Hey man! I agree with most of the things you said… BUT, I Installed the killmat sound deadening material to all my 4 doors, trunk, under back seats and I gotta say, I think Im very picky when it comes to sound and just the tweeters and all speakers upgrade made an IMMENSE difference! I still have STOCK head unit and bro I hear wayyyy more Mids and even Bass coming from SPEAKERS!! Im very impressed! I have an iDoing head unit coming soon, so I can def imagine the Power and sound increase the head unit is going to provide. Not to mention I will install a similar kicker sub like the one you have with 500rms, but mine is the Down-firing sub! I cant wait to install everything man! Overall YES oem kicker upgrade is an amazing thing to do if you own a Wrx/Sti! Sounds AMAZING. It was fairly easy but what took me long was the sound deadening material. Thanks for video!
I got the full Kicker upgrade on my 2018 WRX - was very well worth it. Was it really rattling loud? no, but it was way better than the stock system, and being installed at the dealer it was fully covered under the warranty. I have now upgraded to the 2019 STi, with the HK system - I've only had it a few days now, but honestly, I think the Kicker system was better!
Update. after 3 years with the HK system, and now having to replace a front door speaker for the third time, I am upgrading the entire system. The HK system is crap !!!!! I miss the kicker system I had. I know the owner of the WRX with the kicker system, and so far, they have not had a single issue with it.
I installed these speakers (the tweeter kit was there already from previous owner) to replace the 4 blown factory speakers and the sound is so much improved from before they blew. I might do the Alpine amp to increase it and add sun later but I’m kind of happy right now. Mind you I have a 2014 Impreza Sport so not as loud or stiff as the WRX/STI but do want to change head unit to the newer android ones. That alone should help further the sound experience.
Six months ago I installed the tweeters and four door speaker in my 21 WRX;, the sound clarity was definitely better. Highs and mids were good but lows were almost non-existent. So recently, I decided to add the kicker powered sub and let me tell you, the system WOKE UP. Now the sound is nicely balanced and the bass is tight and loud inside the car. With that said, if you're looking to set off car alarms with you stereo, then this system is not for you.
Thanks for this informative video. I just leased a 2020 Outback with basic head unit and speakers, and boy, you're right, it sucks! But because it's a leased vehicle, I don't want to get into any major mods. But I think maybe upgrading the dash and door speakers will improve it enough to make the next 36 months bearable. Thanks again!
Just drove my new used 2016 forester back 13 hours from where I picked it up. Great vehicle but damn the audio was so bad I ended up just playing podcasts the entire drive because I couldn’t enjoy my music at a decent volume. Have had the car 3 days and this is my top priority now lol
Very informative man 👍. Question. I have a 2019 subaru wrx sti limited, with harman kardon door speakers and woofer. Will the kicker door speaker upgrade work for me?
Supposedly the factory head unit is the main bottleneck for the wrx soundsystems, replace that and you'll be pushing the speakers the way they should be
That’s what I’ve read in other forums so I was thinking of replacing my head unit. I’m not very tech savvy, but do you happen to know if installing a aftermarket head unit will all you to adjust the subwoofer?
@@Jebusssssss yeah I think it was 100% worth it. It’s not the absolute best thing ever but it’s at way ahead of the base stereo system which is fine with me.
Great video and information! I have a 2016 wrx and have no idea what it really takes to upgrade my sound system. If you ever have some time and could help me find my bearings with it I'd love to pick your brain. Thanks again for the video.
Quick question I'm looking to change my front and Back speakers plus the kickers, right now I have the Karman Kardon on my 2017 WRX limited but my right speaker broke a few days ago and I'm now looking to change them to something better and easy to install what do you recommend? I'm want to keep the car with my stock navigation system too can you help me?
I am thinking about installing an alpine mini amp (ktp-445u) just like in your video. How does it work the front speakers, rear speakers and the tweeters. I assume they are different ohms
I just had the kicker speakers installed without the sub but they have less bass than the original speakers....I adjusted the settings to full bass but not much help. Any thoughts?
years later I've found one of those (still!) $4-500 subaru sub 10" kicker boxes [I paid $80] but I'm going to replace that 10" sub, add polyfill and sealing the woofer against the enclosure, and find an obviously more powerful amp. I got it home and it sounds half as weak or even worse than just my cheap 300w 8" Skar subwoofer in my bluetooth box I made.
Question~I am changing out Stock Speakers & Tweeters with Kicker UPGRADED Speakers & Tweeters (Possible Kicker Sub too) Plus Installing IDOING UNIT . Do I need to add an Amp still (as IDOING has built in Amp)?? What is the best Sub for this setup-Is OEM KICKER Subwoofer Adequate???
Short answer, NOPE. It’s definitely not enough. I had a base wrx with the full kicker package. Got a Limited with the Harman and it’s night and day difference in volume, bass & clarity.
I just finished my soundsystem in my 2013 impreza... stock head unit, kicker speakers and tweeters, a kicker underseat sub, and a kicker cx300.4 amp to power the door speakers... sounds really great!!
Hell no it's not enough I changed all four speakers to kicker and the tweeters and yeah the sound quality was a little better but the head units got to go and that's my next move in the process of changing out the head unit and trying again. I found a perfect radio I'm going to order in a week it's a Kenwood DDX 9907 XR look his radio up if you get a chance I know it's a little pricey $1,100 but I got to get rid of that stock head unit it blows horribly. Probably going to have to change the door speakers again just cuz I want to get rid of them so I picked out a set of front speakers JL audio c3 650 and for the backs jl audio c2600x and I'm going to throw a 300 watt amp JL audio 4 channel 75 Watts RMS that should help me out tremendously. Probably going to stick the amp under the front seat what do you think?
Yeah sound system preference is definitely subjective so this id not going to be for everyone. Thanks for the comment. Regarding the placement of the amp I put mine under the passenger seat, you can watch that video here: ruclips.net/video/AT81DwnKpfs/видео.html
Does anyone know if they made any changes to the 21 wrx base audio? I test drove a 16 back in the day and remember the base stereo was one of the worst I've ever heard. I just traded my 22 F150 with the upgraded B&O sound system for a 21 WRX premium, and the WRX's base audio system blows it out of the water. Maybe it's the fact that the B&O was so disappointing, but the 21 sounds way better than the 16 did. Nothing crazy, but there is definitely midrange and some bass.
Than you for the video... I'm torn with buying a WRX because of the stereo. The 2020 factory stereo in the Premium is trash. But like you mention I would like to keep it pretty much factory rather than doing a full system. But they should have pre-wired the car for the Kicker sub so you're not wasting your time wiring it.
i got a 2016 wrx base and its worse that a $15 Bluetooth speaker quality wise and the sound system is the same all the way up to the 2021 unless you get the harmon kardon option
I opted for Harmon kardon on my STi. Definitely glad I did. I haven’t heard a base or kicker upgrade pack. But I have no desire to change out mine. It hits hard, is extremely clear and gets surprisingly deep for the size of the speakers.
Put the kicker speakers and tweeters in my 2016 Impreza. DEFINITELY needed to add an amplifier. The Kicker sub/amp combo was hot garbage. Got an aftermarket JL Audio.
Hey ! Thanks for your video. Would you recommend buying the Kicker Subwoofer from Subaru to ease installation and upgrading the rest of the speakers from after market ? Also, base wrx has 6 speakers. Premium car sound system usually have around 8 to 10 speakers. Do you think we can achieve premium sound by replacing only 6 speakers ? Sorry I have no knowledge in this field and I am considering buying a 2019 Wrx but Sound is very important for me and i'm willing to spend around 1000$ including installation to upgrade my sound system.
@@akqjtn Thanks again for your answer. Last question, if you do not mind. Do you think the WRX's loud cabin refrains it from enjoying premium audio ? Or I shouldn't worry with that if I can install great sound components. Thanks again.
Trying to find out specs for OEM kicker subwoofer. Trying to see if I can replace the intergrated 100w amp it comes with because a kicker upgrade all around with amp blasts mids and highs and the OEM kicker sub isn't powerful enough to match. Hopefully I can find out what that sub can handle
I have kicker kit and it sound better compare to the HK kit but i need to put aftermarket amp to run the full capacity of the kit ! and i put a db drive 12 inch g2 sub now its amazing !!
Do you think the system would be worth it if I am just looking for a mild upgrade? I want more bass from my base sti. Just some more bass and sound but don’t want the hassle of wiring in something aftermarket. The plug and play sounds appealing.
Thanks for your video. I had a question about the wrx factory radio. Right now the radio is all I have stock. The signal goes into a Helix DSP and then to a Zapco 150.6 6 channel amp putting out 165rms at 4 ohm to the speakers and 550 rms at 4 ohm to my 10" RF T1. Will replacing the head unit at this point matter? The stock unit has everything I need (android auto, bu camera, etc...), I just wonder about sound quality. I typically use android auto, and I know that usually runs at 320kbps, but is this what the stereo is playing at? I'm also considering a Helix Director to go with the DSP so I can have preset EQ settings as the head unit only uses a 3 band EQ. So, what do you think, will replacing the stereo give me any advantage in sound quality given my set up?
Great video. I feel like the sub, while 500, gets me something without me going all out which is what I want to do. I'm not expecting bowel moving bass, but is it ok. Would you upgrade the factory speakers no matter what, even leaving the head unit.
Someone please help me. I have a 2006 Impreza and I desperately need bass. My Kenwood speakers deliver very good mids and trebles, but the bass is terrible. When I turn up the subwoofer option on my stereo it gets very buzzy. Any suggestions on what I should get? I just want great bass quality when I listen to my RetroWave music!
Dude… what do you mean the car should have come with expensive speakers like that?? You drive a regular wrx dude. If they upgraded everything you guys complained about it would cost as much as the STI and still have open diffs and 50/50 awd lol
Hey man!
I agree with most of the things you said… BUT, I Installed the killmat sound deadening material to all my 4 doors, trunk, under back seats and I gotta say, I think Im very picky when it comes to sound and just the tweeters and all speakers upgrade made an IMMENSE difference! I still have STOCK head unit and bro I hear wayyyy more Mids and even Bass coming from SPEAKERS!! Im very impressed!
I have an iDoing head unit coming soon, so I can def imagine the Power and sound increase the head unit is going to provide. Not to mention I will install a similar kicker sub like the one you have with 500rms, but mine is the Down-firing sub!
I cant wait to install everything man!
Overall YES oem kicker upgrade is an amazing thing to do if you own a Wrx/Sti!
Sounds AMAZING.
It was fairly easy but what took me long was the sound deadening material.
Thanks for video!
Dude, Your videos are REALLY good. Music, visuals, audio, angles... all spot on. I am impressed.
I got the full Kicker upgrade on my 2018 WRX - was very well worth it. Was it really rattling loud? no, but it was way better than the stock system, and being installed at the dealer it was fully covered under the warranty. I have now upgraded to the 2019 STi, with the HK system - I've only had it a few days now, but honestly, I think the Kicker system was better!
How much did installation cost?
@@tylerbriggs2229 have no idea. It was all installed as part of the vehicle purchase
Update. after 3 years with the HK system, and now having to replace a front door speaker for the third time, I am upgrading the entire system. The HK system is crap !!!!! I miss the kicker system I had. I know the owner of the WRX with the kicker system, and so far, they have not had a single issue with it.
I just ordered the upgraded kickers and the tweeters. I cannot wait to have this installed as the stock system is awful :D
I installed these speakers (the tweeter kit was there already from previous owner) to replace the 4 blown factory speakers and the sound is so much improved from before they blew. I might do the Alpine amp to increase it and add sun later but I’m kind of happy right now. Mind you I have a 2014 Impreza Sport so not as loud or stiff as the WRX/STI but do want to change head unit to the newer android ones. That alone should help further the sound experience.
Six months ago I installed the tweeters and four door speaker in my 21 WRX;, the sound clarity was definitely better. Highs and mids were good but lows were almost non-existent. So recently, I decided to add the kicker powered sub and let me tell you, the system WOKE UP. Now the sound is nicely balanced and the bass is tight and loud inside the car. With that said, if you're looking to set off car alarms with you stereo, then this system is not for you.
Hey where did you get the harness for the oem sub?
@@andrewramlakhan2264 Everything was supplied and installed by my Subaru dealer. I’m sure your local dealer can help you out.
Thanks for this informative video. I just leased a 2020 Outback with basic head unit and speakers, and boy, you're right, it sucks! But because it's a leased vehicle, I don't want to get into any major mods. But I think maybe upgrading the dash and door speakers will improve it enough to make the next 36 months bearable. Thanks again!
You can choose to keep the vehicle after the lease is over. I am currently leasing an impreza 2021 and will be financing it in 3 years
Just drove my new used 2016 forester back 13 hours from where I picked it up.
Great vehicle but damn the audio was so bad I ended up just playing podcasts the entire drive because I couldn’t enjoy my music at a decent volume. Have had the car 3 days and this is my top priority now lol
Great video. I just installed the tweets and about to do the kickers soon.
I like your videos the most man! You've got a relaxing voice too
Didnt know they made this car automatic. nice video
great info and thanks for sharing your input! looking forward to more videos on sound improvement
My Impreza came with the Harmon kardan package.
I freakin' love it.
Very informative man 👍. Question. I have a 2019 subaru wrx sti limited, with harman kardon door speakers and woofer. Will the kicker door speaker upgrade work for me?
hey man i got the tweets and speakers. You adding that Idoing headunit will give more power to the speakers. Still seems to be underpowered.
What is that thing under the cellphone 3:36 ?
Supposedly the factory head unit is the main bottleneck for the wrx soundsystems, replace that and you'll be pushing the speakers the way they should be
That’s what I’ve read in other forums so I was thinking of replacing my head unit. I’m not very tech savvy, but do you happen to know if installing a aftermarket head unit will all you to adjust the subwoofer?
@@Jebusssssss yes you can adjust the sub with a aftermarket head unit. I have a idoing head unit with the kicker sub.
@@Outlier117 did you feel like this corrected the sound issues with the kicker upgrade?
@@Jebusssssss yeah I think it was 100% worth it. It’s not the absolute best thing ever but it’s at way ahead of the base stereo system which is fine with me.
Great video and information! I have a 2016 wrx and have no idea what it really takes to upgrade my sound system. If you ever have some time and could help me find my bearings with it I'd love to pick your brain. Thanks again for the video.
Whatsup bro love the vids! Just ordered the oem kicker sub for my Wrx. Did you post a vid on the install ?
Love from jerzzzzz ✌️
Quick question I'm looking to change my front and Back speakers plus the kickers, right now I have the Karman Kardon on my 2017 WRX limited but my right speaker broke a few days ago and I'm now looking to change them to something better and easy to install what do you recommend? I'm want to keep the car with my stock navigation system too can you help me?
Awesome video, dude!
Nice can’t wait to buy the speakers and put them in my Subaru
I am thinking about installing an alpine mini amp (ktp-445u) just like in your video. How does it work the front speakers, rear speakers and the tweeters. I assume they are different ohms
I just had the kicker speakers installed without the sub but they have less bass than the original speakers....I adjusted the settings to full bass but not much help. Any thoughts?
years later I've found one of those (still!) $4-500 subaru sub 10" kicker boxes [I paid $80] but I'm going to replace that 10" sub, add polyfill and sealing the woofer against the enclosure, and find an obviously more powerful amp.
I got it home and it sounds half as weak or even worse than just my cheap 300w 8" Skar subwoofer in my bluetooth box I made.
Question~I am changing out Stock Speakers & Tweeters with Kicker UPGRADED Speakers & Tweeters (Possible Kicker Sub too) Plus Installing IDOING UNIT . Do I need to add an Amp still (as IDOING has built in Amp)?? What is the best Sub for this setup-Is OEM KICKER Subwoofer Adequate???
What is that website at the beginning of the video??
Short answer, NOPE. It’s definitely not enough. I had a base wrx with the full kicker package. Got a Limited with the Harman and it’s night and day difference in volume, bass & clarity.
did you have an amplifier to power the kickers?
I just finished my soundsystem in my 2013 impreza... stock head unit, kicker speakers and tweeters, a kicker underseat sub, and a kicker cx300.4 amp to power the door speakers... sounds really great!!
I find the opposite. I liked my Kicker system more !
Can I add a 2011 WRX factory radio to my 2008 WRX? If yes, do u need to worry about the factory radio security?
Where did you get the install instructions you have in the video for the kicker sub?
is the inline amp necessary for the inside speakers if you arent doing the sub? or is it a good idea if youre going after market not oem?
Are the Oem kickers worth it if I only have the idoing headunit?
Hell no it's not enough I changed all four speakers to kicker and the tweeters and yeah the sound quality was a little better but the head units got to go and that's my next move in the process of changing out the head unit and trying again. I found a perfect radio I'm going to order in a week it's a Kenwood DDX 9907 XR look his radio up if you get a chance I know it's a little pricey $1,100 but I got to get rid of that stock head unit it blows horribly. Probably going to have to change the door speakers again just cuz I want to get rid of them so I picked out a set of front speakers JL audio c3 650 and for the backs jl audio c2600x and I'm going to throw a 300 watt amp JL audio 4 channel 75 Watts RMS that should help me out tremendously. Probably going to stick the amp under the front seat what do you think?
Yeah sound system preference is definitely subjective so this id not going to be for everyone. Thanks for the comment. Regarding the placement of the amp I put mine under the passenger seat, you can watch that video here: ruclips.net/video/AT81DwnKpfs/видео.html
Does anyone know if they made any changes to the 21 wrx base audio? I test drove a 16 back in the day and remember the base stereo was one of the worst I've ever heard. I just traded my 22 F150 with the upgraded B&O sound system for a 21 WRX premium, and the WRX's base audio system blows it out of the water. Maybe it's the fact that the B&O was so disappointing, but the 21 sounds way better than the 16 did. Nothing crazy, but there is definitely midrange and some bass.
Does fit on a 2008 wrx?
Than you for the video... I'm torn with buying a WRX because of the stereo. The 2020 factory stereo in the Premium is trash. But like you mention I would like to keep it pretty much factory rather than doing a full system. But they should have pre-wired the car for the Kicker sub so you're not wasting your time wiring it.
i got a 2016 wrx base and its worse that a $15 Bluetooth speaker quality wise and the sound system is the same all the way up to the 2021 unless you get the harmon kardon option
I opted for Harmon kardon on my STi. Definitely glad I did. I haven’t heard a base or kicker upgrade pack. But I have no desire to change out mine. It hits hard, is extremely clear and gets surprisingly deep for the size of the speakers.
so is harmon kardon better than all kicker upgrade including sub
With the kicker sub do you still have to splice into the speakers or is it also plug and play
Put the kicker speakers and tweeters in my 2016 Impreza. DEFINITELY needed to add an amplifier. The Kicker sub/amp combo was hot garbage. Got an aftermarket JL Audio.
Hey really important question. Do you think i could still fit a golf bag in the trunk with the sub in?
Hey ! Thanks for your video. Would you recommend buying the Kicker Subwoofer from Subaru to ease installation and upgrading the rest of the speakers from after market ?
Also, base wrx has 6 speakers. Premium car sound system usually have around 8 to 10 speakers. Do you think we can achieve premium sound by replacing only 6 speakers ? Sorry I have no knowledge in this field and I am considering buying a 2019 Wrx but Sound is very important for me and i'm willing to spend around 1000$ including installation to upgrade my sound system.
@@akqjtn Thanks again for your answer. Last question, if you do not mind. Do you think the WRX's loud cabin refrains it from enjoying premium audio ? Or I shouldn't worry with that if I can install great sound components. Thanks again.
Add sound deadening to the doors as long as you have them apart.
Trying to find out specs for OEM kicker subwoofer. Trying to see if I can replace the intergrated 100w amp it comes with because a kicker upgrade all around with amp blasts mids and highs and the OEM kicker sub isn't powerful enough to match. Hopefully I can find out what that sub can handle
I have kicker kit and it sound better compare to the HK kit but i need to put aftermarket amp to run the full capacity of the kit ! and i put a db drive 12 inch g2 sub now its amazing !!
the headunit cant run the kicker speaker and tweeter, you definitly need an aftermarket amp to have great sound
So im getting a 2013 Subaru impreza sport hatch should i get Kicker or Harmon Kardon?
Harmon Kardon I highly recommend
Did you add up how much more weight you put on the car?
Do you think the system would be worth it if I am just looking for a mild upgrade? I want more bass from my base sti. Just some more bass and sound but don’t want the hassle of wiring in something aftermarket. The plug and play sounds appealing.
Car is awsome but damn my audio sucks
What is the stock sound system wattage?
Any details on how much the Sub and Amp weigh?
Dealer marked the kicker package up on me due to install, was like 1200 installed. Nope.
That's ridiculously overpriced. It's a very easy install.
Is this kicker audio upgrade better or OEM Audio Plus?
Thanks for your video. I had a question about the wrx factory radio. Right now the radio is all I have stock. The signal goes into a Helix DSP and then to a Zapco 150.6 6 channel amp putting out 165rms at 4 ohm to the speakers and 550 rms at 4 ohm to my 10" RF T1. Will replacing the head unit at this point matter? The stock unit has everything I need (android auto, bu camera, etc...), I just wonder about sound quality. I typically use android auto, and I know that usually runs at 320kbps, but is this what the stereo is playing at? I'm also considering a Helix Director to go with the DSP so I can have preset EQ settings as the head unit only uses a 3 band EQ. So, what do you think, will replacing the stereo give me any advantage in sound quality given my set up?
@@akqjtn Thanks for the input, and for your videos. I've watched several and they were hugely helpful when working on my own car. Please keep it up!
Great video. I feel like the sub, while 500, gets me something without me going all out which is what I want to do. I'm not expecting bowel moving bass, but is it ok. Would you upgrade the factory speakers no matter what, even leaving the head unit.
Is there a way to buy the Harman kardon system like when the car dosnt come with it (used car)
Anthony Fernandez it’s not much difference from base system. It’s honestly just cleaner
If I have the Harmon Kardon system do you think changing the speakers to the kickers is worth it?
I’m pretty sure that would be a downgrade
Hell no, keep the HK it’s way better!
How is the factory Harman/Kardon ? is it good enough ?
See my above comment. I've had.have both, and so far, the Kicker system is better
Is getting the Sub worth it though? I want a clean trunk look and for it to be mounted down and not too heavy.
ChrisX2 I would say no considering you can find a lot better for around the same price
$800!? How much more to just get the HK package at the dealer?
Yup, HK only come with the limited, about a 5k package.
Someone please help me. I have a 2006 Impreza and I desperately need bass. My Kenwood speakers deliver very good mids and trebles, but the bass is terrible. When I turn up the subwoofer option on my stereo it gets very buzzy. Any suggestions on what I should get? I just want great bass quality when I listen to my RetroWave music!
If you want bass for a cheap price only on speakers, buy Cerwin Vega
I had a 2016 wrx and the speaker doors and factory sub were garbage. Traded the car for a 2018 sti and sound still garbage.
And Subaru just can't offer a standalone Harman Kardon package for the CVT without Eyesight.
Dude… what do you mean the car should have come with expensive speakers like that??
You drive a regular wrx dude. If they upgraded everything you guys complained about it would cost as much as the STI and still have open diffs and 50/50 awd lol
I've driven many cheap, base cars with basic, lower trim sound systems that sounded 100% better, so there's that...
I vomit every time i put music on in my base WRX, after wiping myself i shut down my radio and sing.
Any stock car audio system is better even on a Toyota Corolla
Is it worth it : NO.
I was like thanks for the vid. But then i saw it. Yes. It. Was. An. Automatic. 😢😢
The automatic is heavier and more expensive
LOL CVT
I have a different kicker sub, but would like to get 4 door speaker, no tweeters. Worth it?