When I play music with lots of different sounds going on at once, my speakers have horrible distortion (for example, when cymbals play it sounds like someone is simultaneously crumpling a piece of paper or something).

I've used the balance/fader to try to narrow it down, but all 4 sides seem to be affected.

Is this definitely a speaker problem, or could it possibly be the head unit? I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on new speakers, only to find out that it was the HU!

This is an 04 non-navi TSX, by the way.

 

I have the same car with the same issue. I am intending to replace the stock speakers. I think the stock speakers are garbage, and replacements that sound way better can be had for a very reasonable price...

 

At what volume do you begin to notice it?

 

Yeah, you might be cranking it higher than the stock amp can go. But the stock speakers aren't that great. I think they're pretty good for a stock system, but that does not say much.

If you think you really have a problem at all volume levels, I'd make sure that if you want to take it in for a warranty repair that you do it before you replace any speakers....

I'd also make sure you use a CD for testing. Sometimes FM seems to have a lot of distortion even when it should be getting a clean signal. And of course XM has digital compression which is an annoying noise.

 

Its not your HU, its the speakers. The HU is pretty good (imo), but the stock amp / speakers leave much to be desired. I noticed distortion at volumes over ~16.

 

It's been so long since my stock speakers, I don't remember much about listening to them, just that they needed to be replaced. With my replacement speakers, I can crank it loud, with little distortion. FM sometimes isn't quite right tho.... So anyway, yeah, I'd recommend replacing the speakers too. Prolly a good idea to be careful to get some efficient ones to match the lower power of the stock amp. Not any ol' speaker is going to be a great match.