[Vin]

Dear members,

I have a toyota corolla altis 2008 model,

the music system kitted by the company is pretty decent with a 6 cd changer that reads mp3 and wma,

speakers sound decent as well,

I am writing this post to ask the professionals here that if I want to add a subwoofer+amplifier to improve the sound quality of this system how to go about it,

I do not want to change the head unit since it goes with the overall look of the dashboard and blends in pretty well, if I add a headunit it would stand out, and I am not interested in any fancy displays, I just want to improve the audio quality,

I am not sure of which music system is actually fitted by the company but I think its a kenwood,

I will be visiting the USA in december and wanted to purchase a compatible set of amplifiers and subwoofer for the car, I think the speakers currently installed will do, but if you would recommend me to change these then I dont mind,

I am not biased to any particular company or brand in car audios, although I have used pioneer systems before and am pretty happy with them,

I checked the forum for any related threads on corolla altis music system but didnt find any so I am going ahead and posting this,

please suggest and help me with which combination of speakers/subwoofers/amplifiers should I go for considering this car, also if there is any other particular issue/subject i should keep in my mind kindly enlighten me with it,

Also on an unrelated subject, I will also be buying a navigation system from there, also several companies have a combination of nav units and music systems i think ill go ahead with a detachable on dash unit since I dont wanna change the music system, so if i should keep any particular feature in mind for the music system related to the nav unit then please let me know,

Thanks,


Vin

[dinu2506]

First thing you need to see if there are pre-outs available in the standard system. In all probability, it will not be available, so the option would be to use speaker level inputs (the amp should be able to accept speaker level inputs) or use a speaker to line level converter.

For a start, you can use a 4 channel amp, 2 channels driving the front speakers and the other 2 bridged to drive the sub.

I too started like this on my Civic since I did not want to change the HU, but later on realized the limitations and went on to change the HU, front components, 4 channel amp, a monoblock and dual 12" subs

All the best and be wary of the forum, lot of us start with a small budget and go all the way up.

[Vin]

Hi Dinu,

Thanks for the info,

I think im on the same page as you were when you bought your civic, and for me budget is not the biggest problem, as I can go through with the changes in a phased manner,

I guess I can spend some dough on getting a good 4 channel amp in the first place, and get a 12" sub to start with,

my problem is im two minded right now, my heart is telling me not to change the HU, but my brain is telling me sooner or later i will have to since the stock system will be limited in options,

thanks for the info,


Vin

[navin]

Originally Posted by Vin

I want to add a subwoofer+amplifier
I will be visiting the USA in december and wanted to purchase a compatible set of amplifiers and subwoofer for the car, I think the speakers currently installed will do, but if you would recommend me to change these then I dont mind
please suggest and help me with which combination of speakers/subwoofers/amplifiers should I go for considering this car

If you intend to keep your current HU get an amp that has speaker level inputs and a level controller. This will allow you to control the subwoofer level from inside the cabin.

Originally Posted by Vin

I guess I can spend some dough on getting a good 4 channel amp in the first place, and get a 12" sub to start with,

my problem is im two minded right now, my heart is telling me not to change the HU, but my brain is telling me sooner or later i will have to since the stock system will be limited in options

In many casees the Stock HU has steering wheel controls, in some cases the stock HU has preset EQ settings desinged to compensate for the deficiciens of the speakers. If you are upgrading the stock speakers I would advise also considering a HU upgrade at the same time.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by navin

In many casees the Stock HU has steering wheel controls, in some cases the stock HU has preset EQ settings desinged to compensate for the deficiciens of the speakers. If you are upgrading the stock speakers I would advise also considering a HU upgrade at the same time.

In this case navin, the HU has steering wheel controls, although the EQ settings are basic, but they can be adjusted for bass/treble/front-back/left-right, the basic stuff,

I guess ill buy a 4 channel amp and the sub for now, then see what response i get from my system,

I have my eyes on the Pioneer PRS-D4200F,

Its a good quality amplifier from the looks of it, has speaker level inputs, and overall seems to be a competent amp,

Suggestions welcome,

Thanks,

Vin

[Vin]

Dear members,

can you recommend a particular 4 channel amp and a compatible sub which have excellent quality

is rockford fosgate better in tech than pioneer?

[navin]

Originally Posted by Vin

the EQ settings are basic, but they can be adjusted for bass/treble/front-back/left-right,

I think you misunderstood. What I was trying to say is that in SOME cases the HU is EQed to compensate for the defficiencies of the speakers. Thsi EQ is not something the user has control over. For example if the makers of the system find that the speaker's response falls off rather fast in the bass they might add a bass boost EQ to compensate. Similarly they might do the same for the tweeter. Often the EQ is not a solution but a "good compromise". I am not suggesting that the Altis HU has such and EQ (I have not heard it, leave alsone tested it with speakers that are not OEM) but it is something to be aware of.

[Vin]

Oh .... sorry i did misunderstand .. got it now,

the altis's system does have an SSC option, like for equalisers you have preset like rock pop etc, here we have 3 such presets and we have another set of 3 options as - SSC1, SSC2, SSC3, this is the bass boost type option you mentioned,
the bass settings in these are higher - for those who do not want to fiddle too much with the HU,

So this leads me back to square 1, should I go in for a 4 channel amp and a 12" sub right now, then later I can buy a HU of my liking,

earlier I wanted to get a HU which had GPS, touch screen and Dvd player, but i have understood in other topics on this forum that its best if I buy a GPS navigator from India so that I can use indian maps such as mapmyindia,

since I will have to buy a seperate GPS (perhaps a blaupunkt, for which I am in a hurry - delhi roads are killing me with all this construction), I guess then I can wait for an advanced HU with good equaliser options,

Thanks,

Vin

[dinu2506]

Originally Posted by Vin

Oh .... sorry i did misunderstand .. got it now,

the altis's system does have an SSC option, like for equalisers you have preset like rock pop etc, here we have 3 such presets and we have another set of 3 options as - SSC1, SSC2, SSC3, this is the bass boost type option you mentioned,
the bass settings in these are higher - for those who do not want to fiddle too much with the HU,

So this leads me back to square 1, should I go in for a 4 channel amp and a 12" sub right now, then later I can buy a HU of my liking,

earlier I wanted to get a HU which had GPS, touch screen and Dvd player, but i have understood in other topics on this forum that its best if I buy a GPS navigator from India so that I can use indian maps such as mapmyindia,

since I will have to buy a seperate GPS (perhaps a blaupunkt, for which I am in a hurry - delhi roads are killing me with all this construction), I guess then I can wait for an advanced HU with good equaliser options,

Thanks,

Vin

I think you again misunderstood. What Navin meant was that there is a possibilty that the standard HU has already been equalised to take care of deficiencies in the stock speakers even in the flat settings of the HU. This is something we cannot control externally by any settings. Now, if you use such an HU, the output will never be flat but equalised to the degree that is originally set in the factory - it could be a higher bass, higher treble etc. This is one of the limitation of using a stock HU where you have no control on it. As Navin said, it may not be there for the Toyota HU but we do not know.

[XetaGLGRocks]

Originally Posted by Vin

Dear members,

can you recommend a particular 4 channel amp and a compatible sub which have excellent quality

is rockford fosgate better in tech than pioneer?

Vin,
Rockford Fosgate does make excellent Amplifiers. However, to compare apple to apple, the specs are required.

JBL GT 75.4 used to be an excellent value for money 4-Ch amplifier. It is now out of manufacture, but has an excellent successor, JBLGTO1004.

Ground Zero GZTA 4.120MK² 4-Ch amplifier is also an excellent one.

The choice of the Amplifier or the subwoofer depends on how much you want to shell out.
JBL, Pioneer, Ground Zero, Rockford Fosgate are all good brands.

You can listen to the JBL GTO1004 or the GZTA 4.120MK² amps. These two are really good and easier on the pocket.

As for the 12" Sub, I would recommend Ground Zero GZTW 12MK², JBL ( i dont know the current model numbers).

If you like the Boom-Boom type of bass, you would need a ported box for the Sub.
Else if you like tight bass, you would need a sealed box.

Go around, take a few auditions and then decide upon the model you would buy.

[valhallen.282]

Vin the blaupunkt unit you are talking about is a bit pricey but fantastic when it comes to the delivery and looks. IMHO changing the HU to start with is a good idea as it gets rid of having to use speaker to line level converters or amps with level conversions. its basically a compromise being made. At the end of the day if you start with a compromise at the SOURCE itself i believe it is a compromise in the end product of the sound too. Also if you are going abroad there are systems i believe that can be connected to the steering wheel controls. but i maybe wrong. so honestly a good set of components and a good 4 channel amp with the appropriate HU should do you good for a while till you don't put in subs, dvd, video screens etc etc... and abroad you have the wonderful wonderful systems like the eclipse available with more options and gizmology that it is sheer brilliance in itself. but i don't know what opinions you might get here.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by dinu2506

I think you again misunderstood. What Navin meant was that there is a possibilty that the standard HU has already been equalised to take care of deficiencies in the stock speakers even in the flat settings of the HU. This is something we cannot control externally by any settings. Now, if you use such an HU, the output will never be flat but equalised to the degree that is originally set in the factory - it could be a higher bass, higher treble etc. This is one of the limitation of using a stock HU where you have no control on it. As Navin said, it may not be there for the Toyota HU but we do not know.

Dear Dinu, I did understand what navin meant this time, i just wanted to add on to what equaliser options are available other than whatever presettings done by the company as stock,

thanks for the clarification though, As I'm not an expert in ICE even I cannot say for sure if the toyota system has any preset equalising done or not,

Originally Posted by XetaGLGRocks

Vin,
Rockford Fosgate does make excellent Amplifiers. However, to compare apple to apple, the specs are required.

JBL GT 75.4 used to be an excellent value for money 4-Ch amplifier. It is now out of manufacture, but has an excellent successor, JBLGTO1004.

Ground Zero GZTA 4.120MK² 4-Ch amplifier is also an excellent one.

The choice of the Amplifier or the subwoofer depends on how much you want to shell out.
JBL, Pioneer, Ground Zero, Rockford Fosgate are all good brands.

You can listen to the JBL GTO1004 or the GZTA 4.120MK² amps. These two are really good and easier on the pocket.

As for the 12" Sub, I would recommend Ground Zero GZTW 12MK², JBL ( i dont know the current model numbers).

If you like the Boom-Boom type of bass, you would need a ported box for the Sub.
Else if you like tight bass, you would need a sealed box.

Go around, take a few auditions and then decide upon the model you would buy.

Dear Xeta,

thanks for all the options you gave, as I had mentioned earlier the amp I have in mind is the PRS-D4200F

and the sub i had in mind is the TS-SW1241D

i read somewhere that these two go really well together, plus I get to save space with the sub, and the price i checked with some stores online in US is actually half of what is listed onthe pioneer site,

Originally Posted by valhallen.282

Vin the blaupunkt unit you are talking about is a bit pricey but fantastic when it comes to the delivery and looks. IMHO changing the HU to start with is a good idea as it gets rid of having to use speaker to line level converters or amps with level conversions. its basically a compromise being made. At the end of the day if you start with a compromise at the SOURCE itself i believe it is a compromise in the end product of the sound too. Also if you are going abroad there are systems i believe that can be connected to the steering wheel controls. but i maybe wrong. so honestly a good set of components and a good 4 channel amp with the appropriate HU should do you good for a while till you don't put in subs, dvd, video screens etc etc... and abroad you have the wonderful wonderful systems like the eclipse available with more options and gizmology that it is sheer brilliance in itself. but i don't know what opinions you might get here.

Dear Val,

the blaupunkt is pricey but theres no other worthy option available at present, hopefully manufacturers like tomtom and garmin might team up with software profs like mapmyindia to give a good package in the near future,

You are also right when you mention the compromise bit,

I have a question related to this - is a 4 channel amp lesser in SQ delivery than a mono, when I say this I am taking into consideration that perhaps the HU is factory tuned to cover up any speaker deficiency,

my theory is this - if a 4 channel amp is as good in delivery then what I can do is get the amp and sub for now, and later I can get a new HU and align it to the same amp and sub,

Thanks,

Vin

[navin]

Originally Posted by dinu2506

I think you again misunderstood. What Navin meant was that there is a possibilty that the standard HU has already been equalised to take care of deficiencies in the stock speakers even in the flat settings of the HU. As Navin said, it may not be there for the Toyota HU but we do not know.

There we go again. My gobbletygook has confused everyone but Dinu. Dinu that's exactly wht I meant thank you for clarifying.

Vin, while some here like Gunbir, Sam Kapasi, LBM, B&T and off late a certain "Andy" etc.. have the ability to dazzle you with their brilliance, I have no such ability, so I choose to baffle you with my BS. Sorry.

Originally Posted by valhallen.282

Also if you are going abroad there are systems i believe that can be connected to the steering wheel controls.

I understand that these steering wheel control harnesses are dependant on the car being connected. I know for example that Skoda/VW sell harness to connect their steering wheel controls to Alpine HUs.

[low_bass_makker]

Originally Posted by Vin

thanks for all the options you gave, as I had mentioned earlier the amp I have in mind is the PRS-D4200F

and the sub i had in mind is the TS-SW1241D

The amp is still do-able but skip this sub as they are not worth it. Have used there Pioneer shallow sub and they are bad.

Also the pioneer amp is a 4-ch if you only want to add a sub then a mono will be a better option.

What all other option have you considered ?

[valhallen.282]

Vin as mentioned by LBM that sub is not too great. subs are bound to consume space and you can buy them here too. also some of the discount you get there gets offset here by the duties and tax structure. the jbl and the gz's are much better at subs and if you you want amps the options are plenty. if you really want to get good power out of a sub you need a good monobloc. a 4-channel amp is not designed to put out the sort of consistent power that monobloc's can. to save on money and space and wiring etc etc some among us recommend that you get a good 4 channel and use it to power your front and your sub together. this is on the basis that you drive most of the time and only need rear for fill. but to get an excellent sound stage i would say get a 4 channel and a monobloc also this way you have dedicated amps doing dedicated jobs. also getting a monobloc means better and cleaner power for the sub so they play at capacity but the amps also tend to be pricey see if you can buy those and a good HU in the sale.
P.S. the garmin is available but is supposedly more expensive and more inaccurate. but thats a review i read.