Im just currious if anyone has thought this before. What do you want to change about your system if you were to redo it again? Better quality speakers? Which ones do you like? What else do you whish were different? Im just asking so I can be guided in the right direction the first time. Learn from other's mistakes..
CK5
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The ultimate audio setup if you'd do it all over.
- Thread starter RENO88
- Start date
Leper
1/2 ton status
In all my years of doing installs for myself and others, I have not heard a better speaker than the Boston Acoustic Pro 6.5. It handles the highs as well as the mids and midbass. The crossover network is very customizable. I have blown the surrounds off of a set and just superglued them back on and they still sounded fine.
There is no ultimate setup. My systems have always been to prove something. Can I do it cheaper, can I make it more efficient, can I build it, can I prove sombody wrong, lol, etc.
I have talked guys out of doing four 15's as a starter system. Going from a stock system, to anything better, is a huge jump. Why spend the money if you don't have to. You are not going to notice the real difference between 2x 12" vs 2x 15" if all you have ever had was a factory radio.
Distinct channels....... Here is where the opinions vary the greatest. Some people like the front to be the dominant sound with the rear as just fill. Some like the opposite. Some like the surround sound. It depends on your ear and your style of listening.
What do you listen to?(don't say everything, I am the only persone I have ever seen that actually listens to everything, What do you listen to most of the time) How loud do you listen to it? Do you like to park and listen? What vehicle is it going in? How do you want it to look?(open or stealth) Do you base your opinions on advertising hype? What have you heard? What did you like that you heard? Where did you hear it?( sound room or somebodys car, or someones built for competition vehicle)
How much are you willing to spend?
The systems I do for personal use now are as follows: I research a head unit manufacturer and read lots of reviews on the models that have what I am looking for, as far as features. Real person reviews. My door speakers and rear speakers will be the same speaker, if possible.(depending on location, sound imaging, and space) The rears will have at least as much power as the fronts, usually more. I will sacrifice the quality of the bass amp, to get a better front channel amp. I will normally buy a mid level sub, unless I am going for serious bass. Nothing too cheap, but nothing like a competition speaker.
The car audio equipment market changes faster than the computer market. Was was the top dog a year ago may have been turned into a wal mart based company, by now. Take Eclipse, for example. The good stuff will always be more money. The most expensive stuff, may not even sound good to you, or playing your music. If you are going to demo some speakers, make a CD of the songs you like and take it with you. Play the same part of the same song on different speakers. NIN will sound different than Bach. A $1K set of speakers may sound horrible if you listen to certain types of music.
It all boils down to................What dio you want to do with your truck.
I am Leper. I write novels.
lol
There is no ultimate setup. My systems have always been to prove something. Can I do it cheaper, can I make it more efficient, can I build it, can I prove sombody wrong, lol, etc.
I have talked guys out of doing four 15's as a starter system. Going from a stock system, to anything better, is a huge jump. Why spend the money if you don't have to. You are not going to notice the real difference between 2x 12" vs 2x 15" if all you have ever had was a factory radio.
Distinct channels....... Here is where the opinions vary the greatest. Some people like the front to be the dominant sound with the rear as just fill. Some like the opposite. Some like the surround sound. It depends on your ear and your style of listening.
What do you listen to?(don't say everything, I am the only persone I have ever seen that actually listens to everything, What do you listen to most of the time) How loud do you listen to it? Do you like to park and listen? What vehicle is it going in? How do you want it to look?(open or stealth) Do you base your opinions on advertising hype? What have you heard? What did you like that you heard? Where did you hear it?( sound room or somebodys car, or someones built for competition vehicle)
How much are you willing to spend?
The systems I do for personal use now are as follows: I research a head unit manufacturer and read lots of reviews on the models that have what I am looking for, as far as features. Real person reviews. My door speakers and rear speakers will be the same speaker, if possible.(depending on location, sound imaging, and space) The rears will have at least as much power as the fronts, usually more. I will sacrifice the quality of the bass amp, to get a better front channel amp. I will normally buy a mid level sub, unless I am going for serious bass. Nothing too cheap, but nothing like a competition speaker.
The car audio equipment market changes faster than the computer market. Was was the top dog a year ago may have been turned into a wal mart based company, by now. Take Eclipse, for example. The good stuff will always be more money. The most expensive stuff, may not even sound good to you, or playing your music. If you are going to demo some speakers, make a CD of the songs you like and take it with you. Play the same part of the same song on different speakers. NIN will sound different than Bach. A $1K set of speakers may sound horrible if you listen to certain types of music.
It all boils down to................What dio you want to do with your truck.
I am Leper. I write novels.
lol
chevyin
1/2 ton status
Im building my do-it-all-over-again system right now.
Alpine D310
Alpine PXA-H701
SoundStream Reference Picasso Class A
SoundStream Reference 644s
SoundStream Reference 404s
Phoenix Gold Tantrum 1200.1 (2x)
Image Dynamics CD1Pro compression horns
Audax PR170MO pro-audio mids
Image Dynamics IDQ8's (4x) (took me 5 years to find these 4)
Resonant Engineering XXX15's (2x)
2/0 power cable, dual alts (dedicated 260amp), twin Kinetik HC2400's, etc.
H/u and processor group shot...
The subs (in the rear)...
The mids...
Batts...
Second alt being installed...
The box design (non-inverted)...
Design I decided against (eh why not lol)...
Box test fit...
Amps and beauty panels being added...
Oh, and the victim (yes its a Dodge, but I have plenty of Chevy's when it needs un-stuck
)...
Hope you liked the pics.
Alpine D310
Alpine PXA-H701
SoundStream Reference Picasso Class A
SoundStream Reference 644s
SoundStream Reference 404s
Phoenix Gold Tantrum 1200.1 (2x)
Image Dynamics CD1Pro compression horns
Audax PR170MO pro-audio mids
Image Dynamics IDQ8's (4x) (took me 5 years to find these 4)
Resonant Engineering XXX15's (2x)
2/0 power cable, dual alts (dedicated 260amp), twin Kinetik HC2400's, etc.
H/u and processor group shot...
The subs (in the rear)...
The mids...
Batts...
Second alt being installed...
The box design (non-inverted)...
Design I decided against (eh why not lol)...
Box test fit...
Amps and beauty panels being added...
Oh, and the victim (yes its a Dodge, but I have plenty of Chevy's when it needs un-stuck
)...
Hope you liked the pics.
chevyin
1/2 ton status
And on the surround sound thing, that point needs a little massaging. Its not that some people prefer a dominate front sound while others like surround sound. We all want to be sourround by the sound, not have it sound like its coming from a 'boom-box' sitting somewhere in front of you. When properly done, your front stage should immerse you in the sound field. Just like a good home audio system will. The point of not running rear speakers is, to the best of my knowledge, no major recording artist uses anything other than stereo recording. This means 2 channels, left and right... not left front, right front, left rear, and right rear. If you need rear speakers to get the sound right, your front stage is lacking for one reason or another. That is not to say it is not simpler many times just to add rear speakers and emulate 'the real thing', most people wouldn't even notice the difference if they had it. But there is most certainly a difference.
What brand of deadener is that you're using??? 
Pretty sure you'd mentioned a superior brand (and cheaper) than Dynamat Extreme in previous posts.
Pretty sure you'd mentioned a superior brand (and cheaper) than Dynamat Extreme in previous posts.
chevyin
1/2 ton status
SecondSkin Damplifier Pro. From the testing Ive seen, its the best of the best. Better than 2nd place, which is Dynamat Extreme (or whatever dynamat's best stuff is). The best bang for your buck mat would be Raamat BXT. It does not have the quality of SS Damp Pro or Dynamat's best, but its close, and much cheaper. if I were recommending mat, Id say get SS Damp Pro if you want the best, or get Raamat BXT if you want the best value.What brand of deadener is that you're using???
Pretty sure you'd mentioned a superior brand (and cheaper) than Dynamat Extreme in previous posts.
Check this out if you are interested in deadener mats...
www.sounddeadenershowdown.com
SS Damp Pro sounds like what I'm after....
Any recc's for an online source for best pricing, etc?
Any recc's for an online source for best pricing, etc?
chevyin
1/2 ton status
Contact them directly, that is the only way they sell it so far as I know. Anthony is the owner/operator, he's a great guy and should give you excellent service.
At one time being a member of caraudioforum.com or caraudio.com got you a discount. I do not know if that's still the case however.
www.secondskinaudio.com
