So after driving for six years with the stock stereo and speakers, I’ve finally begun seriously considering upgrading my car audio. Nothing out of hand – I don’t consider myself an audiophile, and I’ve never felt the need to upgrade a car stereo before. It’s just that even I can no longer ignore how crappy this setup sounds, particularly with six years of wear. I’m considering a few decks in the $100-150 range; the only special feature I really want is mp3 player compatibility (iPod-specific interfaces would be nice but not deal-killers). Speakers, same price range for a pair.
My actual questions are these.
a) I am accustomed to buying anything electronic from either Best Buy or Circuit City. Would I be better off going through a specialty car audio reseller?
b) What is a reasonable fee for installation? BB does it for about $50 a component; CC does it free if the component costs more than $99.
c) Would anyone care to recommend a modest, but still noticeably better than stock, array of components?
d) What am I completely overlooking?
Thanks Dopers!
If you are even a little bit handy you can do it yourself, especially a speaker upgrade. Although there are probably others out there, Crutchfield is excellent with handling compatibility questions, providing the right wiring harnesses and adapters, and including detailed instructions for installation.
What you don’t want to do is buy something off the shelf assuming it’s going to fit or be compatible then start the project only to find out that adapters and special wiring is needed.
The Circuit City “free” installation as well as the $50 Best Buy installation (which they run free promos as well) always just cover basic installation labor. Some cars require extensive labor which they will charge you for and most every car requires an install kit ($10-$20), a wire harness ($10-$20), and some even require an antenna adaptor ($10).
Make sure to get a full parts/labor quote before they install it for you.
Speakers also often require mounting adaptors and wire harness’.
I am not a car audio expert but how old is your vehicle? Some modern vehicles use new-fangled technologies like ‘data busses’ and such. I couldn’t tweak the radio in my Suburban because it also controls 10 other things.
Just a thought.