How much does car speaker installation cost?
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The OEM installed audio of your car isn't much satisfying, and you are looking forward to replacing it. It's is trickier to estimate the car speaker installation cost same trickier as the installation of the speaker.
The cost of installing an entire audio system on your car can cost you as low as $600. But you should go above $1,000 for a decent performance. The speaker itself, subwoofer, head unit, and amplifier add to the cost.
However, you can save a good amount of money, if you can do the installation yourself, which is, of course, not a wise decision.
The average cost for car speaker installation
On average, the cost for installing a car speaker ranges from $800 to $1,300. Within this price range, you almost get what you have intended for. But, don’t worry; you can also get the job done within $500 as well.
Meanwhile, the lower end model or less expense also means, you will get degradation in the performance level. For the search of decent performance, often users seem to go over the 1,000 dollar mark.
The installation cost doesn’t really include the labor cost. And by adding it, the entire cost can even go up to $2,000 also. There’s a dedicated section for the labor cost as well, and be sure to check that out.
Car speaker cost
The most crucial and interesting part of the car speaker installation process is the speaker itself. And to be honest, it's a tough task as well to choose the right type of speaker as it can cost from $50 to $300 per speaker.
There're some key factors that one needs to decide while choosing the speaker.
- The type of speaker.
- Size of the speaker.
- Budget for the installation.
- Car model.
- The number of speakers.
- New vs. used one.
Depending on the car model and the price, you will get three different types of speakers.
Budget-friendly speakers will never provide you with what you are actually looking for in your car's audio system. You have to move on to the mid-range speakers for decent performance with better sound quality.
On the other hand, the experience with higher-end speakers is superb. However, you should keep your budget in mind while choosing any speaker.
When you have a budget of less than $1,000, it won't be a wise decision to go for high-end speakers.
Meanwhile, you can still go for better speakers within a limited price range, if you have no problem with the used ones. A detailed discussion is there in the latter part of the article about it.
How much does car speaker installation cost?
The car speaker installation cost can range from $600 to $2,000 and a lot more than that. The more you spend the better sound quality you will have in the car.
But everyone has a specific budget for the audio system of the car and he should act according to that. Now, the installation doesn’t mean purchasing speakers and installing them in the car.
The process is a lot trickier than it sounds, and so is the installation cost. Let's check out the following chart at first.
Car speaker installation | Cost |
Speaker | $50 to $300 |
Radio head unit | $30 to $250 |
Amplifier | $60 to $250 |
Subwoofer | $30 to $200 |
Labor | $300 to $700 |
We’ve already gone through the types of speakers you can get. Now, remains the radio head unit, amplifier, and subwoofer. All these three are essential parts for the installation.
Moreover, the prices of these parts are similar as well.
Radio head unit: Head unit or radio head unit is the part that allows you to control the audio system of the car. For example, changing the music, sound control, turning on the music, etc.
Amplifier: It is an essential part of the sound system, as it transforms the electricity into sound waves to produce audio output.
Subwoofer: The more powerful subwoofer you have in the audio system, the more bass you can enjoy.
Used car speaker installation cost
People often ask me, used or new, which type of speaker should we go for a car's audio system. Well, it's a trickier question to answer because you have to consider a few things here.
- Used car speaker saves 40% to 60% of the actual cost.
- Ensures quality at a lower price.
- May have some dinks.
- May not be perfect from the outside.
- Serves better than low-end speakers.
The first and most interesting fact about used car speakers is that you can have a better and upgraded sound quality compared to the low-end or budget-friendly speakers here.
And the good thing is that you can get them with up to 60% off. However, it depends on what condition the speaker is in and how long it has been used.
Meanwhile, you must compromise the outer design, or look as it is a used one. But the outer design or even if it’s slightly damaged, won’t cause the sound quality.
Labor cost for car speaker installation
Many of us often ignore the fact that car speaker installation is not an easy task, and we need professional supervision to get the job done rightfully. Typically, a labor charge is $70 to $130 on an hourly basis.
However, you will have to choose from local labor and professional labor. Choosing local labor means a budget-friendly option, which won't cost you more than $100 per hour.
On average, the entire installation will cost you not more than $300 for local labor.
Meanwhile, professional labor does the same task but charges more than $100 per hour. The entire installation task for professional labor can cost you up to $700.
It's not the cost of the labor, but the quality of the work as well that matters here. A pro can do it with perfection, which you won't get from the local one.
Can you do the installation yourself?
If you are installing new car speakers for better sound quality, then you should better take the help of a professional. The reason is that doing it yourself won't bring the intended sound quality as you may have expected.
However, it may take a longer time than what it would have taken during a professional installation. Meanwhile, you can save a huge amount of money by installing yourself.
Also, keep in mind that every time-saving money is not what we need. Therefore, you may save money, but decrease the quality at the same time.
How long does it take to install a car speaker?
The length of the installation depends largely on what type of audio system you are installing in the car. It can take anyone from one to six hours to properly install a car speaker.
A low-end audio system takes the least amount of time for the installation process. On the same page, if you don’t care about the budget and go for a high-end one, it will take more time to install as well.
The installation period is directly related to the labor cost as well. The more time it takes the higher the labor cost will be. If you confused with which brand car speaker you can use your car, see the difference with JBL vs. Jl car audio.
Cost analysis
You know what type of car you own and which type of audio system does the car needs. Therefore, you can easily estimate the cost of the speaker installation.
However, the entire cost has five different parts to consider.
- The speaker cost
- Radio head unit cost
- Amplifier cost
- Subwoofer cost
- Labor cost
The first four are the parts that are necessary for the installation. A large portion of the total cost is typically spent on the speaker.
Meanwhile, you should also ensure whether to go for a new one or a used one. The reason is that used speakers in good conditions are a lot cheaper and serve better than new low-end ones.
