Remember when young males cruised the streets with massive aftermarket speakers – from Clarion, Alpine and Pioneer – rattling the trunk of their vehicle?
Those days are long gone.
That's because auto makers have taken the in-car audio experience more seriously in the past decade, offering better variety and performance, even outfitting economy lines with improved sound quality.
So when a car dealership offers an upgrade to a "premium" audio system – straight from the factory, built-in and ready to play – is it worth the price of admission?
"We're going to see auto makers start putting more of these [premium systems] into vehicles, depending on what they're willing to pay and what they think the market will bear," says Tony Cheslick, account manager for Sony America's automotive entertainment division.
Partnerships between vehicle manufacturers and audio companies have grown since the early 2000s, though they go back as far as the 1980s. Ford's exclusive deal with Sony began with the 2001 Focus, and has continued on, most recently with the 2016 Explorer Platinum, which features a special Sony audio system made up of 12 high-power speakers distributed in 10 locations in the cabin. Driven by a Class D amplifier, the system pumps out 500 watts.
The Platinum starts at $59,999, a full $27,000 more than the starting price of the regular 2016 Explorer. The extra cost isn't purely for the sound system, given that there are other extras to go with it, yet Ford doesn't break down the numbers.
Indeed, few luxury cars today don't have an option for a branded audio system. The 2016 Lincoln MKX was the first to have the Revel system, which can handle up to 19 speakers and two amplifiers with a maximum output of 1,200 watts.
The Bang & Olufsen upgrade in the Audi RS 7 is about $6,500, a marginal increase for a vehicle that costs more than $100,000.
Sometimes, high-end audio systems come with the vehicle, they cost thousands to include, and are generally not an option for non-luxury cars. The rise in partnerships has squeezed some aftermarket vendors out of the market, or forced them to switch sides, like Sony, and build factory car audio instead.
Greg Oleniuk, of Audio Warehouse in Saskatoon, concedes that certain manufacturers have made it so that an upgrade could cost more money in the aftermarket, though he didn't name specific auto makers. While admitting that overall factory sound has improved, he's convinced that consumers aren't getting good sound in standard audio systems, and that it is possible to make them sound like they are premium.
"Take a regular Chevy or GM truck. It was never a problem to upgrade that whole system," Oleniuk says. "We can change out all the audio without replacing the factory head unit up front for less than what a premium system would cost. There are plenty of vehicles where swapping the speakers for better ones is possible, and at a lower price than what the dealer charges you."
Both auto makers and the aftermarket now widely utilize digital signal processors, a microchip engineered to suit the system it works with, for better sound. Oleniuk says that an aftermarket processor can be installed to further improve sound quality – without taking out the screen up front.
"In the premium market, having something different and exclusive is very valuable, which is ironic in this case because brand differentiation used to only exist in the aftermarket," says Mark Boyadjis, a senior analyst on infotainment technologies for research firm IHS Automotive. "Going up to 12 speakers and higher wattage on any premium system, you'd expect everything to sound good through that, except the problem is that not everything does because your sources have not kept up to speed."
The most widely-used music sources and playback methods in vehicles are factors. SiriusXM satellite radio runs at a lower bitrate, as do most music streaming applications. Low-bitrate MP3s downloaded from the Internet are likewise exposed in better systems.
Audio playback is set to go through a major shift this year, with Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto rolling out into many 2017 model vehicles, simplifying smartphone integration. New infotainment systems from Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Toyota are also tying in more closely with in-car audio by making streaming and playback more varied.
INFOTAINMENT OPTIONS
Ford SYNC 3
Starting with the 2017 Escape, all 2017 model vehicles with SYNC 3 will have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available. This will also include SYNC Connect, a built-in 4G LTE data connection in the car. For 2016 model year SYNC 3-enabled vehicles, a software update will come later this year to open up access to CarPlay and Android Auto.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Starting with the E-Class, Mercedes-Benz's revamped infotainment system has a new dashboard made up of a 1920 x 720 digital instrument cluster and steering wheel with two touch-sensitive panels, allowing drivers to swipe through menus on the cluster and primary dash screen. Only the coupe and convertible models – not the sedans – will get the option for CarPlay and Android Auto.
Pioneer NEX head units
Pioneer's NEX series comes in five different iterations, ranging from $899.99 for the AVH-4200NEX up to $1,599.99 for the AVIC-8200NEX. All come equipped with Pioneer's AppRadio platform, along with CarPlay and Android Auto, and will be available in Canada in March.
JVC KW-V820BT El Kameleon series head unit
The first JVC model to incorporate CarPlay and Android Auto, this head unit has audio upscaling technology that also supports high-resolution audio formats, like WAV and FLAC. It also has Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming. Priced at $600 (U.S.), a Canadian price and launch date has yet to be confirmed.
iClever Himbox HB01 Bluetooth 4.0 Hands-Free Car Kit
For vehicles that have an Aux-In port, but no Bluetooth, this is a non-invasive way to bring it into the cabin. The $70 unit plugs into the 12-volt socket and Aux-In jack, pairs with a smartphone and enables wireless audio streaming.
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