Sound system installation cost

[Chris_G]

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.

Wait, Maverick isn't high end

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[Juanderosa]

So typically there are people who want sound quality (SQ) or Sound Pressure Level (SPL). Some of the hardcore SQ guys listen to some classical stuff they would find on NPR in a parked car that might not represent the real world most of us typically find ourselves.

So SQL is sort of a mix of both. Want to listen it to sound pretty good but pretty loud too.

You can adjust the ratio of sq to spl. But basically it’ll do both.

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.

 

[Thagh0st]

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.

Sound quality loud is my personal favorite, but @Juanderosa explained it perfectly.

Honestly you need to come up with a budget you feel comfortable with spending, and then go from there, because you could spend 10k or 1k and be happy, it's just what level do you want.

 

[Dodeboost]

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.

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.

Ok so if I were to just add speakers it wouldn't be a huge upgrade, but if I amp them, even with lower end aftermarkets it will sound much better than stock? Would that be fair to say?

I just sat in a few different cars and listened to some loud heavy metal.

19 subaru crosstrek with factory harman kardon system: slightly better than maverick. not impressed
06 jeep LJ with pioneer DEH-s6220BS on stock speakers: better than the subie, still want more for the maverick
my other car, 09 chevy cobalt with a cheap SSL head unit and mtx dominator 6" and 6x9's: much better than the maverick, better than the subaru, slightly better than the jeep. It sounds decent to me, but still gets distortion and breaks up at louder volumes. If the maverick sounded like this stock, I'd probably leave it alone. Guitars, vocals, drums all sound better and more clear.

my Goals for the maverick would be a step or 2 above what I have in the cobalt. So given that my mtx speakers in the cobalt cost $110 for all four, If I spend 200ish on front door speakers and amp them, its going to be way better, and Ill probably be satisfied. I realize this is considered by some to be "cheap" and is certainly entry level stuff, but i think itll suit my needs.

As for the SQL, thanks for the explanation, that makes perfect sense. SQL is what I'd want.

 

[Juanderosa]

The stock speakers leave a bit to be desired in size, quality and location. I mean a 6x9 has about three times the surface area of the rear speakers in the Maverick. And it’s using your trunk as an enclosure so way more output there.

I would go spend the majority of the money on speaker for the front then amp them. But if you want to see if the powerbass ones make a difference (like the drop in ones that have ford connectors on them) why not try that minus the amp? Can’t hurt to have that be step one with amp being step two.

Ok so if I were to just add speakers it wouldn't be a huge upgrade, but if I amp them, even with lower end aftermarkets it will sound much better than stock? Would that be fair to say?

I just sat in a few different cars and listened to some loud heavy metal.

19 subaru crosstrek with factory harman kardon system: slightly better than maverick. not impressed
06 jeep LJ with pioneer DEH-s6220BS on stock speakers: better than the subie, still want more for the maverick
my other car, 09 chevy cobalt with a cheap SSL head unit and mtx dominator 6" and 6x9's: much better than the maverick, better than the subaru, slightly better than the jeep. It sounds decent to me, but still gets distortion and breaks up at louder volumes. If the maverick sounded like this stock, I'd probably leave it alone. Guitars, vocals, drums all sound better and more clear.

my Goals for the maverick would be a step or 2 above what I have in the cobalt. So given that my mtx speakers in the cobalt cost $110 for all four, If I spend 200ish on front door speakers and amp them, its going to be way better, and Ill probably be satisfied. I realize this is considered by some to be "cheap" and is certainly entry level stuff, but i think itll suit my needs.

As for the SQL, thanks for the explanation, that makes perfect sense. SQL is what I'd want.

 

[Dodeboost]

The stock speakers leave a bit to be desired in size, quality and location. I mean a 6x9 has about three times the surface area of the rear speakers in the Maverick. And it’s using your trunk as an enclosure so way more output there.

I would go spend the majority of the money on speaker for the front then amp them. But if you want to see if the powerbass ones make a difference (like the drop in ones that have ford connectors on them) why not try that minus the amp? Can’t hurt to have that be step one with amp being step two.

That Makes sense. I’m getting a lot more volume out of the rear of the cobalt compared to the maverick. I may try speakers first. But at this point I’m leaning towards a decent set of fronts, tweeters, amp. I’m going to stop by the shop again tomorrow after work, and see what they say.

 

[LM42]

That Makes sense. I’m getting a lot more volume out of the rear of the cobalt compared to the maverick. I may try speakers first. But at this point I’m leaning towards a decent set of fronts, tweeters, amp. I’m going to stop by the shop again tomorrow after work, and see what they say.

I think this is a solid plan. An actual upgrade in speakers, plus an amp will be a huge improvement. Plus, if you add the sound deadening like you talked about you will be really pleased with the result.

 

[colinl]

I think this is a solid plan. An actual upgrade in speakers, plus an amp will be a huge improvement. Plus, if you add the sound deadening like you talked about you will be really pleased with the result.

Agreed, it's what I would do. Definitely apply sound deadener while you have the door panels off installing speakers.

I recommend the Amazon Basics sound deadener. To me, it's as effective as Killmat or Dynamat at a lower cost. This box is more than enough to do the doors and critical areas in the rear if you do a sub. In fact, I used some of it for my son's vehicle and still have a sheet or two left.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XMF2V77

My regret in this pic is that I didn't apply much if any behind the white cloth deadener that comes from factory. It is just hooked in place and can be easily removed, and I should've put more deadener behind it while I was in there.

 

[LM42]

Agreed, it's what I would do. Definitely apply sound deadener while you have the door panels off installing speakers.

I recommend the Amazon Basics sound deadener. To me, it's as effective as Killmat or Dynamat at a lower cost. This box is more than enough to do the doors and critical areas in the rear if you do a sub. In fact, I used some of it for my son's vehicle and still have a sheet or two left.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XMF2V77

My regret in this pic is that I didn't apply much if any behind the white cloth deadener that comes from factory. It is just hooked in place and can be easily removed, and I should've put more deadener behind it while I was in there.

Is your truck a Lariat? My XLT did not have that cloth on the door. I also lined the interior sheet metal with the deadener on mine. Compared to this pic I also lined a lot of that bare plastic you see here, and I also added butyl strips along where the grey plastic is attached to the blue plastic. I see that as a vibration area, and also stole the idea from someone else on YouTube who did a nice video of his install.

 

[colinl]

Is your truck a Lariat? My XLT did not have that cloth on the door. I also lined the interior sheet metal with the deadener on mine. Compared to this pic I also lined a lot of that bare plastic you see here, and I also added butyl strips along where the grey plastic is attached to the blue plastic. I see that as a vibration area, and also stole the idea from someone else on YouTube who did a nice video of his install.

It is a Lariat and I thought that might be that non-Lariat omit that cloth deadener. I also think there's a fabric deadener *under* the truck similar to the material in the fender wells that only Lariats get. (I have not looked under a ton of Mavericks, but the 2 non-Lariat I looked at didn't have it.)

My door itself has a black plastic cover over nearly all of it and I thought that the exposed metal was where the interior panel mates, so I didn't want to put anything there that might keep the panel from fitting well. However, in this thread, he did put little pieces of killmat on things that he could on that black plastic. https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...anel-removal-finished-with-lots-of-pics.4064/

If I had applied any to the black plastic I would've done only the bits nearest the speaker. Also, his pic of what he deadened on the interior panel make my point in the previous reply even better than my pic.

 

[volksnuts]

If you don’t have frequent rear seat passengers (for long trips anyway) the rear footwell can fit a decent sized downfiring sub box
With most of them being covered in black carpet it wouldn’t be visible from the outside
Even then someone could still sit back there but they’d just have to have their feet on top of the box
If you were dead set on keeping the under west storage

 

[Dodeboost]

If you don’t have frequent rear seat passengers (for long trips anyway) the rear footwell can fit a decent sized downfiring sub box
With most of them being covered in black carpet it wouldn’t be visible from the outside
Even then someone could still sit back there but they’d just have to have their feet on top of the box
If you were dead set on keeping the under west storage

I don’t. Not a bad idea if easily removable.

 

[volksnuts]

I don’t. Not a bad idea if easily removable.

T’would be easy to remove as needed

 

[Juanderosa]

So…. Hate to go into the weeds too far here, but there are lots of sound proofing/sound abatement/rattle avoidance you can do with different products.

This is sort of dumbed down but at a high level makes sense. And the factory typically has different objectives than you. Low cost is one. Not increasing weight which can mess with mpg is another.

Driving down the road you hear tires and other noise. To effectively absorb that you need something to absorb that sound. Typically think the padding you might find under carpet. It’s not heavy but absorbs sound. So for underneath the carpet and back wall of the cab you might want some that absorbs sound. Dynamat types of products (so sort of sticky butyl with an aluminum layer) isn’t the bast at this. It’s designed to add mass.

Then if you add speakers in the doors, you might find that they now move things around via vibrations. Could be the door panel vibrating against the metal in the door or a harness in the door hitting something. In some cases you can make things heavier via a dynamat type of mass loading product. Great for some vibrations but not necessarily for all. Smothering the door panel from head to toe with dynamat might look cool but might be overkill. A few pieces here and there with some thin foam over the entire back of the door panel might do the trick. Velcro in a few spots (just the loop side) might keep two plastic surfaces from buzzing again each other.

But putting dynamat everywhere (as someone who put over 200 square feet (5 full boxes plus) is overkill and starts getting you in the diminishing returns area.

 

[Dodeboost]

So…. Hate to go into the weeds too far here, but there are lots of sound proofing/sound abatement/rattle avoidance you can do with different products.

This is sort of dumbed down but at a high level makes sense. And the factory typically has different objectives than you. Low cost is one. Not increasing weight which can mess with mpg is another.

Driving down the road you hear tires and other noise. To effectively absorb that you need something to absorb that sound. Typically think the padding you might find under carpet. It’s not heavy but absorbs sound. So for underneath the carpet and back wall of the cab you might want some that absorbs sound. Dynamat types of products (so sort of sticky butyl with an aluminum layer) isn’t the bast at this. It’s designed to add mass.

Then if you add speakers in the doors, you might find that they now move things around via vibrations. Could be the door panel vibrating against the metal in the door or a harness in the door hitting something. In some cases you can make things heavier via a dynamat type of mass loading product. Great for some vibrations but not necessarily for all. Smothering the door panel from head to toe with dynamat might look cool but might be overkill. A few pieces here and there with some thin foam over the entire back of the door panel might do the trick. Velcro in a few spots (just the loop side) might keep two plastic surfaces from buzzing again each other.

But putting dynamat everywhere (as someone who put over 200 square feet (5 full boxes plus) is overkill and starts getting you in the diminishing returns area.

That’s super helpful. I’ll probably be adding more deadening after the install depending what the shop ends up doing. Thank you

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