458 Stereo

Absolutely!! As a rider only, the sound is very very good! There is a thread started with more information.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=324781

 

To be honest I do not know what is in my 458. I suspect it is the lesser radio because while okay is not as good as other cars I own.

I just bought a car with the upgraded radio and have sat in a car by the same manufacturer which is the lesser radio and the difference is quite noticeable. I would buy the better quality radio system.

Good luck whatever you do.

Regards,

Lee

 

The stock one is not that good. My Porsche $1300 Bose system sounds like a concert hall compared to it. However, the upgraded one is nothing great either, especially considering the outrageous price. Even though I would not like anyone to touch and modify my 458, I think I would rather spend that $5500 on nice aftermarket upgrades by a high-end shop that will surely sound better than the JBL system. My advise would be to stick with stock and then live with it or go aftermarket with speakers and amps.

 

That is what I am planning to do. I ordered my car with the standard and plan on having the amp and speakers upgraded, including the sub. I sat in each car and listened to the same song and although the upgraded stereo had a wider frequency range and also less distortion, the stock system will be fine until I can get around to having the system upgraded. JBL systems are ok but their are many speaker brands that are much higher in quality.

 

I upgraded my 458 boom box to a after market JL Audio system - the outcome is fantastic.

 

OrionQuest, todo, interesting!

What did or will you change? Speakers only?

 

Sounds great. Can we see some pics of the job? I would love to know what is involved with the upgrade.

Thanks.

 

Fantastic install done by a Ferrari dealership approved custom car company (whom I have worked before with my Turbo)...
The stock Ferrari audio is dismal at best - my right speaker was vibrating and I decided to upgrade. When I was done with the install they gave me the stock speakers - they looked cheaper than 15 dollar Chinese speakers... no Jokes.
The install involved changing all speakers except the two small ones in the back.
They added two subs behind the front seats (the car looks pimped out) and I can see them shake when you pay loud... kind of cool.
I bass controller knob is under the dash I can reach it and crank it up and down but it cannot be seen.
The best part was the way they did the two amps which sit in the front trunk floor - they built a platform so we use the depth of the front trunk equal to the height of the amps - the carpet used for the platform and where the two subs are is identical to factory platform so it all looks great.
The condition I had with them was NO HOLES to be drilled period in the car and they did the entire install with NO HOLES - although if you had seen the car dismantled to install the system you would get a heart attack..
I can post pictures one of these days cannot promise when..
The best part is that with such a souped up sound system the 458 doors and cabin can stand all this sound without falling apart or rattling.
It would be easier to get a factory installed stereo I did not install this because I wanted to save money (cost 3000 dollars installed - although sky is the limit on aftermarket stuff) - I cannot comment how it is compared to the stock upgraded radio from Ferrari.
I thought the same when ordering the 458 - how bad can the radio be and since I do not drive it much and when I drive I want to hear the engine noise .... but I was wrong every car should have a great radio..

 

I plan on spending the same amount, around 5K but I know the end result will be pristine (well as pristine as one can get in a car, such a hard environment to get the right acoustics). I will most likely go with Hertz or Dynaudio, or JL Audio. Will change out speakers, amps, and add subs.

-O

 

Let us know where you get better electostats than the JBL Professionals. In fact, let us know if there even are any electrostats and where you can mount them, electrostats are not easy to mount, at least if you want really good sound.

Also let us know what kind of universal disc player you get and how many formats with and without multi-channel sources it supports. Gotta have DVD Audio and SACD, HDCD, XRCD, and lots of other lossless formats. And don't forget to tell us what kind of multi-channel amp, 5, 6, 7, 9, or 11 channel setup, that certainly would be interesting and if you can get all that for less than $5K that would be of real interest

 

The benefit of electrostatic speakers is they offer great imaging, not sound quality. I had a Sony sponsored car when I was younger. The number of speakers and amps to achieve acceptable imaging was ridiculous. Cars are the worst environment for imaging.

I have a set of MartinLogan's at home. It took 2 weeks to get the sound right and only if you sit within a couple of feet of the "sweet" spot.

Since most of my music is ripped with HQ VBR and I will be playing it from an iPod or the HDD I won't be using the changer much. I learned a long time ago that stereophile sound quality in cars does not exist. If I want to chill out and listen to music, I'll do it at home in the room I spent close to a hundred thousand on for that purpose. Music in these cars are just accompaniment to the engine.

To digress the worst stereo I have ever heard in any car was the stock system in my LP640. I don't think I turned it on more than once, and I am not joking.

I am sure the stereo upgrade is worth it if you don't want the task of putting a custom aftermarket system in the car. I just chose to spend the dollars on carbon everything.

More details on the JBL here. http://enewsferrari.com/enews/April2011/Options_Spotlight.htm

-O

 

Your Martin Logan brethren might take issue with this statement. I know the MLC would probably run a thread a mile long.

I have a 5.1 ML system with 4 CLXs and a Stage, I also have 26 other MLs in HTs throughout the house and so I might even take issue with that statement

But be that as it may, all joking aside, I took a chance on the upgraded stereo because of the electrostatic panel speakers and the carbon fiber woofers, and the multi-channel amp and universal disc player with support for my favorite formats which is what I have most of my music in, which is Hi-Res. I researched the system before I ordered it. The point I was not so cleverly trying to make is that the ungraded system in the 458 is not expensive for what you get and it is far superior to the Bose system which is included in the car at no cost. You get what you pay for with Bose

I realize lots of people are not in to electrostatic sound, I obviously have an addiction to it and after having the upgraded system for 8 weeks and putting over 1000 miles on the car, I can say it is one of the nicest car audio systems I have heard, but it might have something to do with the speaker placement.....which is in a 458 for cripes sake

Remember, the 458 is a versatile car. It can be made to be guieter than my Lexus which is great for music by the way or you can flip a switch and make it so loud that any amount of money spent on a car audio system is a total waste. For me that is just too cool

 

Fussing about the stereo quality in the 458 seems silly. How many of you are planning to spend hour after hour cruising down the road, listening to music in your 458, year after year? Likely none!

I have a $75K audiophile system in a dedicated listening room in my house. If I want high fidelity sound I listen to that, or the grand piano in my living room - not in the 458! Even the sound off the upgraded 458 system is limited in fidelity, and is of marginal value.

My suggestion: if you want better sound try burying your right foot into the carpet! Best.

 

Just a point of clarification. There is no Bose audio system option available in the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Gio P

 

I found that I didn't hear much from the rear speakers until I put the fader to the rear (-3 or so) just to bring the soundstage back a bit. Did you guys find the same thing?

 

Sorry, left out the word "type", as in Bose type system. In the audiophile world Bose is a running joke

Again, I know alot of you are not audiophiles, but it's harder to joke about audio, when you are

 

If you are talking about the upgraded system, try using a 5.1 source, hence the multi-channel amp.

 

For me, it is the opposite: I have the standard hifi system and I can hear too much from the rear...
So, the fader is set to +2 or +3.

 

Same here. I have it set to +2 or +3 also. The rear gives too much midrange for me.

 

I have the upgraded hifi, and I haven't tried any 5.1 sources yet (just stereo mp3).

 

No highs, no lows, it must be Bose.

 

Just got my 458 and have the standard stereo. Sounds very good to me. Also, above 2500 rpm, I can't see how any better quality audio would be perceived. Too much engine noise in the cabin for me to hear high quality audio above 2500-3000 rpm.

 

I went for the upgraded Hi-Fi factory option in both my 2010 California and my 2011 458. My advice...don't waste your money. If you are an audiophile, you will be dissappointed. Take the $5 (or less) and get your system upgraded by an aftermarket specialist. The 458 Hi-Fi system is better than the California's, but still not as good as what was in my Aston, Audi, or Porsche. Truly befuddled as to Ferrari offers such lackluster sound systems!