[CU2] Distorted OEM speakers

[binhcat]

Has any got problems with their speakers? Some of the Speakers in my car are distorted even when the settings are set on 0.

Called the dealers up and they said they had one customer reported the same issue.

BTW - I highest I've turned it up was 25 which is even that loud or ear bleeding level so I suspect it could just be faulty speakers.

[Crapdaz]

most likely faulty, is there a mute button in the Cu2?

[Tarsnakes]

My sound system was distorting from new as well. Had one speaker in the driver's side door replaced under warranty without any hassle. It now sounds great.

Kinda makes you wonder about their quality control though!

[binhcat]

Yeah I noticed it first in the driver side one.
But didn't think too of it .. thought it was just my crappy songs which i got from internet..

Thanks Tarsnakes.. i'll get the dealer to replace if not all. most of it at least..

[euromax]

Crap I too had a front driver side speaker that was faulty and replaced at the 1000kms service. Thought it was just my car.

I thought Honda QA is top class...how could they miss faulty speakers producing distorting sound.

[aaronng]

volume 25 out of what max setting?

[blueuro]

my right drive side speaker distorts 2 btu getting new speakers so will fix

[tony1234]

volume 25 out of what max setting?
25 on mine and your ears will bleed.lol

[tron07]

I listen to 8-12..... 12 is quite loud already. but I think its still below 125dB

[binhcat]

25 out of some 30 something..
only when i have the windows down and driving say on freeways or its windy outside..
but normally i have it on 15 or 20 when i feel like bopping my head ;-)

Not something you expect from Honda.. first i've heard of it..

[aaronng]

25 out of some 30 something..
only when i have the windows down and driving say on freeways or its windy outside..
but normally i have it on 15 or 20 when i feel like bopping my head ;-)

Not something you expect from Honda.. first i've heard of it..

25 is pushing the speakers hard. I use only up to 13 when driving. If you want something that can handle the distortion at such high volumes, you need higher spec speakers. OEM items are usually chosen for their low cost.

BTW, why are you setting the bass and treble to 0? If you have the base and treble a bit higher, you can get away with lower volume settings and get lower distortion.

[denot]

25???? i usually set on 10-15 (15 if driving on windy and noisy tunnel - worst than windy and noisy freeway) tried to crank it up to 25, but cant go pass 20... too bloody loud!!!

my settings:
T: 2
B: 4
S: 3

[binhcat]

25 is pushing the speakers hard. I use only up to 13 when driving. If you want something that can handle the distortion at such high volumes, you need higher spec speakers. OEM items are usually chosen for their low cost.

BTW, why are you setting the bass and treble to 0? If you have the base and treble a bit higher, you can get away with lower volume settings and get lower distortion.

Its on 0 because of the distortion I get from bass.. so i turned everything down

25 sometimes depends on the track quality of some of these mp3s. Plus it doesnt help when i'm kinda deaf which could explain why i have mines louder than most of you guys.

Nevertheless the speakers should be able to handle it..

[by-life]

my vol. set to 11, it makes me feel enough loudly

[by-life]

Its on 0 because of the distortion I get from bass.. so i turned everything down

25 sometimes depends on the track quality of some of these mp3s. Plus it doesnt help when i'm kinda deaf which could explain why i have mines louder than most of you guys.

Nevertheless the speakers should be able to handle it..

I agree with that, best way to test your speakers is to use CD (not burned by yourself)

[aaronng]

Its on 0 because of the distortion I get from bass.. so i turned everything down

25 sometimes depends on the track quality of some of these mp3s. Plus it doesnt help when i'm kinda deaf which could explain why i have mines louder than most of you guys.

Nevertheless the speakers should be able to handle it..

I normalise the mp3s, so that the tracks that are soft get proper volume. Using 25 on a soft mp3 will still cause distortion, if you understand how power amplification works. That's also the reason why proper hi-fi amps cost heaps of money compared to car audio and cheap all-in-one home CD players.

[Type R Positive]

Mine are fine. I let the speakers 'burn in' for about 2 weeks though.
Some tracks I get distortion, but I think that is from the tracks that are shit recordings.
I can get mine pretty loud and clear.

[Type R Positive]

On 25 I get distortion on some tracks playing CD. I usually leave it on around 20.
I play metal / hard rock / alternative / punk music.

It is more than loud enough for every day listening, but agreed, it would be nice if it went louder.

Nothing wrong with the speakers, remember it is only a head unit driving all those speakers and sub woofer.....

My settings:
Bass +2
Treble +5
Fader R1
Balance C
Center +3
SubW +2
SVC High

[denot]

a friend of mine test this yesterday... crank it up to 30 and sounds a bit dodgy around 27-28 (like its going to explodes). but @ 25 it still not distorted (but then again maybe I'm already too deaf to hear anything at this level) He want to find the max volume level but affraid he will stuffed the speakers... :p

btw my full settings (not my friend):
Bass +4
Treble +2
Fader F1
Balance C
Center +1
SubW +4
SVC Off

My friend settings:
Bass 0
Treble 0
Fader C
Balance C
Center 0
SubW 0
SVC Off

[Type R Positive]

Interesting that you use SVC off. Should be able to crank it right up!!!

[denot]

Interesting that you use SVC off. Should be able to crank it right up!!!

its too anoying the SVC for me... when I open the window and on traffic jam, i cant hear a thing. but when I run 100km/h window closed, the sound is too loud :confused:

I have this prob on my FD2 before, so I switch it off on the CU2...

[binhcat]

Just got me car service on last week.
They are replacing my two front and two middle speakers.. 3 of those 4 where stuffed and the tech said might as well change 4 cos it will eventually distort. Their techs sucks balls.. they only spotted 2 speakers being distorted (FR and MR) when clearly the FL was the one they was the worse of them 3.. had to drive me car back there on the same day to get them to check it out again with me standing there.. TOOLS!!!

They dont even have an acoustic CD to test the speakers..

FYI > This is a known issue and they have changed many other speakers in other CU2. Unfortunately i have to wait another 2 weeks for them to order in the parts. :(

[denot]

Just got me car service on last week.
They are replacing my two front and two middle speakers.. 3 of those 4 where stuffed and the tech said might as well change 4 cos it will eventually distort. Their techs sucks balls.. they only spotted 2 speakers being distorted (FR and MR) when clearly the FL was the one they was the worse of them 3.. had to drive me car back there on the same day to get them to check it out again with me standing there.. TOOLS!!!

They dont even have an acoustic CD to test the speakers..

FYI > This is a known issue and they have changed many other speakers in other CU2. Unfortunately i have to wait another 2 weeks for them to order in the parts. :(

i dunno if this allowed, but can you pm which dealer is this so I dont make the same mistakes and go there?

thanks

[binhcat]

i dunno if this allowed, but can you pm which dealer is this so I dont make the same mistakes and go there?

thanks

I'll PM you the dealership

[denot]

I'll PM you the dealership

thanks

[euromax]

My front right speakers which was replaced out of warranty in Jan is distorting again. Bringing the car in for 20k service tomorrow and getting the speaker fixed.

I only turn up the volume to 10 or at most 15. Can't understand why the speakers are giving so much problems.

[tony1234]

Can't understand why the speakers are giving so much problems.
Cause they are cheap shit.Upgrade them and you'll notice an improvement in sound quality.

[binhcat]

Generally they should be pretty decent standard. I have been in other Hondas and their standard speakers were good and LAST...

Maybe Honda is cutting cost? hmmmmm

I hope I dont have to change again down the track.... definitely will be upgrading to aftermarket in the future.. waiting for mums car to die on her so I can rip out my old system from that... ;)

[aaronng]

Generally they should be pretty decent standard. I have been in other Hondas and their standard speakers were good and LAST...

Maybe Honda is cutting cost? hmmmmm

I hope I dont have to change again down the track.... definitely will be upgrading to aftermarket in the future.. waiting for mums car to die on her so I can rip out my old system from that... ;)

They give you more car, more power, more speakers and more luxury at a cheaper price than the previous model CL9. So they would have to find somewhere to cut costs.

[denot]

At least the cu2 oem sound system is a lot better than my prev fd2 or 7th gen civic

[tron07]

how the stock system on a CU2 compared to a CL9?

I find the CL9 is pretty decent for a stockie, hence all my highend audio gear is still stiing in the storeroom.

[tony1234]

how the stock system on a CU2 compared to a CL9?

I find the CL9 is pretty decent for a stockie, hence all my highend audio gear is still stiing in the storeroom.
CU2 system sounds better than CL9.It has 9 speakers and 1 sub.I think it's an Alpine HU.

[VTECJimStar]

Hi There
What upgrade speakers would you recomend. Is it worth just upgrading speakers only, is there enough grunt to power them or do you have to add amps as well?

[dj_s2k]

Hi There
What upgrade speakers would you recomend. Is it worth just upgrading speakers only, is there enough grunt to power them or do you have to add amps as well?

I'd go Focal. Even the low end Focal's are good. If not Focal's i'd recommend JL's though i find the tweeters to be a little bright.

I'm actually quite interested to know if the CU2 soundsystem has a small amp to power up all the speakers and the sub. Doubt its running all off the headunit. If it is then godamn that HU is putting out quite a bit of power.

[tony1234]

Hi There
What upgrade speakers would you recomend. Is it worth just upgrading speakers only, is there enough grunt to power them or do you have to add amps as well?
Upgrade speakers only.You don't need to spend a lot of money.I spent $150 on 4 Kenwood speakers on my wifes car and the improvement was dramatic.OEM speakers=shit.I'd only replace the front splits(not the front center one),the ones in the rear doors and the rears in the parcel shelf,(not the sub).I'd do that 1st.and see what it sounds like before you start adding amps.IMO you wont need amps.As for brands work out how much you want to spend,go to a decent car sound place and listen to a few and ask lots of questions.This is for CU2.Sorry,just realised you have CL9.For CL9 just replace front splits and rear parcel shelf speakers.Spend most of your money on the fronts as they're the ones that produce most of the sounds that you hear so you want good quality,the rears are just for "fill in".

[tron07]

I am of the opinion of either you dont touch it, or you go all out... lol...

But any aftermarket speakers would give you huge imporvement over the cheapo OEM speakers.... even cheapo taiwanese stuffs

[Type R Positive]

Hi There
What upgrade speakers would you recomend. Is it worth just upgrading speakers only, is there enough grunt to power them or do you have to add amps as well?The CU2 OEM speakers are Alpine. Yes you would get an improvement just by changing speakers, as already stated, but much more dramatic difference would be made just by adding dynamat to the door skins. ;)

I'd add an amp as well, Alpine got some great little beauties (PDX) that take up stuff all room.

With the speakers, I believe Alpine type R's would have to be the best bang for buck out there. I am going to but an Alpine system in my Toyota Prado, using type R speakers.

Search the audio forums for more specifics into brands and speaker performance for what you want out of your system (SQ / SPL / or both).

You may want to get a signal processor to upgrade your stock head unit, depending on how serious you want to go. Rockford Fosgate and Alpine make them, they start at about $500.

[tony1234]

I suggest you change speakers 1st.Then Dynamat front doors,then amps.If you do it in stages you'll then find out how far you need to go to be happy with the result.

[euromax]

Had my 20k service today and the right front speaker was replaced under warranty and now U2 sounds great again at volume 15 lol. I'll replace with Alpine type r further down the track. I'm thinking of the works including amp. Btw 20k service cost $185 which I reckon is very reasonable.

[chris41]

That front right (drivers door) speaker definitely seems to be the problem one.
Just for note the CU2 volume indicator numbers go to 40 and on quality CDs the system appears to handle
this volume without distortion with the tone controls all centred.
I have noticed the 'fluffy' distortion in the front right speaker listening closely to it at even very low volumes unfortunately.
My concern with a warranty repair is they will obviously replace with the same part.

[H.T]

Our tally of speakers replaced so far

Drivers front x 3

Passenger front x 2

I guess while the car is under warranty they will just keep replacing them with faulty speakers...

[praja6]

Our tally of speakers replaced so far

Drivers front x 3

Passenger front x 2

I guess while the car is under warranty they will just keep replacing them with faulty speakers...

Whats going to happen after the warranty expired? Do we have to pay from our pocket?

[Type R Positive]

Shit HT, you crank your music or what?
Ever heard of burn in?

[nxn75u]

im going back to the dealer AGAIN soon for my left distorted speakers.

[TurBIce]

omg, hope mines not like that!!( when i take delivery)

Whats this " burn in" ?

how do i burn it in?

[Type R Positive]

omg, hope mines not like that!!( when i take delivery)

Whats this " burn in" ?

how do i burn it in?google it, there's heaps of info out there on it. Basically take it easy for a while before you give it to it. The speakers will sound better after a while too.

[chunsa]

Out of no where today, my passenger speaker distorted! After nearly a year's of ownership without much dramas, it's finally my turn for speaker problems :( I don't crank the volume higher than 15 (which is loud already).

Are dealers just replacing it with the same speaker or do they have an updated version?

[nesterjester]

Out of no where today, my passenger speaker distorted! After nearly a year's of ownership without much dramas, it's finally my turn for speaker problems :( I don't crank the volume higher than 15 (which is loud already).

Are dealers just replacing it with the same speaker or do they have an updated version?

yea i have had a few speakers replaced over my services, and just recently just after my 40K service my passenger front speaker blew and sounds all muffled. I am definitely not waiting 10K to get a speaker replaced and it sounds worse at lower volumes. Anyone know how easy it is to removed the door skins. So I called up to drop it in for a warranty repair. They reckon 2 hours to do one speaker. Hrmmmm ..........

To answer chunsa question; they replaced it with the oem so basically straight swap. Thats as far as I know. The way its looking now, each dealership must go through pallets of these speakers!

[limleong]

yea i have had a few speakers replaced over my services, and just recently just after my 40K service my passenger front speaker blew and sounds all muffled. I am definitely not waiting 10K to get a speaker replaced and it sounds worse at lower volumes. Anyone know how easy it is to removed the door skins. So I called up to drop it in for a warranty repair. They reckon 2 hours to do one speaker. Hrmmmm ..........

To answer chunsa question; they replaced it with the oem so basically straight swap. Thats as far as I know. The way its looking now, each dealership must go through pallets of these speakers!

Your experience is getting me a bit worried now. When I picked up my new car in Jan this year. Three speakers were replaced within 6 weeks. My dealer did say that if the speakers want to go they will go quickly and that appeared to be the case for me.

I would hate to think about the slow death scenario as there are 10 speakers in the Euro :eek:

This is a most bizarre problem as I have owned various Honda for over 20 years and never had repeated speaker failure until this Euro. The speaker supplier has let Honda down big time.

[praja6]

May be honda should source speakers in the future from Bose....Alphine normally makes good speakers(which i heard from many people here what Honda using these 10 speakers are), may be this particular speaker category they made for Honda is not good.. Well i dont hear any distrotion in my speaekrs yet, my car is 4months old, may be i don't put music that loud.

[nxn75u]

The speakers have been a big issue for euro.. I have been back for a few times and still going back there this thurs. They need 2 FULL HOURS to just confirm that it is faulty and they have to order the speakers. I have to again go back to the dealer again which can be frustrating.

[nxn75u]

May be honda should source speakers in the future from Bose....Alphine normally makes good speakers(which i heard from many people here what Honda using these 10 speakers are), may be this particular speaker category they made for Honda is not good.. Well i dont hear any distrotion in my speaekrs yet, my car is 4months old, may be i don't put music that loud.

BOSE system would be good but then the extra penny might be an issue. the distortion comes very clear when its at low volume, so i dont think it matters if the volume is loud. I put mine ranging from 10 to 13 and the problem arises.