Car Audio Advice

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: wsar10
Go with a nice HU first, other wise you'll never even hear the quality in your highs and mids, than spkr than 4 ch amp..
with these steps you'll appreciate your equipment and SQ more and more w each step.

depends on how much SQ means to ya,on a budget just do 3-ways up front 2-way rear,
If ya want better sound than do componets up front and comp. in the rear, with this you'll need to amp them upon installing them


Agree.

I went budget on my 6. Used a lot of leftover parts from previous cars but kept the factory headunit because:
A: I already owned it
B: Mazda took a page from Ford's playbook and incorporated all the HVAC controls into the stereo
C: The adapter was over $200 at that time and didn't match the dash color
D: I would have had to figure out somewhere to mount the old headunit to keep the top of the dash display.
E: I just wanted to

But really the factory head unit is the bottleneck.

It's as loud as the same amps/sub/components were in my Integra but the SQ just isn't there. I'm continuously adjusting the bass with the volume. I'm always compensating for the factory headunit's shortcomings. It cranks up the bass and low levels. The CD isn't terrible. FM is worse. I have Sirius running through an FM repeater because I am a cheap [person], the Sirius receiver was free, and the factory Sirius module was $300. It sounds about like FM. AM is pretty much unusable but I can skip the ultra-right talk shows, 49 Spanish stations, pre-recorded church sermons by snake handling fire and brimstone preachers, and the farm report that AM radio offers in my market.

And as far as new headunits being "gaudy", I saw a Double DIN Pioneer unit in a Monte Carlo SS a short while back. The installer did a beautiful job and the display itself? High Res, looked like it might have been Windows 7 based.... It was beautiful. I got serious head unit envy.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
The other exception is when the front speakers are at the kickpanels or some other location where the sound stage does not set up right up front. Usually dash-mounted speakers will reflect off the windshield well enough.


I can't stand the sound of speakers reflecting off the windshield, unless it's just adding a bit of high-end fill and isn't the dominant source.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
Most stock car radio's are not that bad. Its the horrid cone speakers they use that ruin the sound. have you considered simply putting your money into decent speakers?


This has been my experience as well. The factory head units usually do a decent enough job while the speakers are shamefully cheap. The poor enclosures and acoustic environment often prevent any speaker from sounding good after a simple, direct replacement, but there's usually an obvious improvement.

 

[Dave Hess]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
The problem is that most aftermarket HUs are just butt-ugly, and too gawdy to have any place in anything but the most ricey of cars.


Yep. same goes for trying to find a basic pair of name brand sneakers that do not have ghetto styling and have too much bling on them.

 

[buickman50401]

Originally Posted By: rpn453
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Most stock car radio's are not that bad. Its the horrid cone speakers they use that ruin the sound. have you considered simply putting your money into decent speakers?


This has been my experience as well. The factory head units usually do a decent enough job while the speakers are shamefully cheap. The poor enclosures and acoustic environment often prevent any speaker from sounding good after a simple, direct replacement, but there's usually an obvious improvement.

Some of the newer head units might be okay but even as short of a time ago as the 2005 manufacturers were still putting in HUs that put out as little as 5w/channel. Even cheaper aftermarket HUs put out at least 18w/channel RMS and 40 peak.

My old Alipine (circa 2004ish) is 25w/channel RMS 50 peak.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: buickman50401
Some of the newer head units might be okay but even as short of a time ago as the 2005 manufacturers were still putting in HUs that put out as little as 5w/channel. Even cheaper aftermarket HUs put out at least 18w/channel RMS and 40 peak.

My old Alipine (circa 2004ish) is 25w/channel RMS 50 peak.


I don't disagree that there are some weak factory head units out there. Even the better factory head units often have room for an upgrade. But I think that the greatest weakness in sound quality is usually in the speakers and enclosures, so I tend to look there first. I prefer to keep the dash stock unless there's simply not enough clean sound volume or I need better sub control and more low frequency range. Most factory head units do alright at moderate volume with the EQ flat.

I've owned more serious stereos in the past, but I'm just using the factory head unit in my Mazda3 right now, with Infinity Reference speakers and an Alpine R12 sub and V12 sub amp off the high level outputs. I've had an aftermarket deck in there, but I removed and installed it in one of my father's cars for him because I prefer the security and functionality of the factory setup. It may have sounded a bit crisper, and the sub quality was greatly improved, but the biggest weakness in my stereo was still the mid-range coloration from the thin metal/plastic door enclosures and the hard, thin plastic acoustic environment. I don't have the desire to invest effort in that due to many past frustrations at trying to create ideal car audio. I have been itching to put a USB-capable deck in so I can get that sub quality back and not have to carry CDs around anymore.

 

[hypervish]

Most of the newer factory head units are actually really good.
My RX300 and RX450h audio system are factory and they sound great. Rich, clear sound, with crisp bass.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: hypervish
Most of the newer factory head units are actually really good.
My RX300 and RX450h audio system are factory and they sound great. Rich, clear sound, with crisp bass.


I believe it. The biggest step toward sound quality is having a quiet cabin with solid structures and a quality interior. Those types of vehicles usually sound good right from the lot. The Cruze should be decent in that regard as far as compact economy cars go.

Everything can be upgraded though. The stereo in my buddy's S4 has always sounded great as far as factory stereos go, but after a year I grew tired of the relatively weak bass and a couple of weeks ago I convinced him that we should look into it. We pulled the cheapest, lightest 8" driver I've ever seen out of the back deck. I couldn't believe that such a piece of junk was capable of playing anything approaching low bass! The sub on the optional B&O system appears to be about the same from what we could tell through our internet interior disassembly guides. An Alpine R8 is on order for an almost direct fit (using a ring of MDF), but until then, he has his old R12 in a box in his trunk, wired directly to the factory amp (which will also power the R8). Huge improvement in bass quality. It's no louder - there's no separate volume adjustment and the driver has the same impedance - but it's easily playing all the low notes the other one could never touch. It really fills out the sound nicely. No need for excessive volume even with a sub that's capable of that sort of thing. It barely has to move. The other speakers are still sounding good enough, but who knows how long it will be before one of us gets the itch to play with those too!