Power rating of head unit

[danz75]

Does anyone know the power rating for the CD/AM/FM/WB head unit standard with the 03 Outback Legacy wagons? I'm trying to find speakers for my car and am looking at options that don't involve an amp if possible.

 

Thanks.

[Kilroy]

Most stock HUs aren't capable of decent internal amplification, you will see 50Wx4 at best. 50W is the peak rating, RMS (nominal power) rating is probably closer to 12Wx4. Check the RMS rating on the speakers you are shopping for and be sure to check the efficiency of the speaker as well. A higher efficiency speaker will give you better amplitude and sound with the same power going to it than a lower efficiency speaker. As you are looking at replacement speakers, try and stick to better brand names and you will thank yourself once you hear them after the install. Focal, Boston Acoustics and Denon all produce great quality speakers, but there is a price premium for the quality.

[danz75]

Most stock HUs aren't capable of decent internal amplification, you will see 50Wx4 at best. 50W is the peak rating, RMS (nominal power) rating is probably closer to 12Wx4. Check the RMS rating on the speakers you are shopping for and be sure to check the efficiency of the speaker as well. A higher efficiency speaker will give you better amplitude and sound with the same power going to it than a lower efficiency speaker. As you are looking at replacement speakers, try and stick to better brand names and you will thank yourself once you hear them after the install. Focal, Boston Acoustics and Denon all produce great quality speakers, but there is a price premium for the quality.

 

Thanks for the info. On the stock speakers, its listed at 22w on the back so I figure the HU is probably rated ~12WX4 to ~20WX4.

 

I am trying to replace all 4 speakers although it's just the fronts that seemed to have gone bad. Looked up crutchfield and spoke to an advisor who told me that I should probably install the 50W speakers which is the lowest power rating aftermarket speakers now. If I want to get anything rated higher, I would have to either change the HU or add an amp.

 

I did a search and read something about having the speakers close to the HU rated power which is why I was trying to find out what the stock HU is rated at. I was planning to purchse a component speaker set but the crutchfield advisor warned me that it's rated quite a bit higher than what my stock HU is rated at so she recommended the lower rated 2 way speakers.

 

I am hestitant to replace the HU cause it's a reason for someone to break in and steal it so I'm looking into amps. But then again, an aftermarket HU will probably give me better frequencies and more power without an amp and will be cheaper.

 

I'm just looking for some decent sound (mostly radio/CDs) and am not intending to make this into a high end sound system.

My 03 Outback came equipped with the stock FM/AM/WB/CD HU and 4 speakers + tweeters.

Suggestions?

[Kilroy]

The 12Wx4 rating I mentioned is actually the rating for a typical aftermarket HU, so there probably won't be enough difference in the power rating between the stock HU and an aftermarket one to make a difference to new speakers.

 

You really should look into a small aftermarket amplifier if you want better sound for your system, but realize that the HU is the starting point of good sound and high quality DACs (many aftermarket HUs are 24-bit these days) are necessary . A Soundstream 405s multi-channel amp is small and would give you plenty of extra power, it's a very clean underrated (powerwise) amplifier and also has an output for a subwoofer. They are no longer produced, but you can typically find one on eBay. The 305 or 205 series would work as well. The amplifier would also greatly extend your choice of speakers.

[Virrdog]

Power ratings don't matter for the speakers.

 

Sensitivity does. You want a speaker that has higher sensitivity. It will make more noise with the wattage you do have. Lower sensitivity speakers usually can handle more power, but on the flip side also need it to overcome the beefy components that have to move. (Also can be worded as: higher power handling usually means lower sensitivity)

 

So go for speakers with the highest sensitivity in your price range. For example, if there are 2 speakers and they are rated at 92 db/w and 95 db/w you want the one at 95. It puts out twice the sound energy with the same power, everything else being equal.