[714_BRZ]

Hi everyone,

TL/DR:

* If you're fine with playing audio from your phone, pick up an EarStudio ES100 (~ $100) and connect it to the audio-in port. To my surprise, the factory speakers had so much more to offer that the original setup could never supply. The highs are bright, the sub sounds clean and hits well, and the staging is great! If you want to use all of the audio sources on the stereo then go with option 1.

Edit from 1/21/2020: So far, the replies below that state this DAC does not effect sound quality seem to be from people that don't have experience with DACs. If you're on the fence about it, research it further online and remember to go through a seller that takes returns.

I own a 2014 BRZ and installed Subaru's subwoofer (p/n H630SCA000) but the sound wasn't what I was looking for. For my car, the EQ had no effect on the sub and the only workaround I found was moving the front/rear balance to the rear a few clicks and adjust the EQ so the fronts only handled the high notes. This improved things but still wasn't what I was looking for. Eventually, I decided to get creative. My goal was to adjust the frequencies the sub received so the original speakers and the sub can focus on frequencies they're good at. Here's what worked.

1. In-line RCA crossover.
* This was the least expensive solution (FMOD Crossover Pair 70 Hz Low Pass made by Harrison Labs ~$30). If you're not familiar with these, these are non-adjustable crossovers that remove frequencies higher than a certain amount. They connect to the left and right audio channels between the stereo and the sub, and come in different frequencies so you have multiple ways to adjust the sub. Installation wasn't hard but it did take some time to come up with a solution. If you're able to solder well then the installation will likely be much faster.
* This solution effects all of the audio sources.

2. USB powered digital analog converter (DAC).
* I consider this the best of the two solutions and is the solution I went with.
* I went with the bluetooth EarStudio's ES100 (~ $100). If you're not familiar with DAC's, they're basically hardware that converts digital information to analog audio. What makes this DAC better than the one in your radio, cell phone, bluetooth speaker, bluetooth headphones, tv, etc is the quality of sound it produces. I won't do a deep-dive into what separates one DAC from the other but there are a ton of great websites that do. It comes with a 10-band equalizer and other great fine-tuning adjustments. Installation takes less than 10 minutes. Install the ES100 app on your phone, connect the DAC to the car via the USB port and the audio-in port in the center console, and pair the DAC with your phone (Android, research how to enable LDAC via bluetooth. iOS, research how to enable aptX or aptX HD via bluetooth).
* This solution only effects the audio-in port. Even though all of the other audio sources still work, they don't benefit from the DAC.

In the end, the sound difference was a night and day. It's easily one of those things you instantly appreciate.

Cheers,
Craig

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Update - 12/11/2020

It's been almost a year since I posted this and I wanted to post an update. After a year's of use, I am still thoroughly impressed by the sub and digital analog converter (DAC)! My specific DAC (an EarStudio ES100 MK2) hasn't given me any problems. Same goes for the sub, too. I use the DAC so much that I removed the radio antenna since it's no longer need (GPS still works and I think the car looks better without it). Still the 2nd best purchase for my BRZ (1st are still my Bridgestone RE-71Rs @ 245/45/17).

Happy Holidays