by Ric » Sun Oct 24, 2021 4:35 pm
I've just had a 2021 Touring Outback on loan from Subaru for the weekend.
First impressions, it's very nice to drive, and all the new technology features work very well together.
I must say though, the "Premium 9-speaker Harman Kardon" audio system is not in the same league as my Spec-B's 13-speaker Macintosh system.
In the Outback, you are very aware that most of the sound is coming from the two mid-range speakers mounted in the dashboard (and bouncing back from the windscreen), so it is all from in front of you.
The big speakers in the front doors are just woofers.
The rear door speakers are full range, but contribute little to the front sound unless you fade the front speakers right down.
The big speaker in the boot must be a sub woofer, and even with a bass drum thumping, you can barely hear anything come from that speaker, even with your ear right next to it.
In contrast, the Macintosh system has four individual speakers in each front door (a woofer, two mid range, and a tweeter), and very much gives an all around sound experience.
Certainly the media player itself is miles ahead of the Mac, but that doesn't make up for a cheaper speaker system.