richmod

I currently own a 2006 which came with the Shaker 500 stereo system. I found the bass muddy and the overall sound quality lacking. So I upgraded the head until to a JVC KW-XR810, and replaced the 6X8 speakers and 8" door subs with Shelby/Kicker speakers. Kept the factory amp. Total cost was about $600 if I recall. I installed everything myself so no labor cost. I think I had to solder something, but other than that it was plug and play.

That upgrade was all I needed - I'm not looking to wake the neighbors, but I want tight bass, punch from the drums, clear mids, crisp highs, and minimal distortion at high volume. A sub is not necessary if the bass is strong and tight enough without one - it was with my upgrade. I listen to mostly rock.

One thing I find a necessity is a good equalizer - 3 bands aint gonna cut it for me. I am constantly adjusting the JVC EQ with each song. And the high and low pass filter settings of the JVC really help distribute the bass the way I want.

So I'm wondering a few things about the S550 stereo:

- Is it possible to upgrade the 9 speaker or 12 speaker systems for a reasonable price (less than $1000) and significantly improve the sound quality?

- Since there are car functions integrated with the head unit, is it best to keep it and just replace everything else?

- Are there other things needed (line level converters, etc) when adding or replacing the amp?

- How can I get better EQ options if I don't replace the head unit?

I have a basic knowledge of car audio, but I'm not knowledgeable enough about ohms, impedance, preamp outputs, etc to just dive and and DIY. I guess I basically want to know what to expect as far as difficulty, cost, and overall improvement expected when upgrading the S550 audio.

Any help is appreciated - let me know if more info will help.

TIA

MartyMoose

We have similar taste in music and goals in the stereo setup.

So far my limited research shows that a door and rear deck 6.5-inch round speaker replacement can help improve the sound but the doors require drilling for mounting and the rear deck requires cutting out the factory speaker cage to re-purpose as an adapter for the aftermarket speakers?

"- Since there are car functions integrated with the head unit, is it best to keep it and just replace everything else?"

The 8-inch head unit has a lot of integration that I want to keep and so, for me, I plan to keep it and try to improve the sound downstream from it which may limit my options. I'm thinking that the speakers are a good place to start but I may end-up with just replacing those and calling it a day.

Keeping an eye on this thread hoping someone has more info on how to improve the stereo sound other than turning it off to hear the exhaust, which isn't a bad idea.

richmod

- Would it be better to start with the 9 speaker system and upgrade from there, or would it be worth spending the $1800 for the shaker pro and still upgrade as needed/desired?

- Any thoughts on how to get a better EQ without replacing the head unit?

- Marty - what system do you have in your 2016?

MartyMoose

I have the Sync 3 with what appears to be 6 speakers? Deck speakers, door speakers and 2 small door tweeters?

The Sync 3 has adjustments for balance, fade, highs, mids and lows. I've turned-down the highs and mids a little, turned the lows all the way up, and faded towards the deck speakers just to tone down all the highs coming from the front. It's bearable for the moment but I'm keeping the music volume low until I have a working solution.

jz78817

If you constantly have to change the EQ for every song, then your system sucks. That would drive me crazy.

richmod

It's not the system. Its a combination of my discriminating ear and the fact that music is recorded differently by song, artist, time period etc. In general most songs recorded in the 80's requires a bass increase since they didn't emphasize bass back then as much as now. Another example - The Cures' "Hot Hot Hot" was recorded with way too little treble - I always had to turn up the higher frequencies on any system I've ever heard that song. Many people might not care and just listen without adjusting anything - I'm not one of them.