Underwhelmed after 4 speaker install

[Ares]

I have just been playing some 2000's R&B music on and noticed how GREAT the bass sounds on the stock speakers.

Really, IMO, the weakness of our system is the stock head unit. The radio on it is worse than listening to music on AM stations. But when CD/AUX/BT is used, clean and crisp.

I usually don't replace the speakers unless I'm putting in subs in the car. When I do put subs in the car, I need to balance the bass with good highs, and that's where the door speakers come in. Until I do that, the stock speakers are fine as long as I'm not using FM radio.

[nickpon]

Radios seem to be going downhill with many makes. My mom's 2012 Impreza sounds awful, as did my brother's 2013 Prius C. These cars are much more expensive, too.

A big mistake I made was not taking an aux cord on my test drives. I ordered new speakers as soon as I bought the car, knowing only that the radio (which I'll never use) sounds bad. After I ordered them, I went and bought an aux cable and realized I probably wouldn't have bothered to buy any speakers had I known how good the stock system sounds.

[Ares]

Yah. AUX and BT are the bomb. Booming bass at just +2 setting and as good highs as can be had for stock speakers.

[cyclopathic]

Radios seem to be going downhill with many makes. My mom's 2012 Impreza sounds awful, as did my brother's 2013 Prius C. These cars are much more expensive, too.

A big mistake I made was not taking an aux cord on my test drives. I ordered new speakers as soon as I bought the car, knowing only that the radio (which I'll never use) sounds bad. After I ordered them, I went and bought an aux cable and realized I probably wouldn't have bothered to buy any speakers had I known how good the stock system sounds.

Stock speakers on DE were o'k for what they are, with the best setting for linear response Bass +2, treble +2 as I recall. But even then the output would drop below 50Hz above 10k, and they would distort badly at higher volume. The Pioneer TSAs still need little boost at the bottom (+1-2), but they sound crystal clear at max with high volume MP3s plugged in. The amount detail you hear is comparable to $150+ headsets, IMHO well worth the $95 spent on speakers, and $33 spent on sound insulation for doors.