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Stereo Upgrade for Evo

7K views 30 replies 11 participants last post by  Blown SRT 
#1 ·
Hi guys,

I was able to get in touch with a guy who does audio in exotic cars in SoCal. I told him I wanted a modest upgrade with no change to the way the car looks and the ability to return it to stock. He recommended upgrading a few of the speakers and adding an amp, and possibly a sub. The brand of the speakers are Focal and the amp is Hertz. He says he has been using them for years and likes the reliability. Price around 5k. What do you guys think? Ive posted his email below. What additional questions do you think are important to ask? I was going to get some references.

Great to chat with you. Here are some quick ideas to get you going on the new car. I like the idea of speakers in the factory location up front and the option of another set of tweeters in the back of the rearview mirror or in the rear location if equipped. The subwoofer on the rear shelve is a option that is simple and to the point but does take up space. I can do something larger but it might be overkill so I put it down as a option. Let me give you some numbers to get you going. I also put in the added radar/laser protection system if your interested. Prices are based on installation at my location in Calabasas. Please note I do not process CC so check or cash (sorry no miles). Let me know what needs to be done to get on the same page. I also do a wild radar/laser protection system thats built in.


Audio upgrade
Hertz 4 channel power amplifier seamlessly integrated into factory iris system. Upgrade door speakers to Focal Performance series 6.5" woofer in factory door locations (Interior will look unchanged), and 1" tweeters in the factory dash locations. Mount amplifier in trunk and interface with factory stereo.
$4750.00

Options
Upgrade to Audiophile amplifier with built in EQ(I don’t think its needed in this car)
$450.00
Upgrade to next level of Focal Speakers (Its a toss up-They will be a little cleaner and have more depth and the tweeters will be more accurate-I would add this option if not going with subwoofer)
$550.00
Add second set of tweeters to back of interior rearview mirror for added soundstage
$850.00
Upgrade rear speakers in factory location (I don’t think its needed)
$650.00
Add subwoofer enclosure on rear shelve and upgrade to 5 channel power amplifier (As pictured above)
$2450.00

If it was my car I would do the upgraded speakers in the doors and upgrade with the extra tweeters. I would leave sub out as I like the extra room

Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
It sounds fantastic, but wouldn’t call it modest. That’s a heck of an upgrade and I would really have to hear something comparable before pouring in that much money. Did you have the Sensonum upgrade to start with or standard?
 
#3 ·
Sound is personal.
Some like LPs other like iPods.

I can't say anything about the interior environment acoustics of an Evo.
I can say agree with Russ; $5K level I would not call modest.

OP has ruled out adding a subwoofer.
(IMO that will effect sound playback quality in a big way.)

Adding tweeters is many times a benefit, as one wants to get those tones above 22Khz.
But, again I don't know Evo acoustic, but tweeters behind the mirror pointing to the glass, I would not point to glass.

Focal is a good brand.
Hertz amplifier installer has used with seamless integration into Lambo wiring system ...+1

If it was me, under the term "modest" I would forego the amp (for now) and replace all the speakers, including the rears.

Further, I would pay attention to the speaker frequency ranges as my choose whether to purchase the standard or upgrade installer recommendation.
Once the speakers are upgraded, I would listen and decide if I needed an amp and what crossovers to balance the acoustics of each set of speaker and if the OEM head unit offered enough EQ adjustment.
I would also ask about future upgrades of any added amp.
(For example, can you add more tweeters, cross over and eq setting ease, can you add an sub woofer, fuse replacement)
Therefore, ignoring "modest", I would get the amp and speakers all at once.

Once installed you just have to listen.
Evo road noise leakage, rattles and engine sound I believe are on the high side of automobile acoustics.
Then you could decide if you need more treble and add surface mount tweeters.
Repeating, I know I would need more bass, so then there is the sub and space issue.
(Some think 12 - 22K hz is acceptable, others need 8 - 35.)

With all that said, sound is personal.
Evo is a loud sport car so an audiophile system may not be cost effect.
Again, I would change out/ upgrade all the speakers in all the stock locations as a "modest" first step.

Then report back to your co-members your findings and we can further discuss subwoofers and EQ settings :)

So ends my coffee time 2 cent comments :)

Good luck in your decision.
 
#4 ·
Wow thanks so much for the reply. I guess I wasn’t really sure how much a stereo upgrade is in this kind of car should run - and I expected a premium on the labor. I’ll ask how much just for the speaker upgrade and get back to you.
How much have others spent on a stereo upgrade?
i currently have the base stereo.
 
#5 ·
FWIW, I added Hertz HCX 165 speakers into one of my old gallardos, an 8" Hertz sub in the footwell, and a hertz amp powering everything in the frunk. I had a custom plexiglass covering so I could still put items on top and vents on the left and right with a fan on one side pushing the heat out the other side. I don't remember the cost, but the speakers themselves are fairly inexpensive(around $300,) the sub(around $500,) the amp(another $500,) The custom box(around $300,) And installation for the rest was around $1000 I believe.

I'll say this....the stereo with just that pair of speakers sounded incredible. I didn't think I needed more and was more than pleased!
 
#6 ·
How much of the interior does he need to take apart to install the upgraded sound system? That would be my main concern but I could be an outlier. Personally, I hate when people muck around with my new cars and prefer upgrades to be done by the factory whenever possible. Is the car a keeper or do intend to resell it in a couple of years? I ask because you stated "ability to return it to stock".
Another vote.....5K price tag does not sound all that modest.
 
#7 ·
Yes agree with the need to take apart the interior as being a concern. I will ask him specifically but I think he needs to take apart some of the door to get to the speakers.
Seems that the amp gives a lot of bang for the buck. I wish the speakers were good enough that they didn’t need to be switched up.
Yea 5k is a lot for car audio, but is it a lot for putting a stereo in a new lambo? Poking around on the thread seems
Like most are spending 3-10k on audio.
 
#9 ·
I am just not sure how great the stereo must be to satisfy most owners. A lot of people don't care at all about those sounds and would much rather just enjoy the mechanical and exhaust sounds. I love listening to music while I drive, but it certainly isn't my priority. I am glad I did get the Sensonum sound system because it is a nice upgrade from the stock. I feel is was well worth the $3800.00.
 
#10 ·
Agree on the sensonum, it’s nowhere near as good as the burnester 3D high end in my gle, s550 cab and amg gtr however I have to say after all the complaints about it on the forum, I think it’s rather good when setup properly and dialed in settings wise in car and on phone

I’ll also agree the OPs Audio upgrade job seems very involving and not like a small job one bit.

Hope all goes well and you love the upgrade
 
#11 ·
The High End Burmester on my AMG GTS was the best car audio Ive owned. 1000W 10 speaker streaming HiFi Tidal was fantastic.

Id worry about the aftermarket stereo creating new rattles, loose wires, uneven panels etc. I guess you need to trust your installer.

Everyone is different but I like everything OEM. I think Russ' call on the Sensonum is right and warranty backed. I also think when it comes to resale, many exotic buyers are very particular and want everything OEM too.
 
#14 ·
Agree here with creating new problems like rattles. This guy seems to work on a lot of exotics so I’ll ask his references what he thinks.
the impression I’m getting is the amp is both what makes the upgrade worth it and is also what makes a lot of work. But it actually seems like putting in the new speakers is a bigger problem because you have to take the door apart. If only it was easier
 
#16 ·
Well I asked a bunch of questions and he gave me some answers that made me feel more comfortable. I’ve pasted it below.
I went for a drive today and realized though, I listen to the radio when im cruising, but not when I have the chance to get up to speed! Ha ha im not sure what I’ll decide.
It’s really a couple of days from start to finish and I am a one man show, so you get all of me :)
As for price I can wiggle a little. If you want a few lambo guys you can try Dave Milton at O’Gara Lambo westlake service, he’s the service manager or Nick over there, in BH location you could contact Brad in service, or I know this is a different but anyone at Ferrari BH or westlake/la location as I have been there vendor for 24 years or you can always try a search for Kevin Done Wright Ferrari. Doors need to come apart, front tub needs to come out. I’m sure I have some pictures on the computer I can get you. It’s a 458 day. Is the car due for any kind of service? Maybe have it done while it’s down here? Just ideas. Let’s chat tomorrow and work out details. Looking forward to making your car sound as it should
 
#17 ·
That guy sounds genuine to me. I would feel comfortable with working on my car.
 
#18 ·
@achawla10 To give you some example, this is what I had on my 986 Boxster. These parts and installation cost me close to $10K in 2005 (15 years ago). The sound got to my ears just fine when I blasted the audio loud, but at lower setting, it wasn't very good because of acoustics. The road noise just messed with everything. Also, there was some rattle in the door because the installer removed the factory box to fit in larger speakers. And, the additional speakers at the back were really unnecessary as they were interfering with the overall sound.

So, if you spend $5K, I'm sure you will notice the difference, just don't expect that much. Also, how much you will notice the difference depends on what music that you listen to.

Amps:
288292


Crossover:
288293


Amps & crossover:
288294


Tweeter:
288295


288296


Added back speakers:
288298


288297
 
#19 ·
Thanks for your reply. Overall this guy seems trustworthy and it seems that 5k is actually modest, considering the 10k for your system. It seems that everything will fit where the old stuff was so I’m hoping it will not have any rattles. I’m leaning towards going ahead. But still a little on the fence since I don’t listen to the radio that often anyhow.
 
#20 ·
So I guess the sky’s the limit on how much you can spend for high quality sound. I don’t think any kind of serious upgrade would be worth it for my car due to a spyder probably having the worst acoustics.
 
#21 ·
Are you sure he can upgrade the evo sensonum? a company I spoke to which also did LP610 told me it is very very difficult to upgrade the sensonum soundsystem on evo because everything pretty much uses the new digital infrastructure on evo and there is not much documentation about it.
 
#24 ·
Yes, all good points. At this stage in my life, I have no intention to sell the car, hopefully ever. In life things change so I like having the option to return the car to stock. In the unfortunate situation I would need to sell the car, at least I have some bases covered.
while I have the car though, I want to enjoy it to its fullest!


All thoughtful and good advice but @achawla10 there is one other thing you probably already have thought of, but I will mention it, is that this kind of upgrade would be hard to recoup when you resell the vehicle. I have noticed people that buy these supercars change them often and although I understand you want the best sound system it may not be that much better to warrant incurring the added cost and potential loss on resale. I also read in your post above that you asked if the car could be returned to stock but also be aware that you may not be able to use this system in your next car.
I guess what I am asking, and only you can answer, is the delta in sound improvement worth the added cost, cost you may not be able to recoup?
Please understand I am not tying to dissuade you but rather I am trying to help you see some of the variables that potentially could bare on your decision. Best of luck!
 
#22 ·
All thoughtful and good advice but @achawla10 there is one other thing you probably already have thought of, but I will mention it, is that this kind of upgrade would be hard to recoup when you resell the vehicle. I have noticed people that buy these supercars change them often and although I understand you want the best sound system it may not be that much better to warrant incurring the added cost and potential loss on resale. I also read in your post above that you asked if the car could be returned to stock but also be aware that you may not be able to use this system in your next car.
I guess what I am asking, and only you can answer, is the delta in sound improvement worth the added cost, cost you may not be able to recoup?
Please understand I am not tying to dissuade you but rather I am trying to help you see some of the variables that potentially could bare on your decision. Best of luck!
 
#26 ·
Basically it only does matter if the stereo system also have a low-level output for an amplifier or only high level for the speakers. Even then the speaker outputs may already be equalized so there is no output that provides the full 20Hz-20kHz spektrum.

Often, systems like the Sensonum, Harman-Kardon or JBL have their own amplifiers for the sub, low and mid/high range speakers integrated. The mid/high range are only devided by a passive crossover. The amps have their own active crossover that are controlled by Surround processors.
In this case one can only amplify the high level signal with an amp and maybe lower or enhance the frequency level provided by the original amp.Mostly this only makes sense for a larger subwoofer or if one likes to add two low level chassis for a clean kick-bass.

If one has found the amp inputs or even a low-level signal on the unit then all the possibilibities in the audio world are possible. An external DSP with 7 or 9 channels can easily be integrated together with speakers from the brand you like (I prefer Phonocar Carbon/Kevlar kick-bass for 16cm).

In our cars the speakers may be worth to be upraded but then don't forget to add some damping to the doors as well. I often hear a rattle when the top down and hard bass reaches the door speakers. But dampenign also means more weight and thsi is not what we want in such cars. Ok, 2-4kg more dampening material means less food to me to loose these kg. You see there is always a drawback and when one does the steero upgrade then all important areas must be considered.
 
#27 ·
@ the OP...price is ridiculous for what you're getting...I did the upgrade, as I had written to you....for a fraction of that cost with much more equipment too.

Here was what I built and posted -


I owned card audio shops back in the 80's, so I have some kind of clue - lol
 
#28 ·
Hey Blown,

Yes I agree he is charging a premium for what I am getting. In this situation however, I think finding someone I am comfortable with to do the work is worth the extra few thousand. Also, I am fortunate where the extra cost is not causing any sacrifices in other parts of my life.
I’ve reached out in the forum for any recommendations for stereo install in Southern California, and I have only gotten one response, which led to this guy.
If there are any other suggestions, I would be happy to listen to them!

@ the OP...price is ridiculous for what you're getting...I did the upgrade, as I had written to you....for a fraction of that cost with much more equipment too.

Here was what I built and posted -


I owned card audio shops back in the 80's, so I have some kind of clue - lol
 
#31 ·
There are a plethora of audio dealers there, and a good number of high end dealers within that. Honestly, there is no reason to fork out what you're planning to to get a high end system...
 
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