Need advice from audiophiles re: augmenting sound system in WRX

[jutus]

Hi,

I've got some very concrete requirements and was wondering whether some of the more experience audiophiles on this board could offer their advice.

What I'd like to do is to get better quality sound in my WRX wagon. I'm not trying to give my car da boom or anything, just crisper sound without the horrid distortion and lack of clarity the stock WRX sound system has. I'm no audiophile, so maybe I'm lakcing the vocabulary to properly describe the aspects of the current sound system that I don't like.

I'd really like to stick with the stock head unit. I don't want a third party head unit in my dash.

I'm guessing replacing the stock speakers is the *only* thing I can do, right? Any recommendations on what to replace them with?

What sizes are the stock speakers?

thanks!

- j

[thechickencow]

I did a bit of research on this back a month or two ago because the music wasn't loud enough when the windows were open on the highway. I want better bass response and less distortion at higher volumes.

We can get line out converters for our stock head unit, run them to an amplifier, and then to the speakers. Doing just the amp will yield a decent improvement, and a decent amp will cost ~$150-200+

If the amp isn't enough, speakers can be put in, component speakers up front, and rear coax speakers are probalby fine. They will range somewhere in the 125-200 range for front speakers that are nice, and rears will be cheaper (if you do only coax).

Feel free to PM me about this, I got a lot of my info from i-club's stereo gurus. I figured for about $500 I could have a really decent setup without having a sub in place.

I eventually will do this, I've just been spending money on other things lately.

tcc

[tuca33]

When it comes to car Audio,,then i can help a lot..
=)
If you want good bass response you will need a subwoofer..
You dont need to have a strong setup like i have in my Dakota and will be finally in my WRX.
I have a 1500Watts RMS 1 channel kicker amp for my 1000Watts rms kicker square new sub..
I think if you buy a kicker like the kx70.5 you can have plenty of power to turn one sub and 2 speakers on..
and dont put speakers in the rear..use only 1 pair of speakers at the front and a sub at your trunk,,the sealed box for a kicker sub is very very small.
Thanks
Tuca

[jutus]

Originally posted by thechickencow
I did a bit of research on this back a month or two ago because the music wasn't loud enough when the windows were open on the highway. I want better bass response and less distortion at higher volumes.

That's exactly what I want.

We can get line out converters for our stock head unit, run them to an amplifier, and then to the speakers. Doing just the amp will yield a decent improvement, and a decent amp will cost ~$150-200+

Interesting... how do the lineout converters attach to the head unit? Do they step down? (deamplify?) Where would you stow the amp?

If the amp isn't enough, speakers can be put in, component speakers up front, and rear coax speakers are probalby fine. They will range somewhere in the 125-200 range for front speakers that are nice, and rears will be cheaper (if you do only coax).

Sounds like a good plan.

Feel free to PM me about this, I got a lot of my info from i-club's stereo gurus. I figured for about $500 I could have a really decent setup without having a sub in place.

500 bucks sounds about right. That was my initial top-end budget.

tcc, sounds like you and I have identical goals when it comes to getting better (but not best) sound out of the WRX. Please let me know if you come up with anything and I'd be happy to participate in a group buy, etc.

cheers,

- j

[tuca33]

Take a look at this Sound System,,It is now in My dakota,,but soon it will beon my WRX..
What you guys think??
The Main HP have My NOS setup..
Browse through the Left links that are called Som,,Mais Fotos,,Fotos ,,Turbo..
Thats where it is
Tuca33
Post Replies please
Tuca

[jutus]

tuca, very nice setup.

Your emphasis is on azzkicking bass, weareas I am just trying to get decent sound out of my setup.

[tuca33]

Thanks

[gqzboy]

yeah i have the 10" kicker L7 sub powered by a kicker 800.2 amp.. in the custom sealed box.. can't wait till i hook everything up..=)

[tuca33]

The 10" L7 is very nice..
I have 1 KX 800.2 too..its to power my front speakers Bostons Pro..
And i also have a KX1200.1 only for my S12L7
Thanks
Tuca

[hobbzz]

McIntosh 301M, and 12' IDMAX... very, very, very clean ! The amp is .005%THD MAXIMUM!

[thechickencow]

jutus,

The line out converters will just hook up to the speaker outputs on the back of the stock stereo. Basically you will put the amp under a seat (probably passenger) and run wires from the LOCs (line out converters) to the amp, then back to the speaker wires behind the stock HU.

I'm probably going to wait until spring to do this. It is cold here, and the windows aren't down very much lately. Too many other mods are on the list first!

tcc

[stanton]

Jutus, I was in the same place you are a few months ago. Geez, do I need an amp? Where would the subwoofer go? I eventually decided to take it a piece at a time. I knew I would be using new speakers. You can hear the deficiencies in the stock speakers and a lot of people here verify that they are a weak link. I would try just speakers, and then work from there. I already picked out the Alpine deck I would get, and was searching for amps and subs. Under the seat would be nice.

I spent many hours searching for speakers - especially what FITS - and listening to whatever I could in my area.

I ended up at the high-end of the 6 1/2 inch component lines. Where I was considering Rainbow (still never heard one), Infinity Ref./Kapp/Perfect, JL Audio XR, CDT. Everything else I listened to painful. Rockford Fosgates were a joke. Not to say there aren't others out there.

I really narrowed the choices down to Infinity Kappa or Perfect (very different sounds between the two) and JL Audio. The big kicker that drove me to the JL Audio XR650csi was the base response - likened to the Kappas, but with the smooth, un-harsh clarity of the Perfects. Unfortunately, the Perfects don't go very low in frequency - almost guaranteeing a need for a sub.

I had to build spacers, of course, to fit the 6.5's in the front doors. I should post details on that - with the spacer template - to save someone else time.

I Raamatted the exterior skin of the door, with closed cell foam on top of that, then Raamat on the interior to replace the plastic, siliconed the speaker mount and WOW!!

I'm done! Only problem is now my wife wants the same thing in here Forester.

I would suggest a path like this. You may surpise yourself and save a lot of money. Oh, I got the JL's locally for $260. Much cheaper on eBay, with no warrantee.

[kilyung]

Hey Stanton!
I'd love to see a pic of the setup in your car. Sounds exactly like what the doctor ordered for me. Any chance we could get you to put up detailed steps of your installation?

[cglasel]

Stanton,

could you post model numbers of the speakers you used. Was it the JL Audio XR650csi that you settled on? I want to make sure I get something that fits! You only did the front speakers, is that right?

Please post pics!

thanks,
charlie

[schmecky]

another option for you guys that are looking at retaining your stock headunit is to use AudioControl...
you can solder RCA ends directly to the outputs of the the stock radio and the use that as the input into either their Four.1 or Three.1 indash EQ's you will have to find a location for them but they will give you a better line level signal to your amplifiers then a line output converter would and will also allow you to have more adjustment of the audio then what the stock unit does....

check them out at www.audiocontrol.com