Please help a noob out

[Xanadude47 10+ year member]

I have a 2002 Ford Escape with a aftermarket Head Unit (Sony xplod 52X4) but with stock speakers. After the head unit was installed I noticed the sound was actually worse. No bass, very treblely and shrill sounding especially at high volume. I know very little about car audio so please help me out.

Is something hooked up wrong? Do i need better speakers? amp?

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[gtmaster]

Take new aftermarket speakers, your old speakers are probably blowned out or they cant handle the power from the Xplod

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

I had the same problem with my setup (though I own an alpine HU). The problem is is that when you put your headunit in, it amplifies the sound like it's supposed to, but if you have a factory amp in your car, it then becomes amplified a second time. This may or may not be your case. To combat it until I got some aftermarket speakers, I only hooked up the positive speaker wire to the back of my HU (I don't really recommend doing it, but I'm replacing the stocks so I don't care if they blow or not lol..)

 

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

I had this same issue in my old Impreza, also with a Sony HU. I then had the same issue in my current car with a Power Acoustik HU. Then I got a Pioneer AVH-P4300DVD and it made the stock speakers sound better than stock (even with no amp). Other have reported the same. Same car, same wires, same speakers that the Power Acoustik was driving. So after this experience I have been led to believe that this is mainly attributed to the quality of the new HU itself. Which is odd cuz anything aftermarket is supposed to be better, right? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif Just my $0.02. I was ready to strangle a child with that damn Power Acoustik.

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

Have you tried to tweak your EQ settings?

 

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

Have you tried to tweak your EQ settings?

Did not help on mine... the quality was just worse //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

If it still sounds worse than the stock HU even after tweaking the EQ settings, its either a bad installation (not hooked up properly or bad connection) OR a poor quality sounding heading unit.

I replaced the HU in my Jetta that came with the premium sound package with a $60 Pioneer DEH-1200. It sounds a LOT better than stock now. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Same everything, just swapping the HU to a Pioneer.

 

[dragonrage 10+ year member]

You may have a crossover on for your speakers, say at 100Hz. That would protect them from blowing due to bass easier, but it will obviously make them sound thinner.

 

[Xanadude47 10+ year member]

Yes I adjusted the EQ lol With the Bass at 10 it sounds like the stock HU did with the Bass at 1. Obviously im not looking for Subwoofer quality bass, just tight and punchy. The bass isn't the only problem its just the lack of clarity and fullness when the volume is up.

I have been planning on getting some new speakers soon anyway so I'll see if that helps. If it doesn't then ill assume something is hooked up wrong.

 

[Phoenix Risen 10+ year member]

i would bet that its just the deck that is sub par, part of the reason i dont touch new sony.

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

Might just be a crappy deck. I put in my pioneer deck today and there is a noticeable increase in the sound quality from stock, sounds so much better.

 

[Xanadude47 10+ year member]

I would hesitate to say that its a crap deck. My friend has the exact same one in his car and it sounds fine. I mean its no audiophile quality but its better than anything stock.

 

[Toone 10+ year member]

check your eq settings. problem solved.

 

[Xanadude47 10+ year member]

Problem NOT solved. As I have already stated I have the bass at 10 and its still minimal.

The stock sub in the back has NO sound coming out of it. does this mean something is hooked up wrong? I realize this is probably why im getting minimal bass as well.

 

[Phoenix Risen 10+ year member]

its very likely that something isnt hooked up, possibly the rem wire for the factory amp.