OEM Audio + SL System review
 

I meant to post this Monday afternoon, but things have been crazy for me the past few days and it slipped my mind. A few weeks back I placed an order for the O+ SL system. Daniel invited me to drive up from San Diego and have the system installed at their Anaheim facility so they could put together an instructional video for the SL system install. Doing anything more than a head unit install in a parking lot isn't much fun so I jumped at that opportunity, and I'm glad I did. I met Daniel and Sandy this past Saturday morning at their shop in Anaheim and they wasted no time getting my car into the shop to start the install.

The hardware installation is every bit as straight forward as the system 400+, there's just more of it. Everything is plug and play, just like the other systems, but the DSP amp is mounted where the factory amp used to be. Otherwise it's very much like installing a system 400+ except you're replacing all the speakers.

The sound quality is just incredible. At no point does it ever sound like I'm listening to speakers. The sound stage is correct (eye level and in front) and stays correct whether you're listening at low or high volume, windows up or down. I've taxed the system pretty hard by turning the bass all the way up and then the volume to MAX, still no distortion. By the way, that MAX level is rock concert loud, and crystal clear. No joke.

Sandy set the DSP amp to the "full" setting during his initial set up. I asked for a little more bass and he gave me the "robust" setting. It's too much. This is literally the ONLY time I've ever said that. When I was younger, two 12" JL Audio W3s and 900 watts wasn't enough, but the bass on the robust setting makes the sound quality a little muddy and I just didn't want that. (You wouldn't believe two 8" subs can get that loud...)

So I'm back to "full", the sound stage is perfect, vocals are incredible. If you close your eyes you're not in a car anymore, you're in a concert hall. This system is literally the best sounding automotive system that I've ever heard. I might be taking it to an auto sound competition this weekend to see how it stacks up against purpose built SQ systems. It's that good.

So I'm assuming the SL is a new top tier system that comes with 2 subs instead of 1? Any install pics?

according to their website, it comes with 2 subs and replaces all the front and rear speakers.
i really want to demo this system. for the a pricetag, a nice aftermarket system can be put together, but the simplicity and easy to install can't beat these OEM plus systems.

Yes two subs and 8 new speakers (including the 1" tweets) I didn't take pictures of much, there just really isn't that much to see and it's not much more involved than the video showing the reference system install on the O+ website.

Dash:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2b0d927e.jpg

Stock mid-bass (front doors) on the left, new on the right:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf090818d.jpg

Right sub:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps890ebae4.jpg

Left Sub:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd36b17bb.jpg

Both from the top:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse68e6121.jpg

Double subs, wooooooow!!!

I want T_T

Must be awesome

What does the SL comes with that the reference series doesn't? Besides the 2nd sub

Additional Items Include:

One-off Front 4" Carbon Fiber Cone Speaker
One-of Rear 4" Carbon Fiber Cone Speaker
Two (2) 8'' Dual Voice-Coil Carbon Fiber Subwoofer Systems
Reference Adapter

With this new offering of theirs can you independently control bass to just the subs?

Wish they would sell their systems without the subs...

It's just like their other systems, where you adjust the bass slider in the head unit. They're not using the pre-amp outs from the head unit so the subwoofer level control doesn't function. I wish I had a remote gain knob for the sub amps, there are times when I'm listening to hip-hop and I want more bass, but I don't want to go back to the robust setting and spend most of my time listening with the bass turned down all the way in the head unit.