[Rickyrod89]

Hello I have a 2013 kia optima sx tdi and I wanted to upgrade the sound system . I don't want to lose any of the features like the stearing wheel controls, the blue tooth or the USB iPod connection so I won't mind keeping the head unit oem.. Can I just upgrade the speakers add an amplifier and a subwoofer would this be possible? Please any input would be appreciated

 

[OptimaDream]

There's a thread here where I posted photos and notes on my sound system upgrade: http://www.kia-forums.com/4g-2011-o...reo-speakers-recommendations-improving-3.html

Unfortunately it looks like the photos aren't showing up anymore.

I did almost exactly what it sounds like you want to do: upgrade the sound quality without losing any amenities or advertising to thieves that you've got a nice aftermarket sound system.

Here's the Cliff's Notes:
- Dynamat on the floors, doors, and trunk, plus Dynapad on the floor to deaden outside noise.
- I kept my factory head unit (the baseline model in the LX), which doesn't have pre-amp capability. This means I needed a line output converter, which is mounted under the front passenger seat. It is an Audio Control LC6. Factory wires run from the HU to the LC6, while Stinger RCA cables connect the LC6 to the amp
- The amp is an Alpine PDX-5 mounted to the backside of a back seat. 4 channels @ 75w, 1 subwoofer channel @ 300w
- My subwoofer is a 12" JL Audio W3 in a prefab sealed enclosure. Optimas have a place to install a subwoofer on the rear deck (8" or 10", I believe), and if you have the Infinity system you may already have something there. On my model, there an indentation in the sheet metal, but cutting would be required, so I went with the 12" in a separate enclosure.
- The subwoofer volume knob is mounted inside the center console bin.
- The front speakers are Infinity Kappa components, which come with crossovers. Tweeters in the dash, woofers in the doors, using more or less the factory mounts (the tweeters required an additional bracket to fit, but once the covers were back on, you couldn't tell.) The crossovers are in the dash behind the head unit.
- The speakers in the rear doors are Infinity Kappa 2-ways, again using the factory mounts.

This was a massive upgrade to the factory sound system, but it's totally a wolf in sheep's clothing. You'd never know it was aftermarket unless you saw the sub while the trunk was open (or you heard it). Plus, I got to keep all the factory amenities.

 

[Rickyrod89]

Thanks for the reply will defiantly use this as a guideline! Really appreciate it . Some pics would be great to bad they arnt working on your post .. If you don't mind asking what did the whole entire set up cost you parts and labor including dynamat subs converter the works .. I will most Likly take it into a shop because I do not want to mess anything up including the panels lol

 

[OptimaDream]

I got it installed at Car Toys. I believe it worked out to around $3000. $800 of it was labor. The extensive Dynamat installation took a long time and he had most of the interior out of the car to do it.

 

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[rwb1921]

My son and I just added an after market sound system to his/ours 2011 EX and it sounds a lot better than the stock. We added speakers and two amps which are in the trunk (installed on the back seats vertical) along with a subwoofer (lost some trunk space...). We kept the original radio so that does not have to be replaced to get much better sound. We had it done by a shop. Did not get the high end speakers but got reasonable equipment for a decent price. Hard to tell if a great deal or not. Have not really been able to compare with many places. I know better than what Best Buy was going to charge and was worried that they may damage inside.

It has made a huge difference in sound. Had way too much bass in the beginning and had to have shop adjust it down. Now sounds very clear with enough bass that car does not vibrate. If keeping car for a long time, I think a good investment to upgrade. I might do our other car since the Optima sounds so good now. This is the first time I have had an after market system put in.

 

[Jovial]

I built a system very similar to OptimaDream. I replaced all of the factory speakers with higher end speakers. For the rear doors I used component speakers which include tweeters which I mounted on the rear deck (midbass drivers are in the doors). Front dash and door speakers are both high power 2 ways. All of the in car speakers are driven by a 4x70W JVC amp mounted in the trunk. There is also a single 12 sub in the trunk which is driven by a 250W 2ch amp (bridged). I decided to also build a custom relay system which uses the factory connectors to sit inbetween the factory radio and the speakers. It allows me to switch between completely stock - powered from the radio itself (albeit with the upgraded speakers) to all speakers being amplified by the amps in the trunk. The good part is that I didn't make any cuts to the factory wiring so if I want to change cars it will be easy (I remove all of my aftermarket gear when I switch cars).

All in all it sounds great, I get to keep my spare tire and the ability to turn all/portions of it off are great for when I listening for long periods with the car off (I use my car a lot for business and often am on conference calls that last hours).

-jovial