OEM Car Audio Systems: From the Absolute Basic to the Totally Ridiculous

As of this writing, the world of in-car audio is more diverse than ever before, with new vehicles in the US market coming with at least four speakers by default. Even the lowliest of the low among econoboxes feature a quartet of electroacoustic transducers for converting electrical signal into mechanical vibration.

At the other end of the spectrum, you might be surprised to hear that certain automakers offer well over 30 speakers. The 223-series Mercedes S-Class comes to mind, with the fanciest audio system available on the Sonderklasse comprising 31 speakers from Schoneberg-based Burmester Audiosysteme.

Be that as it may, 31 isn't the highest that OEM car audio systems can go. That title goes to the Cadillac brand and AKG with the 40-speaker Escalade, but more on the sport utility vehicle's high-end audio system later because we first have to talk about much lesser systems.

4 speakers

As noted earlier, one- and two-speaker audio systems are virtually nonexistent in the US market. Everyone and their dog moved on to four, including the most affordable new cars available today in this part of the world.

The $16,695 Mitsubishi Mirage and $17,190 Nissan Versa are listed with four unbranded speakers, and this further applies to the $19,990 Kia Forte. All trims of the Mirage come with four, including the LE and Ralliart, while Nissan offers an optional six if you upgrade to the range-topping Versa SR.

Over at Kia, the Forte GT-Line and the spicier Forte GT offer six as well. Only the GT Manual sweetens the deal to eight as standard. The Harman Kardon Premium Audio system with Clari-Fi technology is optionally available on the GT-Line and two-pedal GT if you specify the $1,400 GT-Line Premium Package and $1,900 GT GT2 Package.

6 speakers

Audiophiles know very well that OEM four-speaker audio systems do not sound remarkably well. To the detriment of audio quality, production costs matter a helluva lot more this low on the food chain. The same can also be said about automobiles with six transducers, of which the Ford Maverick stands out from the standpoint of costs.

More specifically, Ford Motor Company produces the compact-sized truck in Mexico rather than in the United States of America due to significantly lower wages. The Dearborn-based automaker does not name the supplier of the speakers in question, but we do know that the Lariat grade features an eight-speaker arrangement from Bang & Olufsen.

Chevrolet's mid-size Colorado and Ram's full-size 1500 feature six audio speakers from the outset as well. The Colorado is available with a seven-speaker Bose premium audio system, whereas the light-duty Ram truck offers three higher-end systems. In the order of specialness, the list kicks off with a 10-speaker Alpine system. The next level up is 19 from Harman Kardon, whereas the Ram 1500 Tungsten benefits from a Tungsten-exclusive 23 speakers from the folks at Klipsch.

8 speakers

Similar to the Maverick, the mid-size Honda Ridgeline is a unibody truck. But in stark contrast to Ford's entry-level pickup, the Honda features a standard 215-watt system with seven speakers (including one subwoofer). The Black Edition grade steps up to eight and 540 watts. Although Honda calls it premium audio, the Japanese automaker does not give the supplier's name.

Toyota's only minivan for the US market is also available with eight speakers for the 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, up from the standard six speakers. The Sienna can also be had with 12 speakers from JBL as part of an option package or standard on the Platinum trim level. It should be noted that JBL is controlled by Harman International, which operates as an independent subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

Our final entry for the eight-speaker crowd is the Mazda CX-90 sport utility vehicle. A three-row affair with seating for six, seven, or eight peeps, the largest SUV from Mazda ships with an eight-speaker audio system with automatic level control. The only alternative is 12 speakers from Bose, which also works with fellow Japanese automaker Nissan. The 12-speaker Bose system rocks AudioPilot noise compensation tech. It uses an interior microphone to continuously adjust the sound to compensate for wind and tire noise.

10 speakers

Whereas 10-speaker audio is the highest you can go in the Lexus UX, the larger NX sports 10 as standard. The RAV4's fancier sibling can be upgraded to 17 speakers. The available Mark Levinson system offers PurePlay Surround Sound technology and 1,800 watts.

Having earlier mentioned Bose and Nissan, are you surprised the lowly Kicks crossover is available with 10-speaker audio from the Massachusetts-based audio equipment manufacturer? Predominantly owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Bose Corporation built upon the previous generation's premium system by adding headrest speakers for the passenger's seat.

Nissan claims that it's a class-exclusive audio experience. As expected, the 10-speaker system is optionally available on the best-equipped trim available, that being the SR. As of this writing, the Kicks SR is $26,180 with front-wheel drive or $27,680 with all-wheel drive (not including the destination charge).

11 speakers

One of the most underwhelming electric vehicles on the market, the Subaru Solterra is best described as a Subaru in name and styling only due to its Toyota-developed underpinnings and electrical bits. Although Subaru made a case for standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, the Japanese automaker decided on six speakers for the $48,495 entry-level grade. Upgrading to the Limited or Touring results in an 11-speaker system.

Supplied by Harman Kardon, the premium audio system includes a 576-watt equivalent amplifier. Contrary to Subaru, the premium-oriented Acura brand advertises the MDX crossover with an 11-speaker, 8-channel standard audio system.

The Advance Package and A-Spec boast 19 speakers from Bang & Olufsen, whereas the MDX Type S with Advance Package goes overboard with a whopping 31 speakers. Harman International acquired B&O's car audio business back in May 2015.

12 speakers

Care to guess what kind of audio the Legacy sedan and Outback crosswagon get from the factory? The answer is four speakers for their Base grades, followed by six for the Premium and 12 speakers for the rest of their lineups.

Just like the 11-speaker audio system of the Solterra Limited and Touring, the label reads Harman Kardon. And once again, the amplifier promises 576 watts equivalent. Harman Kardon's 12-speaker audio system features GreenEdge amplifier technology, with GreenEdge being the short way of saying reduced environmental impact. In this particular scenario, GreenEdge stands for minimum energy consumption and weight for improved fuel economy over the vehicle's life.

The Lexus RX also features 12 speakers, albeit unbranded. A handful of grades, beginning with the RX 350 Premium+ FWD, are optionally available with a 21-speaker Mark Levinson system. For some reason or another, it's good for 1,800 watts, therefore mirroring the power handling capability of the 17-speaker Mark Levinson in the Lexus NX. Despite being a high-end audio equipment manufacturer, Connecticut-based Mark Levinson is owned by Samsung Electronics.

14 speakers

Infiniti raised a few eyebrows with the 2025 model year QX80, which is a far more luxurious animal than its V8-powered forerunner. It's also much techier, with the QX80 Pure and QX80 Luxe coming with 14 speakers totaling 600 watts. The standard Klipsch audio system further comprises a 12-channel amplifier.

Klipsch Audio Technologies was founded in 1946 as Klipsch and Associates. The Voxx International Corporation owns Klipsch since March 2011. Another full-size luxury sport utility vehicle with 14 standard audio speakers is the Land Rover Range Rover, with Jaguar Land Rover being joined at the hip with British firm Meridian audio.

The standard audio system in the most desirable of Range Rovers available today packs 400 watts, a dual-channel sub, Meridian Digital Dither Shaping (ensures smooth digital signal conversions), Cabin Correction (eliminates noise interference), and Digital Signal Processing (prevents distortion by limiting or compressing the peaks of loud passages). In other words, the Range Rover's pleb-spec audio is far more capable than other standard systems.

18 speakers

There are quite a few luxury vehicles with 18 speakers to their names, beginning with – once again – the Land Rover Range Rover. And once again, we're dealing with Meridian. The biggest differences over the standard 14-speaker audio system are 800 watts of amplifier power and 3D Trifield technology.

Meridian says Trifield mixes the center and surround channels with the left and right for an immersive audio experience. 3D Trifield adds height channels to the mix. The BMW iX can be optioned with a Harman Kardon 18-speaker system that includes four speakers built into the rear head restraints. They're joined by five tweeters and five midrange speakers.

The 18-speaker club further includes the Bang & Olufsen system of the GV80 from Hyundai's Genesis and the Bespoke Audio system used by Rolls-Royce. All internal combustion and electric R-Rs in production today benefit from Bespoke Audio's finely-tuned system.

19 speakers

Can you believe that a truck-based sport utility vehicle from General Motors can do better than a Rolls-Royce Phantom? The order guide for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500-derived Cadillac Escalade shows that you're getting 19 speakers by default.

UQP is the regular production order code for the AKG Studio audio system, which is standard for the Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport grades. Vienna-based Akustische und Kino-Gerate Gesellschaft is also owned by Harman International/Samsung Electronics.

If you want real AKGs, you're better off purchasing stuff produced prior to 1994, the year Harman International acquired the company. There is, however, an alternative in the form of Austrian Audio. Founded by 22 former AKG employees, Austrian Audio produces very high-end audiophile headphones, microphones, amps, and software. Unfortunately, they do not make speakers for automotive applications.

20 speakers

The plug-in hybrid Continental GT Speed, its convertible sib, and the Flying Spur Speed are offered with 10 speakers totaling 650 watts. Those who prefer something more special, as expected of a Bentley, are presented with a 1,500-watt Bang & Olufsen system with 16 speakers and illuminated speaker grilles.

For the most demanding of customers, there is the Naim system with 18 speakers in the Conti and 19 in the Flying Spur. The pièce de resistance is the pair of Active Bass Transducers built into the seats, with the Naim high-fidelity audio system packing a 2,200-watt punch. Listed with 20 speakers in the Mulliner Batur, the Naim is advertised by the British automaker as the world's most powerful in-car original equipment manufacturer system.

Although the Batur is limited to 18 units worldwide, you might be surprised to hear that said 20-speaker audio system is an optional extra. 25,000 pounds sterling is a small price to pay, though, especially when compared to the Batur's £1.65 million starting price.

21 speakers

March 2021 saw Lucid Motors publish a press release according to which the Air luxury EV integrates the world's first car audio system with Dolby Atmos. The British-American corporation lives and breathes audio technology, with Dolby Atmos being their signature surround sound technology.

Atmos can be simply described as height channels. In the world of mainstream automakers, Lexus offers 21-speaker audio systems in the RX and family-sized TX. The Mark Levinson PurePlay Surround Sound system is pompously advertised by Lexus as being "crafted by the same masters who engineer six-figure home audio systems."

Certain speakers integrate Unity technology, which is Mark Levinson's way of saying mid- and high-range units within the same structure. Lexus says the Mark Levinson PurePlay Surround Sound system is optimized for the interior architectures of the RX and TX.

24 speakers

Infiniti chose Klipsch for the QX80's top audio system. Rather than 14 speakers, it offers 24 and 1,200 watts of power. Individual Audio functionality distinguishes it from the standard 14-speaker audio system, with Individual Audio being a noise-canceling technology.

Luke Blaszczynski, the director of infotainment and connected engineering at Infiniti, made it clear that all 90 percent of the magic happens by means of software. But software alone does not mean quality. To this effect, the 24-speaker audio system uses titanium tweeters, a TriPower eight-inch subwoofer, and a 24-channel amplifier.

Special attention was also paid to the digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters. To create a true surround sound experience, High Line headliner speakers are obviously included. The 24-speaker Klipsch audio system is standard on the Sensory and Autograph trims, which start at an eye-watering 100,645 and 110,595 buckaroos.

31 speakers

Often described as much superior to the Acura-specific ELS audio systems, the 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen setup of the MDX Type S with Advance Package is playing in the big league of in-car audio. Six more speakers than the outgoing system is one thing, but that's only half the story because it also comes with Bang & Olufsen Acoustic Lens tweeters.

The patented technology distributes the sound horizontally with 180 degrees of dispersion, increasing the area of the so-called acoustic sweet spot. By focusing the sound in a similar fashion to an optical lens focusing light, Bang & Olufsen also reduced reflections off the roof and floor of the front-biased utility vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz AG, on the other hand, does not mess around with front-wheel drive for the S-Class. No fewer than 31 loudspeakers and eight exciters provide an all-encompassing aural experience in the German luxury sedan. Burmester's High-End 4D Surround Sound System incorporates structure-borne audio transducers into the seats, with the front seats also incorporating surround speakers.

35 speakers

We turn our attention back to Land Rover's flagship sport utility vehicle, for the Range Rover's top audio system numbers 34 speakers and one big fat sub. Land Rover advertises the Meridian Signature Sound system with lifelike reproduction, which is quite cheesy of them if you remember how much software is used by the vast majority of music producers.

The headrest speakers integrate Active Road Noise Cancellation technology, which – in combination with laminated front and rear side glass – eliminates unwanted noises. Also listed with 3D Trifield, the subwoofer and 34 speakers push out a deafening 1,600 watts.

At $107,900 before destination and options, the Range Rover is the priciest model offered by JLR's Range Rover brand. The lineup comprises six- and eight-cylinder lumps, along with two wheelbase lengths and a seven-seat option for the long-wheelbase Range Rover.

36 speakers

If 35 speakers in the Range Rover are not enough, the crown jewel of General Motors is much obliged to crank things up to 36 in the 2025 model year Escalade. Said audio system is referred to as UQH in the order guide.

The AKG Studio Reference incorporates 3D Surround, Navigation Rendering, Front-Passenger Volume Control, and Next-Generation Active Noise Cancellation. Available on the Premium Luxury and Sport grades, the system is completely standard in the well-equipped Premium Luxury Platinum, Sport Platinum, and the manic V-Series.

Escalade-V is the most badass Escalade that money can buy, for it's the only full-size SUV from General Motors with a factory supercharged V8. More powerful than – but not as torquey as – the blown small block of the CT5-V Blackwing, the LT5 of the Escalade-V belts out 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet (885 Nm) of tire-smoking twist.

38 speakers

Arguably the most exclusive model to make our list, the Celestiq features 38 speakers in the vehicle. Three more transducers live outside, and they're not meant for Daft Punk.

Speaking of which, Marty Shade of AKG used the French duo's music to fine-tune the 38-speaker audio system. Celestiq includes tweeters, mid-tweeters, woofers, and a subwoofer. This diversity of specifically designed speakers helps the all-electric model reproduce music with great accuracy.

Believe it or not, the system uses not one, not two, but a staggering three amplifiers. The amps power 30 channels. The listening experience is furthered by Vehicle Noise Compensation, 3D Surround, Conversation Enhancement, and Phone Zones technology.

40 speakers

The Cadillac Escalade returns with a simply absurd 40 speakers. Available in both the internal-combustion Escalade and the zero-emission Escalade IQ, the 40-speaker AKG Studio Reference system is bundled in the Executive Second-Row Seating Package.

ABV is the regular production code of said package, which includes a rear command center, second-row captain's chairs with ventilation and heated cushions, 14-way adjustable seats with power lumbar and bolster adjusters, 10-point massage, dual wireless charging, and stowable tray tables. The seating package is priced at $7,500 for both models.

Overkill or not, to each his own. The big question is, which automaker will cross the 41-speaker mark?