Vehicle Guide

Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ Upgrade Guide: Sound, Response, Refinement

The GR86 upgrades most owners chase first are wheels, coilovers, and exhaust, but the cheapest way to enjoy this car more every single day is fixing what you hear inside it. This guide covers the plug and play sound, refinement, and throttle response upgrades we build for the 2022 and newer GR86 and BRZ, none of which touch a factory wire or void the clean install you bought the car with.

Why factory audio is the weak point of a great chassis

Toyota and Subaru spent the development budget where enthusiasts wanted it: the chassis, the steering, the seating position. The audio system got what was left. The result is a car that communicates beautifully through the wheel and sounds thin, flat, and strained through the speakers.

The problem is not just the speakers. The factory head unit sends a low powered, heavily shaped signal, and the cabin itself is a small, lightly insulated box that lets in a lot of road noise. Turn the volume up to cover the tire roar and the system distorts. Turn it down and the music disappears under the drone.

That is why our approach targets both sides of the equation: more clean power with real tuning, and a quieter cabin so you need less volume in the first place. Every kit below is designed and engineered in Japan and US, connects with OEM style plugs, and comes back out without a trace if you ever return the car to stock.

GR86 audio upgrade: ENX-T106 vs ENX-T110 DSP amplifier kits

Our Encore X kits are the heart of a GR86 audio upgrade. They plug in behind the factory head unit, add amplification, and layer real DSP processing over the factory signal. The two models split by speaker count, so the first step is knowing what your car has.

The ENX-T106 DSP amplifier fits 2022 and newer GR86 and BRZ models with 8 speakers. The ENX-T110 DSP amplifier covers the 6 speaker cars. Same concept, matched to different factory harnesses. Check your trim on each product page, or count the speakers: cars with the upgraded factory setup carry the extra pair.

What does DSP actually add for a BRZ sound system? Time alignment, equalization, and crossover control. The factory signal is corrected before it is amplified, so the sound stage lands in front of you instead of at your left knee. Each kit ships with our in-house tune already loaded, so it sounds dialed in out of the box. If you want to shape it further, our desktop tuning software gives you full control on a Windows PC over the included USB cable; it does not run on Mac, and there is no phone app. Most owners never need to open it. Our article on what DSP is in car audio covers this in depth if the term is new.

Both kits live in the amplifiers collection along with everything else we make for the twins.

Encore Alpha: the ENA-3S1 with subwoofer output

Not everyone wants a tuning layer at all. If you would rather set it and forget it, or your priority is adding a GR86 subwoofer, the Encore Alpha line is the simpler path. Alpha kits are straight plug and play amplifiers: more clean power through the factory system without the DSP layer.

The ENA-3S1 amplifier kit is the one to know. It fits the Subaru and Toyota GR86 platform and includes a dedicated subwoofer output, so you can run a powered sub in the trunk or behind the seats without splicing into a speaker wire. At checkout, the ENA-3S1 has a GR86/BRZ vs Crosstrek selector; pick GR86/BRZ and you need no extra module. In a car this small, even a compact sub transforms the low end, because the factory system simply has nothing below the midbass.

Want to see what an Alpha install actually looks like in this chassis? We documented an Encore Alpha amplifier install on a GR86 and BRZ step by step, panels off, so you know exactly what you are signing up for before the box arrives.

GR86 sound deadening: the DMS-T101 kit

A light coupe is a loud coupe. The GR86 and BRZ keep weight down with thin panels and minimal factory insulation, which is great for lap times and rough on long drives. GR86 sound deadening attacks the noise at the panels instead of asking the stereo to shout over it.

Our DMS-T101 sound deadening kit is cut for the 2022 and newer GR86 and BRZ, so you are not trimming generic sheets in your driveway and guessing at coverage. It damps panel resonance, knocks down road roar, and makes the doors close with a thud instead of a clang. You can find it in the sound deadening collection.

The audio payoff is real. Less background noise means you hear detail at lower volume, and damped door panels give the speakers a solid enclosure to work against instead of a rattling piece of sheet metal. If you install an amplifier and deadening together, each one makes the other sound better.

Yes, deadening adds weight. We cover the honest numbers in the FAQ below, but the short version is that it is a few pounds, not a rollcage.

ShiftPower SP27: throttle response to match the chassis

The twins have quick steering and a drive by wire pedal tuned for smoothness rather than immediacy. A BRZ throttle controller closes that gap. The ShiftPower SP27 plugs in at the accelerator pedal connector and sharpens how quickly the engine responds to your foot.

Multiple drive modes let you match the pedal to the moment: aggressive for a canyon run, standard for the commute, softer settings for rain. It installs in minutes with no tools beyond what opens the connector, and it is part of a ShiftPower lineup that spans over 3,000 vehicle applications. Browse the rest in the ShiftPower collection.

To be clear, the SP27 does not add power. It removes the electronic hesitation between your foot and the throttle body, which in a momentum car like this one is exactly what you feel most.

Put the phone where it belongs: GR86 phone holders

The GR86 and BRZ cabin gives your phone nowhere good to live, and a phone sliding around the passenger seat is a distraction this car does not deserve. We make two vehicle specific smartphone holder kits for the 2022+ GR86 and BRZ, both designed to fit the interior like they came with the car.

• BSA62 smartphone holder kit, the straightforward mount that keeps your phone secure and visible.
• BSA63A wireless charging smartphone holder kit, the same vehicle specific fit with Qi wireless charging built in, so the phone charges while it rides.

Either one pairs naturally with the audio and throttle upgrades above: your phone runs the music and the navigation, so it deserves a fixed home in your line of sight.

GR86 upgrades at a glance

Our recommended order: deadening and amplifier together, subwoofer if you want low end, SP27 anytime. Nearly every product has an install video on our YouTube channel, and all of it is DIY friendly with basic hand tools.