Question about Radio unit and speakers

Hey y’all,
I have a two-part question, I have 2016 Tacoma with 7” touchscreen with no JBL.

My first question is, has anybody been able to change their radio unit and keep the steering wheel buttons and backup camera working with an aftermarket radio?
I do like the 10” Stinger radio but it is too expensive for me.

My second question is, has anybody done a full upgrade to the speakers without amplification? If so, what have you use for speakers and harness wires?

These were the speakers I was looking at and putting in my truck, but I would like some feedback.
For the dashboard tweeters, I was thinking of using JBL GX328 3-1/2”
for the front doors JBL GX963 6”X9” 3-way and for the back doors JBL GX628 6.5” 2-way. I have also attached pictures to the speakers.

(Update) The JBL GX328 3-1/2” did not fit in the dashboard, so I decided to go with kicker tweeter speakers. I did still install the JBL 6x9 3-way and 6.5 2-way speakers and everything sounds phenomenal. Still using factory head unit for now. Here is the link to the kicker tweeter.

$100 Subaru Genuine Tweeter Kit Kicker WRX STi Forester Crosstrek Impreza H631SFJ101

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PV6F8I2

 

There are several options out there. I think there is a thread on TW here somewhere. But there are many that include the steering wheel connections, etc, so that once installed, it works like OEM. However there are some that do lose some options, like displaying certain menu options in the settings. A good review is to go to the Youtube channel of "Chloe Kuo". She does an actual review of one she installed in her 2019 Tacoma. Her review is excellent.

 

To your first question, yes, there are several on the forum that have replaced the factory HU and retained the wheel controls and back up camera. Some radios will have the ability to plug and play, some will require an additional interface module.


For your next question, yes, I replaced all my speakers without amplification. There was an improvement in sound quality but not in volume. The factory HU does not provide enough power to push aftermarket speakers well.

I ended up installing an Alpine Powerpack

$240 KTP-445U Universal Power Pack

KTP-445U amplifier in behind the HU to power my Kicker DS Series speakers.

 

I did a lot of research on here before replacing my head unit. There are several rather lengthy threads on it, addressing several manufacturers. I went with a Kenwood unit. It was a little pricey and required a Maestro unit (as most head units will) to maintain almost all OEM functionality, while adding several other functions/displays. The only thing that I can think of that I lost was the ability to have navigation displays on my dash, between the tac and speedometer. I maintained ALL steering wheel functionality, with the added ability of mapping all the buttons. In addition to maintaining the backup camera, I have the ability to add 3 more cameras with "camera anytime" capability. The Maestro also pulls a lot of other info from your OBD port.

I did NOT add an amplifier, though I may get around to it sometime. I am in no rush, as I am pretty satisfied with the additional power of my Kenwood head unit, coupled with Kicker speakers all around. The Kickers seem to be a pretty popular option on the Tacoma World threads that I saw and I am happy that I went with them. They strike up a pretty good balance between quality and cost.

 

If you only plan on replacing speakers, don't bother with the rears. Set your fader to the rears currently and you'll see that the factory radio doesn't send much back there.

Knowing what I know now, if I have no plans to add an amp with the factory head unit I'd replace the tweeters and be done. The Infinity Reference 6x9 and 6.5 that I replaced do sound better, but only to my ears because I knew they were replaced and I was able to compare left to right channels while I still had the OEM speakers on place.

The factory radio just doesn't have the power to make use of aftermarket speakers. They did sound cleaner but I lost volume and bass. I did add an amp so now they sound excellent. If you don't ever plan on adding an amp, find a speaker with high sensitivity that works well with lower power.

 

For anyone considering upgrading to the awesome Subaru KICKER tweeters (

$118 H631SFJ101 Subaru Genuine Tweeter Kit Kicker WRX STi Forester Crosstrek Impreza H631SFJ101

H631SFJ101) there is a 20% coupon code (HDY22) available to use at subarupartswarehouse.com. They are great speakers and I have used them in 3 Tacomas. The total price is now $75 including tax. There may be a shipping or pickup handling charge added at checkout.