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primethios

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While I am not a fan of touch screen radios the audio itself is excellent for OEM. To be honest without modifying for major speaker upgrades I am beyond surprised and highly doubt I will look at aftermarket audio modifications. Now I have bumps while riding bumps.
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jimcald

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@jncomatrix I think an audiophile might still be a little disappointed if they don't also upgrade the HU. Only a three band EQ and no separate sub controls. For me the premium factory setup is great.
I was a little disappointed with the 3band EQ, I like to have better control over the sound to really customize it to my listening taste and I find the range to be just a little flat. With that said though, this is likely to be the only factory system I have ever had that I will not replace because as factory systems go it is pretty damn good and I am just very picky.
 

eternus

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Can anyone confirm if you lose any options/capability with the audio setup if you have the 7" radio vs the 8.4"?
 

kpohanka

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I was in professional mobile audio for years so I suppose take this with a grain of salt.

I will be replacing all of the speakers, including the subwoofer. The speakers have excellent sound quality and fidelity, but are not nearly loud enough for topless operation. You will lose 50% of the music with the top off at 30/40 volume, vocals will become near impossible to hear and you instead get high frequencies. They do produce significant midbass thanks to the drivers in the knee panels.

The subwoofer performs well in specific environments, its peak is around 60hz. This is fine for rock music but falls flat in its face around 40hz and lower. It too suffers from output issues. In addition, certain frequencies rattle the bajesus out of the trim panel surrounding the sub.

This all being said, this is one of the best (if not the best) factory sound systems I have heard. I suspect most people will be extremely satisfied in top up doors on environments.
 

kpohanka

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oh and no subwoofer control in the radio, just bass, mid, and treble. sounds best set to 0 on each.
 

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RedTRex

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The subwoofer performs well in specific environments, its peak is around 60hz. This is fine for rock music but falls flat in its face around 40hz and lower. It too suffers from output issues. In addition, certain frequencies rattle the bajesus out of the trim panel surrounding the sub.
Is that due to size, quality, or crossover?
 

kpohanka

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Is that due to size, quality, or crossover?
I havent tested the woofer itself but I would imagine that it just isn't capable of hitting lower notes. looks to me like its probably a 10" in there. any 10 worth their salt should be able to hit 28hz well.

Enclosure size probably also plays a role, smaller sealed enclosures tend to roll off at higher frequencies. This one seems like its tuned to 55-60hz just based on the tone test I ran.
 

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I was in professional mobile audio for years so I suppose take this with a grain of salt.

I will be replacing all of the speakers, including the subwoofer. The speakers have excellent sound quality and fidelity, but are not nearly loud enough for topless operation. You will lose 50% of the music with the top off at 30/40 volume, vocals will become near impossible to hear and you instead get high frequencies. They do produce significant midbass thanks to the drivers in the knee panels.

The subwoofer performs well in specific environments, its peak is around 60hz. This is fine for rock music but falls flat in its face around 40hz and lower. It too suffers from output issues. In addition, certain frequencies rattle the bajesus out of the trim panel surrounding the sub.

This all being said, this is one of the best (if not the best) factory sound systems I have heard. I suspect most people will be extremely satisfied in top up doors on environments.
I'm always curious to hear feedback from audiophiles... I have some mild tinnitus and am just happy to hear things. (c: I am NOT the guy that can justify the top end headphones for their quality. It could just be that I've never heard it perfect, or my ears might just not be wired as precisely. All that being said... you mentioned speakers being replaced, but seem to be content with the Head Unit and presumably the amplifier if one exists. Is this because nothing better exists, or because it does a great job?
 

RedTRex

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I havent tested the woofer itself but I would imagine that it just isn't capable of hitting lower notes. looks to me like its probably a 10" in there. any 10 worth their salt should be able to hit 28hz well.

Enclosure size probably also plays a role, smaller sealed enclosures tend to roll off at higher frequencies. This one seems like its tuned to 55-60hz just based on the tone test I ran.
Okay, not worried about the higher freqs, but did want to get under 30, so I guess it's a quality/capability issue - replace with better

Thanks a bunch for discussing this topic
 

kpohanka

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I'm always curious to hear feedback from audiophiles... I have some mild tinnitus and am just happy to hear things. (c: I am NOT the guy that can justify the top end headphones for their quality. It could just be that I've never heard it perfect, or my ears might just not be wired as precisely. All that being said... you mentioned speakers being replaced, but seem to be content with the Head Unit and presumably the amplifier if one exists. Is this because nothing better exists, or because it does a great job?
So i am perfectly happy with the quality produced by the HU and how the amplifier processes it. The quality of the sound really is impressive. What I plan on doing is replacing the speakers with more efficient ones. Speakers all have a sensitivity rating. It basically states how efficient speakers are at turning power (measured in watts) into sound (measured in decibels). This gets more complicated as voltage is factored in but well leave that out.

I plan on applying acoustic material ALL OVER the inside of the cabin and possibly wheel arches (probably not) which will make the speakers sound slightly better but definitely more efficient (louder at lower volumes as transient noise decreases). But what I will also do is replace with more sensitive speakers. So again I havent tested the speakers but lets say they achieve 75db@1w. If I replace with speakers that achieve 90db@1w I can achieve 17% louder sound at the same power level (effectively increasing the volume control to 47 instead of 40). In addition the speakers will be rated at higher power so they can safely play at higher levels, whereas you will eventually ruin the factory speakers if you play them at 40.

So where this might become tricky is in the rear sound bar. The factory system is actually pretty sophisticated. There are 2 different sized speakers on each side playing through an aero-port enclosure. What makes this complicated is that speakers all have parameters which dictate proper tuning frequency, which is adjusted by the diameter and length of the port. In other words, if I replace the speakers I will have to either build a new port to their specs or seal the enclosure off. Sealed enclosures require far less precision in tuning and are far more forgiving (size determines tuning as opposed to port shape). So you best bet if you plan on upgrading the rear speakers is to remove and seal off the port, or roll the dice and hope it sounds good (probably wouldn't sound better than stock). Some people have been stuffing a larger single speaker in each side in the rear bar (requires cutting).
 

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kpohanka

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Okay, not worried about the higher freqs, but did want to get under 30, so I guess it's a quality/capability issue - replace with better

Thanks a bunch for discussing this topic
I would recommend ditching the enclosure all together if you want better response. I suggest removing the subwoofer, enclosure and trim surround and replacing with a tiny box for this guy. https://www.down4soundshop.com/SD-3-Series-10-500-watts-D2/ enclosure can be as small as .4 cubic feet (+ .1 cubic feet for the displacement of the subwoofer itself). It ought to be powered by something more substantial than factory. If memory serves it can play down to 26.3hz
 

NORDNDED

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I have so far been very impressed with the factory Alpine system and 8.4HU. I do wish there were more adjustability than just bass, mid and treble but really cannot complain otherwise. It sounds better than the system in any other vehicle previously owned including some that I had spent thousands on in upgrades or vehicles costing 30-40% more. This is probably the first vehicle that I will not modify anything audio wise..
 

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I would recommend ditching the enclosure all together if you want better response. I suggest removing the subwoofer, enclosure and trim surround and replacing with a tiny box for this guy. https://www.down4soundshop.com/SD-3-Series-10-500-watts-D2/ enclosure can be as small as .4 cubic feet (+ .1 cubic feet for the displacement of the subwoofer itself). It ought to be powered by something more substantial than factory. If memory serves it can play down to 26.3hz
Do you have a good line-in to RCA converter in mind?
 

kpohanka

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Now I havent messed with this Uconnect system but it seems pretty complicated. It's really going to be trial and error for me, finding what works and what doesnt.
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