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Edmunds.com

Acura ranked top sound system among six luxury brands

"For decades the car audio aftermarket offered consumers the best possible sound and bang for the buck. But getting a high-end system installed in a car usually meant dropping several thousand dollars and waiting days or even weeks for the finished product to roll out of a stereo shop. Plus, the vehicle would likely be irrevocably altered, and the owner would have to deal with warranty issues and decide whether to rip the stereo out or sell it as is when it came time to part with the car.

While the aftermarket still offers the most flexibility and the absolute ultimate in sound quality, automakers' audio offerings have now ramped up to the point where the tables have turned. It's now possible to get great sound and better value from a stock stereo system. Although this applies across almost every vehicle segment, it's particularly relevant to luxury car shoppers.

Branded "premium" systems have been around since Bose first appeared in high-end GM cars almost 30 years ago, but the past few years have seen a proliferation of partnerships between luxury automakers and audio manufacturers. To find out how the best OEM audio brands compare, we gathered six vehicles with top-of-the-line systems and put them through a battery of listening tests over the course of several days."

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