How do I shop for an aftermarket car stereo and installer?

March 22, 2025 7:45 AM

I have a brand new Ford Escape with a decent sound system, but it could be better, especially when playing hip hop and other bass-heavy genres. I'm interested in exploring having an aftermarket speaker/subwoofer system installed but have no idea where to start.

The Escape has a touchscreen that is CarPlay compatible, and I mostly stream music through Spotify. I'm not an audiophile, and I don't need the bass to be so heavy that it shakes the entire car. There is an independent shop near my house that looks like it does custom stereos, window tinting, and the like. Should I try a place like that, or is this something that a big-box store should do? Do I just ask for upgraded speakers and a subwoofer?

I have no expertise in stereo systems, so I would be at the mercy of the salesperson unless you can recommend some way to learn what I need to know quickly. I don't know what anything should cost, but I'd be comfortable paying $1,000 or more if that's what it takes to get the right equipment professionally installed. I'm not willing to buy something and try installing it myself.

Besides hip hop, I listen to things like jazz, steely dan, and neo soul. I'd be shopping in Milwaukee, WI. Thanks!

posted by crLLC to Shopping (6 answers total)

Best answer: I would absolutely go to the local shop and absolutely not the big box store. Basically if they're nice, professional, and within your budget then that's a done deal. If not, try another local.

I've been working on this thought, and this is a perfect example of it. 20 years ago, maybe less... No one was an expert in everything. You simply trusted a business or sales person and your instinct a lot of the time. Now because everyone can become a YouTube expert (not saying this is you) we all somewhat are victims of dunning Kruger... The difference is I see this not as a failing of our own self awareness but as a driver of like... Society's group anxiety. As we learn a little more we trust a lot less and this makes us struggle through routine consumer tasks.

I'd say give it a shot. Visit the store. Don't share budget, do share goals, and let them sell you a little.... You might meet a cool person, who has a passion for something and is excited to share that with you!!
posted by chasles at 8:33 AM on March 22 [2 favorites]

OK I feel bad. I wasn't suggesting you're doing anything wrong, just trying to give you some encouragement and confidence to trust a small business... Hopefully it came across that way!!
posted by chasles at 8:55 AM on March 22

Best answer: Agree with chasles - I'd look in your area for places which do car audio installs which have decent Google reviews, pick the top 3, and then go there with your requirements and see if you feel comfortable working with any of them, because even though they might have demo models and the like in store, that's not a really good representation of what they're going to sound like in the closed space of your vehicle, so yeah, you're going to have to trust someone here, and I think having a face-to-face with folks and comparing results is the best shot you've got at determining if they're trustworthy (vs trying to take advantage of your lack of knowledge/ expertise and trying to upsell you).
posted by 7 Minutes of Madness at 9:01 AM on March 22

Best answer: No idea how they augment the electrical system when the controls are all via touch-screen, but the go-to location for the auto stereo DIY-er is Crutchfield. Their catalog (and now, web-site) are very helpful, to see what's out there now, how much that hardware costs, and what the installation will require, for your vehicle specifically.
posted by Rash at 9:06 AM on March 22 [4 favorites]

Best answer: if you're willing to wade into a subreddit and get some immersion there's /r/carAV, with all it's quirks and foibles.

generally in my experience the big boxes are routinely avoided in the subcommunity. they might be able to do some simple installs adequately, but a specialty shop will generally take much more care to do a quality install, for a price. there's always DIY, also.

in general the aftermarket car stereo sector has undergone some morphs and changes as 1st-party car tech has assimilated more and more functions. as cars have integrated so many traditional standalone functions into the infotainment system, it is becoming less common to swap out the head unit (aka "the radio"). of course it still gets done all the time, but it's not the absolute obligatory step one of upgrading your audio setup like it once was. a lot of development has gone into ways to keep the head unit intact and take its output and enhance it up to "nice system" levels. also there are technologies that preserve the factory steering wheel controls for aftermarket head units and other stuff. as one might imagine, the complications vary greatly by make, model, feature set, and individual trim level.
posted by glonous keming at 10:20 AM on March 22 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the advice! I plan to stop by my local place this weekend to see what they say.
posted by crLLC at 11:16 AM on March 25 [1 favorite]