Base Stereo

Trying to get some info on the base stereo vs the premium hifi. I have searched the forums and it seems to be acknowledged that it is generally worth it to spec the premium system even though it’s not great. I have a perfect spec car with the right color combo but it lacks hifi. It also happens to be priced much less than most other 296’s. Most other 296’s with the HiFi are in less desirable color combos and 25k more.

I am not an audiophile but I do very much enjoy listening to music. Is the base stereo that bad? I hope to listen to a base stereo tomorrow but just wanted to get everyone’s thoughts.

Thanks

 

IMO, it is always worth spec’ing the quality hifi. For sure, it’s better than the base stereo. I mistakenly spec’d base stereo on 2 cars and wish I didn’t make that myopic mistake. Other than the monetary cost, the sound difference is obvious. I always spec a car now with hifi. Makes a difference in resale in my experience as well.

 

Are you looking to spec a new car? In that case, 100% get the upgraded stereo. If you are looking at preowned I wouldn’t let the stereo dissuade you from an otherwise good spec.

 

It’s a used vehicle. Love the color combo and it has everything else I want/need.

No question I would spec it if I was ordering.

 

I’d go for it. If you actually listen to the radio and don’t enjoy the sound you can always upgrade it. You may find that you spend more time listening to the exhaust than you do the radio (at least I find that I have the radio down so low as I’m enjoying the exhaust).

Figure for 5k you could probably improve the sound with better speakers and an amp. There are a number of threads in the 458/488/f8 sub forum where people have done that.

 

The base stereo audio breaks up at anything more than lowest volume making it unusable when the car is moving at any reasonable speed (that’s a good thing in some circumstances!) my rating it an F while the upgrade is a B- in sound and is acceptable. It is nowhere near the Burmeister/Naim/B&W/B&O systems out there but at least it’s not embarrassing.


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for a few thousand dollars you can put in a hidden system using the factory mounting points that will blow away the "upgraded" hifi system Ferrari uses. Like not even close. Talk to Mike @ Scuderia Audio, not sure his 296 stuff is ready yet but it can't be far away. Running a version of his preferred setup in my F8S with Focal components and it's fantastic. At least on the prior cars, the base audio system is actually the preferred starting point as it's easier to swap out.

@SoftwareDrone Mike, would be great to get an update for the board of where you are on the 296? My GTS is coming soon and needs speakers

 

I’m sure aftermarket parts are superior to anything you can get from Ferrari but I’m usually loathe to switch anything from stock for fear of voiding the warranty. I prefer to leave the car completely stock.

I guess it would be hard for audio equipment to affect anything important but touching anything on my McLaren is a big no no as they look to void your warranty.

 

There is a JBL system out of a 296 on Ebay, has anyone had work done on their audio system to know how hard it would be to replace the speakers. The doors don't look that bad but curious how deep you would have to dig into the dash to replace others, and the amp.

 

I heard the spec audio system in the car I demo'd, and I would say it's really bad. That being said, I don't think it would stop me from buying an otherwise perfect car. If you hate it that much, it can be corrected for less than what the factory system costs. Or maybe even call a dealer, I bet they could install the upgraded system aftermarket. It will cost you, but with the rest of the car being perfect and at a good price, might be worth it.

 

I agree if you are going aftermarket then get the base system- no need to spend extra.
As Ferraris get quieter the need for a better sound system will probably become a necessity. Until now after 10+ years of owning Ferraris I have used the audio systems perhaps a half a dozen times- preferring the induction and exhaust sounds. As the new cars get quieter that may change for me


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Swapping out speakers and a small amp does not void the warranty - oh my.

 

Does anyone know how involved it is to swap out the base speakers for the JBL or aftermarket on the 296?

 

Very, very easy on the 458/488/F8. And you wouldn't put in the slightly above crappy JBL system, you'd do something far better.

Amplifier Ferrari | Scuderiaaudio.com

literally take out the old speakers and pop in the new, minimal wiring and work. I'm hoping @SoftwareDrone Mike replies on this as I don't know where he is on 296 development, and the stock system is terrible. I'm running Focal's on my F8 Spider and even with the top down and at speed, it's perfect (well, as much as you are going to get on a convertible).

 

Base stereo in a Ferrari is terrible. Premium is just OK.

 

Had a chance to listen to both yesterday. Just like everyone said, base was terrible and premium was slightly better but is a must have because of how bad the base was. Will have to wait a bit for a hifi equipped car to fall into my price range. Thanks for all your comments and suggestions.

 

BUMP- if anyone has any info let me know. these cars are testy with all the hybrid stuff. would love to upgrade my base system.

 

My car is optioned with the Hi-Fi Stereo. I had a loaner 296 with the base stereo before taking delivery of mine. The upgraded audio is certainly worth it IMO.

My first 812 had the base, second had the upgraded. Same suggestion there.
My 488 had base stereo and was fine (albeit lacking in bass notes).
Both of my F8 cars had premium sound and was worth it.

These are just my data points. I was a professional musician in my younger days so my tonal sensitivity is higher than most.

 

Ferrari base stereos might be the worst in the industry. I've had better in my 1989 Honda Accord. The JBL upgrade is not great, but much better than the base. It's a must option IMO.

 

yeah i kind of dropped the ball on this one. i like my music and did not spec hi fi on my car - which gets here soon. i should have learned more about how bad the base system is. one would assume that simply upgrading the speakers might help substantially and that should not impact the electrical in any way. does any one know the speaker sizes on the base system and how many of each there are?

 

Do these come with a radio now?

 

Yes, sorry for the delay. I am absolutely buried with orders right now (9 orders deep).
As with all of these late model Ferraris, it's much easier to install a high end aftermarket car audio system if you do not have the hi-fi option. Most of the late model amplifiers are digital, which means the volume, fader, balance, etc. all go through the CanBus. The Lo-Fi cars do not have an external amplifier, so you just tap into the speaker output wires coming out of the NIT and send the signal through a high quality aftermarket amp (preferably one with a built in digital signal processor).

Regarding the 296 in particular, I am right in the middle of development efforts for stereo upgrades. Here is where I am as of today:
1. Door speakers: I have 3D printed midrange adapter fixtures that will allow you to install Focal base model or high end Kevlar drivers in the doors. I also have OEM style 3D printed electrical connectors so you won't have to cut the speaker wires in the doors.
2. Dash tweeters: I have a 3D printed design that will allow you to swap out the factory tweeters with aftermarket units. However, I need to test fit them to see if this design will work. Specifically, there is a small bracket that the tweeter bolts to that itself bolts to the dash. I need to find out if this small bracket can be temporarily removed (i.e. unbolted from the dash). If it can, then this design will work. If it cannot, I need to come up with a new design.
3. Amplifier upgrade plug and play harness: The model number for the 296 NIT is E005. This NIT can also be found in the Roma and the SF 90. I need some close up pictures of the electrical connectors (specifically, the 12 pin connector) that plugs into the NIT so I can source these connectors (male and female). Once I do this, then designing the rest of the harness is easy.

To summarize, once I can get my hands on an actual car, I can complete my development efforts in just a few short days.
I am offering a free system to anyone who can help me with either the tweeter bracket information and/or the NIT connections.

 

You need to hear a base stereo in a EVO, STO, Tecnica or Sterrato. It's like listening to music from the speaker on your phone with the noise of a NA V10 behind you.

 

BRILLIANT wish i had my car right now so i could take you up on the offer. can anyone chip in and opine?

would it be complicated to install the amp (like a dash disassembly) and any specs on it? a lo power amp might be best so it has minimal interference/power draw from the hybrid system?

 

For the 458/488/F8, I have an AutoCAD designed, laser cut aluminum bracket that allows you to mount the amplifier right above the car battery as there is tons of room up there. And since it's also very close to the NIT, the wiring is simple. This is another thing I need to check when getting hands on a 296.
The amp I've been using for these applications is a Mosconi 6 channel DSP amplifier. It provides 50 Watts per channel for channels 1 through 4, then 230 Watts of bridged power for the subwoofer. However, I cannot see yet how I'm going to be able to design a subwoofer enclosure for this car, at least at first glance. The area behind the seats is not a flat "shelf" in front of the firewall, it's all sculpted. It's beautiful, but I need more time with the car to come up with a creative solution.