MODEL: Honda Brio 2012

TRANSMISSION: 5 Speed Manual

ENGINE: L12 I-VTEC Petrol

Audio System

Most budget cars come with subpar stock speakers, and the Brio is no exception. It had four door speakers and a cheap head unit (Mitsubishi Electric) that was solely responsible for amplifying and digitally processing the audio signal. Obviously, it was extremely horrible.

So the next thing I started working on was a sound upgrade. I bought a basic Sony amplifier (XM-N1004), a set of Polk Audio component speakers (DB6502), and a pair of coaxial speakers for the back doors (Polk Audio DB652). I also acquired Pioneer dampening sheets to lower NVH levels in the car, which improved the mid bass from the speakers as well as the overall sound experience. This was the easiest part.

I started by removing the seat and door panels. To ensure appropriate adhesion of the dampening sheet, clean all of the door panels and contact surfaces with Isopropyl Alcohol. I also purchased one roller to eliminate any air from between the contacts. I purchased amplifier wiring from Blaupunkt and speaker wires from Amazon (100% oxygen-free copper).

The wiring was more difficult than I expected; transferring the cable from dashboard to doors required a lot of work. I also needed to purchase universal speaker rings to secure the new speakers in place. It was also difficult to get the amplifier power line from the engine bay through the firewall. It took me two days to completely install the new audio setup, but I had a nice time.

OUTCOMES:

Positives:

1. Improved sound quality and distribution.
2. Reduced NVH and improved mid-bass.
3. I used High-Level Input instead of RCA cables, therefore there is no buzzing sound (clean sound output).

Negatives:

1. I wanted to preserve the OEM audio unit for the way it looks and iPod mode feature. It works great, although a few songs sound off (perhaps the stock DSP settings are fixed for the cheap factory speakers). The system will sound better with a new high-quality stereo unit.
2. Subwoofer should be prioritized above rear door speakers. I did the opposite. Without a subwoofer, the system will be unable to produce strong/punchy low frequencies/bass.