How much does budget sound cost – we analyze it using the example of the 2016 Ford Edge.
The standard sound in a modern car is usually worthless. Because the manufacturer of a new car doesn’t bother much with the sound. And why? We also need to earn our bread)
So, we were given the task of replacing the factory sound in a 2016 Ford Edge with something decent, but to keep it under $1,000. Hmm, the task is difficult, almost creative – how to keep it within such a small budget and stay true to our favorite brands, whose sound quality we vouch for?
And most importantly – how to make an audio system, even if it is entry-level, but sounds good, if the source remains the standard head unit? We offered two options, in one of which the main thing was the processor, but this option was rejected – the cost of an audio processor in a car starts from $ 700, and our entire budget is $ 1000 …
As a result, at the front we have Hertz ESK 165.5 (by the way, most likely the last set in our history – these speakers are being replaced by the Hertz CK 165 set from the Hertz Cento series), an amplifier from the new Hertz DPower 4 (the amplifier was chosen more for reasons of compactness and ease of installation), a Hertz EBX F20.5 subwoofer, our recommendation was to make noise and vibration insulation of the doors and trunk lid. The source in this audio system is the standard radio.
We started by taking the doors apart, saw bare metal (a piece of vibration insulation on the outer part of the door does not count), and saw another “masterpiece” of the auto industry, which is called a standard speaker.
On the left is a spacer ring specifically for installing 165 mm speakers in a Ford Edge, on the right is a standard speaker.
Wow, the stock speaker is a “magnet”. You can imagine how it plays…
We treat the metal of the doors from the outside and inside with Acoustics Xtreme series vibration-insulating materials (for many clients it is important where the noise-insulating materials are made, and these materials are made in Ukraine). We treat the plastic part of the door card with Acoustics SoundLine 7 noise-absorbing material.
The speakers were installed in their standard places. The midbass from the Hertz ESK 165.5 set was secured via a spacer ring, treated with anti-squeak material around it, and the crossovers were mounted on the doors, also treated with anti-squeak material.
The tweeter is installed in a standard place (not the best for a high-frequency speaker, but as a result of listening it became clear that nothing critical happened – there were plenty of highs and even the sound stage was at a comfortable level for the listener).
As a result, the door of this Ford Edge has not changed in any way – everything looks like it came from the factory. The dream of every modern car owner…
Unfortunately, the process of installing the amplifier was not captured on camera. But I can clarify that the Hertz DPower 4 amplifier was installed under the front passenger seat (standard, in a word).
About the subwoofer. A few days after this work was completed, the client called us and asked to replace the subwoofer because there was not enough bass. Well, the subwoofer replacement is ahead. More on that later.
Another pleasant addition for the owner was the installation of a hidden video recorder, which we attached to the rear-view mirror.
