this product line and I am good to go ... as soon as the parts arrive.

http://www.streetwires.com/products/...DistBlocks.cfm

I am really having a lot of fun with this experience.

 

when i get new speakers in a couple weeks, im gonna upgrade to lower guage wires.

 

Yea I used 0 guage just so never had to put in a bigger guage wire if I wanted another amp.

 

Hey Paintballguy -- didn't get in on this thread early enough to put in any decent input. Generally you'd want Your subs facing the rear because 1. There are more/better reflective surfaces back there and 2. Because of the wavelength of a 20 or 30hz sounnd wave, the sound must travel farther to be heard more clearly. Turn on your system and put your head right next to the sub. You probably won't hear too much. You know it's the opposite when you are sitting in the drivers seat. I am having a hard time with my setup , as it was previously in my 85 mustang gt, and now it's in my 85 xtracab pickup :-). It was SOOO much louder in the mustang than in the truck, because of layout and location of speakers and subs. I had 2 Kicker CompVR 10"s in the mustang. Now that I'm driving the truck all the time, I had no room so I gave those to a friend and replaced them with a single 10" Kicker L7. It can handle all the power that my 600w RMS amp can give :-). But regardless, back to the matter at hand... even though its pushing a lot of power, it still sounds really weak because of the layout in the cab. There isn't enough throw in the cab for it to really sound good. When I have some time I am going to make a box that will fit and fire the sub down because in my case, that's probably the best option (albeit a crappy one). But in your case, in a runner, definately fire it rearwards. Oh and to stay on topic with everyone else, I'm sporting an Alpine 7995 deck through a sony 4channel pushing ~100watts rms to apline 3.5"s in the dash and pioneer premier TSE6995 6x9s in the xtra cab. I've done a lot of stuff with car audio and I would definately consider myself an audiophile. I'm pretty happy with the current setup, just not in the truck.

 

I'm upgrading my system too! All Alpine!! All I need now is an amp. I plan on getting the MRD-M300 this weekend, then do the install next week. I'll probably keep it updated, and ask for help from you guys along the way.

 

nice man.

im thinking of getting alpine speakers myself.. but the reality is, theyre higher priced and lower quality (sound)... i really like uniformity though, so it's a conundrum i'm in..!

 

you'll wish you had that remote if you ever, like me, go camping and sleep in the rear of your 4runner. on my wifes eco-challenge races, I sit in back and just listen to the satellite radio flipping through the channels and playing xbox or screwing around on the laptop.

 

im ordering it from crutchfield... problem solved!

 

I'm ordering the Infinity Kappa component in the front and back as well(back is not component). Anyone know the size of front and back speakers? and also could i go 1size bigger with the back speakers without the magnet touching the windows when it's rolled down? Every speakers have different magnet sizes and I dont wanna get a$$ed out if the back one turns out not fitting right. any help is much appreciated.

 

I know this looks nothing like one of those slick SEMA installations nor do I have any hot babes melting on top of my unit, but I thought I would show you what my dual BassLink setup looks like. I have them on +/- 36" long leads so I can move them around the cargo area, right up to the tailgate. The exposed wires are sleeved in a braided cover and the rest of the wiring is all loomed. I used 1" aluminum bar stock w/ velcro hook tape on the bottom to make the sliders. I cut the length so that I could use them either in the pictured configuration or with the other set of feet that positions the throw vertically up instead of horizontally out. I like the sound very much and it is an improvement. I can now tune my CDA-9813 time delay for 2-channel listening and it sounds that much fuller. I know that most of you like a nice big carpeted cabinet and it certainly would be cheaper that way, but I like the versatility of this setup and I think it looks kind of hi-tech in an industrial sort of way.

 

I was going to ask this very same question. I've been planning on using my tax return to upgrade the audio in my 2002 4Runner SR5 Sport. I just have the standard 6 speaker 3-in-1 audio system. I have been looking at the Alpine head units and have definitely decided to go with one of those, especially after seeing all of the wonderful experiences on here.

I would like to replace the factory speakers without adding an external amp as well. However, I have not decided on which brand/model of speakers to use. I'm not even sure what sizes are currently in there. I think that I read the front speakers are 6 3/4" and 1" tweeters, but I'm not sure about the rear speakers. Any suggestions for size/brand? I really like what I've heard about Infinity Kappa speakers, but haven't specifically looked at any models.

I have been thinking about simply replacing the 4 door speakers (with 2-ways) and letting the stock tweeters stay put. Is this advisable, or would it be worth my while to put component speakers in and replace the tweeters as well (even though I don't want to put in an external amp/crossover).

Next question is on wiring. Is the stock wiring decent enough to use if I'm not installing an external amp? Would it be worth my while to buy better speaker wire and re-run the wiring.

Finally, what would you rate as the difficulty of these sorts of installations? I've put new head units in other Toyota vehicles, and they're generally fairly straightforward. Get the wiring harness, and the mounting kit (to make up for the double-din). I have not, however, installed aftermarket speakers in a Toyota. Is removing the door panels a difficult process? I was thinking about having this installed, but as others have noted, you can never be sure of the quality of work, especially when everything is (or should be) hidden. I'm an IT person, and while I understand the electronics and elictrical workings, I'm not real mechanically inclined. If new wires are deemed necessary, I'm really not sure what I'd be doing, as I'd have no idea how to go about running new wires...

EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA Thanks for anyone who can provide me with any insight!

Thanks so much in advance!