on average i listen between 20-30. Of course most aftermarket HU's are going to sound better than stock, thats why they sell. As i stated in my previous post, stock HU sounds pretty good for acoustic/indie and things like that.

Cya

 

The limiting factor in the stock sound system is the speakers, not the HU. When you hear the sound start to compress and the bass start to buzz as you crank the system, the stock speakers would do that with any HU given the same levels.

It's true that most aftermarket HUs have more complexly customizable equalization than the stock HU, and it's possible to shape the sound to your taste with multi-band EQ. So it matches your preferences and therefore sounds better.

To an audiophile, however, the measure of good sound is accuracy. How closely does the reproduced sound match the original? By that measure, the stock system does a creditable job until it approaches its limits - and those limits are imposed by the speakers, not the HU.

I base these statements on (1) having played music on the system that I personally recorded in the studio, so I *know* what the original sounded like, and (2) having listened to my nearfield studio monitors (Alesis M1s, the same monitors I take with me for location recording work) driven by the Scion head unit. No, the Scion HU's electronics are not as clean as studio equipment, but very few car audio amplifiers are. At reasonable listening levels, the program material sounded essentially the same via the Scion HU, with all the signal processing turned off, as it did via the monitors' own sophisticated internal amplification. The Scion amplifiers were able to drive the speakers to quite high levels before audible clipping set in.

If I were upgrading my Scion's audio system, I'd be looking at the speakers first. They change the character of the original sound more than the HU does. If an aftermarket HU sounds better, it would be because it has a flexible enough equalizer to help compensate for the speakers' deficiencies.

But in a moving car, the nature and level of the ambient noise makes accuracy almost irrelevant. Large swaths of the frequency spectrum are masked to a greater or lesser degree by engine, road, exhaust, and wind noise. Trying to reestablish accurate response is a moving target, because the curves change with the speed of the car, with the nature of the road surface, etc.

So we all end up doing the same thing: turning up the bass and treble and trying the programmed EQ curves until we find something that sounds good. It's all entirely subjective in the end, a matter of taste, and not subject to debate.

It's also possible that one person evaluates the system while driving at highway speeds, while another's judgement is based on what it sounds like when the car is standing still. One could reach entirely different conclusions in those two situations.

I don't disrespect anyone else's taste or preferences. I do have ears -- trained ones, even -- and the experience to understand what I'm hearing and why it sounds the way it sounds. For my needs, the stock xB system is satisfactory. That doesn't mean it will be for anyone else, but that doesn't make my conclusion any less valid.

RichC

 

rdclark hits the nail on the head. The reason the stock system sounds weak at high volume or with tracks that are bass heavy is the speakers.

To crank up the bass or volume add a small to midsize amp and a single sub. The differance will floor you. (one sub is all any normal person who values their hearing will need)

The next step would be to replace the stock speakers with high quality speakers, preferably seperate mids and tweeters.

A good aftermarket head unit allows a bit more equalization and more RCA's etc.. if you want multiple amps... The reason so many people think their new head unit is vastly better is that they replace/add speakers at the same time.

The actually sound quality differance is negligable.

Stereo shops may say otherwise but that's because, surprise, they want to sell head units!

 

Yeah the price is going up. Since when was this thread titled what don't you like about the stock stereo? Remember the rules!! In the tC the stereo works fine. We just switched the car type to xB which is clearer and has more bass.

 

If you are going to complain about people talking about HU, you shouldn't talk about the HU for a tC on a Xb forum.

And by the way, part of the reason why the Xb is going up a few hundred dollars is the change of stereo controls, which is part in why people are talking about HU. Sure, the topic is general and because everyone listens to music, it switched a little bit.

Cya

 

The HU discussion got started because some folk don't want or need the STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS that are causing the price increase NOT the stereo.

I want to crank my POS iPOD INTEGRATED STOCK HU FROM THE STEERING WHEEL!!

that is all.....

 

I quote myself, "And by the way, part of the reason why the Xb is going up a few hundred dollars is the change of stereo controls..." Therefore, meaning and referring to steering wheel. Thank you.

Cya

 

 

That is how I do!! whatulookinat, I feel ya on what u are sayin.

 

It's winter now and my gloved hands(at least for the first few miles 'til she warms up) have a real hard time adjusting the volume **** and poking at the advance buttons. Could they have recessed that dang volume **** any more or made it any smaller??

Sheesh! Maybe I need one of those big old guy TV remotes with the huge numbers!!

 

I raise my hand too, got nothing against the stock unit. Just need some improved speakers, but even that is easy to live with. I guess if you want the people in the next state to hear you thump you could have a valid point.

 

Ummm... back to the topic, for those who are interested/concerned about the new pricing, I just got an allocation that includes the first "new price" unit. Its due into the port on 1/9/06 and will be here at the dealership by January 16.

Other parts of the country may get these cars before I get them here in VA.

 

Can you drop that box off in Chicago long enough so I can yank the steering wheel out of it and put it in my '06-1/4? I'll even give ya a Franklin and a few Hamiltons!!