Replace the entertainment system 2014 BRZ

[Max1957]

Hi All,
First, I'm new to the forum. I've had my 2014 BRZ Limited for a little over a month and Love It! ...well, except for the music system.
So, to the question. I want to replace the stock Entertainment system (can't even figure out who made it) with something that will reliably support my iPod and have AM/FM (+FM HD). I don't care about XM radio - I think it is a rip-off; and I could not give a flying flip about a navigation system.
Can anyone recommend a good combination for a system; main unit, speakers; et al.
I'm not really "sound savvy", but I know what sounds good when I hear it
Also, if anyone is in the San Francisco Peninsula area and could recommend a good installer, I'd appreciate that too!

[JS + BRZ]

Welcome man!

This is the subsection that you are looking for:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=27

[thill]

Originally Posted by Max1957

Hi All,
First, I'm new to the forum. I've had my 2014 BRZ Limited for a little over a month and Love It! ...well, except for the music system.
So, to the question. I want to replace the stock Entertainment system (can't even figure out who made it) with something that will reliably support my iPod and have AM/FM (+FM HD). I don't care about XM radio - I think it is a rip-off; and I could not give a flying flip about a navigation system.
Can anyone recommend a good combination for a system; main unit, speakers; et al.
I'm not really "sound savvy", but I know what sounds good when I hear it
Also, if anyone is in the San Francisco Peninsula area and could recommend a good installer, I'd appreciate that too!

It's made by Fujitsu.

If you go to Crutchfield and plug in your make, and model info they will give you a list of compatible head units and then you can start selecting what feaures and price points you want to narrow it down.

[SirBrass]

Crutchfield, sonic electronix, and online car stereo are going to be your best bets besides your local trusted audio installer as a source of components.

Sonic Electronics and Online Car Stereo are going to have the best prices, while Crutchfield has some good resources and research, though they don't mark down their prices much. For example, Cruchfield was selling JBL MS-62C 6.5" component speakers (good pair of components, btw) for $300/pair, same price as the comparable Alpine Type R components. Sonic Electronix sells the same pair of speakers for $179 with free shipping, and Online Car Stero sells them for $189.

Also, for what you want, you probably want touch screen, good pre-outs and a decent amplifier, speakers, and sub.

Question is do you just want a modest sound improvement or do you want a reasonably priced SQ build?

For a good, modest, budget-conscious audio improvement, I'd go with OEM Audio+ and get a compatible Pioneer AVH/AVIC headunit (ask OEM Audio Plus about which ones), as Pioneer has very good iPod/iPhone interfacing (not so much good Android interfacing until this year's NEX units, and this year's single DIN HU's which are MTP protocol compatible) and excellent sound processing.

This would probably be an excellent HU for you, based on your so-far specified criteria, and would work with an OEM Audio Plus system OR a custom system: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...-X5600BHS.html

Sonic Electronix has some of the best balance between pricing and availability, I'm finding. Though I'm looking to add another amp to my system and upgrade my rear speakers to 6.5" coaxials. For that, I've found the stuff I want at online car stereo for less than $300 total.

[thill]

The reason why Crutchfield typically costs more is because they are an authorized dealer (meaning you get to keep the manufacturers warranty) and has much better customer service. Sonic is usually not authorized for most vendors but offers their own in house warranty and they still get good reviews for customer service.

Onlinecarstereo is scary. I would stay away:
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/onlinecarstereo

110 reviews. 1 star out of 5 and tons of nighmare stories in there. I would still buy from Sonic if they are significantly cheaper than Crutchfield, but if the prices are close I like the peace of mind Crutchfield offers. Their return policy is amazing.

Woofersetc is another safe place to shop, but again, are not authorized vendor for a lot of companies.

[SirBrass]

Odd, as @captain_jack pointed me to onlinecarstereo as a place he often goes to, and he's been doing installs for quite a while.

[Max1957]

Thank you all for your help! This information is great!!

[robwbright]

If it's the same head unit that's in my 2013, it's really not that bad. Adjust the EQ and put a 10" sub in the trunk and you'll have pretty decent sound. Sure, it's not going to be competition quality, but I'd rather be saving my money for performance upgrades.

I spent $153 on a powered Rockford Fosgate 10" sub, another $45 on wiring kit and some other do-dad that the install shop said was necessary. Install was $75 and it sounds better than any stock OEM system I've had in a car. As far as bass, the rear view mirror shakes and you can feel it in your seat. Not gonna break any windows, though. LOL.

I will probably eventually replace the door and rear speakers with Memphis or JDL speakers, but I'm in no hurry because it's acceptable now.

[robwbright]

I didn't pay enough attention... if you're looking for something iPod specific, I guess you'll need a new head unit. But the speakers aren't really that bad if you add a sub.

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by robwbright

I didn't pay enough attention... if you're looking for something iPod specific, I guess you'll need a new head unit. But the speakers aren't really that bad if you add a sub.

If you like balanced music, a good sub and amp will easily overpower the stock speakers, and you'll still be getting muddy bass b/c of the interference of the 6" midwoofers that are being driven in mono as subwoofers by the factory amp.

If you want to keep a mostly OEM setup, OEM Audio+ is the best bet, but options open up if you're going to install a new HU.

As a stock system, the factory audio isn't that bad. But it's bad enough. Adding a sub adds bass back into the system but doesn't do a blessed thing about the quality of the midrange and the highs, which are "okay" at best stock, and the factory LFE NEEDS to be removed. It's absolutely terrible when the bass hits. It's like listening to bog sludge. Instead of clean bass drum hits or bass guitar power chords, it's like "Hrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!" Absolutely craptastic.

[robwbright]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

If you like balanced music, a good sub and amp will easily overpower the stock speakers, and you'll still be getting muddy bass b/c of the interference of the 6" midwoofers that are being driven in mono as subwoofers by the factory amp.

Hearing damage? LOL.

The Rockford powered sub is hardly to the level of a "good" sub (i.e. $500 or $1000 worth of amp, box and speaker), but it's a good, inexpensive upgrade.

FYI, I've run the sound board for my church for 10+ years, played guitar and bass for 20, run sound for a local band ("it's the best we've ever sounded"). I think I have a pretty good ear for determining what decent is. But everyone hears things differently.

MP3's are of varying volumes, but I don't often have the head unit turned up to max volume (and even at 80% my wife is asking me to turn it down). The 300 watt Rockford is usually all the way up, but my low EQ frequencies are down a couple notches.

Enough volume across the range and the bass is not muddy IMO and I'm content. But again, I'm not arguing it's a system for entering a sound competition.

[SirBrass]

I'm not an audio competition guy either, and I suppose that for certain kinds of music the stock system is fine. But when you get into serious bass-heavy music like good rock and metal, the bass channel on the stock system turns to crap, and I didn't even drive the music all that hard (I generally had the volume at about 25-30).

But when I can hear the "subwoofer" (what a laughable term for what is really a midwoofer with all the bass freqs shunted to it at 33Wrms) cone WARBLING at those volume levels when the bass guitar is playing during Nightwish's "Ghost Love Score", along with the fast double bass the drummer excels at and feel the air being pushed against my leg... there's something wrong with the system. I had my EQ flattened out, and it still responded like typical over-driven bass that's being played through the entirely wrong kind of speaker.

Now, if you're listening to some classic rock or classical music where the bass levels aren't all that heavy then the stock system isn't driven to the point of showing its glaring weakness, as those kinds of music have bass fill, but not a large bass component relatively speaking. Though I noticed that blasted over-driven bass distortion during the timpani opening to The King's Brass & Tim Zimmerman's "God of our Fathers" on their Best of Brass & Organ album. And those were just timpanis!

It's mostly the percussive bass that the stock system's "subwoofers" simply cannot handle well at all. That, and I think they're cut off too high as heavy bass guitar will produce the distortion too, when those ought to be handled by mid bass, or by a much more capable sub & amp.

What would've been smarter for the stock system would have been to NOT have a "subwoofer", but instead use the door kick panel speakers together with the dash speakers to have a full-range 3-way system with proper crossovers and letting the door speakers handle ALL bass and mid bass like a full range woofer does, but not as a subwoofer. Wouldn't have sounded all that great, but wouldn't produce that craptastic bass the stock system produces.

[AznBRZer]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

I'm not an audio competition guy either, and I suppose that for certain kinds of music the stock system is fine. But when you get into serious bass-heavy music like good rock and metal, the bass channel on the stock system turns to crap, and I didn't even drive the music all that hard (I generally had the volume at about 25-30).

But when I can hear the "subwoofer" (what a laughable term for what is really a midwoofer with all the bass freqs shunted to it at 33Wrms) cone WARBLING at those volume levels when the bass guitar is playing during Nightwish's "Ghost Love Score", along with the fast double bass the drummer excels at and feel the air being pushed against my leg... there's something wrong with the system. I had my EQ flattened out, and it still responded like typical over-driven bass that's being played through the entirely wrong kind of speaker.

Now, if you're listening to some classic rock or classical music where the bass levels aren't all that heavy then the stock system isn't driven to the point of showing its glaring weakness, as those kinds of music have bass fill, but not a large bass component relatively speaking. Though I noticed that blasted over-driven bass distortion during the timpani opening to The King's Brass & Tim Zimmerman's "God of our Fathers" on their Best of Brass & Organ album. And those were just timpanis!

It's mostly the percussive bass that the stock system's "subwoofers" simply cannot handle well at all. That, and I think they're cut off too high as heavy bass guitar will produce the distortion too, when those ought to be handled by mid bass, or by a much more capable sub & amp.

What would've been smarter for the stock system would have been to NOT have a "subwoofer", but instead use the door kick panel speakers together with the dash speakers to have a full-range 3-way system with proper crossovers and letting the door speakers handle ALL bass and mid bass like a full range woofer does, but not as a subwoofer. Wouldn't have sounded all that great, but wouldn't produce that craptastic bass the stock system produces.

Sure, this is a great idea if you don't mind the inevitable rattles in the door. Even without that, we still have them.

[SirBrass]

You'd have less as the system wouldn't be amping the bass signals very hard, but just as hard as the rest (which is usually less than they would be in a sub-amp setup).