Do I need to invest in an expensive DSP/AMP for my car to improve it's audio properly?

[gamehawk55 10+ year member]

Hey guys,

I have a 2015 Chevy Malibu LTZ with the 9 speaker premium Pioneer audio system and I'm curious what the best/cheapest route is for me to be able to

A: Keep the factory head unit
B: Upgrade the power/add subs to the system.
C: Bypass and reconfigure the processing of the system

Do I need to invest in a super expensive install of something like an Audison AP F8.9 Bit ($1500+install) (https://www.audison.eu/products/ap-f8-9-bit/) or is there an easier and less expensive way to integrate into this system and be able to easily upgrade the power and sound quality and add subs?

The sound quality of the stock system isn't horrible, it's actually quite good and the imaging is pretty decent, but it doesn't get super loud and it definitely lacks bass. I think if I were able to apply better power and custom processing to the stock system, it would really shine. I just don't know if I need to necessarily invest in something as crazy as the aforementioned DSP/AMP to accomplish it.

Any insight into what I should be looking into for a future upgrade path for this system would be much appreciated.

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[blazian87 10+ year member]

You know in this day and age there's cheaper options out there. The dayton dsp is only $150 and it has advanced processing power that can revamp your entire system.

 

[gamehawk55 10+ year member]

Except the Dayton is only a DSP. Which would then require me to buy amps and most likely new speakers as well would it not? The Audison piece is a 9-10ch DSP + 8ch amplifier in one box and could theoretically process the entire system and send back more power to all the speakers in the system, possibly back over the factory wiring by bypassing the factory amp? I'd like to be able to minimize the amount of tearing apart the car that would be required if possible and also minimize the amount of extra equipment that would be required too.

 

[Slo_Ride 5,000+ posts]

Hey guys,

I have a 2015 Chevy Malibu LTZ with the 9 speaker premium Pioneer audio system and I'm curious what the best/cheapest route is for me to be able to

A: Keep the factory head unit
B: Upgrade the power/add subs to the system.
C: Bypass and reconfigure the processing of the system

Do I need to invest in a super expensive install of something like an Audison AP F8.9 Bit ($1500+install) (https://www.audison.eu/products/ap-f8-9-bit/) or is there an easier and less expensive way to integrate into this system and be able to easily upgrade the power and sound quality and add subs?

The sound quality of the stock system isn't horrible, it's actually quite good and the imaging is pretty decent, but it doesn't get super loud and it definitely lacks bass. I think if I were able to apply better power and custom processing to the stock system, it would really shine. I just don't know if I need to necessarily invest in something as crazy as the aforementioned DSP/AMP to accomplish it.

Any insight into what I should be looking into for a future upgrade path for this system would be much appreciated.

Lol, oops wrong thread