Can you upgrade the sound system for around $500?

[Jar]

If you had $500 to spend on upgrading the factory system, how would you spend it? Would spending that little even be enough to get the system to a better state?

Mostly, I'm trying to do some research, and I'm finding information all over the map. Is the stock head unit worth keeping? Or will I be disappointed with it after I upgrade my speakers.

The only certain research I've been able to find that is solid is:

- Used soundmat to eliminate the rattles with the factory system. Already done this, and this helped tons.
- Bought the after-market Subaru speaker brackets. Have them in-hand, ready to use.

My goal is honestly to have something resembling a good sounding OEM system. The stock gives no sound and the speakers start farting out when listening to even acoustic sets at volume.

I don't think I'll need a sub to accomplish this, but I don't know, maybe it makes more sense to keep it all factory and spend the money on a decent sub and amp to drive it?

Any advice from those who know better would be great.

[CamryDS]

500 will buy you a sub par 8inch sub + a sub par amp or a decent amp but older model.

you still got speakers to upgrade and 500 may not cut it.

if you're just looking for speakers. maybe the door mid-bass speakers can be upgraded for that price or the front tweeters.

[CatDaddysBBQ]

I have the 2013 cheeseball head unit, but decided to keep it for a while, and put money into speakers immediately after buying the car.

I had an amplifier already, so I wired that up and purchased a small kicker 8" sub enclosure for the trunk. It's pretty small, about the size of a large shoebox. I think the sub is 150w or something. I wanted to add low end so I could turn the bass off inside the cabin. Cheap stock speakers sound a whole lot less crappy when they aren't burdened with low notes, and I didn't want anything too powerful that wouldn't match the stock HU power.

I also swapped out the dash speakers with some decent but affordable Polk audio 2-ways.

I've had way more money into car stereos in the past with more impressive results than this, but since I had the amp, the add-ons only cost me around 275 with an amp wiring kit. It's no show car system, but I'd be willing to bet that if our cars sounded anywhere near as good as my little setup did, a lot fewer people would be upgrading at all.

[Ishmael]

I have been changing this in a step by step manner. Sound deadening first, sub, front tweeters, door speakers and then amping. Every upgrade made a noticeable difference but to me the best upgrade was changing the tweeters. It just gets rid of the fatiguing harsh sound of stock. It took it from an obviously bad sounding system to not bad. Something where your passengers wouldn't notice it at all. $500 is a bit light but every change makes a big difference so just start and you will get there.

[CamryDS]

yeah sound-deadening, OMG you need this for any car, but the 86 is a freaking hollowed out wood tube, it's noisy as hell.

make a call from the head unit and see what I mean... totally insane.