I test drove an 06 VDP yesterday--fully loaded and everything, yet I was a little surprised and disappointed in the Alpine sound system. The sound was dynamic and very clear, but the bass and subwoofer were almost non-existent. It had nowhere near the "shake and boom" factor that I have now in my base model 07 Fusion SEL.

What's up with that?

 

I noticed that as well with my x-type. The premium sound system on my car is great. Like you said it was lacking some bass so I installed a subwoofer to get the sound I wanted. Just one 10" sub was good enough for me. I didn't want some huge system that was going to be heard from down the block. Maybe you should look into it because it does make a world of a difference.

 

Yeah...I guess that would probably do it.

 

How much did that subwoofer cost you?

You installed it yourself? How easy is the installation for someone who has only gone so far to change out a taillamp?

 

well honestly I wouldn't recommend installing it your self but if you want to then atleast have a shop install a line output converter for you, then you should be able to take it from there if you have electrical experience.

The sub cost me about $80 Kicker CVR 10"
The amp cost about $90 ( really cheap )
Wiring kit about $40
So it does add up but it really makes a difference.

 

I installed dynamat on my floors, rear deck and all doors. Cost me $1000 all in. Sound from the alpine system is amazing. Road noise is also down.

In my case I made a deliberate trade off for ACM + Dynamat + 18 inch wheels instead of the navi. Of course if money wasn't a factor I'd have got them all!

In any case I use the audio controls on my steering wheel and use my iPhone navigator.

I'd have installed a sub if the dynamat fell short. Personally I prefer crisp over booming. The bass now is very tight all around and the speakers are completely vibration free

 

Was your Dynamat professionally installed or did you do it yourself?

 

Professionally. I've never installed anything by myself!

 

Well I still have the premium sound in my car, so I still get that crisp and clean audio. But I have a subwoofer, which if tuned properly can give you very clean bass like I have.
Its all a matter of personal preference, I like crisp clean audio and a suitable amount of bass so I have both.

 

The OEM disconnect here tends to be that sound engineers tune the systems. I used to compete in sound quality competitions and 95% of my friends who listened to my car said it lacked bass (the other 5% were also SQ competitors). At the same time, I led my IASCA region (PNW) in points.

Here's my theory... sound engineers and judges listen to the car in a quiet environment - mostly with the engine off. In that case, the premium system sounds pretty good and flat. Once you start driving, you need to ramp up the lower frequencies 20-90hz 6-9 decibels. Some of the aftermarket systems dating back to the 1990's and Volvo's Alpine-tuned system had that capability - but it is never seamless.

If you aren't a hyper-audiophile, your best bet is to just permanently add the 6-9 db of bass. It will sound bass-heavy with the engine off or when not moving, but sound better once you get going.

Doesn't really apply to you, but here is what I did - without adding a sub...
I've actually replaced my factory headunit with another and use 3 2-channel 50w RMS/channel amps against the factory speakers. I have the bass boost turned on on all amps and the bass response is acceptable - without an aftermarket sub. I like the way mine sounds now after I bypassed the factory fiberoptic amp.

 

Did you actually have the Alpine audio before you put that dynomat in or just the stock system?