Hello I just bought a 2011 WRX. Its awesome!

[Dramlin]

I think where we can all agree is that there are a few ways to improve your sound system in one way or another. The general ways are..

1) Change the head unit to an aftermarket unit, OR, clean up and amp the signal via a Cleansweep like device. This is going to make the system sound from absolutely terrible (bad highs, bad mids, no/severely distorted lows), to above average (good highs, good mids, mediocre/artificial lows). It still wont be perfect without a Sub.

2) Change the speakers. This will give you the capability of getting excellent sound across the entire spectrum, as long as the source delivering the sound can send accurate information to them. On a stock system without a sub, depending on the speakers, the high's and mid's should be noticeably better than they were before, and the lows should be much better than before. It still wont be perfect without a change to the head unit (or cleansweep), and maybe a sub depending on the speakers.

3) Add a Sub. This gives you the ability to take everything below a certain level off of the speakers entirely (likely 70-80hz with the stock speakers i would bet). You will instantly notice that the speakers sound better since they don't have to try and do the lows. Highs should be decent, mids should be decent, and lows should be excellent. Still wont be perfect without a head unit change (but will be much closer)

The debate seems to be which one of these 3 gives you the most bang for your time/money. My vote is 1/3/2, and it sounds like Magnums (correct me if im wrong) is 3/2/1. Either way, throw some money at it and it will sound better

[Chris Derrick]

I am very interested in someone to do something so I will know what way to go. I don't care for bass at all just normal amount so not really interested in a sub but would love to get all new speakers and nice amp see how it sounds. Damn doors rattle also is there no insulation in them for sound system???

[ruralsinatras]

1. whiteboy swaybars kartman endlinks - 22mm front and rear (front-stiffest, rear - meduim)
2. group n tranny/motor mounts
3. kartman short shifter with front/rear bushings/tic pivot bushing
4. whiteboy rear diff/subframe inserts
5 whiteboy steering rack bushings
6. rally armor mudflaps
7. Invidia TBE with high flow cat
8. cobb stage 2
9. weathertech rain guards
10. continental extreme contact DWS tires for winter
11. dont know zilch about stereos

all this would be a great setup IMO.....
glas u have a sedan, me too!!! I felt i was getting killed by all the hatch people

[rage-wrx]

1. whiteline swaybars kartman endlinks - 22mm front and rear (front-stiffest, rear - meduim)
2. group n tranny/motor mounts
3. kartboy short shifter with front/rear bushings/tic pivot bushing
4. whiteline rear diff/subframe inserts
5 whiteline steering rack bushings
6. rally armor mudflaps
7. Invidia TBE with high flow cat
8. cobb stage 2
9. weathertech rain guards
10. continental extreme contact DWS tires for winter
11. dont know zilch about stereos

all this would be a great setup IMO.....
glas u have a sedan, me too!!! I felt i was getting killed by all the hatch people

Fixed

[teflon_jones]

The best audio mod you can make to the car is this:


Once you install this, you won't care what the stereo sounds like since you'll rarely turn it on!

[rage-wrx]

The best audio mod you can make to the car is this.Once you install this, you won't care what the stereo sounds like since you'll rarely turn it on!

+1.After installing my nameless thanks to Teflon,I rarely turn the stereo on.

[MagnumXL]

I am very interested in someone to do something so I will know what way to go. I don't care for bass at all just normal amount so not really interested in a sub but would love to get all new speakers and nice amp see how it sounds. Damn doors rattle also is there no insulation in them for sound system???

A subwoofer doesn't have to mean huge bass. I get 'good solid' bass with that under-seat 8" 120 watt sub. It's not a boom-mobile by any means. I like clean bass.

Once you install this, you won't care what the stereo sounds like since you'll rarely turn it on!

If you don't like music, I guess that's true. If you do like music, listening to just a motor rev up and down and drone on the freeway gets old fast.

[EJ257]

The best audio mod you can make to the car is this: [picture edited to conserve space]


Once you install this, you won't care what the stereo sounds like since you'll rarely turn it on!

Then you get bored, and decide a nice ELH is needed and a stereo is a great way to tide you over in the meantime. Or maybe that's just me...

[teflon_jones]

1. whiteboy swaybars kartman endlinks - 22mm front and rear (front-stiffest, rear - meduim)
2. group n tranny/motor mounts
3. kartman short shifter with front/rear bushings/tic pivot bushing
4. whiteboy rear diff/subframe inserts
5 whiteboy steering rack bushings
6. rally armor mudflaps
7. Invidia TBE with high flow cat
8. cobb stage 2
9. weathertech rain guards
10. Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3 tires for winter (why on earth would you buy all season tires for winter? all season tires are called that because they're mediocre in all seasons, and downright poor in snow a lot of times. If not Dunlops, then some Blizzaks, which are also excellent. Generally guys that know tires buy one of these two, and the preference generally goes to whichever one they tried first. Then they stick with that brand because both are excellent and people love them so they don't switch.) (continental extreme contact DWS tires for winter
11. dont know zilch about stereos

all this would be a great setup IMO.....
glas u have a sedan, me too!!! I felt i was getting killed by all the hatch people

Fixed

Re-fixed the tires...

If you don't like music, I guess that's true. If you do like music, listening to just a motor rev up and down and drone on the freeway gets old fast.

I love music. I just love the sound of an engine more. If I did more long-distance driving then I'd want a better stereo. These days I rarely am in the car for more than 45 minute trips, and since I'm old, I listen to NPR a lot and it doesn't matter what kind of stereo you have for that.

My old STi had an awesome stereo in it because it did a lot of 3+ hour trips. I prefer Alpine equipment because I think it's the best-sounding stuff out there for the money.

[MagnumXL]

I've got an 8GB USB stick loaded up with around 100 CDs worth or music, 1/2 of which is set up in a "Misc" folder to use with shuffle (the other half are my favorite full albums I want to hear in their entirety or by quick access). It's like having my own radio station that only plays music I want to hear. It doesn't matter if I'm driving for 22 minutes to work or an hour to my mother's house or four and a half hours to Niagara Falls. I've got some good songs to hear, regardless.

Besides, if I don't play music and have the windows up, I tend to hear all the rattles I still haven't completely gotten rid of in various parts of the car (very easy to hear over the relatively narrow-band frequency of the engine/exhaust) and that drives me bonkers. Damn that cheap interior!

[YorkWRX11]

Stereo is horrible stock. I upgraded to the kicker trunk sub for $300 and it is 100x better. Huge difference. No comparison to how bad it sounded before installing installing it. Sound of the front speakers is nice now that they dont have to do any bass its freed them up. The bass isnt all that loud if you dont want it to be. I typically roll around with the bass at -4-6 depending. Since i have the spt exhaust everyone always tells me when i am on blue tooth that they can barely hear me. Congrats on the purchase good choice and welcom to the club

[MagnumXL]

That's odd. No one can hear my SPT exhaust at all on Bluetooth (seems to cancel it out automatically). Of course, I do roll the windows up first (air noise alone kills it with them down).

[twister8008]

I don't have any problems with my blue tooth and spt...

[YorkWRX11]

Is there settings somewhere that i can fix this? Maybe i need to re-sync it? I have an Iphone4 what phone do you have?

Also when you are on bluetooth is there a mic somewhere that pics up the voice or is it from the phone? i typically put my phone right in that slot under the stereo

[MagnumXL]

The car's mic is by the map lights (pretty visible if you look there). I just have a generic 3G AT&T (Nokia) phone. I connect it to a power adapter charger and leave it in the center arm rest. I think I did have some odd issues when I had it sitting out and open the one time (it was fine closed under the stereo, though before) so I don't know if its own mic could interfere somehow under certain condition (e.g. fold phone being open, for example).