A client from here in Lehighton recently dropped into Mobile Edge to inquire about replacing the blown tweeters in his 2014 Subaru STI sedan. The car already had a complete aftermarket audio system, including a Sony source unit and amplifiers, a subwoofer and Alpine front speakers. What started as a simple repair request quickly turned into an impressive upgrade. Let’s see how this played out.
Impreza Front Speaker Replacement
As is our standard procedure, we start by connecting our battery charger to keep the battery topped off.
While looking at options for replacing the damaged tweeters, we suggested upgrading the entire speaker set to something that could handle more power. The client auditioned several options on our display before settling on a set of Hertz MPK1650.3 Pro components. Usually, this would be a simple installation, but the owner was specific about not wanting to modify any part of the vehicle. As such, we swapped the large 28 mm MP28.3 tweeters that come with the set for a pair of smaller Dieci-Series 24 mm tweeters that would fit into tweeter pods in the sail panels. The crossover networks included in the kit have an adjustable crossover point, so they worked well with the swap.
Sound Deadening Adds Comfort and Clarity
Sound deadener was added to the front doors.
We added a layer of SoundShield sound deadening material to the inner metal door skin. Subarus are known to be pretty noisy inside, so the addition of a high-quality sound absorption material makes a significant improvement to the cabin noise level. The deadening also sealed any openings in the door panel so that the sound coming from the back of the woofer doesn’t cancel with the sound from the front. The net result is that the speakers sound better.
Subaru Stereo Upgrade
The client noticed the Pioneer DMH-WT7600NEX radio on our display board. With its massive 9-inch display, well, it’s hard to miss. As much as he liked his Sony radio, he loved the idea of the floating tablet-style interface and its super-clear capacitive-touch screen. The Pioneer radio also features a high-resolution 1280-by-720-pixel display that delivers amazing clarity. Finally, the inclusion of both wired and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto made the upgrade decision a no-brainer. We integrated the radio into the vehicle with a Maestro RR interface so that engine information from the data network in the car can be displayed on the screen.
Pennsylvania’s Car Audio Upgrade Experts
We finished the Subaru stereo upgrade by reconfiguring the amplifiers in the vehicle to work with the 4-volt preamp output of the Pioneer radio and the new Hertz speakers. The client was thrilled with the upgrade and loved the clarity of the system. If you’re interested in upgrading the sound system in your car, drop by Mobile Edge in Lehighton or click the red button below to send us an e-mail.
