It used to be routine to replace a car’s basic-level stock stereo system with higher-quality and typically better-bang-for-the-buck aftermarket components. But that has changed over the last decade or so.

Automakers’ OEM stereo systems have significantly improved across the board, and offer not only much better sound but also better value, even compared to spending the equivalent amount on aftermarket components(Opens in a new window) in most cases. And that’s without the hassle of having to take your car to a stereo shop and leave it for a day.

The biggest improvement in OEM sound quality has been in high-end name-brand OEM systems, which also usually comes as a high-price option. But in testing hundreds of vehicles over the years, I’ve also found that a prestigious logo fastened to a car’s speaker grilles(Opens in a new window) doesn’t always guarantee excellent performance. And this is true for other audio products as well.

I got a comprehensive look into this hearing-is-believing concept during a “Science of Sound” tour last week at Harman International’s headquarters in Northridge, California. Harman has built its OEM audio business on its core brands such as JBL and Infinity, and the company has added prominent names such as Mark Levinson, Lexicon, and, just recently, Bang & Olufsen(Opens in a new window) to its premium car stereo portfolio over the years.

‘Double-Blind’ Listening Test
A large part of the Science of Sound tour, led by Harman’s director of acoustic research, Sean Olive, consisted of critical listening to a range of Harman products—everything from high-end headphones to massive speaker arrays used at concerts—and comparing them to the competition. One of the highlights was a “double-blind” listening test of three different high-end home audio speakers. We learned after the test that they ranged in price from $20,000 at the high end to $11,000 in the middle, and $5,000 on the low end.

The speakers were set up behind a black, sound-transparent curtain so that we couldn’t see them and they also could be sequentially moved into optimal listening position by a series of motorized panels on which the speakers were mounted. We were asked to rate the sound quality of the speakers on scale of 1 to 10 using identical music tracks that played for a few seconds.

Even without seeing the speakers, it was easy for me to distinguish one from another based on their distinctive sound. When the speakers were revealed at the conclusion of the test, my ratings showed that I liked the least expensive one out of the three.

My evaluation was in line with another technology (and acknowledged non-audiophile) journalist who took part in the test with me. Olive also showed us results from a series of similar listening tests conducted using Harman’s own “trained” listeners, self-described audiophiles, and casual listeners across a range of ages—and their conclusions were similar to ours.

Of course, the top-rated speaker was a Harman product, and a cynic would say that the test was rigged to produce this result. But in other blind tests, including listening to multiple pairs of headphones that ranged in price from $1,200 to $200, it was clear that price doesn’t always guarantee top performance. (We’re looking at you, Beats.)

And on a larger scale, the Science of Sound tour validated advice I’ve given to people for years when it comes to deciding whether or not to spend extra money of an optional name-brand premium car audio system: trust your ears.