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Acura: Aftermarket Sound System Modifications

Enhancing the stereo in your Acura is not as hard as you may think. Check out these options that can help improve the overall listening experience in your Acura.

By Neftali Medina - April 27, 2016

This article applies to the Acura 3rd/4th Gen TL (2004-2014), MDX, RDX, and 1st/2nd Gen TSX.

You've heard it before, haven't you? How the subwoofer on your Acura is just not up to par with what it should be. Although sound quality can be completely subjective according to someone's taste, there are three main improvements you can do to enhance the stereo performance in your Acura. For people that would prefer deep loud booms of a system, they can look to install subwoofers, while others who solely prefer clearer sounding speakers can install a complete and balanced kit. Car owners who enjoy having all the extra bells and whistles can also look to install an aftermarket head unit. To find out more about each upgrade, keep reading.

Stereo Upgrades

For Acura upgrades we recommend keeping the stock head unit and wiring in the new audio accessories. Those of you looking for deeper bass should look at amplifier and subwoofer pairs to see what best works for you. Although head units change the overall look of the car, they also remove some of the usable stock features such as navigation.

Figure 1. Subwoofers are often installed in the trunk.

Speakers

Figure 2. This shows the location of the easily accessible door speakers.

DIY Cost – $60+

Professional Cost – $120+

Skill Level – Easy; Speaker replacement only requires you to remove the door panel and remove the old unit.

The quickest and cheapest upgrade you can do to enhance the overall sound of your car is to install new speakers. Newer speakers can either be OEM-specific or slightly larger, and generally offer higher ranges that allow you to increase the volume of the music without hearing any static. Some go-to speakers for Acura owners include the Infinity Series and Focal.

Subwoofer and Amplifier

Figure 3. A custom sub and amplifier trunk setup.

DIY Cost – $130+

Professional Cost – $250+

Skill Level – Easy; Although at bit more complicated than replacing the speakers, all you need to do is mount the amp and sub, then run the wiring through the vehicle.

If you are interesting in blasting that bass throughout town, then a subwoofer is your go-to choice. Subwoofers are larger speakers that are specifically designed to produce deeper tones. Due to the amount of power required to power one, the stock amplifiers are not able to handle the load, so an aftermarket amp is required. Subs also require their own boxes to help produce clean, uninterrupted sound. Boxes are custom made to fit their application. Some good sub and amp brands include Herts and JL.

Head Unit

Figure 4. Double din aftermarket head unit.

DIY Cost – $100+

Professional Cost – $150+

Skill Level – Easy; Remove the center console and use the adapter to replace the old head unit.

A head unit is the main console where you control the stereo system. Most Acura owners avoid replacing the head unit due to issues in losing some functionality. However, there are a number of head units that also offer an easier platform to upgrade the entire stereo. Head units fit right into the center console and only require an adapter harness to plug into the system. Some reputable brands to consider include Kenwood and Alpine.

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