Just got my 2014 GT yesterday. I didn't upgrade to the shaker 500 or shaker pro or whatever because everyone said that all of the speakers suck. Maybe its because I'm old and haven't been around decent systems in a long time but I don't find that the speakers sound THAT bad.

I could actually live with the stock speakers but I really do want a sub woofer in the trunk. I've been listening to dubstep lately and I want to feel the base kick me in the back. So what do you recommend? Go back to the dealer and have them upgrade the system or go aftermarket?

 

The shaker 500 can sound a little muddy but that can be fixed. Go to an car stereo shop and they can find you a good solution. I have not checked into it but if the make a shaker 1000 like they did with the Mach 1000 I may upgrade. the mach 1000 was awesome.

 

Your overall performance goals and budget will dictate what will work best. A powered sub will be least expensive but not allow room for growth or expansion. A complete system will be expensive. Some people say you need sound processors and equalizers. If you can give me an idea of how far you are looking to go with sound and what range of things you listen to, I can give you some ideas. Also, is saving trunk space a concern?

 

very good points

 

This is why when I ordered my car I got the Shaker Pro. My only regret is a half regret, and that's just not getting Nav.

 

I have never heard a stock stereo that I would call good enough. I have always upgraded my cars to my liking do for me to get the upgraded factory stuff would have been a waste.

Subs and amps depend on how much you want to get kicked in the back. I personally have had MTX and Kicker. I have heard JL Audio stuff and was impressed as well. Always get an amp that is capable of 10-15% more power than your sub RMS rating. This rating is the maximum sustainable power your sub can run without doing damage. You want your amp to run below its max so that it will last and won't be blowing fuses. Everything comes down too money in the end.

 

smart move on not getting the upgraded sound. it's better to get the base speakers and just add a sub and amp from there. very easy and cost efficient to do on these cars and it doesn't have to add a lot of weight if you do it right.

i was on a budget at first so I dropped in a set of of Blaupunkt 6x8's in the doors and added a power hx2 12" in a vented enclosure with an audiopipe 1500d. it hit hard. i got greedy and turned up the gains on the amp and it ended up blowing the sub. now, i have two phoenix gold xenon 10's running in a sealed enclosure off the same amp but they're not hitting anywhere near what the fosgate was. probably going to go with two 12" SA-12D2's in a sealed box and hopefully that will cure my lust for bass.

 

I wish I would of got the shaker 1000

 

I've got the base sound with Infinity Kappa 3-Way's replacing all the stock speakers and a 10in Infinity sub in the trunk. The sub is powered by a little MTX amp with speaker level inputs and built in crossover so it taps its audio off the rear speakers and filters out the highs. Had to do this since stock HU doesn't have outs and I wasnt paying to upgrade that. Not a killer system by any means but I think it sounds better than any of the Shaker's I've heard. And I got the sub and amp for free from a friend lol. In my opinion a similar setup is the easiest and cheapest way to get decent sound from the stock HU.

Got speakers on sale on Amazon for half off cause they were last year's model, and even if the sub and amp weren't free they would have been around $225

 

I agree that the sub addition is a great way to improve sound. Crutchfield has an in house brand powered 8 inch sub for about 200 that is pretty good for the price. It gives you the option of removing most of the weight for any drive fast activities.

I disagree with the speaker choice, kind of. Kappas are my favorite car speaker. They are simply amazing. Good value too. I believe the require actually amplification to reach the performance you paid extra for. Without an amp, I believe the reference series from infinity will sound as good or even better for less money. This based on having worked as a car stereo installer and having manager been as manager at audio stores for over a decade.

This isn't meant as an insult. If you add an amp to your kappas, you will be amazed.

 

No offense taken. And it actually probably is the references I have then. When I got them last year I remember I went with whichever ones didn't need an amp to get the most out of them.

 

If you had the nav and got used to it and then didn't have it.. half regret would rapidly would turn into full regret Take it from someone who previously had a 13 without it.

 

Shop eBay. You get get a lot of good deals depending on your budget and goals for your system. A sub and amp is pretty easy to install and anybody with basic DIY skills can do it. Now wiring an aftermarket HU and four channel amps can get pretty complicated.

I have been looking at upgrading since I have the base system as well. I priced out an entire system for around $1200. This includes a Pioneer touchscreen with bluetooth, Kicker components, JL Audio 5-channel amp, and JL 10W3 with a custom box built for the mustang. My friend shop is doing the HU and it will cost about $550 including the metra kit and they are installing the components since I am not drilling the holes for the tweeters. I will install everything else to save on labor costs.

If you are looking to go cheap. I have seen a Kicker CVT 10", Kicker 500.1 amp, custom box for the mustang, and amp kit for a little over $300 including shipping. Pretty easy install and can be done in about an hour if you know what you are doing. Tons of write up on the matter.