Oem audio vs aftermarket ?

[ajcarson11]

Originally Posted by E'sFR-S

To specify more I think the stock sound system really doesn't sound bad. My previous car was a BMW with premium stock sound system and I really would just like to have a little more good sounding bass and get rid of the the door rattling bass with some sound deadening. I think once the deadening goes in the door speakers will sound a little better too. This option probably wont sound as good as the oem audio system but I think for me it will be good enough for a lot less money. Thanks for the help btw.

Make sure to fill all gaps in the door panels with deadener! This provides even greater separation from waves. I bought 50sqft, and used only 36sqft on the trunk (2 layers), both doors, and rear quarter panels.

[EdibleSmurf]

Yes you could easily build a system on your own and do all the wiring for likely 1/2 of what they're asking. What they're charging is reasonable though because it looks QUALITY, IMO.

With their product they're providing a very streamlined install that has those pre-wired connectors that would spare you hours of headache splicing into the existing ones. I like how specifically tailored their kit is. I like all the little touches, like the amp mounted to the back of the subwoofer, and the tweeters being drop-in. The wiring harnesses alone would make me want to pay the extra. They look like it would be fun to do this on a weekend, instead of hours of stripping wires and crimping connectors.

You could go cheaper, but it would require way more time and effort, they're marketing convenience along with what appears to be a competitive product. If you merely bought components and went to a professional installer you'd likely pay more than this kit, so I personally would feel comfortable pulling the trigger on a kit like this.

[JGalp]

Originally Posted by E'sFR-S

Ok so I've read all the great reviews of OEM audio system, but I am wondering if a cheaper option would be just as good. I was thinking of adding some sound deadening in the doors, something like the second skin door kit, and add a good 10" powered sub. For the sub I was thinking the JL Audio PWM110-JXWXv2. I would do all the install myself. Would this option be just as good for a cheaper price? Or is the Oem audio system just that good?

Any help is appreciated.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chimera View Post
I have that sub. It fits in the space really well, and looks great. it performs pretty well, although at lower volumes it disappears a little bit. I am getting much better results out of it using the AVH-4100NEX then I did with the stock head unit, mostly due to getting better control over the crossovers. I recommend not using the bass boost at all, or very very sparingly. I got much better results with that unit when I turned the bass boost off and upped the gain correctly using a DMM.

Incidentally, I have on many occasions considered upgrading to the JL stealthbox, and am still toying with the idea from time to time.
I have a for sale thread in the classified section for my PWM110-JXWXv2


heres my experience,

I started off just using a regular (basic) jl audio sub, hooking it up and running with stock everything else and a jl amp. forgot the models but they were pretty basic ones not the super expensive stuff. After it was all said and done, sounded like shit, rattled, bass sucked, overpowered speakers

Next option, Went with the custom JL-Audio Stealthbox. Looks great, decent price (i got for like 500) was considering upgrading speakers but then at that point with speakers and amp i was spending close to 2000 dollars (for the set up i wanted) and i had no idea if i would love the sound. so i just did the stealth box first. At first i loved it, but the sub still overpowered the stock speakers.

Finally i just decided to go with the OEM reference system. that coupled with Daniel's (OEM audio representative) unmatched customer service won me over completely. the system is proven to sound good, you know how much you re going to pay, and some shitty audio shop isn't going to chop your car up and have wires running everywhere and what not, cutting holes where they are not supposed to.

In my honest opinion if you are like 90% of normal people and aren't audiophiles i think the OEM audio system is the best bang for your buck. If you are really into music (audiophile, which if you really were then you probably wouldn't even spend all that money to try and make a CAR, especially one as noisy as ours, sound nice) but if you can make a custom system yourself, and you are spending like 5-10k to make that dope system because you can. then go for it. but for the normal person if you aren't installing it yourself and having a shop do it and you don't get a crazy discount from a "homie" on the product, then OEM audio is the best bang for your buck under 1500 (IMHO, and if you wait OEM audio usually has sales for like 100 off, no tax, or whatever near holidays or something)

So from someone that got very frustrated and wasted a lot of time and money fiddling with other systems, i recommend just going with the OEM audio. I wish i had just done that first. i scoured the forums looking for comparisons and doing hours of research talking with daniel and other audio shops and i had to go through all that. trust me, save the trouble and just get OEM audio. Plus if you ever sell your car its much easier to disassemble and re-sell to a forum member, you can post it and it will be sold within a week for 75-85% of your money back.
@E'sFR-S Pm me if you got questions