Cause Stock Sucks

It was always a known fact among mobile electronics professionals that every year the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) would try to copy a successful aftermarket product. I emphasize, "try," because pretty much everything they did was a step backwards in the evolution of sound and performance. At the same time it seemed like a new limitation to what we could upgrade was appearing with every model year. We always had our "difficult" cars, but in the early 1980s mobile electronics professionals began to notice new changes that seemed to be ramping things up. One day a Pontiac Sunbird appeared in my shop fitted with a radio that shared the faceplate area with the climate controls. The world stopped turning as installers everywhere wondered, "What am I gonna do with this?"

Just Cosmetic
We had encountered what I term the "Cosmetic Obstacle." In this case, the only reason why installers could not complete the installation of a head unit was that it would look bad when they were finished -- and that was normally the carmaker's claim to fame. Installers could not customize the faceplate to accommodate the new head unit and have it look good. Fortunately we had friends at American International, Ampersand, AAMP of America, Metra and Scosche Industries that quickly developed new faceplates that worked with the factory climate controls but incorporated the industry standard "DIN" radio opening. When these kit makers had solved the cosmetic problem, the installer's worst case was that the customer would need to wait a couple of months before the new faceplate came on the market. (Today, installation kits and faceplates are available to installers often not more than a couple of weeks after the debut of the vehicle, if that.) The Cosmetic Obstacle had been overcome for the most part.

It's Physical
A few years later we noticed the factory radios had been totally reshaped into very non-standard measurements. There was no chance that an installer could integrate a full-size DIN head unit into the undersized or misshapen radio openings, and I found myself referring to these as "Physical Obstacles." Examples of this included the first Honda Preludes with a bizarre little fist-sized radio that had a couple of concentric knobs that came out of the SIDE of the radio. At the time, there was no way to replace the radio -- installers went with a relocation kit to house a real head unit in the map pocket. Another example was the Chevy Citation and Pontiac X-11 with the vertical radios. A quick adaptation to a standard "900"-sized aftermarket head unit had that little annoyance solved. Seen the new Mazda 3? Definitely not a good choice of cars if you want real sound with a clean look.

Adaptation
Fortunately, the mobile electronics industry adapted as usual. Audio manufacturers delivered CD changers that didn't need to be mounted in the dash. A small controller was all that was needed in the passenger compartment to control a dozen CDs in the trunk or hatch. Alternately, good installers developed ways to modify the dash to accept the head unit while maintaining a factory look. Remember the S'Cool Bus in the Car Audio and Electronics issue last fall? We relocated the heater controls and joined its cavity with the radio opening to make a Kenwood full-size LCD screen fit like a glove. To really prove a point, we "morphed" the Kenwood into the dash so it looked like factory, but far better. This is a typical example of how a skilled installer can be your best friend! It is also typical of how we overcame another obstacle.

Another Hurdle
By then the carmakers had figured out that as an industry, we were pretty inventive. Their response was to introduce ergonomically ludicrous steering wheel controls that were meant to function with only the OEM radio. Talk about the height of driver distraction! Even so, car owners are not always convinced that they should ignore their steering wheel controls in order to get a better audio system, and really want the controls active. I called this an "Electrical Obstacle." My instructors and I teach installer trainees from all over the U.S. and Canada several ways to modify the steering wheel controls to work with any aftermarket head unit. If there is not an adapter available from the aftermarket, then one of several different modifications can enable you to interface the aftermarket stereo. Have a leased car that has to be turned in after the term? No problem. There are still vehicles where the obstacle has won. For instance, the late 80s Olds Tornado and Buick Riviera had a touchscreen cathode ray tube (regular black and white TV tube) in the center of the dash for controlling environment and audio systems. It was impossible to overcome, but fortunately the car was a relative flop. Name Brand Sound? By now I thought the carmakers had given up, because the latest crop of so-called "premium sound systems" had dual names like Chrysler-Infinity, Delco-Bose, Lexus-Nakamichi, Ford-JBL. Was this an end-run around the aftermarket by offering quality sound for a change? Not a chance. It simply was proof that you could put a gold doorknob on an outhouse and some people would believe it was a mansion -- especially automotive journalists. Would the involvement of audio companies known for sound quality mean that vehicle purchasers were in for stunning sound? I get a stomach ache every time I read the automotive section of any newspaper and see a new car review that mentions the "concert quality sound" of the factory system. Check it out next time -- I have not read a single review in the past two years that missed mentioning the factory stereo as something revolutionary. Quotes like "sounds better than my home stereo" must mean that their home stereo is a cheap MP3 player on a pair of computer speakers. I have to believe that these automotive writers suffer from hearing damage due to too many years with open exhaust headers or punched mufflers. I also can't escape the idea that these journalists have never heard (a) a real home stereo, and (b) a concert with better live sound than a bad garage band. Why would journalists and even the average driver think that a factory audio system sounds better? In the case of journalists I've talked to, I learned that they get free trips to international car unveilings, free "test" cars and other perks if they write good reviews. I guess that means I shouldn't sit by the phone waiting for my invitation. As for the average driver, in most cases they simply have not heard a typical aftermarket system to know that, for less money, it smokes factory systems ten times out of ten. The latest example in my mind of an insult to the aftermarket is the Lexus-Mark Levinson audio system. I won't buy a Lexus because I have been convinced that the car is not very good since apparently the Mark Levinson system is essential to help sell it. But who is Mark Levinson, you might ask? If you are over 40 years of age, you might recognize the name as one of the premier brands of high-end home audio (I mean, a preamplifier and 50 watt per channel amplifier for about 10 grand). Add a CD player (no, not a $199 Sears special) for around $4000 more, and you still don't have any sound. Add speakers for between $5000 and $30,000 a pair and you have a REAL audio experience. When I listen to a Mark Levinson home system, I see angels dancing in front of me -- listen to the Lexus version and I see my lunch again. Remember that the automaker is interested only in selling cars, not sound. If putting a well-known name somewhere in the car helps, so be it. I remember an Isuzu Impulse with a Lotus suspension badge on the fender. Did it compare with a real aftermarket Lotus upgrade? Not at all. The Escalade has a clock with the Bulgari marque on the bezel. I doubt it's a real Bulgari. It doesn't keep time very well, either.

Aftermarket in OEM
What about the limited edition Mazda MP3? This Protege was equipped with a Kenwood system, but here is the difference: the Kenwood gear was all aftermarket! And guess what, it sounded good right out of the gate. In addition, you could go to your local car audio specialist and add any aftermarket audio upgrades you wanted and it would perform beautifully. This was what I call "a platform for opportunity." If you own one of these, you should be talking to your installer about all the improvements you can make to this starter system made up of already superior equipment. When a true aftermarket system is found in any new car, you should have no difficulty upgrading with your favorite mobile electronics products. When it is a badge on the front of a factory system, you can expect at least a bit of difficulty.

What to Avoid in Factory Radios
There are some warning signs to avoid if you thought about adding amplifiers and speakers to the factory head unit of your current ride or a potential new car purchase. To begin: watch out for cars that have radios with processing that adjusts the sound without your control. Adding equipment to this type of system will ensure that it doesn't work right. Whether it is equalization that changes with road or engine speed, or compression or filtering, your only real option is to have the factory head unit pulled and start from scratch. Everyone would be better served if factory head units had a standard analog audio output via a couple of RCA connectors. Famed automotive broadcaster Bobby Likis once commented in a panel discussion that any carmaker that offered aftermarket upgrade capability would lead the pack. I agree. If the radio appears to be integrated with other functions like heater controls, factory readouts or anything else, pass on the vehicle. Or if the radio control or readout appears somewhere other than the head unit, the same caution applies. For example, the 2003 Honda Accord has the interior climate controls integrated into the radio. When the CD player burns out a laser or drive motor, expect to pay thousands of dollars to replace the whole unit, just because the heater and air conditioning circuitry is located inside the radio chassis. Worse yet, if the climate control system fails you are forced to buy a new radio. If you own one of these vehicles, buy an extended warranty or get rid of it the second the warranty expires. Note that it's not just Honda doing this.

Watch out for digital in-car networks like the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) such as in the Daimler/Chryslers, VW, Audi, Saab (made by GM), Aston Martin, Jaguar & Volvo (which are owned by Ford) and BMW. Also avoid the GM Class 2 Serial Data Buss as found on Sunfires, Cavaliers and almost everything from General Motors except the now dead Camaro/Firebird F-body cars. The F bodies had Class 2, but it was limited to engine functions meaning no limits to audio upgrades. You have heard about GM problems, right? These digital networks have a specific value to the operation of the vehicle, but in some cases they virtually guarantee you cannot add the electronics gear you want. Period. You are stuck with factory trash or nothing since some of these data networks will only recognize their own add-on megabucks CD changer. To be sure, simply ask your installer what cars are not recommended for audio before you buy one. There are many cars that are no longer on my wish list, just because I can't personalize them the way I would want.

Is This Legal?
Whether this is illegal anti-competitive practice or not is up to the judicial system to decide. I remember the Dashboard Democracy movement, which was geared to enable consumers to improve their rides with aftermarket audio without hassle from the auto manufacturers and their dealership service departments who would spout phrases like, "Install an aftermarket device and we'll void your warranty." I wonder what happened to the movement? A new avenue in which you can make your love of personal choice in mobile technology clear is by joining the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality at www.careauto.org. This is one of the main voices for the $200 billion aftermarket industry, and is separate from the Consumer Electronics Alliance.

Want a FREE Audio System?
I am going to propose a pretty radical strategy that will end up netting you a free audio system: don't buy a brand new car. There are several reasons why you would be better off to keep your current car or buy a pre-2000 model year used vehicle. We just bought a 2002 Honda Civic SIR for our students at Mobile Dynamics in Toronto for the purpose of building a show car over the next several classes. A new 2004 version of the same car would have been about $20,000 US and would include mandatory parts like power windows with auto-down driver's window, power doorlocks, AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers and clock, immobilizer theft-deterrent system, remote entry system, multi-reflector halogen headlights and 15" alloy wheels. We don't want any of those lame features since we can get better versions in the aftermarket for a fraction of the cost, but you are forced to take them if you buy the car. We got a 2002 with about 10,000 miles for about $8000 less. What kind of audio system could you put in for 8 large?

If you were to buy a used car, you automatically save around 30% for first-year depreciation. This means if you buy a car for $20,000, within the first few weeks it is probably only going to fetch about $14,000 which is a loss of $6,000 just for driving it off the lot. A couple of years old and you save more like $10,000. So here is what you do with that money: plan on a couple thousand and hold it as "major repair fund." The car is probably out of warranty, so you are going to pay for everything that fails. However, if you blew up the engine, warranty would put in a boring replacement, which you really paid for anyway. With your fund, you can have the engine well on its way to being rebuilt as a high horsepower cranker! When I blew the 383 Magnum engine in my 1969 Dodge Superbee many years ago, I "upgraded" to a 440 Magnum for only a few hundred dollars more. Sweet! By purchasing a used car, you also have the comfort of knowing about all the factory recalls and problems that have been fixed already, or at least you would know what needed to be fixed. A brand new car is a virtual crapshoot, where not even the factory has any real clue about what might be a design flaw until you find out. Used cars are known elements. Remember the Ford Explorer and its exploding tire problem? So you've saved about $8,000 that can be allocated to the modifications of your dreams. You have enough for a killer audio system, some video, security, and possibly aftermarket navigation, and still have enough for a set of cool wheels and tires. And since warranty is expired, you won't have to take any static from the dealership about all of the cool customization done to your vehicle. If they try to play games with you, go have your car serviced by an independent auto repair shop where the prices and attitude are probably much better. These independents are much less "by the book" and are often eager to try interesting parts substitutions. I remember a couple of independent Volvo rally mechanics that advised me to replace the smoked turbo in my 240 series with the externally cooled version from a 740 series. The dealership had no clue how to do this, but another independent did the install and saved me thousands of dollars from another guaranteed smoked "proper replacement." Be more selective in your search for a new car. I believe you will find much better value and enjoyment with a used car and all of the personalization you can stand. Besides, I don't recall ever seeing a bone stock vehicle featured in the pages of CA&E magazine. And why not? "'Cause Stock Sucks!"

Go to www.caraudiomag.com for an extensive list of "2004 New Cars to Avoid."

2004 New Cars to Avoid List

A recent trade publication put out a list of cars and light trucks that are pure heartache for anyone who wants to improve the audio system by going aftermarket. Some of these "problem cars" have already been solved by our friends in the interface manufacturing business, so if you already own the model listed, visit your installer for assistance. If you're in the market and you really, really need to have one of these 2004 vehicles, check with your installer first to see if there is any hope in upgrading. Otherwise, buy the car, eat the depreciation and know that you are just a clone while everyone else enjoys a tricked out ride