2002 Legacy - Question about audio

[Nk06]

Hi, I drive a 2002 Legacy L Sedan, the stereo system has 4 speakers.

 

I have not upgraded my speakers, but I am thinking about doing so as the stock speaker setup really isn't that impressive. I just got a new JVC head unit put in my car, and if I turn it up too much, the audio gets really distorted, even with a minimal amount of bass! So I was wondering if anyone here knows the wattage/ohm specifications for both the front and back speakers for a 2002 Legacy.

 

I guess I should explain the whole story. I went from having the standard Subaru head unit with a cassette player, then I got a CD player (also Subaru). Later on, I decided to get a Sony XPlod CDX-MP40 (52W x 4) head unit which replaced my tape deck/radio unit and cd player. Unfortunately, last week, the cd player completely broke, so I bought a JVC KD-G310 (50W x 4).

 

The JVC has 18 watts RMS and the Sony had around 23.5 watts RMS, which isn't *that* big of a difference.

 

However, with the Sony I could turn the bass up a little and have it pretty loud, and the audio came in very clear with good seperation; deep enough lows considering that bass wasn't up that much, and very clear, defined highs. Nothing was distorted unless I CRANKED up the volume to the max, which is to be expected.

 

With the JVC, once the volume gets to 30 (out of 50) the audio gets very, very distorted. The bass is crackly and as a result the highs kind of get cut off because of the bass.

 

I didn't think the difference between a 50 and 52W head unit would be that big of a deal, but is it? I figured maybe the JVC is making more distortion because its CD player has a higher SNR (96-98dB opposed to the sony which was like 70dB) with means it is outputting a much clearer signal to begin with. But the unit's amp itself has a SNR of 80dB which is confusing. Sony only lists the SNR for the CD player but not the amp.

 

Will buying better speakers fix this problem or should I take back my head unit? All I want is decent bass and clear highs, not even the best you can get, just no distortion... and that's what I could get before. With some songs, even if I put the bass at -2 or -3, it still sounds distorted. Very annoying.

 

 

Thanks in advance...

[J A Blazer]

Let me share my recent experience. I just bought a 2000 Outback wagon with 85k. Previous owner, at original time of purchase in early 2000, had upgraded the entire sound system with OEM Subaru speakers, tweeters, subwoofer, and 6-disc CD player.

 

I was not happy with the sound; quite a lot of distortion at modest volume, confined to driver's side, front and rear. I took door panels off and discovered that the speaker paper cones had separated from the metal frames. Clearly a bad batch of glue. I replaced the speakers with the same set from Subaru, and all is now well; sounds good. Lesson - check the speakers for failure before doing anything else.

 

Now, if only I could get the CD changer to work.

[Nk06]

That's very interesting.

 

However at the same levels with the same amount of bass/treble that I used with my Sony unit, I did not experience these problems. So I doubt the speakers went bad this soon, I just got the JVC unit installed and as soon as I started listening to it I could notice. It only took the place I took it to less than an hour to get it installed.

 

So what I am trying to figure out is if the unit is either underpowering my speakers or if the amp is too strong for them. If it's underpowering them, then obviously I want to take it back... but if it's too strong that means it has a good amp and I would then buy some new speakers. I will say that with both the Sony and JVC units, I had to take out some of the sound in the front and throw it into the rear channel (-2 or -3 "fade" setting). But the Sony still seemed to provide cleaner sound with more bass or songs/albums that have a more bass-rich or just plain louder production.

[scoobyclimbs]

I have an '03 outback . The stock speakers are 8 ohms .

I don't know the wattage rating.

 

I replaced mine with some MB Quarts and kept the stock headunit, sounds much better and keeps the theives at bay.

[Tiny Clark]

I digress...

[Cougar]

I think the least expensive way to make the most improvement in sound quality is to replace the speakers. Normally though they should be a significant part of the system cost since they really provide the sound your ears hear. If you can afford to invest around 100 dollars or more in new speakers I would try that and see how the sound is then.

 

Some speakers don't work as good as others with a particular amp due to various electrical characteristics of the speaker. The interaction between the two can be good and sometimes not so good. This is even more so when a crossover system is involved. Your current speakers may need more drive than your current head unit can provide at the sound level you want. With the little extra power the Sony had it may make the difference.

 

If better quality speakers don't help here, you may need to go back to the Sony line for a better sound.

[nipper]

That's very interesting.

 

However at the same levels with the same amount of bass/treble that I used with my Sony unit, I did not experience these problems. So I doubt the speakers went bad this soon, I just got the JVC unit installed and as soon as I started listening to it I could notice. It only took the place I took it to less than an hour to get it installed.

 

quote]

 

There is no standard between mfg's of steros, so you really cant compare what brand x did as compared to brand y. There is a lot of black magic in the ratings. i would replace the speakers and you will get the clean sound you are looking for.

 

nipper