club.liberty.asn.au

premium mcintosh sound system it says. what a load of garbage.
the volume scale goes from 1 to 40, anything over 30 for for 30 minutes and the system cuts back to barely audible for maybe 30 seconds then comes back up then the process just keeps repeating itself every minute or so. subaru just says what mcintosh say and that it is that i shouldnt play it that loud for that long.
anyone else heard of this problem thanks

Dude.

When you run any amp past about 2/3rds it's gonna be distorting the sound, clipping and potentially overheating. Most hifi amps have some sort of cutout to protect them.

So running the Mac in your car at 35 is like running your amp at home at around 9 and you wouldn't do that.

It's not really a high power system but it's better than most of the competition are delivering at the same price.

I'm pretty sure there's threads elsewhere on the site on this topic.

Greg.

Check how hot the amp under the passenger seat is getting. Maybe you just need a bit more airflow down there.
It has a cooling fan, which should run all the time. Make sure it's still working.

Ric wrote:Check how hot the amp under the passenger seat is getting. Maybe you just need a bit more airflow down there.
It has a cooling fan, which should run all the time. Make sure it's still working.

would there be an amp located under the passenger seat for the MY-07 2.5 which doesnt have a mcintosh sound system?

EJ25D wrote:

Ric wrote:Check how hot the amp under the passenger seat is getting. Maybe you just need a bit more airflow down there.
It has a cooling fan, which should run all the time. Make sure it's still working.

would there be an amp located under the passenger seat for the MY-07 2.5 which doesnt have a mcintosh sound system?

I doubt it. All the non-Mac system's I've seen are integrated in the in-dash unit. The amp under the seat is pretty obvious, you could see if it was there.

thepunchman wrote:premium mcintosh sound system it says. what a load of garbage.
the volume scale goes from 1 to 40, anything over 30 for for 30 minutes and the system cuts back to barely audible for maybe 30 seconds then comes back up then the process just keeps repeating itself every minute or so. subaru just says what mcintosh say and that it is that i shouldnt play it that loud for that long.
anyone else heard of this problem thanks

You have to keep in mind that the McIntosh in the GT, while being a "premium", is just a std stereo system...its nothing great but pretty decent for a mass produced car at that price level.

Since its not enough for you, why don't you rip it out and go after market?

Bye,
Mo

GT25 wrote:Dude.

When you run any amp past about 2/3rds it's gonna be distorting the sound, clipping and potentially overheating. Most hifi amps have some sort of cutout to protect them.

So running the Mac in your car at 35 is like running your amp at home at around 9 and you wouldn't do that.

It's not really a high power system but it's better than most of the competition are delivering at the same price.

I'm pretty sure there's threads elsewhere on the site on this topic.

Greg.

I 100% agree, the McIntosh sound system is one of the best STANDARD systems i've heard. If your going to be pumping it over 30, day in day out.....go get yourself an aftermarket one.

Its fair to say that Subaru isn't expecting everyone to pump it past 30 on the volume.

Still, if it is just overheating, and you're happy with the sound before it does, then better cooling is a lot simpler & cheaper than a whole new system.
I still have my suspicions that the existing cooling fan isn't working right.

I am in my 50's and i grew up with rock and roll so i enjoy my music loud. i have had $500 amps $300 a pair speakers in my previous cars and never had this problemwith them. when they advertise premium audio system you expect something reasonable.
yes the amp is running hot and it is under the front seat and yes it does sound great,but not for long.
i went to ryda.com because i was told that although it is mcintosh it is basically clarion,is that correct. they also told me they couldnt do an upgrade, or there wasnt a kit to suit the dash, from clarion,i assume thats who the guy rang.
can someone suggest a good audio shop
thanks for your suggestions

he's telling porkies.

You can use line level converter into a aftermarket amp.
another good item is JL cleansweep if you want to keep factory HU.

Alternative is you can get a facia for the dash, then install whatever unit you want.

Depends what u want to live with. personally I don't mind the mctintosh, good enough without weighing the car down. Although at times I miss my gear and have been tempted to reinstall it. but the weight.... sigh

Did you ever check if the cooling fan is working?

XRC15T wrote:Alternative is you can get a facia for the dash, then install whatever unit you want.

Except you'd have to run fresh speaker wiring down from the dash to under the passenger seat...

Ric wrote:

XRC15T wrote:Alternative is you can get a facia for the dash, then install whatever unit you want.

Except you'd have to run fresh speaker wiring down from the dash to under the passenger seat...

Hey Ric,
Speaker wires from the dash to under the seat? why? I don't understand...

If you went to the trouble of installing a new head unit, then you'd be running rca cables to an after market amp, power wires to the amp and speaker wires from the amp to the aftermarket speakers in the doors, etc.

Bye,
Mo

Mo_GT wrote:

Ric wrote:

XRC15T wrote:Alternative is you can get a facia for the dash, then install whatever unit you want.

Except you'd have to run fresh speaker wiring down from the dash to under the passenger seat...

Hey Ric,
Speaker wires from the dash to under the seat? why? I don't understand...

If you went to the trouble of installing a new head unit, then you'd be running rca cables to an after market amp, power wires to the amp and speaker wires from the amp to the aftermarket speakers in the doors, etc.

Bye,
Mo

ok, sorry, I thought you were talking about a unit which fitted entirely in the dash.
As you know, this wouldn't work simply, because the current speaker wiring goes to the amp under the seat. It's irrelevant if you're running all new wiring to an amp located elsewhere.

subaru sydney told me they had replaced the amp with one that they had drilled some vent holes in obviously for more air flow. but as far as getting under there and listening no i havnt. i am going to try a couple of 4" fans on a temp mounting plate just wired to the lighter socket in the centre seat console
the guy at ryda tells me the dash unit is just a display not a head unit . of cause there is a 6 stack behind there somewhere but according to him not a conventional type head unit that you can just run speakers out of its all under the seat.
i wouldnt mind putting an aftermarket system in but i do like the steering controls
as i think i said i dont have a problem with the sound of the system just the length of time it plays for.
can someone tell me how to get a foto under my name, thanks