Sound system installation cost

[stoptothink]

My point is that for All of that at $500 it probably isn't very good stuff. I am not even close to super high end in my truck, and the Focal component set I used for the front was $850 alone. That is before the amp, sub, custom box and install.

It can pretty much cost as little or as much as you want it to. There are aftermarket component sets for~$100 and most of the ones used in the audio set-ups I've seen on this board are <$300. Not super audiophile stuff, but it works for most people - especially considering a car is a terrible environment for great audio. I doubt there are many spending nearly a grand on a component set to put in a $20k truck.

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[LM42]

It can pretty much cost as little or as much as you want it to. There are aftermarket component sets for~$100 and most of the ones used in the audio set-ups I've seen on this board are <$300. I doubt there are many people putting $850 component sets in a $20k truck, even if they don't consider that super high-end.

I guess my bigger point, and this is somewhat subjective, is that spending that little isn't netting you much if any upgrade. My audio guy initially was fine with me buying my own stuff. I did that because I was going to do the install. I bought from Crutchfield and bought from the "upgraded" list and did not buy the cheapest stuff in there. When I brought it to my installer he said in all honesty no matter how shitty the stock speakers are, what they sold you is barely going to be any better. I am not an audiophile per say. But sometimes I might be taking 10 hour road trips in my truck, and I want quality sound that will last. You get what you pay for, for sure.

 

[ATXTACOS]

"I just had Crutchfield install front component speakers, rear two way speakers, an amp, and a powered sub into my wife’s 2022 trailblazer.
Installation cost $500"
Pretty sure he is saying labor is $500.

 

[Juanderosa]

Not sure your audio guy is helping here if the point he is making is that a $150 of components isn't much better than whatever they put in at the factory. The stuff put in at the factory is designed to be cheap and not break under warranty. It might cost a few bucks honestly if that (there are pictures floating around of the OEM speakers). With no other variables, better aftermarket speakers will sound better. Not sure why he is arguing otherwise.

Now, if he's saying that putting in new speakers alone might not make a huge difference, that's probably factually true. If you have factory speakers that are more efficient than the aftermarket replacements, you might find out that the stock stereo can't drive them very loud at all, leaving you with possibly worse results.

Add an amp and integrate it properly and there is no way most name brand aftermarket speakers will sound worse.

I guess my bigger point, and this is somewhat subjective, is that spending that little isn't netting you much if any upgrade. My audio guy initially was fine with me buying my own stuff. I did that because I was going to do the install. I bought from Crutchfield and bought from the "upgraded" list and did not buy the cheapest stuff in there. When I brought it to my installer he said in all honesty no matter how shitty the stock speakers are, what they sold you is barely going to be any better. I am not an audiophile per say. But sometimes I might be taking 10 hour road trips in my truck, and I want quality sound that will last. You get what you pay for, for sure.

 

[colinl]

Crutchfield doesn't provide labor, so @twracing likely did on his own under the guide of Crutchfield.

there actually are 2 Crutchfield physical stores in Virginia and the person who posted that comment has VA in their profile. so, perhaps literally he meant the install labor was $500. which for what he listed is a good deal, but by no means impossible. $80/hr would give you 6.25 hours which a skilled carfi tech could do.

 

[twracing]

ALL of that was $500? That is less than just half way decent components would cost, with no labor

The OP asked what installation cost. He did not ask what to install. So $500 (470 to be exact) was that price. Took the installer just under 7 hours.

 

[LM42]

Lm42, you are quick to judge and look down on folks aren’t you? The OP asked what installation cost. He did NOT ask what to install. So $500 (470 to be exact) was that price. Took the installer just under 7 hours.

Settle down. I missed the "not including hardware part" I drive a Maverick, I am not looking down on anyone.

 

[LM42]

Not sure your audio guy is helping here if the point he is making is that a $150 of components isn't much better than whatever they put in at the factory. The stuff put in at the factory is designed to be cheap and not break under warranty. It might cost a few bucks honestly if that (there are pictures floating around of the OEM speakers). With no other variables, better aftermarket speakers will sound better. Not sure why he is arguing otherwise.

Now, if he's saying that putting in new speakers alone might not make a huge difference, that's probably factually true. If you have factory speakers that are more efficient than the aftermarket replacements, you might find out that the stock stereo can't drive them very loud at all, leaving you with possibly worse results.

Add an amp and integrate it properly and there is no way most name brand aftermarket speakers will sound worse.

I am confused by what you said here. His point exactly was that buying inexpensive components was not an upgrade over stock. He did go further and said that he could amplify the stock speakers and make them sound a lot better. But, for me, I opted to replace the fronts, amplify and install the sub. I also added sound deadener since the doors are so basic on these.

 

[Juanderosa]

So he's saying the one on the left is better than the one of the right? Ones on the right, with 2 mids, 2 tweeters and 2 crossovers is $129. The ones on the left are probably cost under $15 each.

Frankly sounds like you took his advice the same way I am and you did what I'm going to be doing next. Better speakers and more power.

I am confused by what you said here. His point exactly was that buying inexpensive components was not an upgrade over stock. He did go further and said that he could amplify the stock speakers and make them sound a lot better. But, for me, I opted to replace the fronts, amplify and install the sub. I also added sound deadener since the doors are so basic on these.

 

[colinl]

Replacement speakers alone in a B&O system is huge because there's already an amp on the front doors and dash tweeters.

Replacement speakers alone in anything else is good but not great. Pretty much anything will be left wanting for power, but it'll play well at lower volumes (like 15-18) as long as you don't do something silly like turn the bass all the way up.

 

[Dodeboost]

Budget is very your mileage may vary. I mean, it's like asking advice about how much you could spend on a Ford truck.... You could spend 20k or 100k+ depending on what you get and what you are trying to do.

So a few questions you might keep in mind, what is it about the stock system you don't like? What kind of music do you listen to? What kind of stereo do you have at home? Do you have headphones and if so, what kind?

With that said, I've been into car audio 35 years. 30 year old me would probably have shoehorned 4 (big) amps behind the seats, a 10 channel DSP, subs under each seat, new wiring everywhere, and probably a few boxes of Dynamat/Sound Deadener slathered everywhere.

Me now? I'm probably going to have a one box solution if possible with the DSP built into the amplifier with the amp able to accept whatever is coming out of the factory radio without any further electronics needed (so no line driver, no high level converter, etc.). Probably going to reuse the factory wiring as well (so no need to pull anything apart in the door to run wiring into the door). Very likely going to go with speakers that drop in with minimal work. And sound deadener will probably be very minimal compared to the options out there.

So with that said, I think if you follow a similar approach you can keep down the labor. Labor is expensive, so you want to shove a round peg into a square hole, you'll pay to make a round peg to square hole adaptor. If you want to run new wires, you'll pay as well. Also, if you decide to do custom work, this isn't a F150 that they've probably seen a bunch and can quickly figure out the how since they've done them before. Whatever modifications you want them to figure out you'll pay for.

Also, if you want a specific amp/dsp combo, buy it from someone who knows how to install it. If Speaker X isn't sold by your local dealer and it drops in with minimal work, it might not be a bad idea to pay a little extra to have the dealer put it in if they don't carry anything that does drop in (sometimes they charge a higher labor rate for stuff they don't sell). Don't do that for the DSP. The software is hard to figure out. And you'll be paying for them to figure out it. Way better to either go to someone that does carry the brand and is familiar with that brand, or go with a different brand. So don't go to an Audio Control dealer who doesn't carry JL Audio to install JL Audio amp/dsp.

Also, if you are having a pro do it, you might want to consider listening to a car with and without a sub before you rule it out. The difference between doing a 5 channel amp with built in DSP and a sub and doing a 4 channel amp with DSP then going back and adding another amp and a sub (and retuning, adding wiring, etc.) are probably substantial. Even a small sub will probably make a big difference.

Thanks for the detailed response. The shop I’m looking at has already done a couple mavericks so no issues there, and I’m going to buy all the parts from them as well. I was asking for just a rough idea of what the labor might cost. I realize components can vary massively.

I mostly listen to rock and metal, some blues and a little hip hop too. So although I don’t need a lot of bass I may add just a single 10 at the same time based on your advice. Buddy in high school had 2 12” kickers on 1000 amps and it was way more than I’d ever want not trying to shake my mirrors or anything, just fill in the lows. My problem is I don’t want to lose the storage under rear seat and I’ve heard small powered subs don’t sound good.

My problem with the stock system is it just falls apart above volume 20 or so. Hard to describe but it just sounds kinda flat, no depth to it. Even my $30 no name headphones from Amazon sound substantially better.

 

[twracing]

there actually are 2 Crutchfield physical stores in Virginia and the person who posted that comment has VA in their profile. so, perhaps literally he meant the install labor was $500. which for what he listed is a good deal, but by no means impossible. $80/hr would give you 6.25 hours which a skilled carfi tech could do.

You are correct, I live about an hour away from the Charlottesville location. These guys really do their homework when it comes to vehicle specific recommendations and installs.

 

[Juanderosa]

I would ask your shop to tell you if they've done a few what the labor costs were. Frankly, if they have a few options, might want to pick from one they have done so you have some certainty around costs/labor.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the stereos today can have volume dependent EQ. The more you turn it up, the more they can crank down certain parts of the music to protect the speakers. Ford wanted cheap and wanted it to last under warranty. So it running out of gas to protect itself is a feature not a bug.

A sub is a must, I've debating on how much room I want to give up (I like the storage there, maybe getting a bedliner and bed cover might change the math). Unless i listen to one with one of these Kicker subs that's bolted to the back cab I'm not sure I would get one. It sure seems to work.

Thanks for the detailed response. The shop I’m looking at has already done a couple mavericks so no issues there, and I’m going to buy all the parts from them as well. I was asking for just a rough idea of what the labor might cost. I realize components can vary massively.

I mostly listen to rock and metal, some blues and a little hip hop too. So although I don’t need a lot of bass I may add just a single 10 at the same time based on your advice. Buddy in high school had 2 12” kickers on 1000 amps and it was way more than I’d ever want not trying to shake my mirrors or anything, just fill in the lows. My problem is I don’t want to lose the storage under rear seat and I’ve heard small powered subs don’t sound good.

My problem with the stock system is it just falls apart above volume 20 or so. Hard to describe but it just sounds kinda flat, no depth to it. Even my $30 no name headphones from Amazon sound substantially better.

 

[Dodeboost]

I don't blame you on that at all, subwoofer adds a nice amount of cost. I'm not a huge audio control fan especially with dsp, but the new update in the software seems a lot better from what I have seen, I just don't like how hot they run personally.

What are you looking for in the system, SQ, SQL, or spl? And you wanting more bass, or more vocal to come out or both?

Definitely shop around, ask shops for pictures of builds as well, don't just go to a shop because they are local, not all are created equal.

I’ll be honest, I’m going to have to Google what sq sql and spl means . The shop I’m looking at does lot of high end cars, I’m talking high end Mercedes, bmw’s etc. they’re very well regarded so I trust they’ll do good work. I’m a complete newbie when it comes to car audio, so I’m just wanting a few steps up from stock in terms of volume and overall clarity of sounds. I listen to a lot of rock and metal. The stock stuff just isn’t clear and as no depth to it.

 

[colinl]

I would ask your shop to tell you if they've done a few what the labor costs were. Frankly, if they have a few options, might want to pick from one they have done so you have some certainty around costs/labor.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the stereos today can have volume dependent EQ. The more you turn it up, the more they can crank down certain parts of the music to protect the speakers. Ford wanted cheap and wanted it to last under warranty. So it running out of gas to protect itself is a feature not a bug.

A sub is a must, I've debating on how much room I want to give up (I like the storage there, maybe getting a bedliner and bed cover might change the math). Unless i listen to one with one of these Kicker subs that's bolted to the back cab I'm not sure I would get one. It sure seems to work.

HS10 fits behind the rear seat and you'll give up nothing. The backrest is angled for comfort so there's a good amount of space at the bottom, probably like 4-5" depth. I have seen plenty of pics of powered subs there and the factory B&O 6x9 sits on an angled bracket in that area.

However, based on what you're talking about with your front soundstage, I think your preference and desire is for more than what the HS10 offers. There are plenty of threads here, including mine, on installing various subs under the bench. You will effectively lose one of the storage tubs, which in a hybrid has to be the driver's side because the 12V battery sits on the passenger side. But an ecoboost you still have one tub, for me that's enough.

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