Quality sound in a car – a good example in the 2014 Subaru Impreza STi
When a car owner is ready to spend a decent budget on engine tuning, body kit, interior, wheels and much more, will he leave the sound aside? Of course not. High-quality sound is one of the integral components of car tuning.
So, the request from the owner of a 2014 Subaru Impreza STi was as follows:
- It needed to be powerful and loud with an emphasis on low frequencies.
- Our client loves electronic music
- I’m not ready to redesign the interior for sound (externally everything should remain stock)
- The budget was announced, and we couldn’t go beyond it.
- A multimedia source for Android was definitely needed
- The installation and connection of a front camera (a rear view camera is installed in this car from the factory) + parking sensors (forward and backward) had to fit into the budget.
We offered three options for different audio system configurations. The choice was made on the best one, in our opinion. Configuration of the installed audio system in the 2014 Subaru Impreza STi:
What we “danced” from when choosing components for this system. First, it’s the source – a Chinese “head”, no matter how good it is, will not play well a priori. Therefore, a processor was undoubtedly needed. To fit into the budget, we chose a new processor model with a built-in 8-channel amplifier – Audison AP F8.9 bit, it will help us work with the signal and adjust the sound, and the built-in amplifier 8 x 85 W at 4 Ohm will give everything that the Hertz Mille Pro series speakers need.
The speakers were chosen based on the musical preferences of the owner of a 2014 Subaru Impreza STi – for electronic music, the Hertz Mille Pro is an excellent solution.
Replacement of the standard radio Subaru Impreza STi 2014
The factory radio in Subaru is not very functional. It was logical to replace it with a modern multimedia device. We chose the RedPower Android radio. One of the fastest and most functional devices.
How it was before replacing the radio:
What happened after:
The standard rear view camera, which was still there from the factory, worked great with the new radio:
Soundproofing (partial) Subaru Impreza STi 2014
In Subaru we did full soundproofing of the ceiling, trunk, rear shelf, four doors – everything except the bottom. This was done solely at the request of the car owner. In the work we used materials of two brands – Shumoff and Acoustics. Time-tested and personally tested by us!
In terms of factory noise and vibration insulation, the car turned out to be absolutely unprepared in this regard – bare metal on all surfaces, pieces of felt here and there. However, as with most cars.
As for the doors. The car arrived to us with partial soundproofing. We don’t know who did it and where. But the autopsy showed that the soundproofing of the doors was done extremely incorrectly. If we didn’t touch the inner surface of the door in principle, it was done quite well. But the outer surface of the door was treated with foam rubber with bitumen impregnation, which is absolutely forbidden!!! At the same time, the plastic surface of the door card remained untouched:
We worked on the doors and this is what we got:
Installing Speakers in a 2014 Subaru Impreza STi
The acoustics were installed in the front and rear doors. Two-component acoustics were placed in the front. Midbass speakers in the doors in spacer rings. Tweeters in the dashboard under the glass. Everything in the standard places.
First, check out the difference between the factory speakers and the Hertz we installed. Wow, huh?
And now, finally, beauty has appeared in the car, which will soon sing beautifully:
Was:
Became:
Installing a processor with a built-in amplifier
A place for the monoblock for the subwoofer was found in the rear wing, a panel of moisture-resistant plywood was made for installation, to which the power distributor and capacitor were also attached. The Audison AP F8.9 bit processor was installed under the driver’s seat.
Wiring for audio system
In short – acoustic and power cables were made of pure oxygen-free copper (TchernovAudio and Gladen). Since there was a channel – a total of 26 meters of cables were used.
To pull the power cable, the front wheel had to be removed.
Making an MDF enclosure for a Hertz MP 300D2.4 subwoofer in a 2014 Subaru Impreza STi
For the owner of the car, it was important that there was an emphasis on bass. To make the bass not just good, but awesome in terms of power, pressure and musicality, we chose the Hertz MP 300D2.4 subwoofer speaker from the Mille Pro series. Ideally, we could have made a stealth case, but the owner did not mind the space in the trunk, and it is unlikely that we found room in the wing for a 36-liter box!
The case was made independently, having previously ordered the cutting of 19 mm thick MDF according to the patterns recommended by the manufacturer Hertz. The inside of the case was treated with cellular foam rubber. The outside was covered with carpet. The type of acoustic design of the case is with a phase inverter.
As a result, as usual, almost the entire day was spent listening, setting up and eliminating crickets in the car.
