2003 Corolla--poor bass from speakers?

Has anyone noticed poor bass from their speakers in the 2003 or later
Corolla? The highs and midranges sound good for a stock sound system, but
lately I've noticed the bass tones have been sounding pretty muddy, even at
pretty low volumes (I've never gone higher than about 1/3 max volume, so I
strongly doubt they're blown.)

All Toyota (even the JBL premium system) have marginal speakers. Pull one
and compare it to Sony/Kenwood/Pioneer or other $60 pair of speakers.
You'll see significant differences (like paper vs foam rubber edges, small
magnets, single cone). I'd replace them - chck Crutchfield for what fits.
Don't go with high end - your OEM head unit does not have power to drive
them.

"That Guy" <7@f.com> wrote in message
news:yrGdnQzORvpJ2MPYnZ2dnUVZ_tWdnZ2d@giganews.com...[color=blue]
> Has anyone noticed poor bass from their speakers in the 2003 or later
> Corolla? The highs and midranges sound good for a stock sound system, but
> lately I've noticed the bass tones have been sounding pretty muddy, even
> at pretty low volumes (I've never gone higher than about 1/3 max volume,
> so I strongly doubt they're blown.)
>[/color]

Wolfgang wrote:[color=blue]
> All Toyota (even the JBL premium system) have marginal speakers. Pull one
> and compare it to Sony/Kenwood/Pioneer or other $60 pair of speakers.
> You'll see significant differences (like paper vs foam rubber edges, small
> magnets, single cone). I'd replace them - chck Crutchfield for what fits.
> Don't go with high end - your OEM head unit does not have power to drive
> them.[/color]
=====

Hmm, maybe that's why I've been disappointed with the sound coming from
the Camry's radio/CD. But those are my only 2 complaints with the
'06 Camry: the poor sound and the fuzzy seats that always shed.

The Pasat is a really nice car that probably doesn't have those 2
specific problems, but reliability is my first concern. And Toyota is
number one there.

Still, I hope Toyota improves the sound in the future. How's the sound
in the '07 Camry?

Wolfgang wrote:[color=blue]
> All Toyota (even the JBL premium system) have marginal speakers. Pull one
> and compare it to Sony/Kenwood/Pioneer or other $60 pair of speakers.
> You'll see significant differences (like paper vs foam rubber edges, small
> magnets, single cone). I'd replace them - chck Crutchfield for what fits.
> Don't go with high end - your OEM head unit does not have power to drive
> them.[/color]

when i had a blaupunkt (colorado, CM168)in my civic, it sounded better
when i got rid of the high powered speakers and "traded down" for 2 pr
of the "brown box" blaupunkts.

On Sat, 18 Nov 2006 20:46:16 +0000, mike wrote:
[color=blue]
> Wolfgang wrote:[color=green]
>> All Toyota (even the JBL premium system) have marginal speakers. Pull one
>> and compare it to Sony/Kenwood/Pioneer or other $60 pair of speakers.
>> You'll see significant differences (like paper vs foam rubber edges, small
>> magnets, single cone). I'd replace them - chck Crutchfield for what fits.
>> Don't go with high end - your OEM head unit does not have power to drive
>> them.[/color]
>
> when i had a blaupunkt (colorado, CM168)in my civic, it sounded better
> when i got rid of the high powered speakers and "traded down" for 2 pr
> of the "brown box" blaupunkts.[/color]


Speakers are weird. You never know what will sound good.

In '85 I bought my wife a brand-new Jetta. It had a Blaupunkt radio and
Blaupunkt speakers, but they were a whopping 3"!

After sopping and shopping and shopping, looking a Clarions, and JVCs, and
NECs and..and..and..I bought a pair of CRAIGs! because they sounded the
best. I put the Infinity 3.5" in the front, and carved holes in the rear
deck for the Craig 5.25s (what a chore that was. At least VW makes cars
out of SOLID METAL!) and the quality of the sound improved drastically.

Craigs?!?!?!

"mike" <mikeinthe562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:siK7h.28195$si3.27488@tornado.socal.rr.com...[color=blue]
> Wolfgang wrote:[color=green]
>> All Toyota (even the JBL premium system) have marginal speakers. Pull
>> one and compare it to Sony/Kenwood/Pioneer or other $60 pair of speakers.
>> You'll see significant differences (like paper vs foam rubber edges,
>> small magnets, single cone). I'd replace them - chck Crutchfield for
>> what fits. Don't go with high end - your OEM head unit does not have
>> power to drive them.[/color]
>
> when i had a blaupunkt (colorado, CM168)in my civic, it sounded better
> when i got rid of the high powered speakers and "traded down" for 2 pr of
> the "brown box" blaupunkts.[/color]

That's because the speakers you removed were not efficient enough for the
low amount of power being fed to them.

you do have the fader set to zero so the front and rear speakers are
working?
just a thought...
sammmm

--

"That Guy" <7@f.com> wrote in message
news:yrGdnQzORvpJ2MPYnZ2dnUVZ_tWdnZ2d@giganews.com...[color=blue]
> Has anyone noticed poor bass from their speakers in the 2003 or later
> Corolla? The highs and midranges sound good for a stock sound system, but
> lately I've noticed the bass tones have been sounding pretty muddy, even
> at pretty low volumes (I've never gone higher than about 1/3 max volume,
> so I strongly doubt they're blown.)
>[/color]

"SAMMM" <zammy@pghmail.com> wrote in message
news:ndSdnXzRta9-5cLYnZ2dnUVZ_tadnZ2d@pghconnect.com...[color=blue]
> you do have the fader set to zero so the front and rear speakers are
> working?
> just a thought...
> sammmm[/color]


Good point. I have the fader adjusted so the rear speakers are putting out
slightly more than the front. I adjust it until the front and rear sounds
equally loud, then nudge it a little toward the back.

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:12:22 -0600, That Guy wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> "SAMMM" <zammy@pghmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ndSdnXzRta9-5cLYnZ2dnUVZ_tadnZ2d@pghconnect.com...[color=green]
>> you do have the fader set to zero so the front and rear speakers are
>> working?
>> just a thought...
>> sammmm[/color]
>
>
> Good point. I have the fader adjusted so the rear speakers are putting out
> slightly more than the front. I adjust it until the front and rear sounds
> equally loud, then nudge it a little toward the back.[/color]


Hey! That's what I do to!

Most cars these days are set up so most of the sound comes from the front.
I guess that's the way the 'kids' like it. I even had a pro tell me that
that is the proper way to set up a system ("You want most of the sound
coming from the front.")

But I like it balanced. Between the HU and the external amp I have, the
system in my Supra is tweaked so well that sometimes it sounds like
4-channel!

"Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote in message
news:JYs8h.5111$d42.1643@trndny07...[color=blue]
> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:12:22 -0600, That Guy wrote:
>[color=green]
>>
>> "SAMMM" <zammy@pghmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:ndSdnXzRta9-5cLYnZ2dnUVZ_tadnZ2d@pghconnect.com...[color=darkred]
>>> you do have the fader set to zero so the front and rear speakers are
>>> working?
>>> just a thought...
>>> sammmm[/color]
>>
>>
>> Good point. I have the fader adjusted so the rear speakers are putting
>> out
>> slightly more than the front. I adjust it until the front and rear
>> sounds
>> equally loud, then nudge it a little toward the back.[/color]
>
>
> Hey! That's what I do to!
>
> Most cars these days are set up so most of the sound comes from the front.
> I guess that's the way the 'kids' like it. I even had a pro tell me that
> that is the proper way to set up a system ("You want most of the sound
> coming from the front.")
>
> But I like it balanced. Between the HU and the external amp I have, the
> system in my Supra is tweaked so well that sometimes it sounds like
> 4-channel!
>
>[/color]

There's no such thing as "proper" to begin with. Go to concerts in 20
different places, and each one will have its own ambience. But, you don't
often find concert sound systems set up with speakers behind the audience,
pointed upward, or toward the stage. If you hear sound from behind you, it's
sound reflected from walls.

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:28:21 +0000, JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
[color=blue]
> "Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote in message
> news:JYs8h.5111$d42.1643@trndny07...[color=green]
>> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:12:22 -0600, That Guy wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> "SAMMM" <zammy@pghmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:ndSdnXzRta9-5cLYnZ2dnUVZ_tadnZ2d@pghconnect.com...
>>>> you do have the fader set to zero so the front and rear speakers are
>>>> working?
>>>> just a thought...
>>>> sammmm
>>>
>>>
>>> Good point. I have the fader adjusted so the rear speakers are putting
>>> out
>>> slightly more than the front. I adjust it until the front and rear
>>> sounds
>>> equally loud, then nudge it a little toward the back.[/color]
>>
>>
>> Hey! That's what I do to!
>>
>> Most cars these days are set up so most of the sound comes from the front.
>> I guess that's the way the 'kids' like it. I even had a pro tell me that
>> that is the proper way to set up a system ("You want most of the sound
>> coming from the front.")
>>
>> But I like it balanced. Between the HU and the external amp I have, the
>> system in my Supra is tweaked so well that sometimes it sounds like
>> 4-channel!
>>
>>[/color]
>
> There's no such thing as "proper" to begin with. Go to concerts in 20
> different places, and each one will have its own ambience. But, you don't
> often find concert sound systems set up with speakers behind the audience,
> pointed upward, or toward the stage. If you hear sound from behind you, it's
> sound reflected from walls.[/color]


Oh, God! I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd live at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta
GA back in the day. We could only get tickets for the first night, a
Wednesday. (This was where the Live album was recorded. I don't think they
recorded any of it *THAT* night...I think the whole first show was a 4
hour Sound Check...)

Yeah, you had sound coming from behind you, all right. They had everything
cranked SO loud the Standing Waves were crashing into each other in the
middle of the theatre...right where I was seated.

Shoot, Ronnie VZ could have at least thrown the 3/4 quart of Jack out far
enough so *I* could have had some!!!