How Much Does It Cost To Have A Sound System Installed in Your Car 2023

How much does it cost to have a sound system installed in your car? Very few car owners seem to bother about this very important car component.

Imagine driving alone on a long farm road for hours without a functional sound system to keep you company. It will surely be a boring ride.

Most car owners have had to put up with whatever sound their car produces, even when it’s sickening.

The car sound system is however made to compliment other luxury units like the air-conditioning unit. With a good sound system, you will definitely enjoy your ride.

Comparison Table of Car Sound System 

How Much Does It Cost to Have A Sound System Installed in Your Car

To accurately tell you the cost of installing a car sound system, I will discuss each of the components that make up the system and their respective costs.

However, every car sound system is made up of three main components.

• The head unit

1. The amplifier
2. The speakers.

The proper combinations of these three units make a good car sound system.

01. The Head Unit

The car sound system has evolved since the first introduction of the 5T71 car radio model by Motorola.

In the past, the head unit or the stereo as many may know produced signals from cassettes, 8-tracks, and another type of record player.

But today, car audio systems can play DVD videos on screen, stream music, and even connect with smart devices through Bluetooth.

The head unit is the brain or the head of the system as the name implies. Its primary functions are producing a signal, controlling the sound level, and also accessing different audio sources connected to the unit.

Find out if your car speaker is blown out read the article.

Cost of a standard head unit

The car unit head just like every other product comes in varying prices and qualities.

However, from my market review and technical views, you can purchase a unit head within the price ranges of between $80- $200 depending on whether it’s a single or double din.

A head unit of these prices will contain every necessary component that will improve your car audio sound.

02. The Amplifier

The amplifier is also a major component of a car audio system.

What’s the need for an amplifier?

The amplifier simply increases the power of the signal produced by the unit head. The original signal produced by the unit head is often too weak to cause speakers to generate sound waves.

However, this unit is mistimes installed in the head unit in order to make the system more compact. But to improve your car sound system, I recommend an external amplifier.

Cost of installing a car amplifier

Car amplifiers come at different price tags for different amplifier types.

A good mono amplifier goes for as low as $40 and can be as costly as $200.

However, a multi-channel speaker goes for prices between $80-$400 depending on your preference.

03. The Car Speakers

The speaker is the most prominent of the car stereo system. It produces the sounds that get to the listener’s ear.

The primary work of the speaker is to receive amplified signals from the amplifier in the form of electrical energy. It then converts it to mechanical energy. The speaker generates sound waves due to the vibration reaching the speaker.

Cost of  Installing a Car Speaker

They are three different speaker variant for car sound systems.

• • The co-axial speakers(full range)

• • Component speakers

• Subwoofers

coaxial speakers are often the factory fitted speakers in most cars because it is cheaper and takes less space. But to improve your car’s audio system, a component speaker will be more effective.

A piece of the coaxial speaker goes for as low as $20 to as much as $70. A component speaker is priced between $50-$350. And a woofer speaker goes for $30- $80.

Summary of the cost of installing A car stereo

Least possible cost= is $400

Average total cost= $1100

Best Sound Systems in the Market

Are you considering changing your old car audio system? Are you confused about what choice to make?

Here are our top 3 picks for you:

01. Pioneer DEH-150MP Car Sound System

The pioneer DEH-150MP Car Sound System does not just come out top on every review site for fun. Here are some of the qualities that stand out Pioneer DEH-150MP as our top pick.

– The sound system comes with 2-way JVC car audio speakers.

– The CD receiver has AM/FM tuner, with a Bluetooth receiver, audio streaming FLAC file playback

– It also has a detachable face of 2-line LCD display ten-level illumination dimmer MIXTRAX.

– Another unique feature of the DEH-150MP System is a five-band equalizer technology that helps you adjust the sound. The system is equipped with a pair of CSJ620 6.5” 2-way coaxial speakers.

the system is easy to install and comes highly recommended.

02. The Kenwood Car Stereo System

The Kenwood car stereo system comes highly recommended for those looking for high-end sound performance for their cars.

Apart from the standard features of a receiver, like the AM/FM, wireless Bluetooth, auxiliary, and USB inputs for connectivity and no- wireless sources, the Kenwood system also comes equipped with a built-in amplifier.

Package contents

-2x Kenwood KFC-69652

-3x Kenwood KFC-16655

-3400watts 3-way coaxial car speakers

-6.5″ 600watt 2-way coaxial speakers

– AM/FM audio receiver.

With an RMS power of 90watts for each pair of speakers and peak power of 900 watts per pair, the system’s coaxial speakers are capable of producing quality sound. The system also comes with a 3-band EQ and drive equalizer to adjust the sound.

03. The Boss Audio 656BCK car stereo system

With the boss’s audio system, you can literally eat your cake and have it. This system gives you complete value for your money. Apart from the fact that it is affordable, the system comes fully equipped with a Boss 508UAB audio receiver and 6.5″ 2-way full-range speakers.

The system comes with a built-in EQ and a preset equalizer to adjust sound outputs. The receiver supports AM/FM, Bluetooth, CD, USB, and MP3 audio playbacks. The Boss Audio car stereo system is quite easy to install. It comes at a price as low as $70.

How to Detect a Blown Car Sound System

Spending money on your car’s sound system keeps you one step away from some common car sound system issues.

But even after purchasing a quality sound system, it is still bound to fail due to one defect or the other. However, It will ultimately get old due to wear and tear.

01. A few signs to look out for and listen to know if your audio system is faulty

For you to notice these signs correctly, I’ll advise you to play your favorite song. Listen to it, and rate the sound.

02. The head unit refuses to power on or trips off at intervals

If the car stereo isn’t working, then you have probably found out the first issue. In order to be certain that the stereo is faulty, have a check on the power source and the wiring if it’s properly fixed.

The fault can as well be from a blown fuse, ground connection, or a loose connector at the back of the head unit.

03. Hissing and fuzzy sound

Another important sign to listen for is a hissing or fuzzy sound from the speaker when played on a high volume. This sound is often an indication of a bad speaker

04. Popping or rattling sound

Have you tried playing your favorite song on the stereo and you got back was a rattling sound from your woofer? Unfortunately, it is an indication of a bad speaker. However, a popping sound from the speaker also indicates speaker damage.

05. Lack of bass

If your speaker produces no bass at all even when you know it should, then your speaker is most likely blown.

06. Sound suddenly stops

Sudden sound loss occurs as a result of the amplifier overheating due to poor ventilation. It could also be a result of a loose speaker wire.

07. Car Stereo Overheats

If your car stereo becomes too hot to touch during use, then it is definitely faulty. Although it is normal for the stereo to get warm due to heat generated by various components, it is dangerous for the system to overheat.

overheating may be because of wrong speaker wiring.

08. How to Install a Car audio system

The wrong installation can ruin a complete car audio system regardless of the quality or cost.

To have your car audio system installed, you need to contact a car audio specialist to help you get the best.

Contrary to the fear of the high cost of installation, car audio specialists charge as low as $100 for a complete installation.

However, some car audio system dealers do offer free installation for some or all of the units when purchased as a sort of complimentary service.

Moreso, you can as well do the installation yourself with little to no technical know-how.

09. How to install a car audio system by yourself

I will discuss a few easy tips on how to install a car audio system by yourself.

Safety precautions

To successfully perform this installation, you must take safety very important.

-Make sure to disconnect the negative cable from the car battery head. This will prevent short-circuiting.

-Make sure to keep the parking brake up.

– make sure to use the necessary tools.

Tools needed.

• set of screwdrivers
• Radio removal keys
• Plier
• Zip ties
• Electrical tape
• Soldering gun

Head unit installation

It is good to begin the installation from the head unit. Here are some steps to follow:

Uninstall the old unit

Unscrew the screws holding the stereo to your dashboard carefully.

Remove the unit from the panel and disconnect.

There is a bunch of wire connections behind the unit, take a picture of it for reference.

Disconnect the wires from the head unit

Install the new head unit

• Connect the bunch of wires you disconnected from the old unit to the new one. It is easy if you use a wire harness.
• You can purchase a wire harness if your unit did not come with one. Make sure to match the wires accordingly or better still, use the wiring instruction manual.
• Your power source is already connected if you’re using a wire harness. But if you don’t have a wire harness, you can connect manually.
• Locate the screw, wire, or bolt that connects to the car bare metal chassis, tie the stereo ground wire to it and screw firmly
• Put the unit head back to the panel and screw it to the dashboard. If you followed the steps religiously, then the stereo should be working perfectly.

Car Amplifier installation

• Mark out the mounting position of the amplifier ( make sure it’s a flat surface and has no wire or pipe running below it) and drills tiny holes through.
• Screw the amp onto the drilled floor.
• Install the amp power cable to the battery.
• Connect the amp’s ground wire to the vehicle’s ground screw.
• Connect the remote turn-on wire
• Make the signal connections.
• Connect the speaker wires

Car Speaker Installation

Most cars come with average speakers that do not often produce quality sound. However, changing is a car speaker is that expansive but it always makes a difference.

It is one of the easiest car components that you can replace on your own. Let’s take a look at how to install a car speaker:

• Take off the speaker grilles
• Remove the old factory speakers
• Install the new speaker and connect it to the car’s wiring harness.
• Test if the speaker is working. Reconnect the car power source and turn on the car stereo and listen to it.
• Replace the speaker grille so as to secure the speaker.

Conclusion

In-car entertainment is a unit that requires as much attention as every other part of the vehicle.

Although a car’s primary use is for transportation of goods and persons, the car audio system makes traveling not just fun but also safer.

The modern car audio systems that are equipped with GPS make navigation much easier.

Today, there are varieties of car audio system choices in the market. There are very cheap, reliable, and affordable systems and there are also expensive ones for luxury lovers.

Take a step today, and transform your car into a living room with studio light coming from the stereo and banging sound from your speakers.