Alpine's Toyota Tacoma Halo9 And Subwoofer Reviewed

Photography: Craig Perronne

Third-generation Toyota Tacoma owners have three options when it comes to audio. There is Entune Audio, Entune Audio Plus, or Entune Premium Audio with 6.1- or 8-inch touchscreens. For our Project Taco Truck Tacoma, we made sure to order the TRD Off-Road package. It comes with a rear locker and Entune Premium Audio with an 8-inch touchscreen. We knew we would put the locker to good use. And, we thought the bigger screen and extra functionality of Entune Audio Plus would be worth it too.

While we were right about the locker, Entune is definitely a clunky and frustrating system to use. It is no match for the user-friendliness and ease of use of either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Both Apple and Google have teams of highly-paid and probably overworked engineers that work on both systems. Both receive constant updates and refinements. In stark contrast, Entune feels like an afterthought that one developer tinkers with in his spare time on random weekends. Why Toyota didn’t ditch Entune long ago was always a bit of a mystery. Especially when much better options like Apply CarPlay and Android Auto exist. Thankfully, the 2020 Tacoma will finally come with both.

We like our 2017 Toyota Tacoma Project Taco Truck and have no intention of getting rid of it. Thankfully, Alpine offers an elegant solution to our Entune woes without having to purchase a 2020 Tacoma. The Alpine Halo9 iLX-F309TCM replaces the factory unit with a gorgeous 9-inch display. The Halo9 comes with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a ton of features. For more bass, Alpine’s PSU-300TCM subwoofer was an easy choice. Let’s take a look at how it all went down.

Our Toyota Tacoma came equipped with the larger 8-inch Entune Premium Audio touchscreen. After using it for over a year, we can say that is it mediocre at best. It doesn’t integrate that well with a mobile phone, has poor voice recognition, is slow, and can be extremely frustrating to use. Plus, we hate Entune telling us we are in slow traffic over and over again when stuck in that slow traffic.

Removing the original OEM radio is a reasonably straightforward process. Installing the rear PSU-300TCM subwoofer is more involved than the Halo9. Someone capable of reading directions and removing interior panels can install either one. Since we have a habit of breaking things, we left the installation up to the professionals.

Making the install a lot easier is Alpine’s pre-made wiring loom. We can’t imagine having to figure out all of this wiring from scratch. It is very high quality and comes with each connector labeled, so there is no confusion on what goes where.

Another essential piece is Alpine’s iDatalink Maestro module. It integrates with the vehicle so that you can still use the steering controls with the Halo9. The iDatalink can also display engine performance data on the Halo9’s 9-inch display.

The wiring harness for the subwoofer tucks nicely under the door sills of the Tacoma. Routing it does require removing some panels, but it is pretty straightforward. There is no splicing, soldering, or wiring involved since all of that is already done for you.

The Alpine subwoofer fits in the dead space behind the rear seat on the driver’s side. All of the panels and the rear jump seat have to come out for the install. It is not complicated work, but it can be time-consuming if you don’t know what you are doing.

The Alpine PSU-300TCM is a pretty slick subwoofer. It is compact but still fits an 8-inch subwoofer inside of its enclosure. An internal 120-watt RMS amplifier powers the sub for plenty of punch. The vehicle-specific brackets allow it to bolt in without any drilling needed. Once the wiring harness is routed, installing the PSU-300TCM is easy.

With the bracket in place, the subwoofer is held securely in place. There are a couple of options to run the wiring harness to it. Part of the panel can be cut out to run the wiring from the bottom. We didn’t want to cut the panel, so we just ran the wiring from the top. The harness is more visible, but with the seat up, the subwoofer is hidden from view, so it doesn’t matter to us.

A bit surprising to us was that Alpine includes the KTP-445U Power Pack 4-Channel amplifier with the subwoofer. The amp isn’t for the sub, but the rest of the speakers in the Tacoma. More power to the speakers helps to clean up the sound. And, it will make a more significant difference if you choose to upgrade your speakers down the line.

The Halo9 is a bit different as it “floats” outside of the original mounting location. This allows it to fit into place without the need for a custom installation. The screen can also be tilted up or down depending upon your preference. We weren’t sure if we would like it, but the result looks great. The extra size of the display also makes a big difference when using it.

Android Auto simply blows away Toyota’s Entune system. It is way easier to use, more intuitive, more responsive, has way better voice recognition, and is a lot less frustrating. Entune always seemed like it only partially integrated with your mobile phone and was very clunky. With Android Auto, the Halo9 basically acts as a mirror of your phone. We didn’t try Apple CarPlay, but it should be just as slick.

One of the biggest frustrations with Entune is its lackluster navigation. We would have to find a location on our phone and then manually enter the address into Entune. With the Halo9 and Android Auto, we can find something with Google and then navigate to it directly. The travel times with Android Auto are also way more accurate. And with its latest update, Android Auto has super detailed directions.

The easiest way to understand the Halo9 is to think of it as a mirror of your phone. But it also has a lot of other screens and features besides just mirroring your phone. This screen can display a multitude of gauges with a ton of gauges to pick from. Best of all, the Halo9 is super easy to use. You don’t need to read through a giant instruction manual, as it is straightforward to figure it out. If you can operate your smartphone, you can use the Halo9.

There are a ton of music options with the Halo9. You can play music via Spotify, Pandora, Sirius XM, and others. That music will sound good, too, with the PSU-300TCM subwoofer. If you are looking for bass that will blow your windows out, this isn’t it. But the 8-inch subwoofer does provide a nice extra punch of clean bass without being overpowering. We actually turned it down to its lowest setting since we enjoy a more balanced sound.

A nice feature of the Halo9 is almost everything is customizable. There are plenty of options for equalizer presets. Or you can adjust levels individually. Initially, we thought the volume of the voice for directions while navigating was too low. A quick trip over to the setting screen lets us adjust that. Dig around in the settings and the level of customization and adjustment is mind boggling.

Products we used in this article

Alpine Toyota Tacoma Halo9 iLX-F309TCM

$1,274.15

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Alpine 8-inch PSU-300TCM Toyota Tacoma Subwoofer

$749.95

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Alpine’s Toyota Tacoma Halo9 And Subwoofer Reviewed

Products we used in this article

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