I'm thinking about getting a HAH but I've always been into fully upgrading car audio (amps, speakers, subs, etc.). Is this bad for hybrids in any way? Too much of a strain on the electrical system? less FE?

Some members here with HCH's (tbaleno specifically, I think?) have massively upgraded their stereos, and it does affect their vehicles to some degree- the engine has to regen more frequently to keep the 12V charged.

But its certainly no more of a 'strain' on the system than any other car. The motor/generator is really a very large alternator- so I don't see an issue. It's not like the HAH doesn't have the oomph to keep it and a big stereo load going.

I think the bigger question than how much electricity it'll draw is will it affect the whole noise cancelling system?

excellent question. When replacing the head unit, you'll need to ID the leads from the noisemaker (canceller). Not sure how/where they connect or anything. Might be worth talking to a service tech to find out some details on it.

Anybody upgraded the speakers in the HAH? If so, was there any noticeable improvement?

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