Subwoofer Question

[phillystyle]

Does anybody know what the '03 Baja Subwoofers' wattage was rated? I got
the upgraded audio package. Thanks all.

 

[S]

Hi Phillystyle!

Does anybody know what the '03 Baja Subwoofers' wattage was rated? I got
the upgraded audio package. Thanks all.

I _don't_ know for sure on the newer Soobies, but the late 90s OEM sub
wasn't real impressive; a small amplifier using speaker level inputs,
putting out at most 20W, and driving a single 6 inch speaker in a more
or less free-air configuration.
It does provide some bass reinforcement at modest listening levels,
but that's about it.
Look under the seat; if you find a smallish (~6X8X2 inches) black
metal enclosure mounted there, that's it.

ByeBye! S.
Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

 

[phillystyle]

Yeah, I've seen it but it's not marked on the exterior (at least anywhere I
can see). Fortunately, it's clearly better than 20W! I was hoping
somebody out there would know - guess I'm still hoping. I was at the
dealership for some work acouple of weeks ago and even my salesman didn't
know -- couldn't find it in any literature.

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

Yeah, I've seen it but it's not marked on the exterior (at least
anywhere I can see). Fortunately, it's clearly better than 20W! I was
hoping somebody out there would know - guess I'm still hoping. I was at
the dealership for some work acouple of weeks ago and even my salesman
didn't know -- couldn't find it in any literature.

The one I have in my '03 Impreza is rated at 120 watts. It's at the bottom
of this page:

http://www.subaruparts.com/catalog/?section=332

 

[mulder]

The one I have in my '03 Impreza is rated at 120 watts. It's at the bottom
of this page:

http://www.subaruparts.com/catalog/?section=332

The power rating provided for these is meaningless. That "120 watts"
in the promotional literature is a maximum output that only sounds
good for marketing purposes, and does not indicate the actual, usable
power output of the sub. The 20 watt number is probably closer to the
truth. I have never seen a published RMS wattage figure for the OEM
sub but given its small size there is no way to get a lot of power
through it. The sub is driven through speaker level inputs (bridged
off the outputs to the rear speakers) and has a self-contained
amplifier.
Don't expect any more information from Subaru, they will only quote
what's in the brochures.

 

[Coggo]

A continuous sound output of 20 watts RMS or "real" power is VERY loud in a
confined space like a car.

A good quality speaker rated at a genuine 20 watts RMS should be able to
produce peaks of power many times that, possibly up to 120 watts for short
pulses of power (like bass beats).

As mulder wrote, speaker and amplifier ratings are largely meaningless in
consumer product marketing.. Like horsepower ratings of car engines, the
reality is a long way from the hype.

Dave