Best place to purchase OEM Audio 450Q

Interested in this system but at $1500.00, its a tough sell. Any ideas where I might be able to find a deal on this?

 

Build your own audio system. (I use https://www.crutchfield.com/S-aB1xcQPcsAh/) If you're even remotely proficient with electronics you could also buy some OEM harnesses to negate any unnecessary splicing/wire cutting and maintain the option of reverting back to the factory system for trade in value.

 

OEM Audio is cheap no name components with a steep retail markup. You can get a significantly better system for the same price, or you could replicate it for a fraction of their price

 

At best, my experience involves installing head units and door speakers. For the price it would cost to piece together a system and have someone install it would cost me about the same as the OEM audio system with me installing it, which seems very straightforward. The reviews on it are very positive. If I could piece together a system that is close to plug and play I would go that route if it saved me money.

 

Don't they offer a system for 1200?

 

yes but without the sub

 

I'm in the same boat.

I have a friend who has the OEM Audio system for his WRX - and it sounds really good. But $1500 good?? I don't know. But as someone with almost no car audio experience, the idea of buying a completely plug-and-play system, pre-calibrated for our trucks, is pretty tempting.

But the price tag is hard to swallow. Especially considering that for that price, I'd have to keep using my stock head-unit, which I kinda hate.

 

Same here.

I've installed a new deck and swapped speakers before, but that's been with everything pre-wired so really any monkey can do that.

I have no idea how to wire/where to put an amp, OR how to do a sub (which I'd really like to have).

Is there some kind of "Car Audio for Dummies" reference out there?

 

I've priced a system together purchasing these items from Amazon:

• Alpine Amp:
  $349 KTP-445U Universal Power Pack
  KTP-445U,
  $330 Alpine PWE-S8 120W Compact Powered 8" Car Subwoofer for Under or Behind The Seat
  Alpine PWE-S8 sub, 6x9 kicker CS694, 6.5" kicker CS65s. Not the best components, but total cost is about 865 w/install...500 w/o. People say to expect a full day to install yourself with experience. Seems like for the price of the OEM, I might be able to piece together something nice, and spend a few days installing it and then tweaking it for however long that could take. OEM prob 1/2 day tops, and, from the reviews I have read, will sound fantastic.

 

Yep. This is the part that gets me... Time.

 

I cant agree more,
Items " look" quality and massively over priced.
They do however fill a market space geared towards people that don't know or realize how easy it is to install any components for that matter. So most of these people also give reviews and input associated with their experience level.

 

its super super easy, I have found that people over state and use the word "tuning" around here. If you get a component set, with a 4 channel amp, its literally plug and play and a couple small minor settings adjustments on the amp.
Mount the amp under the driver or passenger seat if its a small amp,
the amp only has a +, -, Remote wire and then the +,- for each speaker or component set + -. Its just about plug and play other than it being a physical plug. If you can use a screw driver, or an allen key your set

 

idk. I still think there's value in that. I mean, you're a guy that reps sound deadener and has probably installed tons of car stereos. So, yeah, it's probably easy for you. But when I start to do research all I see is bullshit about speaker spacers, wire harnesses, etc... and OEM+ takes all of this out of the equation and makes it so anybody can just plug and play.

That said, $1500 is still pretty hard to swallow.

I've listened to my friends WRX OEM+ setup, and it sounds pretty damn nice. To me.

 

It's a bummer. If I had the time and patience, I know I could install a system from the floor up, but....

 

With experience installing all that should take 2-3 hours Max, and thats including sound deadener.
$1500 can get you some really nice equipment if you know what to look for