phuzaxeman Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I'm also a musician/producer ([url="http://www.phuz.com"]www.phuz.com[/url]). I do this for a living. The system is above average. It's not bad actually. I have the sub underneath the seat and its good but it lacks in that there is no seperate control (as far as I know). EQ is pretty basic. It suits the average listener but is not enough to control specific frequencies. THe thing about this system is when you turn it up, it starts to sound "brittle" in the mids&highs. Most stock setups have this problem when you crank up the sound. Highs are OK but the lows are not as deep (an individual eq for the sub would help). I have a competition single enclosed JBL Sub and Phoenix gold amp that helps the overall sound, but I have to really manually set things right to get a "quality" balanced sound. Overall, good sound but not great. Changing the speakers to MB quartz or Elipses would definitely raise the quality of sound (haven't done that). Pro Fools aDDICt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeedMoreBoost Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 [quote name='phuzaxeman']EQ is pretty basic. It suits the average listener but is not enough to control specific frequencies. THe thing about this system is when you turn it up, it starts to sound "brittle" in the mids&highs. Most stock setups have this problem when you crank up the sound. Highs are OK but the lows are not as deep (an individual eq for the sub would help). [/QUOTE] Agree with you on the brittle sound. My head unit in my old car (Clarion) only had bass and treble controlls as far as EQ but I never had a problem with it like I do with the OEM radio in the Legacy. The speakers were also crossed over STOCK VW speakers but when I first got the head unit they were playing full range. I think the amplifier in the head unit is putting out a muddy signal therefore changing the door speakers for a $400 - $600 for 2 pairs of MB Quart Componets wouldn't be worth it in my opinion. My old system consisted of a 5 channel Sound Stream amp, 2 rockford 10 in subs Clarion CD changer and Head unit. STOCK CLARION VW speakes :eek: ...not the best components but when properly tuned and crossed over, it sounded amazing. Thats why I never replaced the door speakers... they were already components and sounded good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sde Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 so many audio people here :) i too work in the industry, for a major electronic music equipment manufacturer. i'm with on thacliff on most of this. i'm pretty happy with the system unless i'm looking for some thumpin lows at higher levels. i don't have the sub, but i'm sure that would fix it. the lack of an audio input, or any work around short of hacking cables and using a silent cd to listen to it is my only complaint. and for studio monitors, mackie's rock, 20/20bas rock especially for the price, i have ds-90's .. pretty true but arguably a little hard on the ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 [quote name='phuzaxeman']THe thing about this system is when you turn it up, it starts to sound "brittle" in the mids&highs. Most stock setups have this problem when you crank up the sound. Highs are OK but the lows are not as deep (an individual eq for the sub would help).[/QUOTE] You, sir, have just described the problem not only with almost every car audio system, but 98% of home audio systems. Drivers get stressed, and when they do, bad things happen. This accounts for much of why high-volume listening is perceived as painful. We are reacting to the driver distortion as much as the volume. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sduford Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 And some people think it is actually louder when it is distorting badly. I'm always amazed when some jerk pulls up next to me and his music is so distorted that it hurts MY ears. Sly Sylvain www.digitalfotographer.com - Audi Q5 Club - MB-GLK Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sde Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 i like the guys who pull up and the POS car rattles louder than the music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offthacliff Posted December 21, 2004 Author Share Posted December 21, 2004 I think the sub does have a volume control of its own (on the sub somewhere) I dont have it but I read a thread where a guy had his turned down a bit... MB Quarts is exactly what I was thinking... With this Kenwood amp: [url]http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=13069[/url] HightZ inputs so you dont need a LOC. And I will add the factory Sub.(I will try to mount under the passenger seat for the enjoyment of my Girl.lol) Simple Sleeper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Angus Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 the front component speakers sound good, almost pretty good. they have decent clarity to them. the rear speakers kill me. i sat in the back of the legacy one day, just to do a quick comparo, and felt that they were weak. if i ever get around to it, i'm definitely going to swap them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warnoldscu Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 you can tell the pitch of all sounds? are you only talking the standard 12 tones, like you have perfect pitch and you memorized the numbers, or you can tell EXACTLY what the frequency is, even on quarter tones, etc.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firedawgs Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 I used to compete in stereo competitions. First I did SPL and then sound quality. It is a expensive @ss hobby and I am done with that. The stocker is not bad, the subwoofer is a must. I would like to see Subaru have a McIntosh option or comparable. BTW; someone mentioned putting the WRX sub into ours. It won't work. I tried it. It is a different size and different connector. Different model number too in the books as well. Updated my vBGarage: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSattler Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 Sub has two adjustment screws, one for volume, one a low pass filter (that may not technically be what it is, but that's what it seems to do). It's trial and error on the settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offthacliff Posted December 23, 2004 Author Share Posted December 23, 2004 The question about pitch... For me I assume, Well I dont claim to have "perfect Pich" but, I can tell you almost the exact frequency of most tones... It is something you develop doing live sound (hearing the difference between feedback @ 1k and not mistaking it for 1.5k for example)and EQing individual instruments and vocals on recordings. Acctualy when I got better, was when I got a High SPL Real time anyliser (One that was used for car audio compititions) I would just play a tone, or wistle and pay attention to what frequency it was... Once I had a frame of refrence, I could easly discern frequencys.This is what makes a good sound engineer, not knowing what all the fancy equipment does, but knowing how to make a mix SOUND good! As for the LGT system, I am satisfied... I need the sub! And I agree the system could be a little brighter.... But this is more than enough sound for such a small space, I will eventualy upgrade the speakers and add an amp, but this is last on my list of MODs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinddog Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 I think the speakers sound average at best. Of course, I come from a Lexus IS300 which has arguably the best stock system around (outside Levinson). Was wondering what some good upgrades people got... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanKen Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 ... the fact that I have a 60GB EMPEG sitting on my shelf instead of in the car makes me very cranky. Six CDs? BFD when I got 60GB of audio in the dash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeGreatOne Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 FWIW, I've only had the base Legacy w/single CD for a few days, so I'm sure it isn't "Broken in" yet. I too have been surprised with the clarity, adjustability, and ease of use provided by this stock system. I think, for the price (stock), it is a very good system with decent sound. However, it does have deficiencies! The mid-range has horrible color (think BIC horn components of the '70s/80s, or early Vox guitar amps) and really detracts from the lows and highs, so it must be kept to a setting of 0 or 2 at the most. The lows are not all that low, and the highs seem crisp, but not bright, not "musical." Once again, for a stock system it's quite good, but many of us will upgrade. In my Miata I upgraded from a very poor stock 2-speaker system to a Blaupunkt Casablanca with an 8 speaker Focal Kevlar system and then added a Clarion SRV-303 Subwoofer. I used heavier gauge Monster wiring throughout. The sound is VERY good for a roadster, with amazing depth and clarity. The stock Legacy head unit seems quite adequate (with the mid kept low, and stock exhaust), so I think a speaker upgrade will make a significant difference. Now, I haven't pulled the door panels off yet, so I don't actually know the sizes of the stock speakers or how much room/depth in inches I have to work with. I'd be happy to receive that information from anyone who has replaced the speakers in his/her Legacy. I also read within these Forums that speaker mount spacers are available, but don't know where to get them. Any info would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offthacliff Posted December 31, 2004 Author Share Posted December 31, 2004 yeah my mids rarly go above +1..... Blaupunkt; wow, I only used Bpkt in my jeeps... they are (or use to be) so durable, and clean. Optimass now features some good bang for your buck decks, durable too. But I guess thats not an issue with our LGT (yet)... As for speaker upgrades. I now lean toward MBQuarts. havnt checked sizes yet either... For me audio upgrade is last on a long list, non the least of wich is Remapping and UP/TBE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red beast Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 turn the bass and treble to max. let me know if you think it's better. i think it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offthacliff Posted January 1, 2005 Author Share Posted January 1, 2005 Treble is allways at 6... Bass is the one thing I change between +2-+5 depending on what im playing. and I go from centered to R1 on the fader, if i go up with the Low end... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frontrangeSubie Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 WITH Sub: Bass at 2 Mid at 2 Treble at 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobCatron Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 I agree, sound quality is excellent. I am one of the ones though, that would like it to go louder. I do like to jam out on my work commutes to some good ol' Rock and Roll (no Bass thumping music in my car) Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne53 Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 Agreed. Sound quality is awesome. -Tyler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scans007 Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 Be'n an Audio nut, having this car for 3 days, I am def impressed with this stock system. Running Bass +3 Mid +2 Treb. + 6. But I will still be install'n my 500/1 JL Sub amp and W7 Sub, e4300 amp and Alpine speakers. The DVD Screen/Nav will be the project after that...=) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.