Every person has a different opinion about car stereo, and some love the look of the original stereo. If you have a recent model car with a built-in infotainment system, updating the stereo can be difficult. Either way, there are a number of ways to enhance an original sound system without having to fiddle with the head unit.
The first step is to ditch the factory speakers and replace them with premium units. Premium speakers are made with high-quality materials, so they sound better and last longer than factory speakers. This alone usually results in an improvement over the factory sound.
If you’re ready to take things to another level, consider installing an amplifier that uses speaker-level inputs. Most amplifiers use line-level inputs, but you’ll need one with speaker-level inputs if your factory stereo doesn’t have preamp outputs.
This may sound like a bunch of nonsense, but it means the amp can sit between the factory head unit and your new speakers, allowing you to crank up the volume of the music without distortion.
When you add one or more amplifiers, you also have the option of adding a subwoofer. This provides richer bass. In addition, you can also add a digital sound processor to enhance the sound of all your speakers.