Help With New Car Stereo

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Guys - After driving my 2002 Honda Accord Coupe V6 for nearly 17 years, it was time to send it down the road to a new owner. I'm not a big "car guy" although I love cars. Maybe I should say I'm not a big fan of spending a lot of money on cars. I picked up a new Subaru Impreza (Limited) over the weekend and as you can imagine the sound of the stereo is less than stellar. 

 

In my Honda I had an Alpine / Boston Acoustics / Rockford system and I love it. The installation was pretty straight forward for the local installer.

 

My new Subaru, like many new cars today, has a head unit that's so integrated into the car that I don't want to replace it. It's called the Subaru StarLink (version 3.1) system. There is a factory upgrade that includes an amp and two speakers but I have a feeling I'd be a bit underwhelmed. 

 

Question: What are you guys doing or what do you know of that enables one to keep the factory head unit but add aftermarket amps, speakers, subs etc...?

 

I've been told there are three companies making interface boxes that enable use of a factory head unit and aftermarket components. But, it doesn't look like these guys have boxes that will work with a Subaru. 

 

https://navtv.com

http://mobridge.us

https://pac-audio.com

 

 

Thanks for any help you can provide. I'm "dying" with the less than stellar sound right now :~(

[DuckToller]

Chris,
Are you looking for an adapter only ?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Subaru-Impreza-harness-adapter-converter/dp/B00JEWUEXS
it is less than ten bucks ... on Am....n.de there is another brand avialable 
https://www.amazon.de/SUBARU-RADIOADAPTER-Radio-Adapter-Kabelbaum/dp/B0029XXZ26

if that doesn't help ... something for the interim ... 😉 
 

 

Good luck with the new car
Cheers Tom

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Tom - For some reason I don’t think this is what I need. I thought I needed something more sophisticated to keep the stock head unit.

 

would be thrilled if I only need a wire harness.

[Ralf11]

I'd ask Crutchfield if they have anything.

 

what MY??

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, Ralf11 said:

I'd ask Crutchfield if they have anything.

 

what MY??

2019

[crenca]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

would be thrilled if I only need a wire harness.

 

I don't know about your particular car, but the wiring harness on most modern cars is a very expensive and sophisticated part.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Crutchfield says the only way to do it is something like this which takes the speaker cables and converts the signal to rca. Yuck.

 

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_161LC7IB/AudioControl-LC7i-Black.html?search=LC7i&skipvs=T

 

 

subaru sells this Rockford amp that appears to take rca out of the head unit using a proprietary connector. 

 

https://www.rockfordfosgate.com/products/system/mobile/2017-current-impreza/

 

See pdf attachment for details.

 

Subaru Speaker and Amp Installation.pdf

[Jud]

I suppose you can find this for any car, but...

 

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-slapped-another-lawsuit-have-you-had-starlink-problems

[rando]

Not sure how thrilled the Chinese aftermarket is with '19 Subie wagons.  The more upscale makes they do a bang up job keeping all those stock controls and adding everything your little heart could possibly desire while rolling down the road.

 

I'm fairly sure if one of the +'15 models doesn't work they should have the '19 specific models soon.  I'd go out on a limb and say this place has pretty solid English email support to help you figure the specifics out.

 

 

[Jud]

Seems as if the least hassle regarding having everything else on the head unit work would be with the Fosgate system.

[Ajax]

2 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hi Guys - After driving my 2002 Honda Accord Coupe V6 for nearly 17 years, it was time to send it down the road to a new owner. I'm not a big "car guy" although I love cars. Maybe I should say I'm not a big fan of spending a lot of money on cars. I picked up a new Subaru Impreza (Limited) over the weekend and as you can imagine the sound of the stereo is less than stellar. 

 

In my Honda I had an Alpine / Boston Acoustics / Rockford system and I love it. The installation was pretty straight forward for the local installer.

 

My new Subaru, like many new cars today, has a head unit that's so integrated into the car that I don't want to replace it. It's called the Subaru StarLink (version 3.1) system. There is a factory upgrade that includes an amp and two speakers but I have a feeling I'd be a bit underwhelmed. 

 

Question: What are you guys doing or what do you know of that enables one to keep the factory head unit but add aftermarket amps, speakers, subs etc...?

 

I've been told there are three companies making interface boxes that enable use of a factory head unit and aftermarket components. But, it doesn't look like these guys have boxes that will work with a Subaru. 

 

https://navtv.com

http://mobridge.us

https://pac-audio.com

 

 

Thanks for any help you can provide. I'm "dying" with the less than stellar sound right now :~(

 

Hi Chris,

 

I had the same problem with a BMW X3, and no doubt so will everyone else purchasing a new car, where the head unit is deeply ingrained into the car's electronics, just too hard to remove.

 

In my case I installed four new AVI speakers, these are Canadian made and very efficient so you don't need to add a power amp, which makes things much easier from an installation point of view. I also installed a 10" rockford active sub in the boot, with an adjustable cross over and volume control under the steering wheel in easy reach. 

 

http://www.avisound.com

 

I play my iPhone via the AUX input so as to by-pass the internal DAC in the head unit.... significant improvement in sound quality. From memory Jud does something similar using his Pono player.

 

Result is a surprisingly good sound, but you obviously loose some of the head units functions, but the volume control still works. Just need to "install" the iPhone on a bracket where it is safe to use and in easy reach. I tend to make specific playlists for the car using either Tidal or Spotify and download them to avoid fiddling with the phone while driving, which is obviously dangerous. 

 

You can always add a power AMP later if you feel it is warranted but I did not need too.

 

All the best,

 

Ajax

[Ralf11]

did you get the optional ecoPUNCH ?

 

also, a true Norwegian-Minnesotan kinda guy would just have fixed the old car, over & over again...

[R1200CL]

1 hour ago, Ajax said:

I play my iPhone via the AUX input so as to by-pass the internal DAC in the head unit.... significant improvement in sound quality.

 

I do the same. iPhone + CCK, and an external DAC.

Agee, significant improvement to any car stereo I tried it against. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 hours ago, Jud said:

I suppose you can find this for any car, but...

 

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-slapped-another-lawsuit-have-you-had-starlink-problems

 

Yes, there are issues. I ran into an issue the day I got it with presets disappearing. There's a software update for the head unit that fixes it, but the dealer didn't install it. Now I can't get in for the update until April 6th. it would be just too easy if the "check for update" button on the head unit actually checked for the update and installed it. 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Ralf11 said:

did you get the optional ecoPUNCH ?

 

also, a true Norwegian-Minnesotan kinda guy would just have fixed the old car, over & over again...

 

haven't got the ecoPUNCH. It's a possibility. 

 

I fixed the Honda for 17 years. That's good enough for me. However, my father-in-law bought it from me :~)

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 hours ago, Ajax said:

 

Hi Chris,

 

I had the same problem with a BMW X3, and no doubt so will everyone else purchasing a new car, where the head unit is deeply ingrained into the car's electronics, just too hard to remove.

 

In my case I installed four new AVI speakers, these are Canadian made and very efficient so you don't need to add a power amp, which makes things much easier from an installation point of view. I also installed a 10" rockford active sub in the boot, with an adjustable cross over and volume control under the steering wheel in easy reach. 

 

http://www.avisound.com

 

I play my iPhone via the AUX input so as to by-pass the internal DAC in the head unit.... significant improvement in sound quality. From memory Jud does something similar using his Pono player.

 

Result is a surprisingly good sound, but you obviously loose some of the head units functions, but the volume control still works. Just need to "install" the iPhone on a bracket where it is safe to use and in easy reach. I tend to make specific playlists for the car using either Tidal or Spotify and download them to avoid fiddling with the phone while driving, which is obviously dangerous. 

 

You can always add a power AMP later if you feel it is warranted but I did not need too.

 

All the best,

 

Ajax

 

How did you connect the subwoofer to the head unit?

[Dr Tone]

My audio dealer used a kicker 10ZXSUM8 summing unit in my truck.

 

JL Audio also has the CleanSweep which would probably allow more control.

 

There are probably more out there.

[Jud]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

it would be just too easy if the "check for update" button on the head unit actually checked for the update and installed it. 

 

There is a design principle, particularly of software and even more particularly of GUIs, with the acronym POLA - principle of least astonishment.  I sometimes think that designers of control and software systems for automobiles have a Department of Most Astonishment.  I picture them standing on the other side of a two-way mirror with an intercom setup, waiting until a tester in a model of a new car pounds his fist on the dashboard and screams "Son-of-a-BITCH!"  Then they smile and walk away, knowing their work is done.

[The Computer Audiophile]

15 minutes ago, Dr Tone said:

My audio dealer used a kicker 10ZXSUM8 summing unit in my truck.

This takes the speaker wires as inputs and outputs RCA correct? This just seems like a terrible way to get a good audio signal. It's what Crutchfield recommended as well. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, Jud said:

 

There is a design principle, particularly of software and even more particularly of GUIs, with the acronym POLA - principle of least astonishment.  I sometimes think that designers of control and software systems for automobiles have a Department of Most Astonishment.  I picture them standing on the other side of a two-way mirror with an intercom setup, waiting until a tester in a model of a new car pounds his fist on the dashboard and screams "Son-of-a-BITCH!"  Then they smile and walk away, knowing their work is done.

Agree. 

 

The first thing I did when I got home with my car was connect it to my WiFI and hit the Check for Update button. It came back and said the software was up to date. So, not only is it not updating it's telling me everything is all good, when it clearly isn't. Ahhhhhh.

[crenca]

2 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

There is a design principle, particularly of software and even more particularly of GUIs, with the acronym POLA - principle of least astonishment.  I sometimes think that designers of control and software systems for automobiles have a Department of Most Astonishment.  I picture them standing on the other side of a two-way mirror with an intercom setup, waiting until a tester in a model of a new car pounds his fist on the dashboard and screams "Son-of-a-BITCH!"  Then they smile and walk away, knowing their work is done.

 

It is a spectacle.  An industry that approaches $2 trillion in size and the profits of each of the manufacturers in the 10's of billions each year, and they don't seem to be able to get the basics of GUI and tech in general right.  Granted, a car is a unique tech environment but they seem hell bent on getting it mostly wrong.  Like most industries, it's amazing how insular their engineering and product development culture can be.  They want to reinvent the wheel (see what I did there @mansr  😋 ). I don't like it, but I actually want Apple and Google to simply take over their in car tech - I mean really take over...

[Dr Tone]

11 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

This takes the speaker wires as inputs and outputs RCA correct? This just seems like a terrible way to get a good audio signal. It's what Crutchfield recommended as well. 

 

Sure it does but when the head unit and amplifier are tightly coupled there are little other options.  Also note that these summing units also often have a line input stage so you have options to feed them with a higher fidelity source.

[The Computer Audiophile]

14 minutes ago, crenca said:

 

It is a spectacle.  An industry that approaches $2 trillion in size and the profits of each of the manufacturers in the 10's of billions each year, and they don't seem to be able to get the basics of GUI and tech in general right.  Granted, a car is a unique tech environment but they seem hell bent on getting it mostly wrong.  Like most industries, it's amazing how insular their engineering and product development culture can be.  They want to reinvent the wheel (see what I did there @mansr  😋 ). I don't like it, but I actually want Apple and Google to simply take over their in car tech - I mean really take over...

My head unit at least has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

[jcbenten]

40 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

There is a design principle, particularly of software and even more particularly of GUIs, with the acronym POLA - principle of least astonishment.  I sometimes think that designers of control and software systems for automobiles have a Department of Most Astonishment.  I picture them standing on the other side of a two-way mirror with an intercom setup, waiting until a tester in a model of a new car pounds his fist on the dashboard and screams "Son-of-a-BITCH!"  Then they smile and walk away, knowing their work is done.

Do not know about Subaru but after the warranty expires Lexus wants $900 for updates.  May have been for Navigation maps but still a source of revenue.

 

My personal want is for the screen to mirror my phone.  Wanted this the first time I saw an 8” screen years ago.  I think a few cars are now just starting to offer.

[crenca]

11 minutes ago, jcbenten said:

Do not know about Subaru but after the warranty expires Lexus wants $900 for updates.  May have been for Navigation maps but still a source of revenue.

 

My vehicles never see the inside of a dealer except for "free" warranty repair and safety recalls.  One time when dropping off for a recall, Honda offered me a map update for $250.  I literally laughed, and told the guy he had a future in comedy 😂

[HIFI]

Reading the original post . . . Sounds like you want to add amps and change speakers and add sub.

 

Because most factory stereos do not have rca outs you will likely have to add speaker to rca adapter(s) or go speaker output to speaker inputs on new amps.

 

You may want to look at audiocontrol.com and see the multitude of offers they have to put in between your Subaru’s head unit and everything else you will add/change later.  This is the best way to tackle interfacing factory and aftermarket. 

 

Just a thought . . . There is so much road noise in automobiles and then fan noise from ac/heater it’s not like your going to get great fidelity. . . 

 

. . . But i fancey a good 12 volt audio system.

 

Just suppose you don’t want to drop a bunch of money into a real good Audiocontrol ,or brand of your choice, factory head unit interface and you decided the less expensive rout of converting speaker outs to rca connections.  My vision now is a music server in your Subaru that will share everything else you add down audio stream yet it will be its own independent source.  It runs parallel to your head unit yet easy custom mode selector you add that allows your amps,speakers,sub to see one or the other systems (factory system or music server).

 

i don’t have to help with the music server but on the cheap a 12 volt netbook pc with jriver, JRemote on your smart phone, usb dac, usb hard drives for more storage and a router that runs on 12volt dc.

 

I did this on a boat with wonderful results.  I also used several audiocontrol components because I still had interest in the highest dynamic range and the lowest noise floor.  

 

I have some additional thoughts if interested regarding separation and center staging in autos if interested