What would it take to get you to upgrade from your factory car stereo?

Mr Peabody · « **Reply #20 on:** 19 Jun 2012, 10:54 pm »

Or, a road trip to New Orleans to get your mojo workin

roscoeiii · « **Reply #21 on:** 19 Jun 2012, 11:05 pm »

Yes, I have been Googling "mojo recovery" & "luck recovery" already. Perhaps road trips are a better call than sacrificing a chicken...

doug s. · « **Reply #22 on:** 20 Jun 2012, 04:01 am »

Quote from: cujobob on 19 Jun 2012, 06:32 pm

I'd need to be commuting more than 1.5 hours a day for it to be worthwhile. My stock system doesn't suck, but there are features I could enjoy on a better head unit.

i commuted 2hr's per day for over 10 years w/o a radio in the car at all. alfa's make their own music.

now, my car has a radio, but it hardly ever even gets turned on. hard to imagine wanting to upgrade it.

doug s.

JLM · « **Reply #23 on:** 20 Jun 2012, 10:35 am »

Maximum 50 dB background noise at 70 mph, left/right speakers at symetrical/studio like nearfield positions, and decent acoustics from the cabin (start by eliminating most of the glass).

ptmconsulting · « **Reply #24 on:** 20 Jun 2012, 10:57 am »

The last 2 cars we bought all had "upgraded factory stereo's" and they sound just fine to my ears. I've heard custom upgraded stereo's in several friends cars, and they don't do all that much for me, especially for the money they spent on it. Then again, I don't spend a huge amount of time in my car on a daily basis.

stereocilia · « **Reply #25 on:** 21 Jun 2012, 07:36 pm »

I considered it. But The factory stereo in my Gti is connected to every computer in the car. Bluetooth, voice activation, navigation and who knows what else. The dsp is optimized for the electroacoustic properties of the factory drivers only, so even if I decided just to have high end speakers installed I could end up with a very messed up result. For me, the sound is just OK enough not to bother.

S Clark · « **Reply #26 on:** 21 Jun 2012, 08:01 pm »

There is just too much ambient noise.

I have tinnitus, and any kind of excess noise is a killer. I seldom turn on the car radio for anything but news. I'll play a cd 5 or 6 times a year.
Perhaps with my next Bently or Rolls, and after a few bribes with the local county commissioner to resurface the local roads....

orientalexpress · « **Reply #27 on:** 21 Jun 2012, 08:22 pm »

I upgrade my car stereo last year because i know i be keeping my 1998 lexus ls400 for next 4 year plus i don't want another car payment .i want a simple system with navigator ,blue tooth and dvd player for the kid on a long trip.i bought a new pioneer bt930 for $600.00,a pair JL 6 inch component ,JL 300/4 ,JL 500/1 and jl 10w6 for $800.00 from Craigslist and a pair of 7 inch midbass from part express for $110.00 ship.i do all the install myself .my car wasn't pretty for 2 week,i remove everything include door panels and backseat,It's not that hard to install at all except for a few scrap and cut on the hands.But it's well worth it.

lapsan

stereocilia · « **Reply #28 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 02:37 am »

Quote from: S Clark on 21 Jun 2012, 08:01 pm

There is just too much ambient noise. I have tinnitus, and any kind of excess noise is a killer. I seldom turn on the car radio for anything but news. I'll play a cd 5 or 6 times a year.
Perhaps with my next Bently or Rolls, and after a few bribes with the local county commissioner to resurface the local roads....

Interesting that excess noise is no good for your tinnitus. Typically, noise is desired and even incorporated into therapy. ... I suppose the type of music will make a difference, too. The narrow dynamic range of rock recordings can probably float above enough ambient noise to make it worthwhile. Besides, the parts that are above the noise floor should sound as good as possible. What I never could understand is a stereo on a motorcycle.

Barry_NJ · « **Reply #29 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 02:53 am »

Personally I don't bother with car audio. I don't feel that a car is the place to be closing your eyes while concentrating on music

medium jim · « **Reply #30 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 03:20 am »

Quote from: Barry_NJ on 22 Jun 2012, 02:53 am

Personally I don't bother with car audio. I don't feel that a car is the place to be closing your eyes while concentrating on music

What about your passengers? Just saying....

Jim

OzarkTom · « **Reply #31 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 03:29 am »

The best car audio made, is just barely mid-fi at it's best. Most are low-fi. I use to sell it.

It is such a waste of money. Just get a radio.

medium jim · « **Reply #32 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 04:22 am »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 22 Jun 2012, 03:29 am

The best car audio made, is just barely mid-fi at it's best. Most are low-fi. I use to sell it.

It is such a waste of money. Just get a radio.

Ozark Tom:

I guess you didn't work for a high class store as there most definitely is some very nice high-end mobile audio that even included tube gear. That aside, the biggest advancements has been to the quality/sound of speakers.

It does take a fair investment, but it us rewarding especially if you are in your vehicle a lot and really enjoy music. Most is good enough now to take out to reinstall in your next vehicle and put the factory system back in.

Heck, Porche, Maybach, Lexus, Audi have some really nice factory systems right now and also have cabins that are very quiet that eliminates that issue.

To each their own...the car stereo industry is very healthy and includes the high-end segment.

Jim

Barry_NJ · « **Reply #33 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 11:42 am »

Quote from: medium jim on 22 Jun 2012, 03:20 am

What about your passengers? Just saying....

Jim

Well there is also all the noise from the tires, exhaust, and wind (air passing over the car at speed), that makes a 'hi-end' audio system in a car pretty much no better than any old just decent audio system in a car. A car is not the environment for listening to all the subtle details in a recording. Nothing wrong with listening to some music, just 'hi-end' isn't needed in my honest opinion.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #34 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 12:22 pm »

Quote from: medium jim on 22 Jun 2012, 04:22 am

Ozark Tom:

I guess you didn't work for a high class store as there most definitely is some very nice high-end mobile audio that even included tube gear. That aside, the biggest advancements has been to the quality/sound of speakers.

It does take a fair investment, but it us rewarding especially if you are in your vehicle a lot and really enjoy music. Most is good enough now to take out to reinstall in your next vehicle and put the factory system back in.

Heck, Porche, Maybach, Lexus, Audi have some really nice factory systems right now and also have cabins that are very quiet that eliminates that issue.

To each their own...the car stereo industry is very healthy and includes the high-end segment.

Jim

Jim, it is simple to explain. The acoustics of an automobile or truck is low-fi, so you can spend a million dollars on a car system and you will never get high end sound. You might spend high end bucks though.

I sold Alpine, JBL, Polk, and B&W for some of the more expensive lines the store carried, there were some folks that spent $3-8K on their audio systems. I went to the CES show every year where these auto sound companies brougfht their vehicles with $50-100K audio systems. None of them ever sounded "high-end". The acoustics will not allow it.

I am somewhat puzzled Jim. On one hand you rant and rave that a $20 audiophile fuse is such a huge waste of money, and the other hand you promote these multi-thousand dollar car systems as a great value to own and is true high-end.

medium jim · « **Reply #35 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 03:52 pm »

Ozark Tom:

I'm not at all confused, rather it is all about priorities. You don't have to spend mega bucks to get a really decent system in your vehicle and it definately was worth every penny I spent and I think many others feel the same.

Look, you can harbor ill feelings about my thoughts about tuning fuses until cows fly, it is not going to change anything. I think Roger covered the subject of the efficacy of tuning fuses very well and happen to agree with his assessment.

Cars have come along way in how quiet the cabin can be and with a little dynamat here and there can go a long way to acheive a very dark soundfloor. I started a poll as to what Mobile Audiophile means and most agree that it equates to "A mobile system that really sounds good and is enjoyable". This is how I view it as well.

To me, spending a couple of thousand or such to get something that is pleasurable anytime you turn it on is a good thing!

Jim

mr_bill · « **Reply #36 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 04:38 pm »

Medium,
Do you run a separate sub in your car or just have the components do the work?
What speaker array do you use - type and location?
Thanks,
Bill

medium jim · « **Reply #37 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 04:52 pm »

I'm running a JL sub mounted to the rear deck, Premier/Pioneer 6.5" components in the front doors and a pair of Premier/Pioneer 6.5" 2way fills in the back doors.

The sub has it own JL amp, the speakers are running off the Premier/Pioneer head.

I run my system eq'd flat ... This system is in my daily driver, a 2002 Cadillac Seville.

Jim

OzarkTom · « **Reply #38 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 06:15 pm »

medium jim

And you will never convince me that car audio is high-end.

I will spend that extra couple of thousand on my home audio high-end system.

S Clark · « **Reply #39 on:** 22 Jun 2012, 06:26 pm »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 22 Jun 2012, 06:15 pm

medium jim

And you will never convince me that car audio is high-end.

I will spend that extra couple of thousand on my home audio high-end system.

+1