Food for thought for those of you upset by the audio

[godwhomismike]

In the 2004 model of the H6 3.0 VDC Outback Wagon, it came with 11 speakers 200 watt McIntosh Audio. Is that the same system everyone is upset didn't get included in the US model? If it is the same, is there a way to have it ordered and installed? (I dunno if this topic has been covered - if it has been disregard post.)

- Mike

[axis008]

Actually doesn't the current highest model Outback have MP3 support also? I mean, personally I don't really care but I bet someone would.

[Th3Franz]

Yes the highest model Outback does have an MP3 head unit. I still just want to be able to put my Pioneer head unit in my Legacy, darnit. :(

[SUBE555]

They sure don't make it easy. Probably just want you to have to get more of their stuff to put other mfg stuff in or just give up and upgrade to more of their stuff. Either way, they win.

I wish they had MP3 capability as well.

[bemani]

Unless they have a SPT part for an easy upgrade, I'll have to cough up the $700 for the VDC stereo ... switching between CDs suck.

I need more than 80 minutes of music. It'd be good if the random actually randomize all the songs on the 6 discs to give the impression of a large collection of songs, but it doesn't (and would put too much wear-and-tear on the mechanical parts to be practical).

[agctr]

I thought it was a 13 speaker stero unit? but think 10 is plenty but more the merrier......

[Th3Franz]

I'm still a firm believer that it's not necessarily the quantity of speakers, but rather the quality of the speakers. 6 awesome speakers total is all that is needed to get amazing sound quality. After that, it's mostly just for bragging rights I guess.

[7stars]

Wouldn't too many speakers just cancel each other out?

[*Jedimaster*]

I'm confused: are you guys saying that the stereo won't play MP3's that you put on a CD or that it won't connect to an MP3 player?

[flat4fantasy]

Sorry to sound like I don't know, but the stereo has been the least of my concerns/wishes about this car. I thought the base Legacy stereo had an in dash CD player? no?

Peace,
Dave

[Th3Franz]

I'm confused: are you guys saying that the stereo won't play MP3's that you put on a CD or that it won't connect to an MP3 player?
Both. It only plays audio CDs.

[agctr]

Totally agree with the number of speakers factor and just think, there is a weight angle there too.

[InterCooled]

When I get my LegGT, I am determined to find a way tio install an aftermarket deck. I will post my experience.

[yacoub]

jedi - what he is saying is that if you put mp3 files as data files on a CD it won't read them, but if you burn a music cd FROM mp3 files, clearly that should work just as well as a store-bought CD.

Now my question: Where can I read about why this headunit is difficult to upgrade past? I've seen several people mention that but haven't seen any explain why that is the case.

[scubie02]

When I burn mp3's to cd's it seems to just automatically convert them I guess, because they play just fine in my stereo. And I guess I don't need endless hours of music on one source because 1) how often am I IN my car for hours at a time at once and 2) I don't find it a big deal to let it switch to a new CD...

You guys would have died back in the day when we had 8 Track players and AM radio...

Man, I can still remember my dad's car when I was little with the 8 track player...those things were huge! hahaha

[agctr]

LOL Scubie, that is taking a few steps back into WARP factor 9, 8 Track LOL....

Next they will be bringing back Starsky & Hutch and the Dukes of Hazard LOL.......

Ben Stiller & Jessica Simpson are SO funny and yet play LAME so well....

[arcsine]

When I burn mp3's to cd's it seems to just automatically convert them I guess, because they play just fine in my stereo.

{geek}It's all dependant on your CD burning software. I use Nero, in which you just push "audio CD" and it automagically opens an audio CD template and queues your MP3 to PCM WAV conversion before actually making the image to burn to CD. When you burn it, the songs are decoded to audio CD tracks that any CD player can read. If you push "data CD" instead, it will just plain burn the .mp3 files to a CD-ROM, which your stereo won't play unless it's got an MP3 codec. The upside to having said codec is that MP3s are very small, but sound pretty good. You can burn ~140 songs on to one CD and listen to it all day. Plus, data CDs are more fault tolerant. {/geek}

[Xenonk]

Because of the stereo unit is intergrated into the bezel of the center console rather than keeping form of the standard ISO DINs and DIN sizing, this is a way of the manufacturers locking down the car's interior look and keeping the OEM parts at high dollar costs.

My suggestion to you is to find the JDM center console bezel, cradle bracket, and matching HVAC controls. The JDM Subaru Part Number for center console supports a double din opening (see their BL5 and BL6 chassis codes for reference).

www.crutchfield.com can help you save some time by sending you a matching set of harnessess for your new headunit to the wiring for the new Legacy.

Keefe

[deneb]

I'd like to see a higher quality audio option, as someone else here mentioned it wouldn't need to be 10+ speakers or anything, but rather higher quality mid drivers front and rear with higher quality tweeters in the front and perhaps an 8 - 10 inch sub in the rear deck. Power the sub with 75-100 watts RMS and maybe 30-40 watts RMS to the door speakers and that'd be a nice system, unless you're a competition audio guy that needs to have everyone in a 50ft radius feel your music and listen to body panels vibrate.

[BrownBoy]

At least you guys have SIX discs to play through; I have ONE. :) There's always better, but hey, at least there is someone that thinks YOuR situation is better than his/her own. Now it would suck to be left w/ nothing but a tape deck...(I guess I'm just a glass half full kinda guy :lol: )

[bemani]

At least you guys have SIX discs to play through; I have ONE. :) There's always better, but hey, at least there is someone that thinks YOuR situation is better than his/her own. Now it would suck to be left w/ nothing but a tape deck...(I guess I'm just a glass half full kinda guy :lol: )

6 discs is no better than 1 - you can't play random tracks on different cds, which makes it essentially 1 disc. You just have to press eject more often.

A tape deck would be better ... at least I can hook up an ipod or something to it.

Plain old CD players SUCK in this era of digital music.

[Fosgate]

When I get my LegGT, I am determined to find a way tio install an aftermarket deck. I will post my experience.

I have a way. It will be posted near the end of April-early May when it is complete.

[RoundBoy]

1) Anyone can install an aftermarket deck. The trick is to replace the EXISTING deck in the EXISTING space... not mount a second one anywhere.

2) 6 cds.. great.. better then 1, better then tape, etc.. The REAL lack of flexibility is the lack of a simple aux input. A generic 'in' would solve many of these problems to get mp3 / ipod / sat radio into the car.

its available on the same car, different model years, and is very simple.. i am suprised at the lack of options.

[Fosgate]

1) Anyone can install an aftermarket deck. The trick is to replace the EXISTING deck in the EXISTING space... not mount a second one anywhere.

.

Well not exactly. The trick is to have a great sounding car and have the install not look like shit, wheather it be a second deck elseware or replacing the exisiting deck. Either way, you do not use the factory deck.

It has to be functional, flow and sound great but that is just me and my 12 years of car audio talking.

[IwannaSportSedan]

I am getting very dismayed at the trend toward un-upgradeable stereo systems in cars.

If subaru wants to offer a built-in stereo system, then it needs to offer an up-spec stereo with a hardline input for Satelite radio, MP3 players, and any number of other options that may come in the next 5-10 years that people will be owning these cars. With as long as some people are financing these vehicles, they need to be viable for years after the sale, and now, in terms of the stereo system, they are barely viable on the date of sale.

It doesn't have so much to do with the quality of CDs, as it is still better than most MP3 and other compressed digital formats. It has to do with the limitations of the medium. CDs themselves are thin but have comparatively large surface area. They are susceptible to be easily damaged, which brings on two considerations; Storage requires bulky cases or folders, and usage in a volatile environment is inherently destructive. (dust, debris, and sharp motions all cause damage to the media and the reader.)

In the new age of portable mp3 players that are hard drive or flash media based, the quantity of music available to the touch has exploded (I have 30 Gigs of music on my 60GB iPod Photo that I just bought. CDs in the car are over.) and the reliability and durability are still a consideration, but much improved over plastic and foil CDs.

I am not saying that car companies should ditch optical drive based players, but for pete's sake, how hard is it to offer an input plug for other media?

For those looking for higher quality and power, they are killing the aftermarket options. How are electronics companies supposed to compete with an integrated system? Smart people like Mr Smith at JL Audio have come up with options like the clean sweep device that adapts the integrated systems to aftermarket power and driver systems, but there are still inherent limitations.

It is as though they are engineering away any possibility of upgrade. Integrating the ACC/HVAC into the radio in new Subarus may be a (extremely small) cost cutting measure for fewer IC boards, but it is a real pain in the neck for those wanting audio upgrades, or to integrate aftermarket navigation, which they also saw fit not to include. Even the rest of the world markets, aside from north america, have the option for both a double-din head unit replacement, and NAV, so it isn't as if they don't realize those products exist.

The thing is, that it isn't just Subaru. Ford started in the 90's with their oval face plates, and all sorts of cars are coming this way now. The NC Miata being another example. Sure it makes the interior designers happier to not have big ugly modular stereos, but at what cost to the consumer? Isn't the Consumer right in this case?

Come on, and get with it, car companies! This sort of monopolistic behavior makes you look bad, and makes some of your customers unhappy. Not good business practice, IMHO.

[scans007]

Fosgate's Install is gonna be awesome, I've seen the sneek peaks at it and can't wait to see the finished results. I'm not go'n the same way he is, but close......my install should be done tomorrow night if I get all the time I think I'll have tomorrow...:D

You can do anything with audio/video work if you have the time/no-how to do so. My last car (Mazda 6) had the same setup with the HAVC all integrated. I made a custom dash, made a new circuit board and viola a stock replacement (NOTE: SO not worth it) but anything can be done.....that's my only point :D and there are no limits but your wallet (which could take a beating)...and I know...not the point, I just don't like see'n limits put on something that shouldt have them.....=)

Manufactures do it cuz it makes the interior flow better and look nicer. Do I agree, be'n a stereo mod'n nut F NO, its totally is a PIA....but I do agree it looks MUCH nicer then DINs that aren't integrated...

[msmith]

It's absolutely inexcusable that the LGT does not offer satellite radio, even though it appears the radio platform was designed for it. The radio has an alphanumeric display that is text capable and a mysteriously unused lower position on the source selector switch... hmmm. The inability to play MP3's boggles the mind as well... the additional cost of this functionality is essentially zero and they already offer it in the VDC... so why make two different changer units? Silly.
Aux inputs will become more common on OEM units in the not too distant feature... way too many people with iPods out there.

Funny how the JDM Legacy with electronic climate controls has a separate radio/HVAC control setup... and lots of head unit options. Hmmm.

Bottom line is that automakers want to sell audio upgrades and expensive replacement parts after the warranty expires. Look into the future, say in six years, and your LGT's CD player gives up the ghost... what can you do except buy another one from Subaru? With a conventional radio hole (like the WRX), you just hop over to a car audio store and buy an affordable head unit. It's all about dollars and Subaru is certainly not alone in this practice.

The only thing that will change the automakers mind about this "integrated head unit" practice is if they see customer complaints... so write a letter expressing your disapproval! The letter should start with "I really love my car and would like to remain a loyal Subaru customer for many years, but I am very upset that Subaru is limiting my choices for upgrading or replacing the entertainment system in my car."

Manville Smith
JL Audio, Inc.

[scans007]

^^ I agree 100% that it should have Sat radio, and MP3 cap. for that matter....But you will see more and more higher end cars take this route...

If you hate it so much, see my above post....you can modify anything, and get it just the way you like it...the WRX has a cheaper interior......hence it as a nice interface to pop in HU

just means a HUGE market to open up for custom dash kit companies....anyone want to start one with me...LOL....they are creating jobs...=)

Like I said, I dislike it too......I guess I'm just not a bitcher, if there is something I don't like...I go find a route, and take care of it so its to my liking....I could take an 1 hr writing a letter, or a I could spend an hour searching, and have bezel replacement parts on the way...Oh wait...I did do that....

PS I LOVE YOUR SUBS I need another JLW7 =)

[Goon3r]

Unique fit radios are in most cases fitted purely as a theft prevention measure.
If it won't fit Joe Blogg's car then the thieving scum wont steal it.

Standard DIN radios with keycodes simply dont offer sufficient theft prevention.

Cars in Europe get an insurance rating based on such things as unique fit radios, if it isn't a standard DIN fitting then you get a better rating, visible VIN's, Microdots, locking wheel nuts etc etc all add to a cars insurability.

[Goon3r]

PS, yes there should be a bloody line-in!