Who has an Audiophile Stereo in their Vehicle...Please post the details!

medium jim · « **on:** 21 Apr 2012, 06:39 pm »

With all the members of the AC, I have no doubt that many also enjoy the benefits of an Audiophile System in one or more of they're vehicles and it would be a great reference to know what you have.

Thanks,
Jim

medium jim · « **Reply #1 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 02:30 am »

Okay, I will get the ball rolling. About 5 years ago I budgeted 2K for a system for my car, and with that I was able to get a Premier FH-P800BT Double Din Receiver, a pair of Premier TS-P720PRS Component front speakers, Premier TS-A633P rear fills, a JL Audio 10" 10WXV-2-4 Sub and a JL Audio JX 1000/1D amp. This is all off of the shelf stuff, but wholly crap, it sure sounded amazingly good. The soundstage was nearly as good as my home system and with as much clarity and detail.

It has made driving fun again, even in the brutal Los Angeles Traffic, I get nearly as much enjoyment from my car system as I derive from my home system. I knew I had something special when I gave my good friend a ride and he was totally impressed, this is from a guy who has a home system that costs well over 100K.

Okay, the let's hear from the rest of you guys!

Jim

Scott F. · « **Reply #2 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 03:40 am »

I'll go next

I spent a bit more on this system than I did on my previous ones since I saved so much on my vehicle purchase. Speaking of which, my hooptie is an '01 Lincoln Continental. When I picked up this cream puff she only had 36,000 miles. She'd been garaged her whole life.

Anyway, I finally bit the bullet and picked up the Pioneer AVH-P5200BT head unit. It's got blue tooth, and SD chip slot, iPod USB with a direct interface, back up camera, DVD, Sat Nav and Sirius. Rather than going with an exteranl crossover I'm using the one in the head unit (which is pretty good actually).

The head unit feeds the Butler Audio TBD475 tube hybrid cab amp. The Butler feeds a pair of Polk SR6500 component speakers for the fronts and a pair of Polk DXi650 coax for the rear doors.

Filling in the bottom end I have a cheapie Pioneer 700w something or other powering a pair of 12" Adire Audio Shiva MkII subs in a sealed cabinet.

All my wiring is silver plated copper. I've wrapped the doors of the cab with some RAAMat BXT II.

I've got to say, this is the best system I've had in a car to date...and I've done quite a few really nice 12 volt systems over the years. It does a LOT of things really well. This system just plain smokes. When you lean into it it comes alive. great transients, tons of serious slam (when you want) and fairly decent highs (the one slight weak spot).

I dig the crap out of it

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 04:00 am »

My high end car system goes back to the late seventies while I was in high school.

It was a Pioneer deck and amp driving coax speakers in the back and small 3" drivers mounted high on the doors. I had to cut holes in the doors and they were just below the windows. It was in a 74 Torino.

Had to be one of the nicest systems at school, as I heard nothing like it. Cost around $700.00 to $800.00 back then.

Jim:

Can you share if your front speakers are mounted in the dash, or doors. If doors, at the bottom?

One of the reasons I liked my old system was the mounting of the drivers high on the doors.

Rocket_Ronny

medium jim · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 04:38 am »

Ronny:

The fronts are components with the drivers mounted in the lower panels in the doors, with the silk dome tweeters in the door frames at ear level. The rear fill drivers are also in the door panels and the sub is mounted on the rear deck.

I wanted to keep it as stock looking as possible. The Bluetooth mic is mounted on the rear view mirror and the iPod/iPhone dock in the glovebox.

Jim

Mikeinsacramento · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 08:59 am »

I use factory HU because it is connected to climate control and I hate it. I also have an AUX in and a separate iPod interface.

HU>Cleansweep>Arc 4200SE amp>Hertz Mille front components and Focal rear. I also have a little 300 watt Arc pushing an even smaller 6" sub in my trunk.

Does it sound good? It does when I'm going 80 miles an hour with all five windows open. Otherwise, not very. I'd like to ditch the HU or get a decent processor, but I already have about $4,000 in it and don't really want to spend any more.

Besides, I have almost that much $ in my exhaust, which I actually prefer to listen to.

Edited for typo and model number correct.

coke · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 01:39 pm »

A couple years ago I was looking to upgrade my home stereo. I visited the high end audio shops in the nearest city looking for speakers around the $2000-$3000 price range. What was fun to learn is that the stereo in my car wasn't too far off from these speakers in mids and highs, and could blow them away with low frequencies.

This was in my previous vehicle. Currently trying to sell it though, because it won't fit in what i'm driving now.

Image Dynamics cd-ultra full body horns
Image Dynamics X65 mids
Image Dynamics IDQ15 subs, each in 1.6 ft^3 boxes(had 2 of these)
Alpine 9813 head unit
Alpine pxa-h701 processor
Alpine rux-c701 control
Alpine mrd-m1000 sub amp
Alpine mrv-t420 mid amp
Alpine mrt-t320 horn amp
2 rolls Raamat

Here's a pic of the amps to show why it's difficult to fit these + 2 15" subs in a tacoma. The big amp in the middle is 21.7 inches wide

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 03:45 pm »

Thanks Jim:

So are the front speakers coax? Are the silk dome tweeters taken off the front coax and it's crossover used, or is the coax complete and a totally separate tweeter used up top, if so what tweeter and crossover and freq. cutoff? If you had any pictures that would help. I take it that the tweeter is at the back of the front door, or is it in the windshield post?

Thanks, This car audio section is a rocken.

Rocket_Ronny

medium jim · « **Reply #8 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 03:59 pm »

Quote from: Rocket_Ronny on 22 Apr 2012, 03:45 pm

Thanks Jim:

So are the front speakers coax? Are the silk dome tweeters taken off the front coax and it's crossover used, or is the coax complete and a totally separate tweeter used up top, if so what tweeter and crossover and freq. cutoff? If you had any pictures that would help. I take it that the tweeter is at the back of the front door, or is it in the windshield post?

Thanks, This car audio section is a rocken.

Rocket_Ronny

The fronts are component with separate x/o's, sorry I don't have pic's...the tweeters are in the windshield posts in the front of the door. Having the drivers on the bottom and the tweets on the top actually is a good layout as it creates a nice 3d soundstage.

I bought the Premier's over Focal and Diamonds as they just had the magic and were getting excellent reviews. I want to put emphasis on the importance of getting the best speaker you can afford, even at the sake of a lesser head unit.

My goal was to get a serious sound system that didn't needed to be cranked to make it sound good, and I acheived that goal.

Do some homework, which includes who to go to buy from and who to install...many times it will be the same.

Jim

ecramer · « **Reply #9 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 04:16 pm »

Levi dont come around much but he had a killer system i had the privilege to hear check out his gallery here for the details

Levi's Audiophile Honda Accord by Levi

medium jim · « **Reply #10 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 04:40 pm »

That McIntosh Head Unit caught my attention!!! No doubt, that is one sweet system and will make long drives a pleasure trip

Jim

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #11 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 06:28 pm »

Thanks Jim.

So those Primeirs are Pioneer, correct?

Having the tweeters up high like that is real important. Even though you will get phase cancellation issues at the crossover with the drivers so far apart.

If you can, take some photos.

Rocket_Ronny

medium jim · « **Reply #12 on:** 22 Apr 2012, 07:42 pm »

Rocket:

Phase cancellation is not an issue and the Premier (TOTL Pioneer) are mounted in the factory locations in the doors.

Thanks,

Jim

Mikeinsacramento · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 Apr 2012, 01:16 am »

Here's a pic FWIW. Dinky JL sub on the left. The interesting thing about this is, the cabinet is wood and it took my installer about 45 minutes to fabricate it. Hertz Crossovers in the middle. Arc 4200SE on the right.

Levi · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Apr 2012, 03:06 am »

Congrats on the new thread!

Yes. Have a McIntosh Audio System in my car. I use Focal K2 Power 165 speaker system. It is like an extension of audiophile experience when traveling. Most cars nowadays have the radio integrated with HVAC systems. The most challenging part is integrating the audio system in the car's interior. I know because, I installed the system with a help of a good friend.

It is composed of:
McIntosh car audio MX406
McIntosh power output meter MPM4000
McIntosh Compact Disc changer MCD4000
McIntosh 4x100 watt channel MCC404M
etc...etc...

Larry Woolacott · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 Apr 2012, 08:17 pm »

Current IASCA North American Ultimate SQ Champion

medium jim · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 Apr 2012, 10:09 pm »

The heads-up in the rear view mirror is pretty fancy!

Jim

Doublej · « **Reply #17 on:** 24 Apr 2012, 12:43 am »

Does this count? (not that I have one)

http://www.lincoln.com/now/articles/details/ln_article_12/

Audioclyde · « **Reply #18 on:** 3 May 2012, 09:22 pm »

I have (had, see below) an FJ Cruiser that has a sweet system in it. Front end is fed by a 160gig Ipod (with non-compressed files) line out to a Wadia Itransport (the FJ has an AC outlet in the back, so that powers the Wadia), digital out from the Wadia to digital input of a McIntosh head unit. A 2-channel Zapco amp, with EQ functions, feeds Hybrid Audio Technologies L1v2 tweeters, a separate 4-channel Zapco (also with EQ) powers 4" HAT Legatia mids and 6" HAT Legatia mid-bass drivers. Also have an 8" Image Dynamic sub in a custom box in front of the rear seat. Other than the sub, all speakers are in the stock locations--the dealer and Scott B. of HAT entered in in the 'open' division of a SQ competition a few years ago and it placed very respectably (like 23rd out of over a 100 entries)--folks at the competition dubbed it the 'stealth FJ', since it looked completely stock other than the head unit and small sub!

Now, I've just 'sold' the FJ (with audio system

) to my 25 yr old son; my new ride is a Lexus GS 350 AWD. Installer in putting an Audison Bit One processor/DAC (to be fed directly by Ipod line out and also by stock head unit for CD's and radio), Hertz High Energy components, amp and a 10" custom sub in trunk. He tells me he can make the GS 350 sound as good or better than the FJ, we will see, install is not for a couple of weeks.

Randy

cAsE sEnSiTiVe · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 May 2012, 04:01 am »

The car is a 1996 Impala SS. It has won numerous IASCA titles including the 2002 IASCA World Championship in the Ultra Pro division.

Sources: Pioneer DEX-P9 cd player, Pioneer ODR RS-M1 12-disc changer, Pioneer SDV-P7 DVD player
Processor: Pioneer Carrozzeria ODR P90X
Speakers: Dynaudio MW160 mid-bass, Scanspeak Revelator 12M/4631G00 4.5" midrange, Scanspeak 2904 tweeter, Xtant X124 subwoofers
Amps: Xtant X604, Xtant A6001

Cabling throughout is Kimber Kable

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f241/SoundQcar/Impala%20SS/