Im thinking about buying an evo x gsr soon. I was wondering if it is worth it upgrading to the rockford 710 watt system. I want a really nice system. Or do you think that it would be worth getting an aftermarket system?

 

its an ok system nothing impressive about it.

 

ok so if the upgraded sound system is ok, then the base sound system is a joke huh

 

I hate the base sound. I had an 08 evo x before my 2011 and it had the rf and it was perfect for me. Wish I had it in my 11

 

RF is pretty good IMO.

Nothing crazy, but it is definitely a solid system.

 

does the sub in the trunk affect the trunk size?

 

Not really. It's all the way tucked up against the drivers side in the trunk

 

the bass doesn't really hit too hard and the mids and highs are not crystal clear but its ok all around, with the navi it adds a lot of features.

 

It sounds decent but I think there's some processing that limits the sub. It's there to protect the speaker which is good but it compresses the sound, which is bad. Normal volume it's decent, try and crank it and you'll see what I mean.

I'm also in the audio industry by profession so I'm pretty critical. My Mustang's stock "shaker 500" system was actually a little better. Punchier and went lower even without a sub. Had two 8" woofers in the doors though instead of one 10" in the trunk.

I'll probably swap the head unit at some point and see what happens. Hopefully the processing is in the factory head unit and by swapping it out I'll gain more control. I'm also toying with the idea of swapping the sub with a JL Audio one but reusing the enclosure. Not sure yet how crazy I want to go.

 

Street2Dirt,

I've NEVER been a fan of the factory stereo systems. Just like many add-ons, they are often overpriced and you can get as good or better if you go aftermarket. There are pros and cons of factory vs. aftermarket:

PROS OF FACTORY SETUP
1. If system messes up, the dealership will usually fix it for free under warranty (except blown speakers).
2. Fitment will be the BEST available because it's OEM parts.
3. POSSIBLY cheaper than aftermarket in the short-term

PROS OF AFTERMARKET
1. You have choice of picking ALL of your components yourself. You can splurge on certain items while saving money on others.
2. When it's time to sell your car, you can take all the stuff out and put it in your next car. The $$$ you spend on OEM system is now all lost because you can't take that stuff out.
3. Possibly cheaper that OEM Factory stereo.

Personally, I would never buy a factory system. Before I bought my Evo X, I took a MR for a test drive and the Mitsu guy was blasting the system trying to impress me. It sounded good, don't get me wrong, but I know MY aftermarket system I had in my Hyundai Sante Fe (which will go into my Evo X) would put it to shame. When you shop for car sound stuff, buy LAST year's stuff. Sound components are like mattresses. They don't change A LOT from year to year but if you buy the new stuff on the block, you'll pay top dollar. I put a KILLER sound system together for about $1,500 ($1,900 if you add installation). Now that I'm just taking that same system out and transferring it, I will only have to pay about $500 (Sony XAV-63+ Double Din Kit+ installation) to get the system that I want because I'm really just upgrading my head unit. The $1,500 I paid originally for all the parts COULD have been MUCH MUCH MUCH lower but I wanted 2 of the best amps and a really nice head unit so those 3 items alone was a majority of the price.

 

Spot on

 

If you want a good system, you're probably going to end up going custom at some point or another anyway.

 

The Rockford-Fosgate system is awesome. It's better than the Bose System I had in my previous Acura for sure. Audiophiles might not like it but to make them happy you have to have a giant speaker and have a million watts anyway.

 

Like candyman said, turn it up loud and the sub cuts back, kinda annoying.

 

Boo for limiting. It does save the system but it's kicking in too early

I had an Acura TL SH AWD for a little while. Awesome car, tons of toys. It came from the factory with a true 5.1 surround system. True sub, true center channel, really cool. Not just the best factory system I've heard but the best car stereo system I've heard. Obviously not super loud, but loud enough.

If you want to hear a great system go and stroke an Acura salesman and get into a TL with the tech package. They have a DVD audio demo disc with songs remixed in 5.1.