Speakers and Stock Head Unit

AdmireWantWillLove · 03-05-2003, 11:31 PM

I am not looking for anything Fancy... just something that will sound good. I want to keep my stock head unit and NOT add an amp or anything... heres what I was thinking:

Front: 6 1/2 Infinity Kappa
Rear: 5 1/4 Infinity Kappa

Doesnt the WRX Sedan have tweeters in the doors???

Please help me out on what I should get... thanks!

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c_hunter · 03-06-2003, 10:26 AM

Stock head unit.

Put in Rockford Fosgate 6.5" speakers up front, 4" in the rear. The way the car is set up, I couldn't really hear the rear speakers from the driver's seat, so I decided not to mess with putting 5.25" in the rear (since it involves a little cutting). The 4" speakers fit in the rear without any fuss, and help fill in the sound.

Mounting 6.5" speakers in the front required fabrication of a spacer ring (3/8" thick for the Rockfords). Overall, it was not a difficult install, just took some time getting everything to fit.

I also applied dynamat to the inside of the door panels, right behind the speakers. It helps quite a bit.

Compared to the stock speakers, the sound is much, much clearer. But, there was not a whole lot of bass. So, I added a factory sub under the passenger seat, and the system sounds great now. It is not real loud or a real thumper, but it's about perfect for my needs.

Down the road, I may add an amp, but I'm happy for now.

To answer your questions: yes, the Infinity speakers are good. There are several grades of Infinity speakers; skip the bottom of the line. Yes, the car comes with tweeters in the front doors. I don't think they are very good, but if you are adding a 2-way or 3-way speaker to the front doors, you will have more than enough high frequency with all those tweeters.

You could probably swap a higher quality tweeter into the door, but I don't think the placement is ideal, so it might not make a whole lot of difference. Tweeters would sound better up near the mirror trim, if you could mount and aim them properly.

Craig

Roo · 03-06-2003, 10:29 AM

I like the sound of the MB Quart setup, or the a/d/s setup.

www.mbquart.com

http://www.mainstreet-audio.com/ADS/ADS_speakers.htm

c_hunter · 03-06-2003, 10:32 AM

Before adding the sub, bass was weak as I mentioned and the speakers started to distort if I turned the bass up. Probably more a function of the low power of the factory radio than anything else.

Anyhow, with the sub, I can keep the bass setting on the radio between -1 and +1, which keeps the speakers sounding clean. By upping the gain knob of the sub, I still get plenty of bass out of the subwoofer.

So, it all worked out to be a decent combination.

Craig

Sunkist · 03-06-2003, 01:57 PM

I got Infinity Kappas in my car right now with the factory head and they made a huge improvement but I still want better so I am getting a new head unit down the road. I have 5s in the front and 4s in the rear because I got them before I had my car and I didn't know what would fit, everyone and every site says different things so I had to guess. You should like it with just what you have.

itWoRX · 03-10-2003, 11:40 AM

Something I think I have noticed......the factory head unit (which I still run) seems to have a "auto-loudness" that likes to interfere too much.....I cant keep the bass pounding good when I start to crank it.....I have a line level adapter feeding a single channel RF 150 that feeds a bazooka tube.....and it sounds decent and fills the low end decently, but when I start to get the volume up, the thump semms to diminish......I think the factory head units shunts the low frequencies faster that an aftermarket head unit (probably to prolong the life of the junk factory speakers).....any comments?

Mulder · 03-10-2003, 11:52 AM

Auto-loudness is a common feature on low-power factory HUs. It makes them sound more powerful than they really are and gives the sound an artificial fullness at lower volumes. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it.
I replaced my HU because of this and also the poor frequency response and dynamic range in the radio section. Better speakers can only help so much when they don't have enough to work with.

03-05-2003, 11:31 PM	#1
AdmireWantWillLove * Banned * Member#: 24146 Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Warren, MI Vehicle: 2004 GTO Black	Speakers and Stock Head Unit I am not looking for anything Fancy... just something that will sound good. I want to keep my stock head unit and NOT add an amp or anything... heres what I was thinking: Front: 6 1/2 Infinity Kappa Rear: 5 1/4 Infinity Kappa Doesnt the WRX Sedan have tweeters in the doors??? Please help me out on what I should get... thanks! * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

03-06-2003, 10:26 AM	#2
c_hunter Scooby Specialist Member#: 32434 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wmsbg, Virginia Vehicle: 05 Outback XT 5EAT Gold/Black	Here's what I did Stock head unit. Put in Rockford Fosgate 6.5" speakers up front, 4" in the rear. The way the car is set up, I couldn't really hear the rear speakers from the driver's seat, so I decided not to mess with putting 5.25" in the rear (since it involves a little cutting). The 4" speakers fit in the rear without any fuss, and help fill in the sound. Mounting 6.5" speakers in the front required fabrication of a spacer ring (3/8" thick for the Rockfords). Overall, it was not a difficult install, just took some time getting everything to fit. I also applied dynamat to the inside of the door panels, right behind the speakers. It helps quite a bit. Compared to the stock speakers, the sound is much, much clearer. But, there was not a whole lot of bass. So, I added a factory sub under the passenger seat, and the system sounds great now. It is not real loud or a real thumper, but it's about perfect for my needs. Down the road, I may add an amp, but I'm happy for now. To answer your questions: yes, the Infinity speakers are good. There are several grades of Infinity speakers; skip the bottom of the line. Yes, the car comes with tweeters in the front doors. I don't think they are very good, but if you are adding a 2-way or 3-way speaker to the front doors, you will have more than enough high frequency with all those tweeters. You could probably swap a higher quality tweeter into the door, but I don't think the placement is ideal, so it might not make a whole lot of difference. Tweeters would sound better up near the mirror trim, if you could mount and aim them properly. Craig

03-06-2003, 10:29 AM	#3
Roo Scooby Specialist Member#: 14931 Join Date: Feb 2002 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: between redwoods and vineyards	Try these I like the sound of the MB Quart setup, or the a/d/s setup. www.mbquart.com http://www.mainstreet-audio.com/ADS/ADS_speakers.htm

03-06-2003, 10:32 AM	#4
c_hunter Scooby Specialist Member#: 32434 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wmsbg, Virginia Vehicle: 05 Outback XT 5EAT Gold/Black	one more thing Before adding the sub, bass was weak as I mentioned and the speakers started to distort if I turned the bass up. Probably more a function of the low power of the factory radio than anything else. Anyhow, with the sub, I can keep the bass setting on the radio between -1 and +1, which keeps the speakers sounding clean. By upping the gain knob of the sub, I still get plenty of bass out of the subwoofer. So, it all worked out to be a decent combination. Craig

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03-06-2003, 01:57 PM	#5
Sunkist Scooby Newbie Member#: 26387 Join Date: Oct 2002 Chapter/Region: SWIC Location: Tucson, AZ Vehicle: 2002 2.5 Hybrid WRX Platinum	I got Infinity Kappas in my car right now with the factory head and they made a huge improvement but I still want better so I am getting a new head unit down the road. I have 5s in the front and 4s in the rear because I got them before I had my car and I didn't know what would fit, everyone and every site says different things so I had to guess. You should like it with just what you have.

03-10-2003, 11:40 AM	#6
itWoRX Scooby Newbie Member#: 21305 Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Columbus, Ohio Vehicle: 2002 WRX Sport Wagon WR blue	Something I think I have noticed......the factory head unit (which I still run) seems to have a "auto-loudness" that likes to interfere too much.....I cant keep the bass pounding good when I start to crank it.....I have a line level adapter feeding a single channel RF 150 that feeds a bazooka tube.....and it sounds decent and fills the low end decently, but when I start to get the volume up, the thump semms to diminish......I think the factory head units shunts the low frequencies faster that an aftermarket head unit (probably to prolong the life of the junk factory speakers).....any comments?

03-10-2003, 11:52 AM	#7
Mulder Trust no one Moderator Member#: 11170 Join Date: Oct 2001 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: NYC Vehicle: 13 Mini MT 15 WRX/11 CRZ	Auto-loudness is a common feature on low-power factory HUs. It makes them sound more powerful than they really are and gives the sound an artificial fullness at lower volumes. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it. I replaced my HU because of this and also the poor frequency response and dynamic range in the radio section. Better speakers can only help so much when they don't have enough to work with.

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