Upgrading Your Car Sound System
Updated: Apr 24, 2025
The Basics of Upgrading Your Car Sound System
There are tons of aftermarket products made specifically for upgrading your car sound system. (Hey, we’ve made a business out of it!). Not every vehicle needs to replace all of its factory components, but there are common pieces that need upgraded so you can get improved sound.
To put it bluntly, car sound systems direct from the factory typically aren't very good. They're usually designed somewhat poorly and made with cheaper materials and while you can still listen to your music, it probably doesn't sound all that great. Think about it; car manufacturers make cars, not stereos.
What to Upgrade
Replace Your Head Unit: This is a good first place to start. The head unit or radio is what allows you to play music, make phone calls, navigate and more. Factory head units are very basic and really aren’t powerful enough to give you crisp, quality sound. Aftermarket head units are equipped with advanced features like built in navigation, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM and more! We carry a ton of options when it comes to new headunits. We can help you choose the right one that will fit your vehicle with the features you're looking for.
Upgrade Your Speakers: It’s your door speakers and tweeters that dictate how clear and full your car’s sound is and factory speakers typically can’t deliver good sound quality due to poor manufacturing. Aftermarket speakers are built with the highest quality materials specifically for better sound performance. Take some time to listen to different car audio brands’ speakers and then choose the size that fits your vehicle. Get a Subwoofer: These are meant to cover the lower end frequencies in your music, they're not just for bumping and rattling! Adding a subwoofer can really give you a full-bodied sound no matter what music you listen to. Sometimes factory systems don't even include a subwoofer, so adding an aftermarket one can drastically improve your sound. Subwoofers are available in different sizes depending on how you want your music
to sound.
Add an Amplifier: Without sufficient power, subwoofers and speakers are pretty worthless. Adding an external amp to your system can give you the power you need to get the most of out your speakers and subs and get a sound that your factory head unit won’t be able to produce.
Next Steps
Sure, you may have heard of all the things listed above that could improve your sound, but maybe you don’t know how to shop for them? That's where we can definitely help! The next step after deciding it's time for better sound is to stop by one of our stores for a consultation. Here's what that entails:
Visit one of our stores with your vehicle and one of our Sales Pros will step outside with you to take a look and listen to your current set up.
We'll discuss with you what exactly you do and don't like about your current sound.
Once we know what you're thinking or envisioning, we'll show you and let you listen to some options that we think would get you the sound you're wanting.
Once we narrow it down a bit, we'll put together a few price quotes that cover our recommendations and you can go from there on moving forward with an install date.
It's crucial you stop by one of our stores vs. just giving us a call, as we can't really give you accurate recommendations or pricing on what it would take to upgrade your car sound system without seeing and hearing your ride.
Consultations are always free and you don't need an appointment to just stop by either!
Professional Installation
Not only do we sell the best car audio brands, we know what we’re talking about and how to install them. All of our install technicians are professionally trained and certified to know the ins and outs of the equipment we carry and the vehicle you drive. Trust us to treat your vehicle like it's one of our own while we have it! Plus - we offer a lifetime workmanship guarantee on all of our installs.
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I upgraded the head unit in my old Civic last year and it honestly made more difference than I expected, especially since the factory one couldn't push anything clean. The point about car manufacturers making cars and not stereos is spot on. Speaking of things that get a lot better once you dig into them, I've been hooked on krillion lately, a daily trivia thing with seven prompts where rare answers score higher. Funny how both upgrades and trivia reward you for going past the surface level.
It's interesting to see how aftermarket products can really enhance the sound quality in a car. I've been looking into this lately, and Scritchy Scratchy has some useful guides on the topic.
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I like that you emphasize in-store consultations instead of guessing what a vehicle needs over the phone. A proper inspection and professional installation can make a huge difference in sound quality and reliability. I found this after playing Melon Sandbox, a physics-based sandbox game, and the advice about getting expert recommendations really stood out.