Crutchfield's car audio proving ground series

We wanted to answer the most basic question about car audio: is it really worth it to upgrade? With the help of the Crutchfield Labs, we set out to prove just how much better music sounds when it’s played through a high-quality aftermarket system. Our plan was to test the sound of an after­market system one component at a time, based on sound quality and loudness.

Using a 2004 Ford F-150 as our test vehicle, we installed some great gear, then documented the system performance and improvements along the way. Here are the four parts of our process:

Part one: Receiver and speakers

Starting with a factory system, we added an Alpine receiver, then upgraded the speakers. We tested each configuration separately for loudness, quality of sound, and soundstaging.

For all the details:

• Read the full article,
• or watch the video.

Part two: Amplifiers and subwoofers

The second step was to see how much improvement we got by adding power and bass. We also upgraded the speakers and dove into the Alpine head unit's 7-band parametric EQ. 

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• or watch the video.

Part three: Processors and other upgrades

Jeff upgraded to component speakers, installed high-quality speaker wire, and added a processor for fine-tuning ability. He also bi-amped the speakers to get more headroom.

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• or watch the video.

Part four: Battling road noise with Dynamat

With all the gear in place, it was time to seal in the sound.  By installing Dynamat, Jeff hoped to quiet vibrations and block out road noise in his F-150.

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• or watch the video.