Is there any need to upgrade car sound systems anymore?

[MitchT]

stevemcs said:

The worst seem to be the Bose and Harmon Kardon systems fitted to so called premium cars, they are quite poor.

I was curious about the Harmon Kardon systems. My OH has an Asus laptop with Harmon Kardon speakers and they sound like a phone speaker in a rusty paint can compared with the ones on my MacBook Pro. I was hoping maybe the HK car speakers were better as I'm currently shaping up to buy a used BMW 440i which has them.

[Vipers]

ScoobyChris said:

For me, having the radio or music on is background when driving so as long as the quality is acceptable, I'm not really bothered and i like hearing the engine, etc as well. Different story at home, but it's a more controllable and better setup environment to get decent sound.

Chris

Same here, radio on, not too loud, radio 2 does me. I do chuckle though when cars go past with the windows vibrating with zillions of watts, knowing the drivers will probably suffer hearing loss in their latter years.

[Double Fault]

S600BSB said:

I had the speakers changed in my 997 recently. Transformed the sound while keeping the OEM head unit.

What did you got for?

[stevemcs]

MitchT said:

I was curious about the Harmon Kardon systems. My OH has an Asus laptop with Harmon Kardon speakers and they sound like a phone speaker in a rusty paint can compared with the ones on my MacBook Pro. I was hoping maybe the HK car speakers were better as I'm currently shaping up to buy a used BMW 440i which has them.

The standard Ford sony system in my mondeo sounds better then the HK system in out Mini

[2Btoo]

S600BSB said:

I had the speakers changed in my 997 recently. Transformed the sound while keeping the OEM head unit.

Yup, and a lot of that a answer will depend upon what sounds package you had in the car in the first place.

My 987 Cayman had the boggo basic sound package (there were two upgrade levels available) and it really sounded dreadful. A cheap clock radio would outdo it in all respects. That a 'premium' car could be sold with a sound system that poor amazed me but I guess it's all a ploy to get more money out of the buyer by encouraging them to buy the upgraded package.

FWIW an aftermarket head unit, small amp, decent set of components and some careful installation and it sounds good.

[StescoG66]

Harman Kardon, JBL, Mark Levinson, Bang and Olufsen, Arcam, infinity, AKG and more are one and the same company these days.
Ultimately owned by........ Samsung

[popegregory]

A blown speaker in my v90 meant I had to buy the aftermarket Phoenix gold replacements and now I’m delighted with them, they’re direct replacement plug and play and I’m quite tempted to carry on and do more of them.

[m3jappa]

I recently spoke to a car audio shop and was asking if the car audio scene was essentially dead due to the decent systems nowadays.

Basically no, busier than ever (and i was going to this shop myself 20 years ago). He was saying that while someone with bose in a porsche wont be doing it he said the base systems are so crap that loads of people do improve them.

Its probably good for them as years ago any idiot could take the headunit out, change speakers, chuck a sub in etc whereas now not only do youngsters seem less practical than ever it is actually significantly more difficult. I know i wouldn't have a clue where to start.

[Flumpo]

StescoG66 said:

Harman Kardon, JBL, Mark Levinson, Bang and Olufsen, Arcam, infinity, AKG and more are one and the same company these days.
Ultimately owned by........ Samsung

Wow didn’t know that. I used to have a laptop that had b&o written on it. I was pretty sure no one from b&o had been anywhere near it based on how poor the sound was. I just assumed some accountant had thought it was a brilliant idea to lease out the name like Branson does with virgin. But I suppose if it’s all Samsung they just stick the brand name on whatever they want.

[S600BSB]

Double Fault said:

S600BSB said:

I had the speakers changed in my 997 recently. Transformed the sound while keeping the OEM head unit.

What did you got for?

Components from a German company called Musway. Managed to squeeze in a larger 8" bass speaker too.

[nipsips]

I’ve got a 2019 308, an E90 with base audio and I’ve got a hire Hyundai Tucson as the 308’s being repaired, and I can honestly say all three of them are awful 😂

[Bungleaio]

I have installed a full set of Audison speakers and amplifier in my mini and the sound is incredible. It's all plug and play and specifically designed to work with BMW/mini. The car doesn't know everything has changed as far as it knows it's sending audio to the standard speakers, it's all very clever.











I could do the installation myself but actually tuning the amp to get the best out of it I left to the expert and took the car to Car Electronics Nottingham and they spend a couple of hours with a laptop to get it all tweaked correctly.

[dvshannow]

Bungleaio said:

I have installed a full set of Audison speakers and amplifier in my mini and the sound is incredible. It's all plug and play and specifically designed to work with BMW/mini. The car doesn't know everything has changed as far as it knows it's sending audio to the standard speakers, it's all very clever.











I could do the installation myself but actually tuning the amp to get the best out of it I left to the expert and took the car to Car Electronics Nottingham and they spend a couple of hours with a laptop to get it all tweaked correctly.

Interested to know how it sounds compared to the “premium” sound systems in BMW/Audi/Mercs

Reason is have a GR Yaris now as a daily/weekend fun car and while driving fun it’s a 10/10 after getting used to relatively simple OK sound from the Germans (GR is replacing a 911 with Burmester) the stereo in is it just not up to speed

Would be first after market audio upgrade I’ve done in a long time

I’m looking at something similar , decent components and deadening in front doors, DSP and sub in boot.

[Bungleaio]

Ive not heard anything recently in any high end cars but the sound in my car is way way better than anything I've heard before. It doesn't matter what I play it all sounds fantastic.

[ArsE82]

I've gone from:

- HK in E92 M3 - not too bad
- Premium Audio in Tesla Model S - very good
- Standard audio in 2011 RS Megane - absolutely awful

I'm just about to order, and potentially fit myself, some Audison front speakers, Audison amp, and a boxed subwoofer.

I enjoy music whilst I'm driving.

[RockDriver]

Acuity30 said:

Swapping out speakers and wiring in amplifiers and subwoofers etc seems to be a dying trend of the past. With modern cars having decent sound proofing these days and in car audio tech coming a long way since the early 2000's, I was wondering has anyone been in a car built in the last 10-13 years with a trash sound system in dire need of an upgrade? On all but the highest volume I can't say I've felt the need even in a poverty spec Ford or Vauxhall

My friend had recently the stock so-called "Hi-Fi" system replaced on his BMW E70 - all speakers and the amp. Puny 6 inch subs replaced with 8 inch. Some Chinese company Musway, but the upgrade is very obvious. I have the same BMW E70 and the stock speakers just suck ass.

[Taff107]

The system I have in the F-Pace isn't too bad but as I treat the car as my music sanctuary and the only place I can belt it out without the Mrs moaning, I have changed all in the STi. Focal access 3 way components in custom made (discreet 'ish'.... as possible) fibreglass door pods, fully deadened doors, through an amp and a mono amp driving a 10" sub in the boot (again, in a custom made enclosure moulded around the boot).
I don't do the thumping, booming bass but it obviously is more than capable. It just adds 'body' to the music. Its all being driven by a (now) old Kenwood DDX 5022 double din unit and the sound of all combined does me fine (although I'm toying with swapping the Kenwood with a 10.1 Android unit for the sake of it!)

[dvshannow]

ArsE82 said:

I've gone from:

- HK in E92 M3 - not too bad
- Premium Audio in Tesla Model S - very good
- Standard audio in 2011 RS Megane - absolutely awful

I'm just about to order, and potentially fit myself, some Audison front speakers, Audison amp, and a boxed subwoofer.

I enjoy music whilst I'm driving.

Tesla do very good stock car audio , it’s not the best for rock music and high volumes but very good soundstage and treble
Interested to hear how you get on and which audison you went for as an debating between one of their amps or DSPs atm with a sub

[ArsE82]

dvshannow said:

ArsE82 said:

I've gone from:

- HK in E92 M3 - not too bad
- Premium Audio in Tesla Model S - very good
- Standard audio in 2011 RS Megane - absolutely awful

I'm just about to order, and potentially fit myself, some Audison front speakers, Audison amp, and a boxed subwoofer.

I enjoy music whilst I'm driving.

Tesla do very good stock car audio , it’s not the best for rock music and high volumes but very good soundstage and treble
Interested to hear how you get on and which audison you went for as an debating between one of their amps or DSPs atm with a sub

Interesting article here on Tesla audio.

I'll keep you posted on the Audison install. At the moment I'm struggling to find an 'engaged' installer, as I think it might be just outside my skills to fit and tune it all properly myself.

Not a massive install, but consisting of:

APK165's up front
SR 4.500 amplifer
no rear speakers
Sub/box in boot to be confirmed. Not a lot of choice when paired with the specs of the 4.500.

[Jaaaag]

Recently upgraded the speakers, front and rear in my GR Yaris.

Standard speakers were woeful, its the first car Ive had in about 15 years that has had a sound system that actually gave me a headache, not through volume or bass, but by, by my ears, a shrill mix of treble and mid that sounded like a loud wind at any volume.

There have been some better than others, for example I preferred the standard Shaker system in the mustang to the B&O I had in the next one, I like the BOSE in my 911 but not so much the alpine in my x350.

I think it depends how easy it is to change speakers and how the originals add/detract from the driving experience.

I am naked as I write.