Do you have factory or aftermarket sound equipment in your vehicles?
- Thread starter ZZman
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I replaced the factory unit in my 2010 Silverado with a Pioneer head unit. I gained a back-up camera, bluetooth and a usb port for a flash drive full of mp3s. It sounds much better and the backup camera comes in very handy when its time to hook up the boat trailer.
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
Very nice. Looks like a near untouched survivor. Looks like on of their dependable straight sixes under hood?
Really sweet and I bet fun to drive with top up or down.
I'm getting to where I prefer talk radio in the car most of the time, so stock is fine with me.
My car has mix of aftermarket(head and sub), and factory(speakers and amp). I’ve given up on factory “premium” sound.
I think I’m going to have to this soon. The sound system on my Volt SUCKS!
It’s tricky to better real high end factory systems today. They have improved dramatically in the past 5-10 years. You need calibrated microphones, a good DSP, and experience with DSP tuning to even match the top level systems from Harman Intl. Now, not all vehicles are at this standard, but the top sound options in higher end cars are at a level that require real skill to better. Some cars are coming with OEM Dirac Live type correction systems and active acoustic treatments.
I upgraded the sound in my BMW M2 but only because the F87 2 series got a sad version of the HK system which isn’t hard to improve on… but even this required knowledge of signal processing and crossover design.
I upgraded the sound in my BMW M2 but only because the F87 2 series got a sad version of the HK system which isn’t hard to improve on… but even this required knowledge of signal processing and crossover design.
It’s hard to work with newer cars but usually can be done. I consider anything that replaces the head unit to be unacceptable btw. What car is it? There may be devices that can interface it with a good aftermarket amp and DSP like AF Helix if you ever cared to play with it. The DSP is the key. Upgrading an amp and speakers without EQ and crossover control is basically a waste. There’s a real possibility you end up worse than stock.
I don’t like Bose much but like everyone else in automotive, their product quality depends on how much they get paid and how much money the manufacturer puts into the audio parts budget.
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Years ago I had all the crazy stuff new speakers, amps, subwoofers etc...from some of the best brands out there. My last 2 cars Mercedes=Harmon Kardon and my Mazda=Bose is good enough for me as I'm getting older these days so no need to shake the roof off anymore and I don't drive much as I moved 3 1/2 miles from work so I'd be shutting the car off before the amps even warmed up.
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I'm with you. I hate the look of an aftermarket stereo headunit with its mismatched lighting and the way so many of them stick out from the dash. And who knows what kind of hacked wiring there is behind it! I'm not enough of an audio buff to require anything better than the factory setup. That said however, my newest vehicle (my WRX) probably has the worst stereo system out of all my cars. I am slowly upgrading the speakers to the optional Kicker speakers and sub which fortunately are 100% plug-and-play since it was an OEM option on the premium models.
In my observations the "premium" factory options have gotten worse over time. Every vehicle I've owned has or had the top option:
'01 Grand Cherokee: Infinity sounded great
'06 Mazda6: Bose was good after I installed a preamp for the factory sub
'05 RX: Mark Levinson was OK
'08 Highlander: JBL was mediocre
'14 Maxima: Bose was OK, dual subs did nothing for the bass
'14 MDX: ELS underwhelms
'19 GLI: Beats was muddy, now better with a programming change to provide better crossover
'01 Grand Cherokee: Infinity sounded great
'06 Mazda6: Bose was good after I installed a preamp for the factory sub
'05 RX: Mark Levinson was OK
'08 Highlander: JBL was mediocre
'14 Maxima: Bose was OK, dual subs did nothing for the bass
'14 MDX: ELS underwhelms
'19 GLI: Beats was muddy, now better with a programming change to provide better crossover
My 17 daughters 2013 Acura ILX technology has a 410 watt 10 speaker system and sounds excellent. It has DVD audio a dead format with surround and one sample Acura Audio DVD with some amazing sound.
She did buy a cheapo Apple CarPlay screen for around $125 that she “stuck” over the nav screen and it all works well especially for Google maps Navigation and Spotify thru the six in or Bluetooth.
She did buy a cheapo Apple CarPlay screen for around $125 that she “stuck” over the nav screen and it all works well especially for Google maps Navigation and Spotify thru the six in or Bluetooth.
Ram is stock, other things have aftermarket head units because they are old enough to not have bluetooth phone.. Exception is my Mazda. It has automatic climate control and a little screen that is built into the top of the radio display the hvac settings and none of the aftermarket mounts I've found retain the screen. Also the car has bose and it can be tough to get an aftermarket headunit to play nice with the bose amp/sub. It does have aftermarket speakers in the doors some previous teenage (guessing) owner installed..
I ordered my car with the Harmon/Kardon audio system. Sucked. Replace the front speakers (mid+tweeter) with Eton speakers. Improved sound. Replaced the rear speakers with JL 2-way components. Improved sound. Swapped the factory amp with an Audiotech-Fischer MATCH BMW 7UP amp-totally tune-able via a PC and the company's free app. Major improvement. Added a USB module to the amp. Plumbed USB cable to the console where it plugs into a HiBy R3 Pro. That way the HiBy sends digital music to the amp which mods the music via the tuning, converts the digital music to analog and amplifies the music. Phenomenal when playing lossless (FLAC, etc.; NOT MP3) music such as Dark Side of the Moon.
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Agree…but in HS and beyond it was always some sort of Japanese head unit and Jensen 6x9 coax with an addl amp. Seems not needed today. I recall when I had a Porsche the head unit was Soundstream but I can’t recall the speaker mfg, as factory was tossed. Maybe they were also soundstream but don’t think so. All 4 of our cars have the optional sound (maxima with bose junked this year).
I’ll eventually get around to putting better speakers and that cool under the rear seat subwoofer in my truck.
The van has the 506 watt 9 speaker+sub Alpine system that isn’t branded Alpine… it’s meh at best and sounds identical to what my Durango did, which also had a 506 watt 9 speaker+sub system that said Alpine on the subwoofer enclosure. It will remain as is.
The van has the 506 watt 9 speaker+sub Alpine system that isn’t branded Alpine… it’s meh at best and sounds identical to what my Durango did, which also had a 506 watt 9 speaker+sub system that said Alpine on the subwoofer enclosure. It will remain as is.
Everything I own, and have owned, is factory. I like and appreciate aftermarket systems, just not in my vehicles.
All my older vehicles are upgraded. Our 2013 juke came with the Rockford Fosgate sound system. Good enough where upgrading isn't necessary. Has decent speakers, amps and subwoofer. It depends on the vehicle or how bored I am. My E36 I kept 100% stock for the look, sounded OK, not great.
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