satisfactory is weak compared to excelent

 

Just delete the bad songs from your iPod. Problem solved...

 

Ah, but everyone "knows" that if it's stock, it can't be good!

Such wisdom keeps the aftermarket stereo folks wealthy!

George <-- who also has no problem with the stock unit

 

I think the stock system sounds pretty decent. Its obviously not the best thing in the world, but i've heard much worse.

Stock can't be good? My mom has a factory offered Bose package in her car, i would say it sounds very good.

Cya

 

I was intending on keeping the stock HU in there, but It just wasn't cutting it for me! I put an Alpine CDA-9851 in, and whew, what a difference!

 

I'm always hearing competing opinions on this. Some folks say replace the HU, others say the speakers. It works for my needs until I do something more...

 

i've relaced everything. it makes me happy.

 

stock HU everything else is upgraded..it works great

 

I run old school, completely stock interior. Yeah, you guys have nothing on that.

Cya

 

Not many $14,000 cars out there with a better stock head unit that I know of.

I think too many people forget that this is a $14k car based on Toyota's least expensive model. They expect it to have the features of a $19k Volkswagen GTI or something.

 

stereos don't matter.. just upgrade!

 

Its still a deal for what you get...

 

You'll get more bang fro your buck upgrading speakers before a new head unit.

The biggest benefit to a new head unit is more equalization and RCA's to make hooking up amps cleaner.

 

stock HU sounds like a$$crack to me. I took mine out 2 days after I got it and I have 30 years of music experience too...it's called being born with ears. Upgrade to a HU with a remote. No need for steering wheel controls.

 

great post! but just imagine what the this may cost it's the potentialy the new bb that may crossover to the U.S. as the new xb in 07' http://motortrend.com/autoshows/cove...index11.html#4

 

^Thanks man. That bB concept looks crazy.

 

Glad to hear you have ears kloque... Too damn bad they don't work. Music experiance bs aside, there is nothing wrong with the stock head units sound. But what do I know. I only worked in a stereo shop for 103 years! (see I can make unverifiable claims too!)

I didn't say it's perfect but the sound quality differance between stock and aftermarket is minimal. Bairly noticable to a profesional. But nobody likes to hear they wasted their money so I understand your complaint...

 

I agree. Yes, there are some Golden Ears out there that claim that they can hear a difference. It might well be possible, if you like to turn it up to "11", but if you use a more normal volume level it sounds just fine. The .001% THD of a high end aftermarket stereo sounds pretty much like the .01% THD of the stock unit. The only thing that order of magnitude gets the buyer is bragging rights.

I've never worked in a stereo shop or been a musician, but I do have a spectrum analyzer and know how to use it.

 

I've been a musician for around 8 1/2 years now, the stock head unit does not sound bad at all depending upon what you usually listen to. Acoustic/indie sounds very good on the stock head unit, if you are into bass/rap/techno/trance/house than its definitely going to sound like crap.

Everyone says how horrible the the stock HU sounds, i've noticed that 90% of everyone that thinks that listens to some sort of bass-oriented music. That, or metal. Which leads me to believe that my ears theory is truth.

Cya

 

To everyone saying the HU sounds good probably listens to it at a minimal level. I agree it sounds OK if you don't turn the volume up, but if you are an audiophile such as myself, you will know good sound when you hear it and the stock HU doesn't produce much good sound. I know everyone who has replaced it with an aftermarket HU agrees, right??