Bakerboy

Hi again all,

Does anyone here know if the standard sound system in the uk 03 sti is any good? Anyone had chance to hear one? Just wondering... as I will be owning one tommorow and wondering if I should plan to upgrade it i'm not after mega sound but if the quality is good i'm happy...

Thanks.

bpm1588

i have the 06 car and i don't think its up to much.if you want good sounds your going to have to spend some cash.

Stevie_h

Its very poor!

pippyrips

one word - pap

rob84

iTrader: (5)

sound system in my sti in one word ****

andrew02

i up graded mine,if you got a car that turns heads,you want a sound that opens ears,o yeah,and something special for the ladies.

Bakerboy

Ok cool, at least I know now Should I upgrade the whole system or just the the speakers/headunit? I can't do it myself so will take it to somewhere local, just worried they may muck up the security system etc if you know what I mean?

andrew02

TO be honest i changed everything,didnt have much change from 3k!and i did it myself.If you do take it to a specialist,i think they charge about £40 an item to install.do as much as you can for your self.you can always bye wiring kits for stereos,for any car,so no wire cutting needed.remember,if it smokes,its wrong.

Bakerboy

I really dont wanna be tinkering around with something that I don't have a clue to do, I want my motor in top condition if I have to take it to a professional to do it and pay extra then i'm willing to do that..
I really only want to spend £1k max on it, i'm sure it will still sound good for that right?

C2forWRX

hell yea 1K will cover it

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

take a look in ICE section on here mate, loads of info and pretty much everything you'll need to know

i changed the headunit and fitted a storage pocket into my 05 sti and to start with i wasn't happy taking on the work, but take it easy and follow the guides and you'll be fine.

total cost of doing mine - £140 all in. couldn't believe how cheap h/units are nowadays.

there's a massive improvement with just doing the h/unit, i won't be bothering with the speakers for a while yet

Phil

The speakers need skipping as well

bob r

iTrader: (46)

nothing wrong with the sound sysyem imo, but then i dont drive around with my windows down, tecno blasting out and my head noddind to the beat like the scooby doo on my parcel shelf.

sod the stereo get a vortex exhaust system.........it produces much sweeter sounds.

no, honest its fine.

marmski

It sux, got an 06 STi and i dont even turn it on its soo bad.

Ok for classical music maybe....

superstar1

[quote=marmski]It sux, got an 06 STi and i dont even turn it on its soo bad.

Ok for classical music maybe.... [/quote
Got a mate who's into hi-fi in a big way and he always says that your wasting your money on a good sound system unless your into classical music.
Apparently classical is the only form of music that will take advantage of the full range of sounds that can be delivered through a quality sound system.

gingerboy

I personally found the sound system very poor especially when the soundtrack has any bass, that said on low volumes it is sufficent.

I was amazed at the difference a £120 pioneer head unit made to the quality of sound reproduction but the speakers still struggled.

The best link I found was in the audio section on here.

The link is as follows:-

http://www.connec2.co.uk/subaru/subaru.htm

and this one gives a detailed description of fitting the head unit

http://www.chiark.com/scooby/icetoc....5&subsection=9

If you have average ability with a srew driver etc you will be able to change the head unit without any issues at all and from memory i did it in about 15 minutes.

You will need a wiring harness available from halfords or any good car hifi shop, a pocket - again from halfords or any good car audio retailer, a couple of philips screw drivers and thats about it.

A word of warning though - be very careful you do not sratch your dash with the side plates that bolt to the head unit. Get a roll of 2" wide low adhesion masking tape and put a couple of strips down each side of the dash to avoid any unsightly marks .

The speakers are less simple to replace but worth the effort and time. If your not a confident DIY person try and enlist the help of a friend who is handy with MDF and a jigsaw. It's not difficult but just fiddly - wiring harnesses are available from autoleads that will convert the Subaru speaker connection into std spade connections without having to cut wires and worrt about whether or not you have the polarity the correct way round.

Good luck

GB

RMA26

Speakers are ****, most people upgrade them

oobster

I picked up my car on a Thursday and it was in getting the whole stereo ripped out the following Tuesday - it was rubbish.

New head unit, new speakers in all 4 doors (inc. tweeters in the front), a sub in the boot + a large Genesis amp to run it all. Plus a 6-disc under my seat - think it all came to about £1300.

bob r

iTrader: (46)

what total waste of money.

Sticky Stuff

Turn it off and go buy a nice exhaust system.

Who needs music?

timuk1

I agree with sticky stuff !

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I have heard such a load of rubbish in my life, and I have heard a lot of rubbish!