Kramerica

Re: TSX/Tech, So I've read somewhere, here I think, that you really are limited in upgrading the speakers/amp because of the way the OEM amp is integrated or something.

Does anyone know just what the power output of the OEM amp is -- and why the limitation(s)???

I did call the local audio dealer & he sort of scoffed, said that they could upgrade anything that's out there, I want to at least start off with the speakers (my minimally upgraded '02 Camry sounds better than the TSX).

Experience/further info appreciated.

G.

Tannis

Well, in a way your audio dealer is right. You can upgrade to whatever the hell you want. Problem is you'll need to bypass or remove most if not all of the stock components. And don't even think about upgrading just the speakers themselves. I believe they are rated at 2ohms and have heard several people say that their sound quality decreases after they swapped out the speakers with better ones like FOCAL or upper end Diamonds. You have to get aftermarket amps too. I hear people say it is impossible to integrate but I'm think that may only be true for the Tech package owners. I bought a base model myself with the distinct wish to upgrade the audio system and will be doing so eventually.

If your audio guys are really talented I would drop my car off to them and tell 'em to figure out what they can do. Adding a sub by itself on an aftermarket amp with this car is absolutely cake. But door speakers and especially HUs, you are going down a long, dark, expensive road. Don't forget to install good speaker wire. I yell at people all the time about their speaker wire and most of the time I'm ignored. I know people shy away at the idea of paying $11 - 16/ft but it really would help. I recommend Cardas or Furutech wire. Furutech also makes battery clamps, covers, fuses and fuse blocks.

Good luck with your endeavor. If you manage to do some nice upgrades hit me up. I'm always interested.

mercman

I have posted this before but I guess it is worth repeating.
The ELS system uses a fixed level HU (like a home CD player) to feed a DSP based external amp. If you bypass the amp you will have no way to control the audio levels or settings, this is all done in the amp via a control signal from the HU. So if you dealer thinks he is tapping into the HU signal he is wrong, it won’t work.
Next, the ELS amp is equalized for each input source to get the most sound out of the cheap factory speakers. The EQ settings change with mode and volume level. If you dealer wants to add a 360 or some re-q device after the amp you can forget that too since it will not be able to equalize for all the different modes. Also, how many Eqs do you need? This is a 5.1 system. Also, let’s not forget that the amp does an A/D and a D/A conversion so the last thing you want is a re-q device doing it again.
You can upgrade your speakers but the amp is heavily biased towards the high frequencies so you will likely want to pad down your tweeters.
You can add a sub with a LOC but don’t expect it to boom because again, the factory amp is tuned to work with the factory free air sub.
Here is a post https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tsx-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-304/tweeters-adjustable-eq-more-800780/
This is only true for ELS systems.
Jeff

Tannis

^ yyyyyyup. I knew I read something similar somewhere on here. ELS = no play. Unless you gut the damn thing and then really, why the hell did you get the tech package other than navi?

slickooz

Damn I was wondering the same thing. I just paid for an one year subscription of xm and wanted to upgrade my speakers.

TSX_BlackPearl

mercman did u came out will the solution for the pre amp?? i have the 09 tsx tech i will like to upgrade the hold system i have the LC6 audio control to convert high to low and also instal my new amps but the problem its the NAV and the 5.1 did u have something that will work better so i can use the systems with no problems let me know or i will buy any prototype that u have thanks

mercman

I have a working proof of concept system that provides the full 5.1 but after much thought I am considering ditching the 5.1 since it is only used during DVD-A playback. If you think about it makes sense since the center channel speaker is useless for hifi sound and you would have to dedicate an entire amp to it. It just doesn’t make sense economically since there just isn’t that many DVD-As out there. This then brings up more questions,
Do I mix the center into the front during DVD-A playback? This adds more components and cost.
What about users that want a front stage and sub set up? What do I do for DVD-A?
Here is where I’m leaning
Build a Stereo only no surround sound setup that would provide front/rear and sub outputs. This will allow for using rears for fill or not at all. When in DVD-A mode the surround channels would be mixed in to the front stage.

Basically I’m looking for feedback from ELS owners about how they want to mod their systems before moving forward with the prototypes.
Do you really care about DVD-A surround sound?
Jeff

TSX Zommer

I have the ELS. I dont really use it b/c DVD-A is all but non existent. I wish I could have all my audio in DVD-A but it doesn't work like that. I want more power and a solution to the door speakers that keep getting blown. I like to escape into my music when I drive. In my opinion the car is the best place to listen to music. So I am looking for more sub and door power along with the same or better sound quality as through the usb port.

mercman

I’m leaning heavily in this direction now; I just can’t see the extra costs to support the dead DVD-A format. It would have been nice if we could access the stereo DVD-A mix like on a home system. I will have to put another circuit together but it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Jeff

TSX_BlackPearl

mercman u r genius i cant wait for u to finish so can buy it from you because this all i need to put the system in my car

mercman

I finally had a chance to get back to work on the ELS pre amp now that the snow has melted. I modified the POC so that it will combine the DVD-A signal into a stereo signal eliminating the center channel altogether. This mod also makes it possible to build a full front stage only system by combining the rear DVD-A channels into the front. I’m at the point where I can install it in the car but I need to make a sub box and get an extra amp to hook it all up. For testing I’m going to use a four channel for the front and rear and a separate sub amp and a small sealed box. I’m not a thumper.

Jeff

TSX_BlackPearl

let me know how it goes
thanks