Tesla Model S Stereo Upgrade for Jacksonville Client

A client from here in Jacksonville recently contacted the team at Audio Designs and Custom Graphics to inquire about upgrading the stereo in his 2016 Tesla Model S P90. As much as the client likes the vehicle overall, he was disappointed by the stereo system. After talking to him about how he listens to his music, we let him audition several speaker options on the displays in our showroom. Based on his choices, we designed an audio system upgrade that would not only sound great, but would integrate beautifully into the styling of his Tesla.

Model S Speaker Upgrade

The front door speakers were mounted on angled adapters.

The rear doors were treated with sound damping.

The Rockford coaxial speakers were a perfect fit for the rear doors.

The Hertz midrange speakers were used in the dash.

The project started with the task of integrating a set of Rockford Fosgate Power-Series T2652-S 6.5-inch components and a set of Hertz Mille-Series MP70.3 midrange drivers into the front of the vehicle. We made custom mounting plates for the Rockford woofers that bolt into the factory speaker locations and angle the speakers slightly upward. The Hertz mids are mounted in the dash in the factory speaker location, and the tweeters are at the bottom of the A-pillar trim panels behind the factory grilles. We treated the doors with a layer of sound deadening while we had them apart to improve the performance of the speakers and further reduce noise levels in the vehicle.

The rear doors were treated to a similar upgrade with sound deadening and a set of Rockford Power-Series T1650 coaxial speakers on similarly angled adapters. If you have a Tesla and are interested in upgrading the stereo, we sell the speaker adapters on our website.

Tesla Subwoofer System and Amplifiers

The amplifiers and subwoofers fit down in the rear storage area.

A key part of any audio system upgrade is the addition of a high-quality subwoofer system. We created one of our Phantom Fit vehicle-specific subwoofer enclosures. This enclosure fits into the storage well at the back of the trunk, so the cargo area looks completely stock. We used a pair of Audiomobile EVO 10 subwoofers for the enclosure because they play really low when installed in a small enclosure. You can purchase this enclosure from our online store by clicking here.

The system in the Tesla is powered by a trio of Rockford Fosgate Power-Series amplifiers. A pair of T1000X5ad amps power the subwoofers and the front speakers while a TM400X4ad powers the rear door speakers. The amp on the left is configured as a three-channel amp to drive the woofers in the doors with up to 200 watts each while providing one of the subwoofers with up to 600 watts of power. The amp on the right powers the mids and tweeters with 100 watts each and another 600 watts to the other sub.

Factory Radio Integration

Connecting the new audio gear to the factory radio in the Tesla takes some work. The factory amplifier has eight channels of output, making for a total of 16 connections to the Audison bit Nove processor we used in the vehicle. We test each connection for signal level, polarity and frequency response before making the connection. The output of the processor has eight stereo outputs and a mono output for the subwoofer for a total of 17 connections. Each of those is routed to the appropriate channels on the Rockford amps. Finally, we installed 10 runs of Stinger OFC speaker wire in the car, again, making sure we paid close attention to the polarity of each connection.

With the system wired, we mounted our Audison bit Tune tuning processor in the front seat of the vehicle to begin the configuration process. The bit Tune takes a series of frequency and phase response measurements from each of the 10 speakers in the car and calculates and equalization curve and signal delay settings based on the crossover points we configure. Once the process is complete, the information is fed to the bit Nove processor to ensure that this new Tesla stereo system will sound amazing!

Jacksonville’s Audio Upgrade Experts

The client returned to Audio Designs and Custom Graphics to hear his new stereo. He was blown away by the sound of the system. It absolutely rocks and is a lot of fun to listen to! If you are interested in upgrading your car stereo, drop by our store and talk with a member of our team. You can reach us by phone or by e-mail if you have any questions.