PS: Here are the stock speakers from the 2015 Outback Premium. The front is a 6x9 size, but really appears to be a 6.5" Speaker in a 6x9 shell. Wimpy, surprisingly very light weight. No mass or substance to speak of. Amazing they perform as well as they do. But certainly nothing special. I think the door speakers are just providing mid-bass and the smaller 3" from the Dash provide all the upper mids and highs.

Note: disregard the screw that was clinging to the back of the larger speaker magnet. That was on my desk and I didn't notice if before snapping the pics.

 

PS: Here are the stock speakers from the 2015 Outback Premium. The front is a 6x9 size, but really appears to be a 6.5" Speaker in a 6x9 shell. Wimpy, surprisingly very light weight. No mass or substance to speak of. Amazing they perform as well as they do. But certainly nothing special.

I would guess the reason for the round speaker is because it may have less overall depth than a comparable 6x9 would have. It's definitely interesting looking though.
Nice job on the upgrade...enjoy and thanks for sharing!

 

[/QUOTE]


Give props to who ever came up with that spare tire mount on the sub woofer. That things is SEXY!!!!! How much did the sub mount cost you if you don't mind me asking?

 

The custom Sub box was fabricated from scratch and fits under the stock carpeted lift panel over the spare tire well in the rear hatch area. So it is completely stealth.

I already owned the JL Audio 10TW3D4 10" speaker. I was shocked that the sub box fabrication was only $375.00 But add the cost of the speaker and it isn't exactly inexpensive either. The driver itself is worth around $279.00
But where else can you get a GREAT sub box that leaves the spare tire and Tools tucked away without taking up ANY space inside the rear cabin/hatch area? It sounds AMAZING too. Surprising how well the sound integrates with the front stage.

Give props to who ever came up with that spare tire mount on the sub woofer. That things is SEXY!!!!! How much did the sub mount cost you if you don't mind me asking?[/QUOTE]

 

Thanks a ton for posting. I have been waiting for someone else to do this first so that I could see a picture of it and pull the trigger myself. Though, I hate the idea of having a shop (even a very good/expensive one) tear into a new car, but I figure if the shop can work on brand new exotic cars that costs several hundred $$$$, they should be just fine with an $30K OB. I have the HK system but am not impressed. I brought mine in into the shop and was looking to do about the same thing you did except they didn't think of the sub in the spare tire enclosure. They recommend either a free standing box that I can take in our out, or build a custom enclosure in the rear wheel well area (where the factory "sub" is). I didn't like either of those ideas since I use that cargo space daily and thus I haven't done anything. I think I was quoted between $6k and $8k depending on the shop and the custom vs. standard box - does that sound in the ball park for your setup?

Now that you have yours, would you do anything differently, like perhaps a 6x9 speakers for more mid base or seperate amp for the sub?

Does the sound deadening stuff work well to keep the unwanted rattling / vibrations down?

 

Hi SurfnSnow,

A few points of clarification.

1. The nice thing about the custom fabricated Sub Box I had built for my 2015 Outback was there is NO Modification to the car. Zero. The foam inner liner that formerly housed that spare tire tools was removed and remains intact. I am storing it in my garage. If I ever sell the car, I will remove the subbox and the spare tire well can quickly return to its stock form in 10 minutes.

2. Note: Not many subwoofer speakers can be spec'd for a box with such a small amount of air space. But there are a few shallow subwoofer speaker choices. I chose the JL Audio 10TW3D4 because of my history with their products, their impeccable reputation, and it only requires .5 cu ft of air space for optimal performance! That is amazing! And it sounds HUGE. I like clear, precise, punchy, musical bass. Not BOOM for the sake of shaking your fillings loose. This sub has a very accurate, musical presentation. Even downfiring in the sealed box in the spare tire well, it seamlessly integrates with the front stage speakers.

3. The Wing bolt that secured the spare tire was removed and replaced with a Hex bolt so it is flush with the center of the spare tire rim, holding it securely in the tire well.

4. I listened to the HK system before buying the OB Premium 2.5i instead of the "Limited" (although I love the leather, the wood, the wheels and a few other features you get with the Limited version). The HK system however did not impress me at all. It was marginally better than the Premium 2.5i System. ...and I liked the 7 band Graphic EQ on the Premium deck. (Note: The Premium Infotainment Deck is made by Fujitsu-Ten. (Reputable japanese manufacturer)

5. I did not want a free standing Sub box in the cabin. I haul stuff a lot and did not want to mess with that. Not to mention, my system is stealth. Completely invisible.

6. The Midbass performance of Focal K2 Power 165 KRX2 speakers is superb. In fact, the 6.5" midbass driver in this component set is one of the best, most accurate midbass drivers available. That said, a good 6x9" speaker would be a less expensive would sound great. Huge improvement over the stock crap in the car. Not sure if the speakers in your HK system are the same as the Premium, but I think they might be. I personally prefer separate components so I can tune and tailor the sound a little more.

7. You NEED some sort of active line converter if you are going to use separate amps. I chose the very expensive, but highly respected Audison Bit One. It is a Digital Signal Processor and allows control over Crossover range, delivers a clean full range signal with a nice high voltage to the amp, and offers multiple 31 band EQ capabilities in addition to time alignment of the drivers. This helps when the tweeters and midbass drivers are far from each other ..and the Subwoofer too. Some options would be: Audio Control DEQ-61, JL audio Cleansweep, Audison Bit One, (Has its own control interface with balance, fader, Sub level control etc) Audison Bit ten

8. Sound deadening. Everything I've ever been told by my local pro shop is to deaden and seal the doors at a minimum for Optimal sound transfer. But I had them put some sound deadening in the floor too. Was hoping to limit Roadnoise to some degree. It helps, but I am not sure if its day and night to be honest. If I had it to do again, I am not sure I would have paid the extra $250 for sound deadening (used Hushmat) in the floor. But better to have it and while the seats were out to install the Amp and Bit One DSP processor ..that was the best time to do so.

9. Cost - If I add up retail cost for components, the cost of the box, the installation, sound deadening etc, I probably have around $5250 into my system. So it's a serious investment. But I am a professional musician gigging weekly. I play bass or guitar depending. So music is a priority in my life. XM sounds great to me. I am shocked how good a few High Def Radio station songs sound at times. My ipod sounds killer and the CD Player of course offers the best fidelity. ALL of it sounds incredible however.

10. I did not replace the rear door speakers. Maybe for rear fill and putting a little midbass punch in my kidneys, better speakers might have added a slight notch more. But for now, the stock 6.5" in the rear doors remain. If I do replace them, a decent / average set of good Coax's would be fine in the rear doors. But If i have passengers in back, we are NOT listening to music. So addressing the rear speakers is still about the overall system for the driver and front seat passenger. (My opinion) Do I NEED rear fill? Nope. But I have noticed there is a little extra fullness and punch keep the lower rear door speakers in the mix just a little.

Hope that helps. Sorry for being so long winded. Hope that is useful.

 

I think the door speakers are just providing mid-bass and the smaller 3" from the Dash provide all the upper mids and highs.

 

PS: I saved some money on costs because I found deals on a few things:

Focal K2 Power 165 KRX2 (6.5" component speakers) List :$1299. I found a NEW set on ebay and made and offer of $650. That was accepted!

JL Audio HD900/5 - List / street price is around $899. I found a used one in great condition for $600

These prices are not always easy to come by, but I took my time and watched closely

 

groberts, thank you for sharing so much detail, all the pics -- what an awesome job they did. Do you listen to any classical music? I'm curious how that sub does with 16HZ organ pedals -- like you'd find in Saint- Saëns Organ Symphony? (I can't find the frequency response online) I wonder if I notice the depth of that sub is 3.25" -- does is seem like a 3.5" could fit?

 

Finchna, I did listen to a little classical but nothing with 16hz Organ pedals. Can't comment on that. But with a 10" sub, you're going to get very good response ..within its limits. Certainly musical enough to 'feel it' and integrate with the front sound stage. Not sure how to answer the depth of the sub. I didn't measure the box but I can. Let me know what exact dimension you need and I'll grab a tape measure. As you notice, the sub dimensions were such that speaker shape fits inside the center circle of the spare tire, so that gives you more depth in that area to work with too.

I appreciate all the details, very very helpful. Your set-up is essentially the same as what I had envisioned so I am going to ask my local shop if they can replicate the custom sub enclosure that you have. I am thnking of doing eveythign else the same, except maybe adding some rear speakers (perhaps 6x9's would fit in the rear to help with the mid-bass).

Do you have any concerns about ever having an electrical issue that would require you to bring the car in for warranty work and Subaru potentially denying it because of all the modifications?

I will let you know how it all turns out when I get some time in the next week or so.

1. I don't think you need 6x9's in the rear doors. and I think the holes in the rear doors are cut for 6.5" Speakers. You can get plenty of midbass from the speakers in the front doors (If you are going with 6x9's) or not. So I wouldn't worry about that. Put a good 6.5" driver in the rear door and you'll be set. Since that speaker is only augmenting the primary sound from your front sound stage, I would not overspend on the rear door speakers. (IMO)

2. Don't know what to say about Subaru warranty work electrically. I suppose there is a risk. But if I have an issue with the sound system related the amp or anything after the headunit, I'll have the stereo shop look at it. If there is an issue with the Infotainment system, It is complete and intact and separate from the aftermarket gear I had interfaced. So I would expect Subaru would provide warranty support for the Head unit ...which is the most expensive aspect of a Warranty claim. The rest is all hypothetical. I hope I never have to find out. But I'm sure that is always a risk.

 

I appreciate all the details, very very helpful. Your set-up is essentially the same as what I had envisioned so I am going to ask my local shop if they can replicate the custom sub enclosure that you have. I am thnking of doing eveythign else the same, except maybe adding some rear speakers (perhaps 6x9's would fit in the rear to help with the mid-bass).

Do you have any concers about ever having an electrical issue that would require you to bring the car in for warranty work and Subaru potentially denying it because of all the modifications?

I will let you know how it all turns out when I get some time in the next week or so.

 

They expected that the XD200 (being quite small) will fit under the seat with the HD900 (without issue) but if necessary, they will locate the amp inside the factory sub enclosure (as that is soon to be non-functional). Sadly, they didn't like my idea of adding another HD 900/5 amp and another sub in custom-built box that utilizes the factory sub space. They said the sub (being in two completely different locations and angles would work against each other vs. helping). They also said 2 of those HD amps would be drawing on too much power and potentially strain the alternator. So I dropped that idea. I guess the car will be able to handle the addition of the second smaller XD amp but I wouldn't be opposed if they needed to install a capacitor or even bigger battery to protect the rest of the car. I read in another topic here that the OEM battery is quite small.

As for sound deadening, yes, I do plan to use hush mat or similar. They said they have several different types of materials they use depending on the need and will determine how much etc. when they are in there. My goal is to eliminate the rattles and all unpleasant vibrations so we'll see what they think needs to be done. At the place I'm going to they pride themselves on their custom work (so I'm sure they will do whatever needs to be done). But at a minimum, I have them doing all the doors and below the spare tire well. When you have your system up to max (wherever that is for your ears), is there any unpleasant rattling /etc?

Did you ever consider a 12" sub vs. the 10" - in the same line JL line. Looks like JL makes a 12" in the same super slim design and I am wondering if that would fit...I'm not sure if a 12" would even sound better as I listen to every time of music possible but I am going to see what the shop thinks now that I am curious. But yes, I had showed them a picture from your original post and asked that they replicate that exactly and they said they could no problem.

When you said you were running 4 channels to each speaker, (the 2 tweeters and 2 woofers) how is that different from bi-amping each speaker in the set. The way I think of it is in the end you are sending 200 watts to each set of speaker (tweet + woofer). I'm sure my shop will know what to do will all that power but I was just curious if we are essentially saying the same thing, just differently.

 

I am basically running 'active'. So the left tweeter gets one amp channel, the right tweeter gets one amp channel, the left 6.5" midbass woofer gets one amp channel, the right 6.5" midbass woofer gets one channel. That accounts for (4 channels) of the HD900/5. The 5th channel goes to the 10" JL Audio Sub.

I might have consider a 12" Sub, but I already owned the JL 10" Sub and its performance blew me away in my 2012 Honda CRV. So given similar cubic space in the Outback, I was confident the 10" sub would perform well. and I am VERY pleased.

The other factor is a 12" JL audio Shallow sub requires a lot more internal space. I am not sure that would allow me to keep the spare tire. There may be other shallow 12" Subwoofers that work with a very small air space of .5 Cu Ft. But I am not sure what performs as well or outperforms the JL Sub.

 

Awesome system! I know how the system sounds on the 2.5 limited because I had one as a loaner and it was so tin sounding. No real highs and no lower end either.
I was so glad when I got my 3.6R that the upgraded system sounds so much better because I'd be at the shop as well replacing components. I love the sub placement, ingenious!

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240541

 

To the 2015 Legacy owner who installed a Pioneer NEX Double Din deck, .... what are you using for speakers and amplifiers?

I had a Pioneer NEX 8000, but sold it because I didn't want to lose the factory functionality of the Infotainment system in my 2015 Outback.

I am using an Audison Bit One DSP to send a clean signal from the factory Infotainment system to a JL audio HD900/5 amplifier.

Sounds KILLER. Very clean and magnificent! I initially installed the factory Focal Passive crossovers between the mid bass drivers in the front doors and dash mounted tweeters (factory locations). Its ridiculously great! But once I switch to "Active" and remove the passive crossovers, I can use the active crossover in the Bit One Digital signal Processor. Each driver will be getting its own 100W/channel from the JL Audio HD900/5 amp. Then I can tune the system and do some time Alignment from Midbass woofers to Tweeters and EQ the drivers as needed. My Sub is a JL 10TW3D4 10" Sub.

My hope is to have Aftermarket performance with the factory infotainment system. based on my initial sound tests, it's already KILLER. But with Time alignment and EQ, it's going to be even better!

PS: I am switching the system to Active tomorrow and will tune it by the end of the day!

 

My Outback is at my local shop (at this moment) being re-wired to fully "Active" and having the Audison Bit One DSP tuned! Stay tuned for more. Film at 11!

 

Sweet! That's when the fun begins. My wife knows that getting the equipment in is the quick part, the tuning is what takes the longest. I've been tweaking on my PS8 (in my Accord, not her OB) for months now, with no real end in sight.

 

Yes, finally, everything is done! Only thing left to do is re-tune the system after break-in as per the KRX2 instructions. Basically did everything according to my proposed plan but called an audible at the last minute and put the sub (12" 12TW3) where the original factory sub was vs. in the spare tire well. I was concerned that the sub would loose some of its impact being under the floor in the spare tire well with the carpet and the rubber liner over it + all my gear that is in my car 95% of the time. I know you mentioned it sounded great and interfaced well so I figured putting in the factory sub location would sound even better. Plus with my OB being a limited with the HK system, it was already set-up to have a sub in that spot and I really didn't like the idea of a disabled factory sub sitting there wasting space.

The custom built enclosure for the 12" only comes out a few inches from where the factory sub was and is flush with the wheel well. Most important, I did not loose any of my effective cargo space. I am running all 4 channels to the KRX2s but using the crossover - I have read that it takes a lot of effort on the tuning side to run them active and if not done perfectly will not sound nearly as good as using the crossovers. However, if done correctly sounds better. Once your switch over to active is complete please let me know your thoughts on how it compares to passive.

Overall I am happy with the sound but also somewhat picky. My experience is likely not as dramatic as yours given the HK system was better than the premium. Looking at the HK speakers, the fronts where actually 6x9's which I have always appreciated for the mid-bass. I feel I do not get as much mid-bass from the KRX2s as the HKs (although the highs are great) but given the 12" in the back lets me feel the music plenty, I guess the K2s are crossing over to the sub at a fairly high level. Perhaps I can have the shop tune it so that I get more mid bass as well when I go in next....but then perhaps they know better than me and it won't sound as good. That is the nice thing about having it done by a shop, I can bring it back and have them tune it as much as I want for as long as I own the car but hopefully will get it all dialed in soon after break-in.

I'm curious what volume level do you usually settle on? With the HK I was at 40ish and now I am usually around 25-30.

A few quick photos for now, I'll get more up later.

 

Your Sub Box looks killer! and you went with a 12"? That is outstanding! I'm sure its Killer! Your reasoning makes a ton of sense too since you already had the HK Factory sub taking up that space where my OB Premium just had an open cubby.

I look forward to seeing more pics!

I was having my system tuned and they got backed up and needed to deal with it the next day. But my father passed away that evening (85 years old), so I have to reschedule. For now, my system is not 'tuned', but it was switched over to "active". The crossovers are out now. Sounds pretty close to the same although I think the system is louder at the same volume setting as before.

Giving you a number for volume and loudness would be meaningless since I have the Audison Bit One DSP in the signal chain. So I dial maximum Volume before distortion at the head unit for best sound, then use the Audison control unit to adjust volume. But for convenience, I can still use the factory head unit vol or steering wheel controls to quickly drop the volume. But for best listening, I set the factory head unit for the strongest, best sounding signal before distortion and leave that alone.

 

What did you do with the front center speaker? the one the factory sends out way too loud...

 

What did you do with the front center speaker on the dash? I just got my 2015 OB with the "Upgraded HK" and the sound is really so so at best. So many things wrong with the sound. I am also looking at replacing speakers at the least.

 

Did your OB have a front center speaker on the dash? If so what did you replace this speaker with?
I just got my 2015 OB with the "Upgraded HK" and the sound is really so so at best. So many things wrong with the sound. I am also looking at replacing speakers at the least.

 

The center speaker is there but it was deactivated as part of the upgrade, much more balanced sound without it, I can't tell where the sound is coming from, I just hear it and its impact full which is how I think it should be.

 

Thanks for the reply...
2 questions come to mind that I need help with: 1. did you ever contemplate using the existing Fujitsu Amp? with the gear you installed, you probably never even consider this option.

and last but not least: how much was the whole installation and equipment? I sort need to know, because my system sounds terrible, and I gotta do something! Even if its just replacing speakers...

 

What is your budget? My system was easily over $3500-$4000 installed. I'll bet Surf's system was as much or more!

I got a deal on the speakers (Focal K2 Power KRX2 comps at $675 from a private seller) and a deal on a used JL Audio 900/5 Amp at $700. So it would have been more. I also had copious amounts of sound deadening added to the floor boards and doors. (not entirely sure how much difference that made?)

My System:
Focal K2 Power KRX2 165 Comp speakers (Front stage)
Left Stock speakers in rear doors
Audison Bit One Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
JL Audio HD900/5 (5 channel amp)
JL Audio 10TW3D4 10" Sub Speaker
Custom sub box built into spare tire well

 

My budget is right there with your 3,500 to 4,000... I think this should be enough money to make this car sound great to awesome.

Did you also eliminate the center front channel?

 

My next task is to find a trusting installer here in So Cal. But, if I have to go to Tucson, I will!!!

 

I obtained several quotes and they ranged between $6K-$9K depending upon the shop...I found some shops actually had sales on the equipment (20% off Focal and 30% off JL....I think AL&Eds) which brings the price down closer to groberts on the equipment side but its really the labor that is the difference as the equipment cost is basically the same across all the shops. Given that they literally take apart the whole interior of the car, it is just a matter of personal preference on where you go and who you trust.

Cost of living is lower in AZ vs. Socal so labor will be cheaper out in AZ but I personally would advise against going to Tucson just for the install just because it is a long way back from Socal if you need them to fix something or even just check something out unless you regularly travel out there. As part of the install service you have a warranty with the shop that they will fix troubleshoot any problems with the install as long as you own the car so you would be a long way from free warranty work. But again, if you regularly travel that way or don't mind the 7hr drive each way then that place groberts used seems like a winner.

 

i just updated my HK system with JL C5s in the dash and doors, with a modest JL amp (60 watts per channel RMS). I didnt swap out the center channel or the sub yet. The center channel is just process sound so theres very little hitting it anyway. Im probably going to put a better amp on the factory sub first and see if that helps it (cause its terrible as it is) and if that doesnt help then ill swap that out with a JL sub. The JL isn't bad sounding, not as terrific as i had hoped, a little bright to my ears, but thats also without tinkering with the crossovers yet. I wanted to listen to them defaulted first to see how they sounded. I probably should have gone with the Focals, but couldn't find anyone local that sold/installed them, so this was the next best thing in terms of reviews.

 

My HK speakers are in a box in the garage but I'll try and take a photo of them when I have chance. The factory "sub" is actually the same as the front speakers 6x9's (actual 6x9's though not 6.5 like the premium)- actually the sound the factory sub produced wasn't all that bad when you look at the speaker it is coming out of but doesn't even compare to a true sub. Even an 8" would blow that away I imagine. I'm not sure the factory sub can even handle much more power...also mine would rattle with just the the factory amp so if you are going to put more power too it you might want to hushmat behind it as the Subaru's don't have much sound deadening stock.

 

A few more photos...you can see the hustmat and foam on the doors

 

Did you go with the Focal Flax 2 ways? and is the tweeter really mounted near the midbass driver in the door as I see in the lower door photo?

 

12 or 8

where you able to find the 12 speakers??? The advertisement shows 12 however I can only count 8... the amplifier is also an 8 speaker amp. Just curious if the advertisement and sales brochures are off.
Besides, my installer was asking about this issue.

 

where you able to find the 12 speakers???

The four door speakers are coaxials. That's how marketing types magically turn four into eight.