I read about Reus Audio and their history with upgrading the Model S's stereo system. I've always been very into music and have upgraded the stereo in every vehicle I've ever owned. I will say that the existing system in the Model 3 is the best stock system I've had myself, and it's among the OEM stereos I've heard period. Nonetheless, my last couple of aftermarket systems sounded quite a bit better (as you'd expect from aftermarket equipment). Anyway, the model 3 was head and shoulders the best car I've ever owned in every other regard, and despite spending far more than I normally would on a car already (I'm frugal), having a very quiet electric vehicle only made me want to upgrade the audio to what I was previously accustomed to.
I reluctantly called Reus, fully expecting to say "thanks but no thanks" when the price was revealed. I talked to the owner, Rick, for over an hour about what he envisioned he may be able to do for me - he was open to using the 10" subwoofers and amplifier than I had taken out of my previous car before selling it and integrating it into my model 3. Anyway, without going into every detail, I decided it was worth at least exploring what they had to offer. I went to their facility and Rick gave me a quick demo of the special Reus tweeters and mid-range speakers (they have their own product) vs. the high end speakers that virtually all other aftermarket places would put in. I could clearly hear a difference, but nonetheless remained unconvinced - after all he could rig the amps to make his equipment sound better or could have been using a lesser competitive brand than he said he was. So I asked to sit in a model S with an almost completed full system in his shop. It was no exaggeration to say it sounded far better than any car I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of them. Now, I don't mean the bass was similar to the trucks seen at shows with 6 15" woofers, I mean it reproduced the music like it was meant to be heard. Every detail was there- crystal clear highs, excellent vocals/mids, and tight, accurate bass. I was sold. But $3K is a LOT of money to me and far more than I initially thought I'd be willing to spend on a car stereo. So I just told him the truth, that I badly wanted his base system but I'd need some time to save up the money and I'd be in touch with him in a couple of months. Side note - I screwed up and forgot to bring in my existing equipment to see if it could be integrated, and I needed to save every penny I could. Luckily, I knew what I had at home, and even luckier for me personally, he had only done a couple of model 3's before mine. So he sweetened the offer - in exchange for being able to have my car for an extra day to do R & D specific to the model 3 and use my car to develop a new series of systems specific to the 3, he would essentially give me his level 2 system for the price of his level 1 system. But I had to commit ASAP so they could do the R & D right away and be ready to pump out model 3's quickly as Tesla increases production. I sold him that in exchange for the discount, I would show off my car at superchargers and tell everyone how great Reus was if I was truly happy with my car when it was finished.
I saw the value and took him up on his offer. A couple of days later, he fit me into his schedule and 2 days later I got my car back. All I can really say is wow. I was hoping that it would just sound close to my home system, which cost about $5K to build (through much research and smart shipping). But that's a home system, surely a car system that cost $3K couldn't sound as good right? Wrong! To be fair, the car simply can't have the mid bass of a home system with towers that each have 6 5.25" drivers, but other than that, my car actually sounds better than my more expensive home system. I just laugh and smile the first time I hear a well produced song for the first time. It really is an experience.
You're probably thinking "good for you - you got a deal that I can't get". Well, yes and no. I am convinced that Rick will customize your system to your requirements, and may be able to do so for even less than $3K. Their commitment is to give each customer the best sound they possibly can in their price range. Still, sound of this caliber is obviously not cheap, so know that you will be spending a good chunk regardless.
Bottom line - I know the stock system is enough for most of you. It's a very nice OEM stereo. But if you really into sound, trust me, you need to call Reus. Rick or Cliff will treat you like a customer should be treated. And whatever price you pay for your system, know that its value will greatly exceed what you pay for it.
I reluctantly called Reus, fully expecting to say "thanks but no thanks" when the price was revealed. I talked to the owner, Rick, for over an hour about what he envisioned he may be able to do for me - he was open to using the 10" subwoofers and amplifier than I had taken out of my previous car before selling it and integrating it into my model 3. Anyway, without going into every detail, I decided it was worth at least exploring what they had to offer. I went to their facility and Rick gave me a quick demo of the special Reus tweeters and mid-range speakers (they have their own product) vs. the high end speakers that virtually all other aftermarket places would put in. I could clearly hear a difference, but nonetheless remained unconvinced - after all he could rig the amps to make his equipment sound better or could have been using a lesser competitive brand than he said he was. So I asked to sit in a model S with an almost completed full system in his shop. It was no exaggeration to say it sounded far better than any car I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of them. Now, I don't mean the bass was similar to the trucks seen at shows with 6 15" woofers, I mean it reproduced the music like it was meant to be heard. Every detail was there- crystal clear highs, excellent vocals/mids, and tight, accurate bass. I was sold. But $3K is a LOT of money to me and far more than I initially thought I'd be willing to spend on a car stereo. So I just told him the truth, that I badly wanted his base system but I'd need some time to save up the money and I'd be in touch with him in a couple of months. Side note - I screwed up and forgot to bring in my existing equipment to see if it could be integrated, and I needed to save every penny I could. Luckily, I knew what I had at home, and even luckier for me personally, he had only done a couple of model 3's before mine. So he sweetened the offer - in exchange for being able to have my car for an extra day to do R & D specific to the model 3 and use my car to develop a new series of systems specific to the 3, he would essentially give me his level 2 system for the price of his level 1 system. But I had to commit ASAP so they could do the R & D right away and be ready to pump out model 3's quickly as Tesla increases production. I sold him that in exchange for the discount, I would show off my car at superchargers and tell everyone how great Reus was if I was truly happy with my car when it was finished.
I saw the value and took him up on his offer. A couple of days later, he fit me into his schedule and 2 days later I got my car back. All I can really say is wow. I was hoping that it would just sound close to my home system, which cost about $5K to build (through much research and smart shipping). But that's a home system, surely a car system that cost $3K couldn't sound as good right? Wrong! To be fair, the car simply can't have the mid bass of a home system with towers that each have 6 5.25" drivers, but other than that, my car actually sounds better than my more expensive home system. I just laugh and smile the first time I hear a well produced song for the first time. It really is an experience.
You're probably thinking "good for you - you got a deal that I can't get". Well, yes and no. I am convinced that Rick will customize your system to your requirements, and may be able to do so for even less than $3K. Their commitment is to give each customer the best sound they possibly can in their price range. Still, sound of this caliber is obviously not cheap, so know that you will be spending a good chunk regardless.
Bottom line - I know the stock system is enough for most of you. It's a very nice OEM stereo. But if you really into sound, trust me, you need to call Reus. Rick or Cliff will treat you like a customer should be treated. And whatever price you pay for your system, know that its value will greatly exceed what you pay for it.
