When choosing which car to buy, new or used, endless factors come into play. To the audiophile, however, one seems to outweigh the rest: the sound system. For these people, the entire thrill of their ride comes from being able to boom that bass at the perfect level. If this sounds like you, look no further. Below you’ll find the best stock car stereo systems available.
1. Bose Media System
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Found in: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
The Bose Media System may not look like the prettiest of sound systems, but still proves elegant. Bose has a deserved reputation for their sound, and in this case, they deliver. Bose designed this system with the car’s interior in mind as well. This infotainment system does more than just music playback, but that’s certainly where it stands out. The system also remembers the music you prefer to play and creates playlists based off that and your music library.
2. Dynaudio Audio System
Found in: Volvo S80
Dynaudio isn’t a huge name in the audio world, but that doesn’t take away from this system’s delivery. They also had some help with Dolby with the surround sound. This Danish company (which may be why Volvo paired up with them) hooked up 12 individually filtered speakers to this car, pushing 650 watts of power. This system provides beautiful, clear sound no matter where you sit. In spite of the fantastic sound, though, lies its user-unfriendly interface. But if you can get past that, the Volvo S80 may otherwise perfectly suit your needs (and budget!)
3. Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 Digital Surround Sound System
Found in: Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
You’ll find this sound system in the old-styled yet modern CL-Class of Mercedes-Benz. Because of the life-expectancy of CL-Class Mercedes, they prove themselves some of the best used cars, and show up often in the DriveTime used cars section. A precision based sound system, 600 watts pulse through the 14 speakers perfectly placed throughout the car. Check out this system for the most realistic sound you’ve heard in a car, with unbeatable dynamic range.
4. Bowers & Wilkins System
Found in: Jaguar XF
This surround sound system comes with 13 speakers, plus a subwoofer, powered by 440 watts. Though the specs may not sound as big and impressive as the other systems listed in this article, the appeal comes from the manufacturer. Bowers & Wilkins tops every company mentioned here when it comes to sound engineers preferences. Even the ever famous Abby Road studios chooses B&W as their reference speakers of choice. Their goal, as always: faithful sound reproduction. They more than reach that goal with this system.
5. Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System
Found in: Audi A8
Chosen as the top sound system in Ward’s Auto World’s 2006 international “Interior of the Year” awards, the Band & Olufsen Advanced sound system defines luxury sound. Within this setup, you’ll find 14 speakers, each powered by its own individual amplifier. A 12-inch subwoofer sitting in the back gives the feeling a mini-earthquake when the low notes hit. Acoustic lens speakers sit on the dashboard, cones exposed, visibly vibrating, contracting and retracting with the song. Experience these 1,100 watts of audio heaven, and you’ll never want to hear music through any other medium again.
If you don’t have 6 figures to shell out on a vehicle, don’t worry; you’ll find these systems and other stock systems in vehicles within a wide price range, new or used.
When choosing which car to buy, new or used, endless factors come into play. To the audiophile, however,
one seems to outweigh the rest: the sound system. For these people, the entire thrill of their ride comes
from being able to boom that bass at the perfect level. If this sounds like you, look no further. Below you’ll
find the best stock car stereo systems available.
1. Bose Media System
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Found in: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
The Bose Media System may not look like the prettiest of sound systems, but still proves elegant. Bose has
a deserved reputation for their sound, and in this case, they deliver. Bose designed this system with the car’s
interior in mind as well. This infotainment system does more than just music playback, but that’s certainly
where it stands out. The system also remembers the music you prefer to play and creates playlists based off
that and your music library.
2. Dynaudio Audio System
Found in: Volvo S80
Dynaudio isn’t a huge name in the audio world, but that doesn’t take away from this system’s delivery. They
also had some help with Dolby with the surround sound. This Danish company (which may be why Volvo
paired up with them) hooked up 12 individually filtered speakers to this car, pushing 650 watts of power.
This system provides beautiful, clear sound no matter where you sit. In spite of the fantastic sound, though,
lies its user-unfriendly interface. But if you can get past that, the Volvo S80 may otherwise perfectly suit
your needs (and budget!)
3. Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 Digital Surround Sound
System
Found in: Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
You’ll find this sound system in the old-styled yet modern CL-Class of Mercedes-Benz. Because of the lifeexpectancy of CL-Class Mercedes, they prove themselves some of the best used cars, and show up often in
the DriveTime used cars section. A precision based sound system, 600 watts pulse through the 14 speakers
perfectly placed throughout the car. Check out this system for the most realistic sound you’ve heard in a
car, with unbeatable dynamic range.
4. Bowers & Wilkins System
Found in: Jaguar XF
This surround sound system comes with 13 speakers, plus a subwoofer, powered by 440 watts. Though
the specs may not sound as big and impressive as the other systems listed in this article, the appeal comes
from the manufacturer. Bowers & Wilkins tops every company mentioned here when it comes to sound
engineers preferences. Even the ever famous Abby Road studios chooses B&W as their reference speakers
of choice. Their goal, as always: faithful sound reproduction. They more than reach that goal with this
system.
5. Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System
Found in: Audi A8
Chosen as the top sound system in Ward’s Auto World’s 2006 international “Interior of the Year” awards,
the Band & Olufsen Advanced sound system defines luxury sound. Within this setup, you’ll find 14
speakers, each powered by its own individual amplifier. A 12-inch subwoofer sitting in the back gives
the feeling a mini-earthquake when the low notes hit. Acoustic lens speakers sit on the dashboard, cones
exposed, visibly vibrating, contracting and retracting with the song. Experience these 1,100 watts of audio
heaven, and you’ll never want to hear music through any other medium again.
If you don’t have 6 figures to shell out on a vehicle, don’t worry; you’ll find these systems and other stock
systems in vehicles within a wide price range, new or used.
Resources: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/4235935
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/vintage-speed/4296429#slide-7
http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1020130_the-list-7-best-factory-car-sound-systems
