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-   -   Cars with really good OEM sound systems (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-entertainment/251400-cars-really-good-oem-sound-systems.html)

Hey folks!

I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile but do have a keen ear I guess. My go to system at home is a Marantz + Monitor Audio Silver setup - it sounds dynamic, warm and engaging! All at the same time!

So whilst test driving cars I do test out the audio on my go to tracks - David Guetta's Titanium, ACDC's Rock n Roll Train and Coke Studio's Paar Channa De and Nawazasheim Karam.

So here's my top systems as per my ears (the third is a surprising choice but in terms of VFM, just wow!):

1. Volvo XC90's B&W - fantastic clarity, volume and sound staging - the benchmark!

2. Mercedes E350's Burmester - great clarity, staging and volume but a bit bassy and boomy for Indian tracks

3. MG Hector's Infinity - fantastic staging, clarity and volume! Can't beat this for the price!

Excellent thread idea :thumbs up. Let's focus on the mainstream cars here, and those under 40-lakhs as 50+ lakh cars all generally have good sound systems.

- MG Hector: Love the bass, love the treble. Definitely one of the best ICE for 20 lakhs.

- Tata Nexon: Impressive sound quality for the price.

- Skoda Octavia & Superb. The Canton system with subwoofer is truly spectacular :thumbs up. Makes them a disco on wheels.

- For an open Jeep, the Thar deserves a mention here. The way they have placed speakers on the rollover bar is just awesome. Not good SQ when you compare it to a conventional car, but excellent effort for a Jeep.

- In the 30 to 40 lakh segment, the Kia Carnival (A+ sound) & erstwhile Ford Endeavour both made a great effort.

On the other hand, cars like the Honda City, Toyota Fortuner etc. really disappointed me in terms of the audio experience they offered. Maruti also needs to up its game, it's left behind in the SQ arena. The top variant Hyundais & Kias have decent sound, but not as good as the "Bose" branding would have you believe.

The aftermarket audio segment is dying with such competent OEM systems. 10 years ago, every car of mine would go straight to the audio shop for an ICE upgrade. Today, with such capable stock systems, there is absolutely no need for the same, or to rip open your doorpads in the aftermarket.

1) Skoda Superb
2) MG Hector
3) Let us not forget the Hexa : after a bit of tweaking with the controls, it sounds amazing!

It would be interesting to hear how does the Korean twin Bose systems compare to the Skoda sound with subwoofer. These are cars from the same segment.

At the same time, how does the XUV700 standard 6 speaker as well as the Sony system compare to the JBL in the safari. Very interesting to know if the 1.5 lakh ( excluding some money from luxury pack for wireless charging and 360 camera) 12 speaker Sony is worth the money.

Between the Brezza, Nexon, Magnite, Sonet; I believe the Nexon would have an edge.

Not an audiophile, but the 10 speaker sound system is my Endeavour is pretty good. Tight bass and excellent treble makes up for an enjoyable experience. As soon the you turn up the volume(above 10), bass is too much for most people. On the other hand, the music system in Ecosport S is nothing to write home about, its basic and need an upgrade even for an average joe. This side of 50 lakhs, I found XC60's sound system to be an audiophile grade, was blown away with the experience. Having said that, most mainstream cars under 15 lakhs have a basic stock setup.

1. Korean twins + Bose: average at best. Shrilly would be the right word. Very few cars like the MG Hector get the treble right

2. XUV 700: Even the Sony system struggles at high volume. Haven't heard the standard 6 speaker unit. The Safari's JBLs sound meatier but the touchscreen and infotainment experience is very lacklustre

3. Yes, Nexon has a superb audio setup. Sonet comes second, but only in the top spec with the Bose setup.

Kushaq ICE with the subwoofer offers superior sound to the Creta / Seltos systems.

I found the XUV700's ICE to be decent, but not great like the Hector's ICE.

The Superb Canton setup bass was too boomy for me despite tweaking. Mids weren't as amazing and sound staging was slightly flat. Still - much better than a lot of the competitors.

The 6 speaker system is no better. It visibly struggles getting the beats out! For that matter, my Creta's OEM speakers were damn good in comparison!

The 'L' speaker system of XUV is worth it. JBL system in Safari is very similar to a JBL headphone good for bass lovers. It has decent clarity in the first row , second row sound is significantly less (we have already inspected it) and 3rd row you hear only the subwoofer. You can hear the subwoofer loud and clear on the outside as well.

I love the 9 speaker Alpine sound system on my Jeep Compass. The front arrangement of speakers with a Center channel, flanked by mid-bass speakers sounds excellent. There’s a real depth to the sound stage and gets loud enough at around 40% of the max volume.
Mainly I reference car audio setup based on my home listening rig - KEF LSX monitors and ZMF Verite Open with a Chord Hugo 2.
And so for me, the Jeep passes the test:)

Haven't checked out the updated Jeep with the Alpine setup. Will do for sure now.

Even the Jeep Meridian reviews of the Alpine audio setup are positive.

Your mention of Alpine reminds me of my Alpine Type E sub in my Honda Prelude. That was crazy! A full party rig when combined with Infinity crossovers. A very sweet sounding system that was!

Being a big audio fanatic, I really prefer my audio over any features in my car. I’d like to mention a few mainstream cars and their audio systems which are appealing.
1. Hyundai Verna SX(O) with the Arkamys Sound System - Having owned all the previous gen Vernas from 2009, I will likely say that this surprised me. The Arkamys is brilliant and when you switch to Club or Live mode, the hall effect and clarity is supreme.

2. Skoda Octavia and Superb’s Canton Systems - Skoda makes the best VFM cars and when it came to audio, no compromises because the audio system is soft as I like it. Definitely a banger.

3. Ford Endeavour 10 speaker system - I personally didn’t find it too good at first but when I purchased my Crysta and Fortuner and started using them daily on 60km+ runs to my college and back, I realised that the audio in both my cars is disappointing and my friend’s endeavour’s stock audio is just supreme. No wonder Endeavour has a big fanbase, its loaded with everything and beyond.

4. Tata Nexon Harmon Kardon 8 speaker system- Probably a bit of a surprise when I listened to it at first, this is the first tata car I drove and actually liked. The audio system is deep and has crystal clear vocals. Good job Tata!

5. Jeep Compass Alpine 9 speaker system - I felt this car is too overrated but the drive quality is good and the music system in this a kicker. The bass is good and the sound is balanced and it is probably the best for its class.

Found the Polo's OEM sound system to be terrible. The music feels "dead" and "bland". It's gets worse when you open the windows - the outside noise makes the music sound even more bland. Increasing the volume improves things a bit - but I prefer the volume to be not too loud.

On the other hand, my 7 year old Verna's sound system is really good. Sharp and clear sound even at a low volume, and generally not affected by the windows being open.

I just can't believe that no one mentioned the Lexus' 17 speaker Mark Levinson system. This is available in the top trim in all of their cars I believe. (ES,NX) And the LS gets a 23 speaker version.