Quality car audio

MobileAudio

After reading through some threads here on car audio I'm curious to see how many on here either recently or in the past has heard a good quality car audio system.

I'm not talking about a swapped out head unit or "custom fit" speakers from Pioneer and the likes or mediocre factory fitted upgrades but something really good with sound deadening applied, good quality speakers, good quality amplification, quality sub bass ( not one note wonders ) or even proper equalization.

TherapyBoy

I have.

When I was a kid my Dad had a Peugeot 205 van with a ridiculous system. Whole vehicle had been stripped & laid out with sound deadening, had 21 speakers, 7 amplifiers, 2 batteries & a dedicated crossover unit. It was so good that once when he played that Garth Brooks song ' The Thunder Rolls' in the driveway all the kids playing football on the corner came running home before the rain started :pac:

MobileAudio

Haha, yeah that sounds like it was a fun system all right

But that sounds like something that was built to be loud.....21 speakers and 7 amplifiers !

I'm mainly talking about a more sound quality orientated system rather then just raw output.

And something that is used in an everyday car, so not taking the whole car over.

TherapyBoy

It was pretty crazy! From experience what I've found to be the best sounding cars that still look stock-ish after the speakers/headunit/etc have been upgraded are the 1st gen BMW Mini & the Mk5 Golf. Replacing the headunit & the speakers with high-end stuff in the Mini always surprised me at how good it sounded.

CarAudio

Most Irish cars are purchased without air con option, so yet alone a premium sound system option is rather here. Most newish cars including Audi do come with a very basic system now. Even a 15 years old Honday has a much better sound system that a 60.000 brand new 520d these days..

Most people never really heard a proper sound system. Some very few cars here have some high end sound system that cost 6000 euros from factory like Bang & Olufsen or Bowers & Wilkins, still although they sound so much better than basic sound systems, you can get much better for half the price with aftermarket products.

But then who is going to pay 3000 euros here to fit a great sound system? Very few...

MobileAudio

TherapyBoy wrote: »

It was pretty crazy! From experience what I've found to be the best sounding cars that still look stock-ish after the speakers/headunit/etc have been upgraded are the 1st gen BMW Mini & the Mk5 Golf. Replacing the headunit & the speakers with high-end stuff in the Mini always surprised me at how good it sounded.

Yeah this is more what I was talking about. You can upgrade a system with good quality components that far exceed the factory junk and make a massive difference to the quality. The clarity and impact can be so much improved even without getting into EQ-ing the car.

This can be achieved in any car with correct installation.

CarAudio wrote: »

Most Irish cars are purchased without air con option, so yet alone a premium sound system option is rather here. Most newish cars including Audi do come with a very basic system now. Even a 15 years old Honday has a much better sound system that a 60.000 brand new 520d these days..

Most people never really heard a proper sound system. Some very few cars here have some high end sound system that cost 6000 euros from factory like Bang & Olufsen or Bowers & Wilkins, still although they sound so much better than basic sound systems, you can get much better for half the price with aftermarket products.

But then who is going to pay 3000 euros here to fit a great sound system? Very few...

This is an Irish Phenomenon, the car registration is the most important thing, after that many don't care :rolleyes: keeping up with the Joneses and all that jazz.

You are right, newer cars audio systems are much worse than they used to be. BMWs are a complete and utter joke, Audi's just boom. I find most cars these days have gone that way.....too much bass, well, muddy boom and no clarity or detail whatsoever.

And yes the HK, BOSE, Burmester etc can be a little better but they are extremely expensive for the result they give. Some of the manufacturers are now selling their " quality " audio upgrades with illuminated speakers......please don't make me laugh.

It is so much cheaper to outperform this stuff with aftermarket it's funny and the best bit is you keep it for your next car. Imagine having to buy a house with a builder installed expensive audio system you had to leave behind when you move house :rolleyes:

JohnBoy26

CarAudio wrote: »

Most Irish cars are purchased without air con option, so yet alone a premium sound system option is rather here. Most newish cars including Audi do come with a very basic system now. Even a 15 years old Honday has a much better sound system that a 60.000 brand new 520d these days..

Most people never really heard a proper sound system. Some very few cars here have some high end sound system that cost 6000 euros from factory like Bang & Olufsen or Bowers & Wilkins, still although they sound so much better than basic sound systems, you can get much better for half the price with aftermarket products.

But then who is going to pay 3000 euros here to fit a great sound system? Very few...

Must be absolutely dreadful if a 15 year old honda has a better sound system. Sound sytems were never a strong point in hondas.

galvo_clare

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Must be absolutely dreadful if a 15 year old honda has a better sound system. Sound sytems were never a strong point in hondas.

I bought a 520d in 2008 and realised the sound was very flat. Had the car a year and brought it to a local guy I knew.
We swapped out all the speakers and I now have three 1000w amps in the boot. There's unrated subwoofers under the seats and while we were at it I got an xcarlink for the iDrive screen so now I can play videos from a USB drive and I also have a reversing camera.
We also put sound deadening panels in all the doors.
Took a bit of sorting but I now have brilliant sound and you can't tell it's there apart from the amps when you open the boot.
Still have the car and hope to keep it for years.

MobileAudio

galvo_clare wrote: »

I bought a 520d in 2008 and realised the sound was very flat. Had the car a year and brought it to a local guy I knew.
We swapped out all the speakers and I now have three 1000w amps in the boot. There's unrated subwoofers under the seats and while we were at it I got an xcarlink for the iDrive screen so now I can play videos from a USB drive and I also have a reversing camera.
We also put sound deadening panels in all the doors.
Took a bit of sorting but I now have brilliant sound and you can't tell it's there apart from the amps when you open the boot.
Still have the car and hope to keep it for years.

Out of curiosity , what amps ?

galvo_clare

MobileAudio wrote: »

Out of curiosity , what amps ?

Earthquake TNT. 1 2000 amp and 2 x 500w.
The pic shows them mounted under the boot lip. It's the only sign that the car has been modified.
Think we used SWS 8 subwoofers under the seats.

CarAudio

galvo_clare wrote: »

Earthquake TNT. 1 2000 amp and 2 x 500w.
The pic shows them mounted under the boot lip. It's the only sign that the car has been modified.
Think we used SWS 8 subwoofers under the seats.

A lot of wrongs with that like the crossovers settings, thickness of wire etc and those wires hanging

So I take your door speakers are not amplified?

galvo_clare

Thanks for your thoughts. You're right about the wiring. I've never looked at it from that angle before!
How do you know the crossover settings are wrong? It's going back after Christmas as the tweeter is buzzing. Maybe we can look at them again.
To be honest the sound was better before I had a water ingress problem with one of the doors. Now it's merely good. Before it was superb. Any ideas you have would be gratefully received to see if I can get it back the way it was and should be.

CarAudio wrote: »

A lot of wrongs with that like the crossovers settings, thickness of wire etc and those wires hanging

So I take your door speakers are not amplified?

CarAudio

galvo_clare wrote: »

Thanks for your thoughts. You're right about the wiring. I've never looked at it from that angle before!
How do you know the crossover settings are wrong? It's going back after Christmas as the tweeter is buzzing. Maybe we can look at them again.
To be honest the sound was better before I had a water ingress problem with one of the doors. Now it's merely good. Before it was superb. Any ideas you have would be gratefully received to see if I can get it back the way it was and should be.

Right ok actually I think you have the following set up maybe, tell me if I am wrong.

1 x mono amp for 12" sub
1 x 2 channels amp for woofers
1 x 2 channels amp for front doors.

So the amp connected to your front doors should be set to HPF (High Pass Filter), while the 2 others should be set up to LPW (Low Pass Filter).

Maybe it is the case already, I can't see well the amp settings in the middle.

galvo_clare

CarAudio wrote: »

Right ok actually I think you have the following set up maybe, tell me if I am wrong.

1 x mono amp for 12" sub
1 x 2 channels amp for woofers
1 x 2 channels amp for front doors.

So the amp connected to your front doors should be set to HPF (High Pass Filter), while the 2 others should be set up to LPW (Low Pass Filter).

Maybe it is the case already, I can't see well the amp settings in the middle.

Just talked to my guy and the setup is
1 x mono for 12" subs
1 x 2 channel for fronts
1 x 2 channel for rears

CarAudio

galvo_clare wrote: »

Just talked to my guy and the setup is
1 x mono for 12" subs
1 x 2 channel for fronts
1 x 2 channel for rears

Ok so you could have gone with 1 x 6 channels amp for interior speakers + 1 x mono for trunk sub would have been tighter and taken less room.

It seems front doors and woofers under the seats are on the same channels too. You have 6 speakers inside (Not counting tweeters) so each one should be on their own channels unless you have some external crossovers too. Maybe you do.

As far as I can tell from what I can see and understand, I would say you may be missing on sound quality.

galvo_clare

Just got the car back after quite some time with my audio guy (it suited me to leave it with him).
The buzzing was caused by some corrosion, undoubtedly related to the water ingress. The wiring has been rethought and rerouted and I have my fantastic sound back again.
He has an Audi A5 with B&O sound and it's at least its equal if not better. Delighted.

CarAudio wrote: »

Ok so you could have gone with 1 x 6 channels amp for interior speakers + 1 x mono for trunk sub would have been tighter and taken less room.

It seems front doors and woofers under the seats are on the same channels too. You have 6 speakers inside (Not counting tweeters) so each one should be on their own channels unless you have some external crossovers too. Maybe you do.

As far as I can tell from what I can see and understand, I would say you may be missing on sound quality.