Recommended audio upgrade
Highly recommended audio upgrade! I found the base sound system on my 2022 Nightfall Edition to be dismal. I was apparently spoiled by the sound in my 2014 VW CC. And that was just the base sound system. When I was shopping for my Seltos, I found that even the upgraded Bose system was disappointing. So I went with the base sound system with plans to upgrade the audio on my own. It ended up being more cost effective and definitely better than the factory Bose system.
I originally purchased a 400W Kicker Amp and 10" Kicker Subwoofer in an enclosure with plans to have the enclosure installed in the cargo area by my local Best Buy installer. Buyers remorse set in right away as it would have been mounted to the back seat and would have taken up a significant amount of space. That's when I found the JBL Stadium Basshub. It's an 11" subwoofer that mounts in the spare tire. I looked and found nothing but positive reviews. I found the JBL Stadium Basshub on Crutchfield (and others) for $303, but the price has since gone up to $380 on every website. I ordered an open box (like new) from Crutchfield for $280.
Best Buy installed everything today in about two hours. The two installers had never installed that sub before. But already had it in place when I went in. The sound is PHENOMENAL. It's so much better than the factory sound system. I've included the pics of the installation. The sub came with a mounting post to secure it to the spare tire. The mounting post was a bit too long. If I had the tools, I would have cut off the mounting post to make the center thumb screw more flush at the top. My son 3D printed a space though, and it's now secure. You can see the spacer in the pics. The two installers on duty told me that the were both impressed with how well it sounded. They tapped into the rear speakers. They ran power cables from inside the cabin to the amp mounted in the cargo area. But they found room by the spare tire under the cargo floor. I bought an $8 tool bag from Harbor Freight Tools to stow the jack and tools by the spare tire.
Again, I was impressed and very pleased. The only drawback (at least so far) is that I can't drop the cargo floor to it's lower level. It seems fine though. I prefer this to having a sub mounted to the back seats.
FWIW, Sonic Electronix has the sub for $380 but you can get 10% off with the coupon code "JACOBVIRAL."
NOTE: JBL also makes the similarly named BassPro Hub. This other unit has a built in 200W amp. I decided to stick with the 400w Kicker amp but I would think the BassPro Hub with the built in amp would have worked just fine. Best Buy carries this sub, but not the one I bought.
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I originally purchased a 400W Kicker Amp and 10" Kicker Subwoofer in an enclosure with plans to have the enclosure installed in the cargo area by my local Best Buy installer. Buyers remorse set in right away as it would have been mounted to the back seat and would have taken up a significant amount of space. That's when I found the JBL Stadium Basshub. It's an 11" subwoofer that mounts in the spare tire. I looked and found nothing but positive reviews. I found the JBL Stadium Basshub on Crutchfield (and others) for $303, but the price has since gone up to $380 on every website. I ordered an open box (like new) from Crutchfield for $280.
Best Buy installed everything today in about two hours. The two installers had never installed that sub before. But already had it in place when I went in. The sound is PHENOMENAL. It's so much better than the factory sound system. I've included the pics of the installation. The sub came with a mounting post to secure it to the spare tire. The mounting post was a bit too long. If I had the tools, I would have cut off the mounting post to make the center thumb screw more flush at the top. My son 3D printed a space though, and it's now secure. You can see the spacer in the pics. The two installers on duty told me that the were both impressed with how well it sounded. They tapped into the rear speakers. They ran power cables from inside the cabin to the amp mounted in the cargo area. But they found room by the spare tire under the cargo floor. I bought an $8 tool bag from Harbor Freight Tools to stow the jack and tools by the spare tire.
Again, I was impressed and very pleased. The only drawback (at least so far) is that I can't drop the cargo floor to it's lower level. It seems fine though. I prefer this to having a sub mounted to the back seats.
FWIW, Sonic Electronix has the sub for $380 but you can get 10% off with the coupon code "JACOBVIRAL."
NOTE: JBL also makes the similarly named BassPro Hub. This other unit has a built in 200W amp. I decided to stick with the 400w Kicker amp but I would think the BassPro Hub with the built in amp would have worked just fine. Best Buy carries this sub, but not the one I bought.
