I purchased a 2014 XV Subaru Crosstrek for my wife last year - awesome vehicle, but the stock system was terrible. For Christmas this year, I wanted to surprise her by doing a full system upgrade.
On 12/1/15, I stopped at Custom Sounds to check out their Black Friday deals. They were really busy, but Dustin took the time to check out the Subaru and give some advice on what would sound best. Admittedly, the quote he gave me was a little higher than I was expecting, so I decided to just buy an Alpine double din head unit, 12" JL sub, sub enclosure and Pioneer 5-channel amp, as they were heavily discounted. Wanted to do some further research on component/door speakers in the interim.
This week, I decided to pull the trigger on the system install. I stopped by Mother's Window Tint & Alarm (across the street) to get a quote for install prices and speakers. 1) Their component/door speaker selection was pretty basic and 2) the guy I spoke with said he had never done a Subaru install, which didn't build any confidence.
I went over to Custom Sounds and chatted with Aaron, the store Manager. He checked out the Subaru and what I had purchased thus far, and said he would help me pick the best cabin speakers to pair with the system. I was set on a Hertz model for the component speakers, but he showed me a set of Pioneers on sale, which blew the Hertz out of the water in sound quality (in my opinion). I was prepared to spend a lot for the rear door speakers as well, but Aaron advised me that the difference would be negligible, and directed me towards a set of Alpine 6.5".
Aaron was extremely knowledgeable about the best place to hide an amp in a Crosstrek/Impreza, which was a bit of a concern given the size of it. Turns out, the area under the driver's seat fits it perfectly out of sight.
He then line itemed the install price for me down to wire harnesses, hushmat, etc. For anyone who has had systems installed before, you know that some places are more transparent than others. If there were any "nice to haves", he explained the benefits and removed any I didn't want (there weren't many). Ultimately, you get what you pay for.
I left the car with Custom Sounds that day, and they knocked-out the full installation by 5pm. Here's what was installed:
1) Head Unit (double din): Alpine IVE - W530. Synced to existing rear camera.
2) Steering wheel control adapter
3) Amp: Pioneer GM-D9605 5-Channel D-class with dash mounted sub controller
4) Sub: JL Audio 12W3 V3. 12"
5) Vented Sub Box
6) Component Speakers (Dash Tweeter + Door with crossover): TS-D1730C
7) Rear Door Speakers: Alpine SPS610
Brought my wife with me to pick up the car. She LOVED it. This stereo hits HARD if you need it to - the amp is no joke. Crystal clear sound in the cabin with no rattle or distortion.
She stopped by Custom Sounds yesterday because we couldn't figure out how to unlock the display settings menu (safety feature of the Alpine.) Dustin went out to the car and walked her through it - was back on the road 5 minutes later.
Aaron, Dustin and the install guys at Custom Sounds are legit. They'll work within your budget and are upfront about the cost/quality difference.
I'm sure there are other shops who could have installed this stuff, but Custom Sounds gave me the most confidence and had the highest quality gear and install process.
Highly recommend them to anyone and will come back in the future. read more