Ok I've been reading about stereo after stereo in this section and it looks to me that like 90% of the sound systems people are putting in their cars are just loud they aren't putting in good components to actually get a clear crisp sound just throwing a ton of watts and huge subs in their trunk and calling it good some even with a stock deck. Personally I prefer sound quality to just noise.

Any thoughts ??

 

I'm all about the quality of sound. I think lots of people just get subs just to say they have them, and have no idea what's required to use them properly. I'm not saying that's anyone on these boards, but I'm sure we've all seen someone who had no clue whatsoever.

 

I'm the same way. I prefer good quality over drowning bass. Nothing gets to me more than hearing nothing but bass and trunk rattle.

 

I totally agree with you both nothing like clean crisp sound coming from a well ballanced and tuned system. I get so sick of "My system is awesome cause I have 2000 watts to my 15" subs in my broken down civic with stock deck and speakers" I hate that!!! sorry personal pet pieve...

 

I'm actually thinking about upgrading what I have now, so that when I turn it up the highs don't sound shady and drown out the lows.

 

Thats why Im running a 10. A nice crisp punch from that sub. I like the tight sound of 10's and the clearity of a well balanced system. Dont get me wrong my one 10 in a sealed box (I have to build a better box...sealed sucks) can hit a 133. Its decent but definatly not retarted.

 

A lot of people don't know good products, just what they see at Best Buy or Circuit City. But as long as they are happy with what they have, that's cool.

 

Nobody will vote for anything but quality. Those who put more money into more volume than they could ever put to good use are still sure they're spending all that money on quality. And it looks more impressive so they can tell all their friends who can't differentiate sound quality either how much better it sounds.

Not to sound too cynical, but 99% of people can't distinguish between the cheap-average aftermarket stuff and the high end-competitive stuff. Realistically, 50% of people probably can't distinguish between the stock system in Lancers and anything in the aftermarket. Nobody buys for volume - everyone buys for quality, but everybody has a different metric of quality and for most people, watts and/or dollars are the metrics that are used.
-N

 

^ very well said. You summed up a possible 90 pages of debate very well. Mods close the post because there is no-point of anything else being posted here [not scarcastic]

 

Some people prefer to have a system that goes REALLY loud...They don't care if their mids suck and distort, they want to either compete or have the feeling of loud bass on their back...

Some people want to have sonic perfection - imaging, frequency response, etc...

It's all a matter of preference, really...

THere's obviously people in between, too...


Me, I'm a bit of both - I do respect the SQ part of it (I have quality mids and a great deck and amp, my imaging is decent, I own hifi home stuff), but I do like to have my loud days. Which is why im buying some good subs that can do both......

Anyways....let the people have their preference.

 

The type of music being listened to has a factor in the preference as well. For me, when I listen to hip-hop/rap or techno, I turn the bass a little higher to get more punch from the basslines and kicks. However, when I listen to anything else (rock, ambient, oldies to name a few), I usually turn the bass down so I can still hear a nice crisp bassline, but not to the point where it drowns the vocals and the live instruments.

Sound quality is my vote, by the way.

 

The type of sub and the type of porting are essential to make the difference of loud and clean. Also If you look for quality sound having a high voltage pre out make the world of differnce for speakers controled by amps. This is extra true if you use a high voltage pre-out to power a mid range speaker of component set from a good amp. A decent ten inch sub will sound cleaner but not as loud as a great 12 inch sub.

 

Your right a lot of people can't tell or don't know how to tell the difference. Seems to me that they just need to be educated more about quality parts and setups.
A few guidlines that I think are somewhat elementary when it comes to sound systems are
1) Subs are what finishes a system not what starts it
2) The power ratio from Sub:speaker should not exeed 2:1 for proper ballance
3) If you replace one set of speakers replace all the speakers including tweeters
4) Its best not to mix and match brands on same items like one set of focal and one set of infinity speakers (multiple brands are usually required for different components like subs different than deck different than amps etc.

Any thoughts on these guildlines? (of course there will be exceptions but I'm talking in general)

 

1) I couldn't agree more. A system should sound really good without subs. Subs should just make it that much better. And if you turn on your subs and then can't tell if the rest sounds good or not, then the 3 15" subs in your sub-compact are too much. A single, quality 10" is more than enough, short of hosting the sound system for a backyard bar-be-que. And if that's your plan, it's unlikely that you'll get a good sound both when BBQ-ing and when driving.

2) I'm not so sure that ratio is correct... maybe 3:1. If you underpower a sub, you'll just run it at a higher gain to make up for it. Balance is an ear thing, not a math thing. It'll also matter if it's ported or sealed, the size of the sub, the number, the power running through the mids/highs and whether they are powered by the deck or by separate amps. Too many variables to simplify it to a ratio, I think.

3) See #4.

4) I'd say your mixing brands really doesn't apply so long as you don't have the left and right speakers in front or the left and right speakers in back of different types, and in that case, they shouldn't even vary in model number. Having a different model/brand for the fronts and the rears though shouldn't have any negative side effect, unless either pair is downright awful.

Here are the rules I can think of:
1) If you're going to build a box for a sub, take your time and think strength and seal above all else. It's not hard to build one, but if you're the impatient type, get help or pay for it.

2) Take your time to install things well, because finding a leak in a box or a short in your wiring, or anything like that will be a pain. If you're installing speakers that don't just fit in the factory mounting points, especially components, think about sound field and imaging. Keep in mind that highs will not spread far from straight ahead while subs can be aimed pretty much anywhere without a noticeable difference. If you're unfamiliar with the sound fields of speakers, listen to them. It's kinda obvious when you put your ear in front of a tweet and listen to it as you move side to side.

3) Pick a good head unit. Pick one that will produce a quality sound because this is the sound difference that will be most apparent to everyone. Even the stock speakers sound pretty good when paired with a decent headunit, although the paper cones take away from the highs significantly and they aren't very durable in the long run. Pick a head unit with the features you want - the interface is going to be a huge part of your overall satisfaction with the system.

4) After all that, if the system makes you happy, you're good to go.
-N

 

I never said under power the sub just don't get a sub that takes 1000 watts each when your only putting 50 watts to your speakers get subs and speakers that are in the same league as one another. I do agree install is very important and it is a good idea to take your time and make sure everything is right the first time. IMO you should keep all the speakers the same brand and series because different brands have different settings different pitches and sounds and ranges if you want the best ballanced sound from all over your car they should match I know some people like to mix and match things but thats just not for me