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Beats by Dre system

99K views 49 replies 13 participants last post by  Slandrew 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all.

I have a 2011 300 Limited with the premium 6-speaker Alpine system. The "premium" part is a joke. I test drove a 2013 300S with the Beats audio system while waiting on mine to be serviced and fell in love with the sound. I want it in my car without having to trade for a new one.

So, do you guys think it would be possible? I'm no speaker expert here. If the factory wiring doesn't plug up, would I be able to splice the speakers in like you can with aftermarket ones? As far as the sub goes, I know I will have to wire that up on its own. But my 300 already has a 276-watt amp and I believe I can remove it and install the Beats amp in its place.

Also, I am aware of the aftermarket route, but I do not want to go aftermarket. I would be 100% happy with the Beats system as it is exactly what I'm looking for and is not overkill.

My question really is, should it be fairly easy to install like aftermarket speakers? Meaning that if it happens to not plug-n-play directly with factory wiring, wouldn't it be simple to have a car audio place install them as if they were aftermarket units? Surely factory speakers don't have some type of way of blocking this type of install. Also, if the other 4 speakers are required for the system to work, I can get those and other parts no problem.

Your thoughts on the install are much appreciated. :)
 
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#2 ·
I have no idea myself, as its a 2nd gen model, but I do have Beats headphones and the sound quality is unreal :yup:

Heres the advert...........good things come to those who work, who work harder, who work later :eek:uttahere

 
#3 · (Edited)
Thanks. :) I have their studio headphones, they are top notch. I love them. A friend of mine has a laptop with Beats audio and it sounds great for a computer.

I have ordered all 6 speakers to replace my current ones. When they arrive I hope they will install with no wiring modification. Hopefully soon I will figure out how to take apart the dash and rear deck. I see there's a speaker grille for a 3rd speaker on the dash despite there only being 2 speakers up there, so that gives me hope that there will be a pre-made spot for the 3rd speaker when you remove that panel. If the rear deck is the same way, I will be able to install 2 more speakers. Then I will look around for rear door panels that have the speaker grilles and order/install the last two.

I really don't think hooking up the speakers themselves will be an issue...but I'm worried about how the amp is set up as well as how I'm going to wire the sub. I'm hoping the amp has all the same factory plugs as my current amp so that it will be a direct swap. If so I should be all set once I get the sub installed. The audio controls on the 8.4N screen are exactly the same between my system and the Beats, so I know the radio shouldn't have to be programmed.

If anyone has any experience with this or something similar some input would be awesome. I am firm on these speakers I just want to know if any possible car audio experts think there will be something tricky to this.
 
#4 ·
I also have the premium 6 speaker system and wasn't happy with it either, so I added an 8" sub with its own amplifier, which helped a lot. One thing I did notice during the install, is that the wiring for the factory sub was already in place. To use it, I would have had to replace the factory amp since the 6 speaker amp does not support a sub-woofer nor does it support a front center channel speaker. I'm guessing that the wiring for the front center speaker is already there as well, however the amp won't power it unless you splice it into one of the other front speakers. The amp we have is an 8 channel 276 watt unit. The Beats amp is 12 channel 506 watt amp. This amp supports 10 speakers. Three in front, one in each of the 4 doors, plus two on the rear deck and the sub. In order to duplicate the Beats system you will need to replace your amp with the factory Beats amp, or go after market.

Phil
 
#5 ·
Phil,

Thank you so much for that response. That helps out a lot. I am planning on purchasing the corresponding amp and sub too so the wiring already being there is great news! Although I have a 2011, hopefully it's the same as your 2012.

I was assuming the sub wasn't counted as one of the speakers and that there was a third in the rear deck. Do you have any instructions or tips on how to access the speakers/sub area? I'd like to go ahead and check for the pre-wiring.
 
#6 ·
The factory 8" sub is installed in the rear deck, so it is the third speaker in the deck. The other two are 6x9's. The rear deck can be easily accessed by removing the cover panel inside the trunk. It is held in place by several push pins and a couple of magnets. If I remember correctly, there are three behind the rear seat, three at the back and one in the center. The small push pins at the rear hold the magnets and don't need to be removed. After removing the cover you should see the hole for the sub. Mine was sealed over with a heavy metallic tape. Taped up next to this was the wiring for the sub. I did not install the factory sub woofer, but installed an after market unit. I under mounted it because the bolt pattern would not match the factory holes and I needed to use and adapter ring. I did not remove the package shelf, which you would do to install the factory sub, since it is top mounted with four bolts.
By the way the dash speakers are not individual grills. They are covered by a single piece which is held in place with clips and it can be easily removed.


Phil
 
#7 ·
I've had the Beats system in my car for about a year now. It's a good system, but nothing outstanding. Any quality aftermarket upgrade should easily be able to meet or surpass it. I went with it because I was tired of upgrading stuff on my vehicle all the time...I just wanted to buy it stock the way I wanted it.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Phil - Thanks again. I'm wondering if the Beats sub will hook up back there since that sub location is for the Alpine 10-speaker setup and the Beats sub is normally located on the right side of the trunk. I will have to cross my fingers and hope that it connects there. So does the dash speaker cover panel just pop off? I'm gonna try this stuff today.

Torian - yeah it's a great system. Even though aftermarket can definitely be a better setup, I do not want to bother with all the wiring and add-ons and figuring out everything I need only to possibly not like it. I went to my local car audio shop and tested everything out until I found a comparable setup I liked and it was going to run over $1k. With the Beats system I get a factory speaker upgrade only adding a sub and hopefully the other 3 speakers soon, all for about $500. I'm not a huge audiophile and the Beats are exactly what I'm looking for without having to spend a lot.

I was also tired of upgrading everything on my vehicle but when I bought mine the 2012s weren't out and I had no idea the S was coming with basically everything I could want in a car...or I would have definitely waited.
 
#9 ·
Zach2011,

You can upgrade the amp and add the extra speakers for only $500??? That's a pretty good deal. Interesting to know that the Beats system has the sub located in the right rear rather than the rear package tray. Does it have a separate amp for the sub? I wonder what if anything is in the sub location in the package tray. If their is a speaker there, then the Beats system would have 11 total speakers, not 10 as is commonly advertised.
Would love to see pics of a Beats sub.


Phil
 
#10 ·
The Beats system setup is exactly the same layout as the 10-speaker Alpine except the sub is in the trunk as opposed to the rear package tray. It has one amp located to the left of the steering column under the speedometer. The speakers are located 3 in the dash, 1 in each door panel (totaling 4), two in the rear deck, and the sub in the trunk. Following your instructions I was able to find the pre-wiring for the sub!



What a relief. Now I just hope it directly connects to the Beats sub. From the picture diagram on the parts catalog, the Beats sub (when ordered) may not arrive as a complete assembly. In the 300S, the sub is in an enclosure to fit just right in that spot in the trunk. In the parts catalog diagram, it shows the sub as the actual woofer only, no enclosure pictured. If so, I may be lucky enough to fit it where the factory sub location + wiring is in my car. I was worried I'd get the whole assembly, enclosure and all, and have to figure out how to wire it.

The sub is counted as the 10th speaker in the setup. Phil, can you tell me how to access the dash speakers? I see the cover but I'm not sure if I should take a flathead screwdriver to it and pry it up or what.

Also, here's a pic of the Beats factory sub:

 
#11 ·
Hi Zach2011,

Did some research on the Beats system and it has 11 speakers total, even though it is commonly referred to as a 10 speaker system, so it is definitely different than the 10 speaker system i thought it was. Here is the break down:

522 watt 12 channel amplifier
Three 3.5 inch speakers located in the instrument panel
Two 3.5 inch speakers in the rear doors
Two 6 x 9 inch front door woofers for bass
Two 6 x 9 inch speakers and a center mounted 8 inch speaker in the rears shelf for full range audio
one 8 inch Beats Audio trunk mounted dual voice coil sub-woofer with sealed enclosure for bass


The amp has the same number of channels as the 10 speaker Alpine system but is only 16 watts stronger, so I'm wondering if the sub has it's own amp?


Phil
 
#13 ·
Very interesting. The Beats sub has 1 wiring pigtail as opposed to the 2 plugs in the trunk area. Thanks for the info! As far as I know the sub doesn't have its own amp. The Beats amp is 12 channel so that should be sufficient. Now I'm back to the issue of wiring the sub to the system, which I'm sure is easy for an audio expert but not me. I'll also have to see if the 8-inch trunk speaker will plug up to these two pigtails I found that you pointed out.

If I can figure out how to get the dash speaker panel off I will check for pre-wiring. If its there I will order 1 speaker from the Beats system and see if it works.

I wonder if it would just be easier to do the 10-speaker Alpine system and go that route? I've never tested it out so I'm not sure what kind of quality it has.
 
#14 ·
BTW, I'm ordering the speakers tomorrow. I have a good feeling they will hook up to where mine do with no issues and will worry about the rear door speakers later. The amp will most likely be able to replace my stock amp but no guarantees. It's just something I will have to see about once I get it in the future. I cannot for the life of me find a part number or anything for that 8" speaker in the rear deck. I do not see it as a separate part on any part catalog.

I'll keep posting updates but I really appreciate the help Phil. Do you recall the procedure for removing the dash speaker panel? :)
 
#16 ·
Will definitely keep posting. Thanks very much for the video reference. I also just ordered rear door panels with the speaker grilles so I can install the rear speakers sometime. My dad is going to order the speakers tomorrow, as he gets a 25% parts discount from Chrysler, and I will have to wait until Christmas for the sub and amp.

The only issues I foresee are wiring. If the Beats amp does not plug directly into my factory harness, I will have to splice the connections. I just hope that the car's computer doesn't somehow block the new amp from working. Also I will have to figure out how and where to wire the sub.
 
#17 ·
Got bored and took off the dash cover. Turns out the hole for the middle speaker is there, but no wiring. So getting it wired in may be difficult. I might leave the dash as is..

I'm gonna start with "upgrading" my factory parts and go from there. Meaning I'll replace all 6 current speakers and the amp and see if that works well, then if so, add the other speakers and the sub.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Installed the Beats amp today - WOW what a difference! I was worried I wouldn't be able to use it with my factory speakers, but then I remembered that I do have "premium" speakers that, when equipped with the 10-speaker upgrade, use a 506-watt amp versus my 6-speaker 276-watt setup. So they're made to handle over 500 watts.

The Beats amp plugged in directly with no issues and made a significant improvement to the output of my existing speakers. Next I'll swap out the 6 speakers and see how much of a difference that makes. After that I'll install the sub (somehow) and then the additional speakers (2 rear doors, 1 rear deck and 1 dash) and I'll have the whole setup.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Just as an update I purchased (1) 3.5" "Beats" speaker to test out on my car. Here's what I found out:

The rear doors have mounts for the 3.5" speakers, but do not have any wiring ready to go. So it is not a plug-and-play matter and will require advanced wiring. I may skip out on those.

The speaker itself fits in the dash panel area, and to my surprise, I found out that my current speakers are the same exact ones as the Beats speakers. So if your 300/300C has the Alpine sound system, it is using the exact same speakers as the Beats system. The part numbers all match! I am going to cancel my order on the remaining ones.

Also, from speaking with my parts guy today, we discovered that the 3rd speaker in the rear deck (the middle one), where the pre-wiring was found (which was said to be a subwoofer in the 10-speaker Alpine system or a normal speaker in the Beats system) is actually a subwoofer either way and both speaker systems use the same exact part number. So once again it is not a Beats-exclusive part. You get the same exact setup either way.

What does this mean?: Our current Alpine systems use the same exact speakers/subwoofers as the Beats system. The only differences are the amp (by only 16 watts if you have the 10-speaker), extra set of speakers (if you have the 6-speaker), and the trunk subwoofer. So I will be installing only the rear deck subwoofer for the time being as my car is currently pre-wired for it. Later I will worry about the Beats trunk sub.

Bottom line: If you have the Alpine 10-speaker setup, then you really also have the Beats setup, minus the sub in the trunk. What a joke of a marketing method. I would consider it a scam, even. They are the same exact speakers and parts with the addition of a cool-looking sub.
 
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#20 ·
It seized to amaze me the marketing techniques they employ, including Mr Dre :ponder:

Anyhow, thanks for all that info, hope you are able to get that sub connected and all remaining speakers installed :yup:
 
#21 ·
Right? It's ridiculous. What Chrysler did for 2012+ models was rename the 10-speaker Alpine option to "Beats by Dr. Dre" and threw in a sub trunk. So for those with a 2011 model with the 10-speaker, just add the sub and you have Beats.

I am going to try out that Alpine/Beats middle subwoofer in the rear deck because it's only $35 and the car is pre-wired for it. But I am also now going to pursue the Harman/Kardon setup and see if it makes a great difference. I was able to purchase one of the 3.5" speakers for $30 though it lists for near $100 so it will be my "guinea pig".
 
#22 ·
On a related note, I have the HK setup in my 2012 and it sounds fantastic. It could use a little bit more bass, but otherwise a great system that I don't see needing to replace any speakers for. That said, is the HK the "stock" system while the Alpine (or Beats) the "premium" choice? If so, some of you appear to have gotten robbed on your "upgrade" because the HK is very, very good. It would likewise only need a trunk sub and upgraded amp to be amazing.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Thank you for your insight! I have never tested it out, but I am hoping it gives me what I want in a sound system without going aftermarket. But, for the time being, I will only have 9 total speakers for the system by replacing my stock 6 speakers. I am going to research adding rear door speakers as I already have rear door panels with speaker grilles. It may be a PITA to wire but I'll have car audio professionals do it. Then I'll have to see about the other 90mm's that I'm missing (1 in the dash, 2 in the trunk).

The H/K is the top speaker upgrade for any 300/300c. These "premium" upgrades from Alpine/Beats are less expensive options but are supposed to be upgrades. Now, if Chrysler was still offering the 10-speaker Alpine alongside the Beats system option, and made customers pay a lot more for the Beats over the Alpine, that would be a serious issue. Because customers would be paying ~$1000 to add a tiny trunk sub. But they removed the Alpine 10-speaker option, used the same parts, added a trunk sub, and rebranded it as Beats to appeal to more buyers. Which still surprises me, as I thought the Beats system had its own custom speakers. But that is the fun of marketing I suppose.
 
#24 ·
Factory subwoofer came in today. I installed it with no issues but it does not produce any sound. Since it is pre-wired back there, I am sure it is a matter of adding the channel to the amp by programming the 10-speaker or 19-speaker sales code to the car as my 300 currently does not know the sub is back there. I called the dealership and they sounded pretty confident in doing this on Monday so we will see. If it still doesn't work I will be damn near furious with this car.
 
#25 ·
Really? The HK is top-of-the-line? That's surprising. No wonder it sounds damn good. But what's funny is I had an HK system in my M3 and it sounded nowhere near as good, so I sort of put HK on a lower pedestal...
 
#26 ·
Depending on what year model your M3 was, the sound in the 300 is better probably because it is newer and has better technology. Maybe even more speakers, as 19 is the most I've seen in any car. My mom has a Cadillac Escalade and I believe it has 12 or 14. I used to have a Tahoe that had 10 or 12 speakers, whatever it was, it was 2 less than the Escalade and made no difference to me whatsoever lol. It had the Bose system.

I believe my H/K speaker comes in on Monday. I can already tell by its pictures that it should definitely sound different. From what I read, there are 7 90mm/3.5" speakers in the H/K system, each considered 2 speakers as they have integrated tweeters. So that plus the sub will bump my system up from 6 speakers to 9!
 
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