Does stereo head unit make a difference in audio output?

Chris

Chris

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I'm going to upgrade my audio here at some point by adding a new head unit and speakers.

My question to any of you audio gurus is this: Does the head unit itself make a difference in regards to audio quality, or is that mostly the speakers?

I'm asking because I can reuse my stock head unit / CD player and get an auxiliary plugin, or I can get an aftermarket head unit such as a Kenwood, with all the bells and whistles.

But my main concern is decent quality sound output, so I'm curious as to whether the stock head unit vs. an aftermarket head unit would make any difference?
 
Chris said:
I'm going to upgrade my audio here at some point by adding a new head unit and speakers.

My question to any of you audio gurus is this: Does the head unit itself make a difference in regards to audio quality, or is that mostly the speakers?

I'm asking because I can reuse my stock head unit / CD player and get an auxiliary plugin, or I can get an aftermarket head unit such as a Kenwood, with all the bells and whistles.

But my main concern is decent quality sound output, so I'm curious as to whether the stock head unit vs. an aftermarket head unit would make any difference?
Click to expand...
Would like to know as well. I’m considering amping my stock head unit.
 
I like the look of the stock head unit. However, if it would be a limiting factor in having a little better audio output, then that is the only way I'll consider ditching it for an aftermarket single DIN unit. I just have zero knowledge of audio, so hopefully someone here knows.
 
Aftermarket HU's will have a better/stronger internal amp. Just like added horsepower for an engine, the speakers require a certain amount of power to produce good quality sound. Most aftermarket HU's push 20-25 watts RMS to each speaker. Match that up with a speaker with the proper impedance, ie. 92db. @Jerry Bransford or @JMT knows more about this stuff than I do.
 
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bobthetj03 said:
That's a nice unit. Mine is very similar to that one, cept I opted for a CD player cause I'm old school sometimes. I mostly stream music from my phone now via Amazon Music.

This is the one I got.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113BT365U/Kenwood-KDC-BT365U.html
Click to expand...

Yeah, I haven't used a CD in close to 8 years I think, so that's why I'm opting for the version without a CD player. All of my music comes from my iPhone, which I either connect via Bluetooth or an aux cable.

I like the subtle look of the stock head unit, but if it's not going to be able to power a nice set of aftermarket speakers, then I'll just give up on that idea altogether.
 
Chris said:
Yeah, I haven't used a CD in close to 8 years I think, so that's why I'm opting for the version without a CD player. All of my music comes from my iPhone, which I either connect via Bluetooth or an aux cable.

I like the subtle look of the stock head unit, but if it's not going to be able to power a nice set of aftermarket speakers, then I'll just give up on that idea altogether.
Click to expand...

Well, you can add additional power to a factory HU, but it isn't as efficient. Has to do with the circuitry, ie. high pass vs. low pass frequencies. I don't know much more about it than that.
If you really want to wake up your sound system, get a powered subwoofer and put it in the center console, or under your seat. Doesn't take much. Heck even the factory subs found in the center console of some model TJ's are better than nothing.
 
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I'm in the market for a new head unit as well. Going via bluetooth instead of the AUX cable. AUX cables tend to crap out over time which I am not a fan of anymore.
 
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You actually get cleaner sound quality with the AUX cable hooked up vs. Bluetooth. @Jerry Bransford taught me that one. I thought he was blowing smoke up my ***, but after testing myself, he was right.
 
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bobthetj03 said:
You actually get cleaner sound quality with the AUX cable hooked up vs. Bluetooth. @Jerry Bransford taught me that one. I thought he was blowing smoke up my ***, but after testing myself, he was right.
Click to expand...

Bluetooth uses compression where the aux cable does not so the sound should be a little better with the cable, but it's a Jeep, can you really hear the difference anyway :)
 
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bobthetj03 said:
Well, you can add additional power to a factory HU, but it isn't as efficient. Has to do with the circuitry, ie. high pass vs. low pass frequencies. I don't know much more about it than that.
If you really want to wake up your sound system, get a powered subwoofer and put it in the center console, or under your seat. Doesn't take much. Heck even the factory subs found in the center console of some model TJ's are better than nothing.
Click to expand...

Mine has the factory sub in the center console, which I plan on upgrading in the process as well (if there's even a decent upgrade for it).

CodaMan said:
Bluetooth uses compression where the aux cable does not so the sound should be a little better with the cable, but it's a Jeep, can you really hear the difference anyway :)
Click to expand...

I've tried both the aux cable and the Bluetooth on our 2015 Subaru Outback. It's really, really hard to notice much of a difference unless you have some very sharp ears. But yes, you're right!
 
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lxxtsy said:
I'm in the market for a new head unit as well. Going via bluetooth instead of the AUX cable. AUX cables tend to crap out over time which I am not a fan of anymore.
Click to expand...
This x10000. I would vastly recommend getting something that can stream over bluetooth rather than use an AUX if you can help it. Plus, it's another cord you need cluttering up the interior.
 
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Chris said:
I'm going to upgrade my audio here at some point by adding a new head unit and speakers.

My question to any of you audio gurus is this: Does the head unit itself make a difference in regards to audio quality, or is that mostly the speakers?

I'm asking because I can reuse my stock head unit / CD player and get an auxiliary plugin, or I can get an aftermarket head unit such as a Kenwood, with all the bells and whistles.

But my main concern is decent quality sound output, so I'm curious as to whether the stock head unit vs. an aftermarket head unit would make any difference?
Click to expand...
There are getting to be more and more options from audio manufacturers for keeping your stock head unit. There are a number of reasons for that, but mostly they are referring to newer cars. There's an article below that you should read to get an idea what those options are. Some of the information is ancillary to your query, but some is helpful.

A short answer is that the stock head unit is considered by audiophiles to be the center of your system. It's like the engine is to your TJ. Without a good one, the tires don't really matter! In the same way, you can have great speakers, but if they head unit sucks, the sound downstream is going to suck. That said, there are things you can do to clean up the sound in between the head unit and the speakers, such as sound processors.

The vehicle design itself also matters when it comes to a good sounding audio system. The TJ is considered one of the worst in this respect, so doing something to beef up the system is almost a no-brainer. For example, here's how Crutchfield categorized the Jeep Wrangler,

"Born for bad sound
Some cars are doomed to poor sound by virtue of their design. The Jeep Wrangler, for example, can ford mighty rivers and climb tall mountains, but its combination of small speakers and a noisy environment makes for a less than ideal listening experience. Now, you can buy heavy-duty plastic speaker pods that install in various spots in the Wrangler interior, housing a set of your favorite speakers or a small sub."

Check out the article for more.

https://www.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/factory/system_upgrades.html?c=3
 
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JMT said:
There are getting to be more and more options from audio manufacturers for keeping your stock head unit. There are a number of reasons for that, but mostly they are referring to newer cars. There's an article below that you should read to get an idea what those options are. Some of the information is ancillary to your query, but some is helpful.

A short answer is that the stock head unit is considered by audiophiles to be the center of your system. It's like the engine is to your TJ. Without a good one, the tires don't really matter! In the same way, you can have great speakers, but if they head unit sucks, the sound downstream is going to suck. That said, there are things you can do to clean up the sound in between the head unit and the speakers, such as sound processors.

The vehicle design itself also matters when it comes to a good sounding audio system. The TJ is considered one of the worst in this respect, so doing something to beef up the system is almost a no-brainer. For example, here's how Crutchfield categorized the Jeep Wrangler,

"Born for bad sound
Some cars are doomed to poor sound by virtue of their design. The Jeep Wrangler, for example, can ford mighty rivers and climb tall mountains, but its combination of small speakers and a noisy environment makes for a less than ideal listening experience. Now, you can buy heavy-duty plastic speaker pods that install in various spots in the Wrangler interior, housing a set of your favorite speakers or a small sub."

Check out the article for more.

https://www.crutchfield.com/learn/learningcenter/factory/system_upgrades.html?c=3
Click to expand...

Or you can install a set of Helix components powered by an Arc Audio sub.

20170719_085653.jpg
 
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If you're considering upgrading your audio system, 2 suggestions I would make would be; upgrade the center dash to a 2 din and put in a touch screen head unit. Some may argue that this goes against what a Jeep / TJ should be, but I really like the ability to have a back up camera. I run a 35 inch spare mounted on a swing gate in the back. So rear visibility is not the greatest. Depending on your phone and the head unit you get, you can access apps and navigation from the head unit. Next suggestion would be to upgrade the front speakers to 5.25 inch component speakers. You can get brackets that allow you to switch the 6x9 speakers to 5.25 inch. Then mount the tweeters up on the dash. This will help you get better mids and highs.
 
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