Many people want to upgrade the sound system in their car but don’t know where to start. With so many models of speakers with different features available on the market, it may be difficult to decide which one is the best for you. Another question many people raise is the car stereo installation cost in 2023.
Although the cost of installing a car stereo can vary, when done by a specialist, generally costs between $250 to $450 in 2024. If you have the experience to do it yourself, you may save some money.
To be fair, the cost of installing a car stereo will highly vary. You must consider things such as the model of speakers you choose, your car model, and whether or not you’re going to install it by yourself. It is possible to install your new speakers at home, but we wouldn’t recommend it to those who don’t have any previous experience.
The best option is to take your car to an auto shop for the speakers to be properly installed. Professionals will know how to connect your new product while at the same time avoiding any damage.
In this article, we are going to discuss the car stereo installation cost for 2023, as well as everything you need to know to buy the best possible speakers for your car and what are the factors you should keep in mind when shopping for this kind of product and when selecting the best auto shop for the service.
Table of Content
- How Much Does It Cost to Have a Car Stereo Installed?
- How Much Should I Spend on a Car Stereo?
- What is the Difference Between a Cheap and an Expensive Sound System?
- Will I Need an Amplifier for my Setup?
- How Much Does It Cost to Install an Amp and Subwoofers in a Car?
- What is the Difference Between Coaxial and Component Speakers?
- Can I Install a Car Stereo System Myself?
- Bonus
- Best Car Stereo Installation Kits
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
How Much Does It Cost to Have a Car Stereo Installed?
Before we head on to discuss about other important topics in the process of installing new car speakers, we would like to answer the main question of the article from the beginning to make your life easier: how much does it cost to have a car stereo installed?
The price of having a new car stereo installed varies and will depend on a number of factors, including the make and model of your vehicle, the size of the speakers in your car, the cost of installation, and any necessary custom car speaker mounts you may need. You must also take into account whether you will need an amp or not.
Depending on the factors above and more, first consider that the price for buying a new set of speakers and replacing the factory car stereo system in your vehicle can range anywhere from $20 to $600. And that’s before you factor in what you’ll be paying for installation, parts, and labor. Car audio installation, when done by a specialist, generally costs from $250 to $450.
How Much Should I Spend on a Car Stereo?
Now that you have an idea of how much you will need to invest to install your new speakers, the best place to start when shopping for car audio is to make sure you have a good idea of what you want and need in your new car audio system. Of course, there are some basic questions you can ask yourself to determine what type of car audio system you want for your vehicle, such as:
- How many speakers do I need?
- Where will the speakers go in my vehicle?
- What power do I need for the speakers?
- What type of car receiver, amp, and subwoofer will be used?
- What is the budget for this?
- What is my location?
- How much time do I have?
- Do I have any experience with installing car audio?
Once you know what you want, and information about the cost of a car audio system, the best place to start shopping is on Amazon. Amazon allows you to browse and purchase a wide variety of car audio products online, including car stereos, car speakers, car kits, and much more. You can also chat online with a knowledgeable car audio technician to find out more about the installation of car audio equipment in your vehicle.
As for the actual price of the car speakers, it will vary greatly as we said before. Nowadays we have many speaker models in the market and those can range from $20 to $600. If you’re on a budget, you don’t need to invest that much since you can find great speakers in the $20 range. If you want more sound quality, however, we recommend you spend a little more to be sure.
What is the Difference Between a Cheap and an Expensive Sound System?
When shopping for car audio online, you may see a wide variety of products and brands, many of which are affordable options while others cost hundreds of dollars. The main difference between these two types of car audio products is how much power each device can produce.
Of course, several other factors are also into play here. Cheaper car speakers usually don’t have the same durability as more expensive products and, most of the time, expensive ones have a better overall sound quality and better features, such as being able to play music at loud volumes without distorting.
Will I Need an Amplifier for my Setup?
Depends on your actual setup. An amplifier’s job is to properly power your car speakers and send them the electrical current they need to bring you the best sound quality possible. Several factors must be taken into account here: whether you’re using a component or coaxial setup, your car speakers’ impedance, peak power, power handling, etc.
We will explain more about all of these factors further down the article, but as a rule of thumb: low-impedance car speakers (2 Ohms or less) won’t need an amplifier to work properly while high-impedance car speakers (4 Ohms or more) may need an external amplifier.
Also Read: The Best 6×9 Speakers for Bass Without Amp
How Much Does It Cost to Install an Amp and Subwoofers in a Car?
The price of installing an amp and subwoofers, and upgrading factory speakers in your vehicle, again, all depends on the make, model, and size of your vehicle. The average price for installing an amp and subwoofers in a car is between $200 and $600.
Also Read: 10 Best 1 Ohm Amp
What is the Difference Between Coaxial and Component Speakers?
We mentioned coaxial vs component speakers before and now you must be asking: what is the difference between these two types of setups?
Coaxial car speakers are the most common type you will find in the market. These products have all of the drivers built-in inside a single casing. For example, in a 2-way speaker, you have a woofer and a tweeter on the same casing that can be installed on your car door, making it more practical.
Component car speakers have separate casings for each driver. You will need to find a place to install the woofer, as well as another separate place to install the tweeter. This type of setup tends to be more expensive but has the major benefit of letting you customize your car audio system however you like.
For most people, we recommend going with coaxial car speakers since they will already give you a great listening experience. We only recommend component car speakers if you’re ok with spending a little more in exchange for sound quality since this type of setup will cost more to be installed.
Can I Install a Car Stereo System Myself?
Installing a car stereo system is possible for the amateur car audio enthusiast. The installation will vary depending on the make and model of the vehicle. It is recommended that you have some electrical knowledge before attempting to install your own car stereo system.
You will need to know how to connect the amp, subwoofers, and speakers to your vehicle’s electrical system. You will also need to know how to run the speaker wire from the back of your vehicle to where you want your speakers to be in your vehicle.
When installing a car stereo system yourself, you may save some money over having a professional do it for you, but it will cost you time and effort. You should take into consideration that installing these devices can be dangerous if done improperly.
Bonus: What Should I Look for When Buying a Set of Car Speakers?
If you’re in the process of buying new car speakers, here are some of the factors you should look into when shopping.
Speaker Setup
We have 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, and 5-way speakers. For many beginners, these nomenclatures may seem a little too complex, but they are actually easy to understand. With 2-way car speakers, you have a woofer for the low and mid-frequencies and a tweeter for the high frequencies. With 3-way car speakers, you have both drivers but with the addition of a subwoofer for better bass response.
4-way and 5-way car speakers usually have the addition of an extra woofer and/or super tweeter for better sound clarity. The best choice between all of these types will depend on your preferences and needs. For most people, 2-way or 3-way car speakers will suffice since they can deliver great sound quality and are more convenient to be installed.
Peak Power
Peak power, as the name implies, is the maximum amount of power your car speakers can deliver. The number of speakers, the size of the subwoofer, and the equipment you choose will determine how much power you can use in your car audio system. This information must match your head unit settings.
If you want to boost the power of your system without spending more money, you can add an amplifier to your car stereo system. An amplifier, as we explained before, boosts the power of your car audio system and allows you to keep your vehicle’s factory head unit.
Because of this wide range of products available, you may find it helpful to get some idea of how much power you will need in your car audio system before shopping for the rest of your equipment. To find out the maximum power your car audio system can handle, you must search for information online about the car make and model you have and the type of head unit you have installed in your vehicle.
Impedance
You may have read about impedance while shopping for car speakers online. Simply put, the term refers to how much power your product can handle (not to be confused with peak power, which is how much power the speakers can actually deliver). Determining how much impedance you need is simple, however.
If you don’t want to buy an external amplifier to include in your setup, choose a set of car speakers with low impedance (2 Ohms or less) so that they can be driven directly by your existing system. High-impedance car speakers (4 Ohms or more) will need an external amplifier to work properly in most cases, but will deliver better sound quality overall.
Frequency Range
Frequency range refers to how low and how high your car speakers can go in the frequency spectrum. On one side of the spectrum, you have low frequencies. On the other extreme, you have high frequencies. In the middle, as you may have guessed, you have the midrange frequencies.
So, to ensure your car speakers can give you a great sound response, make sure to check the frequency range. It will usually be represented like this: 40 – 20kHz. The wider the frequency range of a car speaker is, the better it will be at providing you with thumping basses and clear mid and high sounds.
Best Car Stereo Installation Kits
If you choose to install your car speakers by yourself, here are some great kits to help you get started.
BOSS Audio Systems KIT2 8 Gauge Amplifier Installation Wiring Kit
This kit from BOSS come with everything you need to install your new car speakers, from cables to mounting screws. This particular kit has 8 gauge wires, but the brand also offers kits with 0, 4, and 10 gauge wires. Make sure to check which exact gauge you will need before purchasing.
InstallGear 4 Gauge Complete Amp Kit Amplifier Installation Wiring Wire
Need to install an external amplifier in your system? This kit may help. It provides all the needed cables and is available in different gauges for you to choose the best one for your use case. Just remember to ensure that the fuses and wires are compatible with the amplifier you’re installing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Crossover?
Most coaxial speakers, that is speakers that have all the drivers built-in inside the same casing already feature a crossover. If you’re using a component speaker setup, however, you might need to buy an external device.
Can I Install a Car Stereo By Myself?
What’s the Cheapest Way to Have a Car Stereo Installed?
Are Component Speakers More Expensive to Install than Coaxial Ones?
Conclusion
As you could see, the price for installing new car speakers will greatly vary depending on a number of factors, but we can put it between $250 and $650. We must consider that your car model, which car speakers you choose to buy, your location, and the need for any extra devices will all influence the price.
Of course, you can always install your car speakers by yourself, but the process is very time-consuming as we said. If you choose to go that route, we recommend that you study and watch a lot of YouTube videos before proceeding to the actual work. Also, keep in mind you may need a car stereo installation kit to perform the job properly.
If you’re looking to buy a new set of car speakers but still haven’t decided which one is the best fit for you, make sure to check the related articles on our website since we have a lot of round-up posts and reviews comparing different models and brands that will help a lot when you’re shopping for the product. We hope this article was helpful in providing the car stereo installation cost for 2023. When searching for an auto shop to install your new car speakers, always choose good and reputable professionals for the job. Feel free to contact us if you have any more questions about the subject!
Ian Sniesko is an experienced music producer and musician who loves to share his knowledge about the best audio equipment for making and enjoying great music. For the past 6 years, Ian has written extensively about the audio equipment industry and has contributed to many of the top music magazines.