Upgraded Stereo for 550

please keep us posted on what you find out and what you end up doing.

bobafett and i have both looked into new systems from high-end shops (on either coast). they seemed to suggest the same gameplan: new head unit, one multi-channel amp, new speakers up front, leave the rear fill speakers, fabricate a sub enclosure to go behind one of the seats (bobafett's suggested driver, mine suggest passenger).

i talked to my guy for a bit about the gory details. he said that with the f-cars you have to be careful about mounting stuff like the amp and sub enclosure - they focus on tying it to existing structure, for example, they suggested a low-profile amp under the driver's seat, but it would be tied to the seat structure, not bolted to the floor. i didn't quite grok whether this was a "return it to OEM" issue or something about never knowing what's where on tehse things, but i'll pass it along FWIW.

i haven't done anything yet. their quote was outside the scope of what i was willing to spend. the good news is that ferrari didn't do anything weird that would preclude you from swapping parts out yourself to see what happens (unlike some manufacturers that tie the "system" together in non-tamperable ways like benz and bmw with their data buses or jeep with their weird speakers).

the factory bose system in my S55 sounds quite impressive. it's really not shabby whatsoever. when i jump into the 550 i'm so incredibly underwhelmed - the stereo sounds like s h i t e, not to put too fine a point on it.

and spare us the "listen to the engine" refrains, girls. when you're doing a 200 mile drive on interstates, the engine isn't going to keep your attention the whole way.

doody.