just installed mine. I replaced my speakers before I installed the amp, so I was able to add more gain, and it sounds so much louder now. Thank you for recommending this product.
Did u need the extra module for StarLink? Like do u have the premium trim without the HK system? And, what speakers did u use and does it sound a lot better?
@RobHTech I used some orion speakers I had laying around and bought some powerbass 3.5 speakers for the dash. I have it set up more for mids and highs, and it sounds amazing. It does need a subwoofer at some point, though. Mine is the base model.
Former professional audio guy here (and also a Subaru owner). I'm listening your video on very good and calibrated sound system, to make things clear. All that aside, I know RUclips is much limited in its sound reproduction. Plus, I don't know how you recorded the audio clips. That being said, you get a better result from changing the speakers in the car. The OEM amp is OK in itself, but the speakers are very, very cheap (paper membrane, a real joke). From your audio clip, I can hear that your "amp" is mostly a fancy pants EQ that just boosts selected frequencies to make believe it sounds better. It doesn't, really. You could've probably achieve a similar result from the on-board EQ (maybe...) Anyway, you'd be much better off by upgrading the speakers themselves (including the horrible tweeters mounted in the dash). Whish you the best!
Had my 2024 Subaru Crosstrek done after watching your video! Huge improvement on the sound system! added Bass Punch, overall clarity and crispness, highly recommended for any Subaru drivers out there!! get one installed in your car now~!
I have a wrx and I upgraded the speakers and another way to make it sound Way better is use a FiiO BTR7 Headphone Amp Bluetooth Receiver High Resolution Portable DAC and use the car power option I use my Phone for my spotify and sounds amazing no need to take off anything .
@@diegodetovar9316 btr7 connects your phone and it connect to 3.5 mm on your car. It basically just like phone connected to 3.5 mm so my CarPlay doesn’t working. I only can change music via my phone.
Ordered! Just got a kicker key but returned it. Now you come out with this video! Perfect timing. Can’t wait to try this with all my kicker speakers I installed already! Thanks Kev!
Thanks for making this dude, going through upgrading the sound on my 24 impreza and couldnt find any instructions online on how to get to the new style subaru headunits.
I just installed this amp in my 23 Premium WRX and the difference is incredible. I had already replaced all six factory speakers with Infinity Reference and that was a huge improvement, but the stock head-unit still lacked detail and separation in the mix. With the amp in the chain now I'm hearing things in the mix I've never heard before. Everything is crisp and clean, especially from a quality lossless source. 100% recommend.
This is good news. I have premium with StarLink, so i guess u needed to order the extra module for starlink? And, does it sound a lot better with the new speakers too? Is it worth it? Was it literally plugged-n-play?
@@RobHTech didn’t need to mess with starlink at all. I think the extra module their website mentions is for a modified wiring harness to fit the non-Harmon Kardon unit. Other than that, it is totally plug and play. Also new speakers are light years better than the paper junk that Subaru puts in there.
With the stock head unit in your 23 Premium WRX and the new speakers, BEFORE you put in the amp, did you ever get clipping/distortion/overwhelming after a while at higher volumes ? (I have IR 3032CFX in the corners, and Fosgate R169/165 for door speakers.)
@@matthewwain9958 With stock head unit and aftermarket speakers, no I never got any clipping. But, one thing you might double check is your tweeters in the dash. I installed the recommended capacitors that came with the speakers. They act to reduce the low end frequencies and prevent clipping and distortion at higher volumes.
I had a chance to install this on my 2023 Premier today. It physically fits on top of the upper unit. However, on powering it up it sounds shrill, with no bass. Both volume controls had considerable lag, 3-4 seconds, and while the tone and fader controls moved on the screen they had no effect. I double checked all connections, but no errors. I've removed it, and hopefully will be able to return it for a refund. Great potential, but it fell short for me.
Thank you for this. I bought one using your code. I've wanted a plug and play upgrade but was hesitant of getting the Idoing unit because of the stories I've heard. I don't need the greatest sound just something better.
The Recoil Audio amps on Amazon are great little amps with lots of power and only cost at most $110. Bought two of them for my WRX and I kid you not, going with higher powered amps than necessary really took the sound quality to another level.
Subaru's are known for horrific factory stereos, like my'16 wrx. Had to replace all door speakers with a 200 watt amp, and then put a 600 watt sub in the trunk. I wanna hear my music! 🎶
I agree. That's why I bought mine with the standard speaker setup and reworked the whole audio system with a new headunit, 1000 watt 12 inch sub, Kicker coaxials and tweeters, a 2400 watt 4 channel and a 1320 watt monoblock. Also, I added some high density speaker foam into the mix.
Random RUclips problem just to make you aware. I was watching this video earlier, had to stop halfway through. Came back a few hours later and the video is no longer in my subscription at all. Still subscribed to you with "all notifications" selected but this video is no longer in my subscription feed but was this morning. Had to search for it. Just a heads up since I've seen a lot of people having view issues on RUclips.
--It def. sounds better. !! The dimensions on the website must be wrong bc it says it's 4.5" tall, which it clearly is not. --Wait, so this amp is designed to boost the OEM speakers? --It doesn't matter what quality the amps are, really, if the HU puts out a crappy audio signal. I got the premium, 2022, and I put new speakers all the way around, and it sounds way better, even without an amp. I also added a Sundown 12" sub ran off a RF T750bdX1 @ 1 Ohm. System sounds great now. Also, FYI for those with the premium or the upgraded system with a sub, the wiring is different for each of them. In order for StarLink to work without issues, you will need to run a resistance load from AudioControl. If you just do the speakers, StarLink uses the front tweets as output, so you need speakers around 2 Ohm. Infinity or JBL 3 Ohm 3.5" tweets can be swapped out without setting off the StarLink error light (red light) of death.
Yo kev I heard and seen on forums you can buy the premium head unit and it will be a plug and play on the base they are going for 500-700 I plan to do it on my base let’s face it that big screen looks good
Most people have to keep in mind that the stock speakers are not designed to handle the power output of an aftermarket amplifier. At some point the added RMS wattage will cause the voice coils to overheat, thus causing them to fail. It is a good idea to check the RMS rating of the amplifier and then upgrade the speakers with an aftermarket set that work within the amplifier’s RMS power range.
it would be nice if the company actually had rms ratings for their amplifier. only advertise 45w max.... its probably just a standard headunit amplifier with a small crossover network to change things so they sound different. 20w rms at best i would guess.
@@TDT0188You are probably right. I would guess between 15 - 20 WRMS. I also think having a gain adjust is a bad thing, especially for someone who doesn’t know what the gain is actually for. A lot of newbies, or non-car audio people treat it like a volume knob. Without the right tools/meters, most people will never know if the gain is indeed adjusted properly to prevent clipping of the audio signal.
What you say is true for the vast majority of aftermarket amplifiers, however the Beat-Sonic PA2 amplifier has actually been designed primarily for use with the factory speakers. This design requirement was in response to Toyota dealers here in Japan advising against changing the factory speakers, so we needed to find a solution that could provide a substantial improvement in the sound system without risking damage to the factory speakers. Most importantly, the PA2 does not use a DC-DC convertor, thereby limiting peak-to-peak voltage to approx. 27.6V (+13.8V ~ -13.8V). On the other hand, high power aftermarket amplifiers definately use a DC-DC convertor to step up the voltage...up to around 76V peak-to-peak or more to enable the much higher power outputs. As you correctly say, this places considerable risk of damage to the factory speakers that were never designed for this amount of power. The PA2 maximum output voltage is equivalent to the factory head unit, and instead it's performance is achieved by using a high spec amplifier IC, use of premium Hi-Fi grade components and a carefully designed PCB for optimum sound reproduction. The chief audio engineer here at Beat-Sonic Japan confirms the PA2 does not place any additional risk of voice coil overheating, or any other damage to the factory speakers, over and above the factory head unit.
@@beatsonicglobalI have replaced all factory speakers in my 23 WRX to Infinity Reference. Would you still recommend this amp in my case or is it best suited for factory speakers? Thankyou!
Awesome video Kevin. I see that this amp is compatible with the Harmon Kardon sound system. My question is whether it is worth upgrading with this module from the HK system. The HK is a big improvement over stock IMO. What does this unit add to that already upgraded system?
I have the 23 limited with the upgraded Harman Kardon system the base is not loud enough any idea if this amp would work on that it has the large screen display also
I already have aftermarket speakers installed on my base 22 wrx. Sounds much better compared to the factory paper speakers. Do you think this amp will enhance my aftermarket speakers even more ??
Yes. Because even though your speakers may be upgraded, you're still limited by the performance of the head unit. An amp of any kind with help reach the potential performance of the speakers.
i installed mine and couldn't control the volume. it worked but at a set volume. tried what beatsonic said to try and same thing. i think i have a defective amp or missed wired harness.
Hey Kevin I’m wondering if you know any cat backs or axel backs for a gr86/brz that have a deep tone and also not very loud, I guess only when going fast is fine, thank you!
What's the deal on the CF bits you've installed, particularly that piece on the pass-side dash? I cannot find refrence to them in your playlist. Thanks!
I was hoping you would cover somethign you issed in the last video on this little amp. Why are there two sets of RCA's on the side? Can I use this to feed an audio signal to other amps as a high quality preout?
huge? but it's so tiny... 👽 in my base VA 'X, I'm running +2 Treb/0 Mid/-7 Bass (yes, too much bass with speed vol set to' low'...will this unit help fix this? I also have fade full front cuz it's just me in the car.....
Pass, there's no way it's doing 45w RMS x 4 @4-ohms on a single 15A fuse so they're lying about power numbers. 15A across 4 channels at 4-ohms with a class D amp will give you around 25-30w RMS per channel.
Specs say "Maximum output 45W x 4ch (4Ω)", so rms could be around the 4 x 30-35 watt range, which is roughly double the output compared to a conventional head-unit amp. Worth it? Probably...
i'd like to point out that a "before and after" audio demonstration over a youtube video is completely pointless, the viewer is only going to hear their own speakers...... from an audio guy point of view, this is all marketing and a quick way to make 200$. these kind of things usually find a way to make a noticable change, for better or worse, and leave it at that. You essentially bought the amplifier off a 60$ headunit and put it on the back of the factory radio for 250$. You gained what? 5 watts RMS a channel at best? an unknown bunch of passive crossover mess that just robs that power back? I'd rather have the whole radio, even if it is more work and money.
If you're an avid audio enthusiast than this clearly is not a product geared towards you as upgrading the whole audio system is gonna cost quite a bit more than $250. I've prided myself on giving honest reviews of products I've tested and I stand by my comments that this makes a noticeable difference an a lot of people enjoy the upgrade.
@@KevinVoI'd argue you would be better off buying a real head unit upgrade over this in all scenarios and you would probably not spend much more. You may have provided an honest review, but not an informed review.
Do a before and after at an audio shop with an RTA and a db meter and get some data. "It sounds better" is subjective and a waste of everyone's time as a review.
just installed mine. I replaced my speakers before I installed the amp, so I was able to add more gain, and it sounds so much louder now. Thank you for recommending this product.
Did u need the extra module for StarLink? Like do u have the premium trim without the HK system? And, what speakers did u use and does it sound a lot better?
@RobHTech I used some orion speakers I had laying around and bought some powerbass 3.5 speakers for the dash. I have it set up more for mids and highs, and it sounds amazing. It does need a subwoofer at some point, though. Mine is the base model.
Former professional audio guy here (and also a Subaru owner). I'm listening your video on very good and calibrated sound system, to make things clear. All that aside, I know RUclips is much limited in its sound reproduction. Plus, I don't know how you recorded the audio clips.
That being said, you get a better result from changing the speakers in the car. The OEM amp is OK in itself, but the speakers are very, very cheap (paper membrane, a real joke). From your audio clip, I can hear that your "amp" is mostly a fancy pants EQ that just boosts selected frequencies to make believe it sounds better. It doesn't, really. You could've probably achieve a similar result from the on-board EQ (maybe...)
Anyway, you'd be much better off by upgrading the speakers themselves (including the horrible tweeters mounted in the dash). Whish you the best!
Is there a product that is equally easy to install, plug and play, that you would recommend?
Had my 2024 Subaru Crosstrek done after watching your video! Huge improvement on the sound system! added Bass Punch, overall clarity and crispness, highly recommended for any Subaru drivers out there!! get one installed in your car now~!
I have a wrx and I upgraded the speakers and another way to make it sound Way better is use a FiiO BTR7 Headphone Amp Bluetooth Receiver High Resolution Portable DAC and use the car power option I use my Phone for my spotify and sounds amazing no need to take off anything .
Do you have a link where I can find it ? …. And how does it work? Do you connect it with the Bluetooth of your phone and then to the wrx audio ? 🤔
amazon and its with your phone bluetooth not the car bluetooth @@diegodetovar9316
make a tut?
@@diegodetovar9316 btr7 connects your phone and it connect to 3.5 mm on your car. It basically just like phone connected to 3.5 mm so my CarPlay doesn’t working. I only can change music via my phone.
Ordered! Just got a kicker key but returned it. Now you come out with this video! Perfect timing. Can’t wait to try this with all my kicker speakers I installed already! Thanks Kev!
Thanks for making this dude, going through upgrading the sound on my 24 impreza and couldnt find any instructions online on how to get to the new style subaru headunits.
I just installed this amp in my 23 Premium WRX and the difference is incredible. I had already replaced all six factory speakers with Infinity Reference and that was a huge improvement, but the stock head-unit still lacked detail and separation in the mix. With the amp in the chain now I'm hearing things in the mix I've never heard before. Everything is crisp and clean, especially from a quality lossless source. 100% recommend.
This is good news. I have premium with StarLink, so i guess u needed to order the extra module for starlink? And, does it sound a lot better with the new speakers too? Is it worth it? Was it literally plugged-n-play?
@@RobHTech didn’t need to mess with starlink at all. I think the extra module their website mentions is for a modified wiring harness to fit the non-Harmon Kardon unit. Other than that, it is totally plug and play. Also new speakers are light years better than the paper junk that Subaru puts in there.
With the stock head unit in your 23 Premium WRX and the new speakers, BEFORE you put in the amp, did you ever get clipping/distortion/overwhelming after a while at higher volumes ? (I have IR 3032CFX in the corners, and Fosgate R169/165 for door speakers.)
@@matthewwain9958 With stock head unit and aftermarket speakers, no I never got any clipping. But, one thing you might double check is your tweeters in the dash. I installed the recommended capacitors that came with the speakers. They act to reduce the low end frequencies and prevent clipping and distortion at higher volumes.
@@ovalshrimp i did install the capacitors on the corner speakers. EDIT: I went and checked wiring... they are wired correctly.
Ordered. I'll let you know how it fits on a 2023 Premier. In the worst case I'll extend their harness and stash the amp somewhere else.
I had a chance to install this on my 2023 Premier today. It physically fits on top of the upper unit. However, on powering it up it sounds shrill, with no bass. Both volume controls had considerable lag, 3-4 seconds, and while the tone and fader controls moved on the screen they had no effect. I double checked all connections, but no errors. I've removed it, and hopefully will be able to return it for a refund. Great potential, but it fell short for me.
Thank you for this. I bought one using your code. I've wanted a plug and play upgrade but was hesitant of getting the Idoing unit because of the stories I've heard. I don't need the greatest sound just something better.
Literally perfect timing. Just picked up a sub and seeing my amp options !
What sub did you get?
The Recoil Audio amps on Amazon are great little amps with lots of power and only cost at most $110. Bought two of them for my WRX and I kid you not, going with higher powered amps than necessary really took the sound quality to another level.
Subaru's are known for horrific factory stereos, like my'16 wrx. Had to replace all door speakers with a 200 watt amp, and then put a 600 watt sub in the trunk. I wanna hear my music! 🎶
I agree. That's why I bought mine with the standard speaker setup and reworked the whole audio system with a new headunit, 1000 watt 12 inch sub, Kicker coaxials and tweeters, a 2400 watt 4 channel and a 1320 watt monoblock. Also, I added some high density speaker foam into the mix.
Random RUclips problem just to make you aware. I was watching this video earlier, had to stop halfway through. Came back a few hours later and the video is no longer in my subscription at all. Still subscribed to you with "all notifications" selected but this video is no longer in my subscription feed but was this morning. Had to search for it. Just a heads up since I've seen a lot of people having view issues on RUclips.
--It def. sounds better. !! The dimensions on the website must be wrong bc it says it's 4.5" tall, which it clearly is not.
--Wait, so this amp is designed to boost the OEM speakers?
--It doesn't matter what quality the amps are, really, if the HU puts out a crappy audio signal. I got the premium, 2022, and I put new speakers all the way around, and it sounds way better, even without an amp. I also added a Sundown 12" sub ran off a RF T750bdX1 @ 1 Ohm. System sounds great now. Also, FYI for those with the premium or the upgraded system with a sub, the wiring is different for each of them. In order for StarLink to work without issues, you will need to run a resistance load from AudioControl. If you just do the speakers, StarLink uses the front tweets as output, so you need speakers around 2 Ohm. Infinity or JBL 3 Ohm 3.5" tweets can be swapped out without setting off the StarLink error light (red light) of death.
Shout out to beat sonic. Will update how the music sounds now with this box installed
Wish there was an option for the hk stereos
It will work!
Yo kev I heard and seen on forums you can buy the premium head unit and it will be a plug and play on the base they are going for 500-700 I plan to do it on my base let’s face it that big screen looks good
Yes. It is, I did it.
I have not seen it, but maybe I should try it!
Love the content! :)
Glad you enjoy it!
Most people have to keep in mind that the stock speakers are not designed to handle the power output of an aftermarket amplifier. At some point the added RMS wattage will cause the voice coils to overheat, thus causing them to fail. It is a good idea to check the RMS rating of the amplifier and then upgrade the speakers with an aftermarket set that work within the amplifier’s RMS power range.
it would be nice if the company actually had rms ratings for their amplifier. only advertise 45w max.... its probably just a standard headunit amplifier with a small crossover network to change things so they sound different. 20w rms at best i would guess.
@@TDT0188You are probably right. I would guess between 15 - 20 WRMS. I also think having a gain adjust is a bad thing, especially for someone who doesn’t know what the gain is actually for. A lot of newbies, or non-car audio people treat it like a volume knob. Without the right tools/meters, most people will never know if the gain is indeed adjusted properly to prevent clipping of the audio signal.
Beatsonic have been doing this for awhile so I trust they've done their due diligence.
What you say is true for the vast majority of aftermarket amplifiers, however the Beat-Sonic PA2 amplifier has actually been designed primarily for use with the factory speakers. This design requirement was in response to Toyota dealers here in Japan advising against changing the factory speakers, so we needed to find a solution that could provide a substantial improvement in the sound system without risking damage to the factory speakers.
Most importantly, the PA2 does not use a DC-DC convertor, thereby limiting peak-to-peak voltage to approx. 27.6V (+13.8V ~ -13.8V). On the other hand, high power aftermarket amplifiers definately use a DC-DC convertor to step up the voltage...up to around 76V peak-to-peak or more to enable the much higher power outputs. As you correctly say, this places considerable risk of damage to the factory speakers that were never designed for this amount of power.
The PA2 maximum output voltage is equivalent to the factory head unit, and instead it's performance is achieved by using a high spec amplifier IC, use of premium Hi-Fi grade components and a carefully designed PCB for optimum sound reproduction. The chief audio engineer here at Beat-Sonic Japan confirms the PA2 does not place any additional risk of voice coil overheating, or any other damage to the factory speakers, over and above the factory head unit.
@@beatsonicglobalI have replaced all factory speakers in my 23 WRX to Infinity Reference. Would you still recommend this amp in my case or is it best suited for factory speakers? Thankyou!
Ive got some troubleshooting to do. With this amp indtalled, it takes away all of my volume controls.
If u have starlink, u need the extra module for volume to work properly
@@RobHTech I do not, but they sent out the extra harness that terminates a connection and it works great.
What is the RMS per channel of the unit? It shows maximum output but not the RMS
Awesome video Kevin. I see that this amp is compatible with the Harmon Kardon sound system. My question is whether it is worth upgrading with this module from the HK system. The HK is a big improvement over stock IMO. What does this unit add to that already upgraded system?
I've heard good things from those that have installed it with the HK system as well.
Just installed this with the HK system. WOW! Huge difference. Worth the money.
I dont see 22+ wrx?.. i see 19 wrx and brz thats it in your discription
It's on there!
I'm blind
I have the 23 limited with the upgraded Harman Kardon system the base is not loud enough any idea if this amp would work on that it has the large screen display also
I already have aftermarket speakers installed on my base 22 wrx. Sounds much better compared to the factory paper speakers. Do you think this amp will enhance my aftermarket speakers even more ??
Yes. Because even though your speakers may be upgraded, you're still limited by the performance of the head unit. An amp of any kind with help reach the potential performance of the speakers.
Can you do the same on a 21’ WRX Premium??
Yes! Just select it on the website
The link does not state compatible with the 22+. Or does It specify if it’s comparable with the HK system
It's on there and it is compatible
i installed mine and couldn't control the volume. it worked but at a set volume. tried what beatsonic said to try and same thing. i think i have a defective amp or missed wired harness.
Beat-sonic sent me an updated harness and now it works perfectly. Eric was so helpful in getting it sorted out.
Where do I order this Kevin?
Hey Kevin I’m wondering if you know any cat backs or axel backs for a gr86/brz that have a deep tone and also not very loud, I guess only when going fast is fine, thank you!
What's the deal on the CF bits you've installed, particularly that piece on the pass-side dash? I cannot find refrence to them in your playlist. Thanks!
Those are all pieces i offer on my website!
www.driven.media/shop/22-subaru-wrx
I was hoping you would cover somethign you issed in the last video on this little amp. Why are there two sets of RCA's on the side? Can I use this to feed an audio signal to other amps as a high quality preout?
The two rca plugs are for audio input only
huge? but it's so tiny... 👽 in my base VA 'X, I'm running +2 Treb/0 Mid/-7 Bass (yes, too much bass with speed vol set to' low'...will this unit help fix this? I also have fade full front cuz it's just me in the car.....
I would say this amp makes the bass sound much better versus the stock system.
Know anyone thats replaced the head unit and top screen ?
People are blind.. 22+ Subaru WRX option is right at the bottom. Go check the link again..
Is there a kit for 2021 VA WRX premium trim?
Same kit works for the 2021 VA WRX Premium
Pass, there's no way it's doing 45w RMS x 4 @4-ohms on a single 15A fuse so they're lying about power numbers. 15A across 4 channels at 4-ohms with a class D amp will give you around 25-30w RMS per channel.
Specs say "Maximum output 45W x 4ch (4Ω)", so rms could be around the 4 x 30-35 watt range, which is roughly double the output compared to a conventional head-unit amp. Worth it? Probably...
Would this work for the stereo on the Premium WRX?
Yes!
Too bad I already have aftermarket speakers, I could use an amp
couldnt you use this with the aftermarket speakers to make the externally amplified basically?
i'd like to point out that a "before and after" audio demonstration over a youtube video is completely pointless, the viewer is only going to hear their own speakers...... from an audio guy point of view, this is all marketing and a quick way to make 200$. these kind of things usually find a way to make a noticable change, for better or worse, and leave it at that. You essentially bought the amplifier off a 60$ headunit and put it on the back of the factory radio for 250$. You gained what? 5 watts RMS a channel at best? an unknown bunch of passive crossover mess that just robs that power back? I'd rather have the whole radio, even if it is more work and money.
If you're an avid audio enthusiast than this clearly is not a product geared towards you as upgrading the whole audio system is gonna cost quite a bit more than $250. I've prided myself on giving honest reviews of products I've tested and I stand by my comments that this makes a noticeable difference an a lot of people enjoy the upgrade.
@@KevinVoso much hate on that guy. Must be on PMS
@@KevinVoI'd argue you would be better off buying a real head unit upgrade over this in all scenarios and you would probably not spend much more. You may have provided an honest review, but not an informed review.
Do a before and after at an audio shop with an RTA and a db meter and get some data. "It sounds better" is subjective and a waste of everyone's time as a review.
disconect the battery first fisrt timer noobs
Do a donut day 69 of asking
One day
First comment but no one cares!!! How are ya Kevin?
I care! Doing great! Just need more sleep haha how are you?
Not bad just put the STI wing on my VB. Looks good but was harder than advertised.
A much easier solution is just to buy ear buds for $200. It will take 5 min of your time, the sound quality will be amazing, convenience is on top.
Wearing earbuds while driving is not safe.
That OEM head unit is horrid...... Wow that's ugly
Doesnt show the 22 wrx on any option on that site. Is the harness the same as the previous gen?
Should be on there now