Audio thread- to KEF or not to KEF?

[Nova]

Are you saying that will fit where the 6x9 is?
My friend owns a car audio shop and will do this for me just for parts, so should be cheap. I also have a year old JL 10” and alpine amp in a truck that I don’t drive, so parts would literally just be the fibreglass or MDF.

No no, I mean that a small sub like the JL Micro Sub will fit on the rear shelf, and most of the more affordable custom jobs will also just be building a small MDF enclosure on that space.

Now if you start talking fiberglass... yea, you can possibly build a custom mold enclosure to fit in the area where the current subwoofer is, though I am not sure there is enough room in there to fit it, plus an amp. It's possible that there is, but the fabricator would have to open it up and take a guess how much volume they can get out of there. What size sealed enclosure is your JL made for?

 

[Matt]

I think this KEF sound system is great, if you are used to other speakers after various EQ debugging, then you may not be used to this pure and original feeling of KEF at first. However, as you listen to more and more music, I can say that this KEF sound system, whether it is classical music or spring instrument pop or vocals, handles it very well, the tracks are very clear and pure.

 

[falafel91]

If you use Spotify and have the equalizer dialed in and then adjust settings on the KEF system, it sounds pretty solid to me. On par with my Harmon Kardon systems i have had on prior BMW and current Alfa Romeo…Just gotta play with the equalizer

 

[Jonas981]

No no, I mean that a small sub like the JL Micro Sub will fit on the rear shelf, and most of the more affordable custom jobs will also just be building a small MDF enclosure on that space.

Now if you start talking fiberglass... yea, you can possibly build a custom mold enclosure to fit in the area where the current subwoofer is, though I am not sure there is enough room in there to fit it, plus an amp. It's possible that there is, but the fabricator would have to open it up and take a guess how much volume they can get out of there. What size sealed enclosure is your JL made for?

Probably supposed to have a bigger space than available in stock space. That’s why I was thinking hugely wide thin box, but I’m going to let my friend make a recommendation first.

 

[Jonas981]

I think this KEF sound system is great, if you are used to other speakers after various EQ debugging, then you may not be used to this pure and original feeling of KEF at first. However, as you listen to more and more music, I can say that this KEF sound system, whether it is classical music or spring instrument pop or vocals, handles it very well, the tracks are very clear and pure.

I don’t have any problems with the main speaker clarity. The problem is at around 40% of higher volume, the subwoofer literally just clips and sounds like shit. Maybe it’s actually just a faulty blown sub if others aren’t hearing this?

 

[Jonas981]

If you use Spotify and have the equalizer dialed in and then adjust settings on the KEF system, it sounds pretty solid to me. On par with my Harmon Kardon systems i have had on prior BMW and current Alfa Romeo…Just gotta play with the equalizer

I’ve had so many BMW’s and even the HK in the M5 was pretty basic.
These high end cars really suck with stereos. My favourite upgraded stock was in my wife’s c43 and I actually had no complaints there.
The thing is the part price difference would literally max out at like $1000 for an OEM to actually buy great audio, but they just don’t, and then charge thousands for an “upgrade” to what a Honda comes with

 

[Beachbum]

I must be tone deaf, I went for a drive last night AC/DC & various EDM accompanied me and it all sounded perfectly ok.
I had the windows open, which will make a difference too, but overall, nothing to complain about in my case

I come from an Elise, so music in that was at best compromised, but the Emiras audio is massively better than that experience.

 

[Eagle7]

I must be tone deaf, I went for a drive last night AC/DC & various EDM accompanied me and it all sounded perfectly ok.
I had the windows open, which will make a difference too, but overall, nothing to complain about in my case

I come from an Elise, so music in that was at best compromised, but the Emiras audio is massively better than that experience.

I know, I'm not tone deaf but my KEF system sounds pretty darned good. I haven't touched the EQ, just did a reset, and mine has plenty of bass. I can hear it even with just having the news on and people talking. I can hear the bass tones in their voices. I haven't put a lot of time in on it, when I'm out driving I mostly just want to hear the car, but for some reason my system sounds pretty good.

It's really surprising to hear the wide variety of reactions, with some being good, some being okay, and others claiming their system sounds like total garbage. I understand that people have different levels of hearing ability, but this wide a range of assessments makes me wonder if there aren't some issues on various cars with either wiring, connections, installation, or even some of the speakers themselves.

 

[KJWEmira]

For people looking for options, or interested to upgrade the standard KEF Audio, I had posted on the thread KEF Audio Upgrade Parts - Now Available! to let people know we have now made the speaker and amp mounts available to purchase on ebay.

Due to the current amount of scams this gives potential buyers the opportunity to purchase with 100% complete protection and the options of payment via Paypal, GPay, Visa etc. There a currently 3 sets available for immediate shipping.

We are situated in the UK but have turned on "International Shipping", which to the USA is approx. £70 via UPS based on 3-5 days delivery time.

The idea behind developing this kit was for it to be installed by the vehicle owner that has the knowledge & capacity to do so, it will not take 5-10mins or half a day to complete. If in doubt please ask questions prior to purchasing, or should you wish this to be completed professionally then please purchase & hand over to an in-car audio expert.

Below is the link, or search for "Lotus Emira - Audio Speaker & Amp Mount Upgrade Package" on ebay.

Lotus Emira - Audio Speaker & Amp Mount Upgrade Package | eBay

Front and Rear speaker mounts, & Aluminium Amp Mount, allowing you to upgrade your KEF audio to a far superior system. The front mounts allow you to transform from a 3" speaker to any 6.5" speaker, and the rear mounts allow you to install any far superior 5" speaker.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Honcho]

I don’t have any problems with the main speaker clarity. The problem is at around 40% of higher volume, the subwoofer literally just clips and sounds like shit. Maybe it’s actually just a faulty blown sub if others aren’t hearing this?

This is most likey the air vent flapping and not the sub clipping. I've fix my vent and added some sound deadening and the bass is solid to max volume

 

[zoomdaddy]

Let me be clear- I’m buying an Emira for the driving experience (and its looks). However, even though I’m not a bonafide audiophile, I’m still pretty into listening to music while driving.

I had my test drive a couple of months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, including the engine sound (which has not been lauded universally).

I was only able to listen to about a minute of music streamed via the Lotus rep’s phone. I wasn’t that impressed with the KEF audio but I didn’t want to draw too many conclusions from such a limited experience.

Since my test drive, I’ve been eager to read reviews from those lucky ones who have had the car for a while. From what I’ve been able to find, the wide consensus about the KEF audio has been similar to mine: not a disaster but decidedly disappointing, especially in the bass response.

I’ve been told by my dealer that there I’m right on the cusp of being able to get a First Edition car. Some of the people ahead of me have cancelled or decided that they don’t want a FE car. I will likely need to lock in my build by the end of March and may have the option of getting a FE car versus speccing options on a base car.

As of this writing, base/option pricing isn’t available yet. If the KEF audio is a significant cost item over the base audio I might strongly consider the base system then doing some aftermarket improvements to the system (there also a few other FE options that I might skip).

I’m interested in thoughts on this topic, specifically:
- any further thoughts from Emira owners on the KEF system?
- is there something peculiar to this vehicle that makes it challenging to have good audio?
- is it a silly idea to get the base system and then upgrade it?

Don't waste money on alternative option to KEF and upgrading aftermarket. After almost 10k miles of touring, my KEF system broke-in around 4k of driving, delivering decent sound. My ultimate hi-fi listening is in my home, not my sportscar. Congrats on your decision to buy a truly special car.

 

[seriously]

This is most likey the air vent flapping and not the sub clipping. I've fix my vent and added some sound deadening and the bass is solid to max volume

How do you fix the vent?

 

[Orchardbike]

Personally, I think the Kef system sounds pretty good, with reasonably good bass. My last two cars were an Evora 400 and a Jaguar F-Type. The Evora had no bass at all, nothing. I added a higher powered amp and new sub, fitted into the same enclosure and got an improvement from zero bass to a tiny bit. The Jag had more bass than the Evora, but still not that much. The main problem with the Jag was that the head unit coloured the mid range horrendously. Anything above half volume and it was un-listenable (if that’s a word). On the Jag forum, the only fix was to install a full DSP after the head unit, to correct the frequency levels, then use multiple amps and new speakers to make the most of it.

As for soundproofing, this, in my opinion is the first step before you do anything else (but it adds quite a bit of weight if you do it properly).

For me, after the Evora and Jag, I’m more than happy with the standard KEF system in the Emira. If I was to rank them I’d give the Jag a 2, the Evora a 4 and the Emira an 8 (out of 10).

 

[Chriscpm]

I was going to try some soundproofing in the door. Does anyone know how to get the door panel off?

 

[KJWEmira]

I was going to try some soundproofing in the door. Does anyone know how to get the door panel off?

There are only two 8mm (or 10mm) bolts holding the door card in place, directly under where you'd place your arm while driving. After you remove these, simply (and gently) lift UP on the door card. Remember, you'll have a couple of wiring plugs to pull apart and the doorhandle cable to pop off.

Hope this helps

 

[Chriscpm]

There are only two 8mm (or 10mm) bolts holding the door card in place, directly under where you'd place your arm while driving. After you remove these, simply (and gently) lift UP on the door card. Remember, you'll have a couple of wiring plugs to pull apart and the doorhandle cable to pop off.

Hope this helps

Thanks. I was almost going to drop it off at a local car audio place. I'll give this a shot first. I think I'm going to try so tweeters too. They have a crossover. It look pretty easy to connect those to the wires going to the door. I just need to trace back from the speaker.

 

[Blackthought_]

I don’t really care much about the audio in the Emira but came across this YouTube video that I thought some of you make like. Really detailed about a shop approaches upgrading the audio

 

[Speedluvver]

I don’t really care much about the audio in the Emira but came across this YouTube video that I thought some of you make like. Really detailed about a shop approaches upgrading the audio

again - doesn't mention the centre speaker.... weird....

 

[KJWEmira]

again - doesn't mention the centre speaker.... weird....

It’s probably just been disconnected and here’s why I say this - I attempted to gain access to mine, and without removing the complete dashboard, it’s impossible…
The manual says you should be able to simply prise off the speaker cover - I tried, but it’s all plastic and very close to the windscreen, and so with parts not being readily available I decided to leave it be. There is no space to fit anything but another 3” speaker.
Leaving it connected wasn’t really an option either as the quality of the other speakers now installed would far out perform it.
Now with tweeters in the A pillars, 6.5” in the doors, 5” coaxials in the rear and a 10” sub, in my opinion, it’s really not required anymore.

 

[Honcho]

It’s probably just been disconnected and here’s why I say this - I attempted to gain access to mine, and without removing the complete dashboard, it’s impossible…
The manual says you should be able to simply prise off the speaker cover - I tried, but it’s all plastic and very close to the windscreen, and so with parts not being readily available I decided to leave it be. There is no space to fit anything but another 3” speaker.
Leaving it connected wasn’t really an option either as the quality of the other speakers now installed would far out perform it.
Now with tweeters in the A pillars, 6.5” in the doors, 5” coaxials in the rear and a 10” sub, in my opinion, it’s really not required anymore.

I wouldn’t say that. I removed the panel on mine to try to find a rattle. Used a plastic pry tool from eBay and it came off quite easily.