Hello everybody,
New to this site.. Nice site here! Just wondering on what to look out for when choosing a car audio. As we all know, there are so many brands and features to look out for. Considering a budget of 3000 USD, what is the best recommendation for an audio set.??
Hope to meet more car ethusiasts like me here in future..
I have also just got my new site running - [url]www.nostics.com[/url]
Replies (4)
compvr15s on 08/19/2004 21:44:52
when lookin for car auido its always best to hear before you buy something, or atleast get a few oppinions first. most audio shops dont do refunds so once you buy something your pretty much stuck with the equipment like it or not.... always check product ratings and learn how to understand what they mean... just cuz the amp says 1000watts dont mean its anywhere close to that, or if it is its the max output.. always go according to RMS or continuous power rating.. when lookin at amps check the fuse ratings.. whatever fuse rating is times that by 12 and that will give you the power that i can putout. so if you see a 1000 watt amp with 1 30 amp fuse in it you know they are overrating thier equipment. ummmm. when lookin for subs, try to know what type of box you are going to use, what type of music you will listen too, how much power will you need from an amp to power it, and basically what the voice coil rating is. most are like dual 2 or 4 ohm, but some are dual 3 omh. or single 2.4.8 ohm subs, this will help determine what amp to buy, dont want to be runnin a net load of 8 ohms to your amp if it can handle 2 ohms. see what im saying. use your power to its fullest potential... another big issue is if your vehicles electrical system can handle its normal usage plus added power loss from ugraded stereo equipment, some larger amps can pull over 100 amps, most stock alts are 85-105 amp, the vehicle needs around 50-60 just for its normal functions. i know im probably leaving out a lot of things, but if you have any other questions just post them, they will surely get answered..,. oh yea and if you have and questions about products just list them and we can look them up for you and maybe tell you a lil more about the product than the manufature does... big big thing here, just make sure to research your equipment before you buy it, your not gonna wanna keep buying and upgrading every 6 months, 3000 dollars wont last long doing that, so buy the good stuff now and save in the long run... lots of brands out there that many people dont know about that perform at or above many name brand manufactures but cost much less... hope i have helped alil bit. 3000 dollars will get you an extremely kick @$$ system, Good luck and welcome to clubknowledge enjoy your stay.
swez on 08/22/2004 09:07:24
Yes, researching your products before you buy is a good plan. The better HU's come out of Pioneer, Alpine, Eclipse and Nakamichi. That the first order of business. A quality control Head is key to the platform performance of all devices behind it.
Also, read our DIY primers. There is some very good info there to aid you in all areas of audio. Mr. B's car audio section is very helpful. The main thing here, use quality gear. It does not have to have a high price tag... but we can steer you along the path, as you determine what components you want in this system.
Swez
Geezer on 08/22/2004 19:42:51
I totally agree with both of the above posts, with one minor "potential" exception. I'll agree that the functions of the HU are very important and therefore establish the platform of the system. IMO however, technology has advanced in the audio realm to the point that within reason, most units above the introductory level will perform quite well and the decision becomes one functionality; i.e. built in crossovers, sub level control, EQ, number of RCA outs, direct connection for multi media, etc. This may well be what Swez was referring to in which case I totally agree with his post :-)
Planning what you want really is one of the most fun, important, and difficult parts of system design. Another planning issue includes what size speakers will your vehicle take without modification. Are you willing to modify your vehicle; cut doors, floor, rear shelf, etc. Becareful here, you don't want to adversly affect the vehicles structural integrity. Also, take into account all the interconnects, cables, distribution blocks, speaker wire, etc when reducing your budget. I don't feel you need to purchase slick name brands here, but you do want quality and this will all add up to a nice chunk of change when it's said and done.
Good luck; $3k is going to get you some excellent sound!
swez on 08/23/2004 08:05:30
Yes, that is what I meant... HU functions and flexibility. DSP, EQ, # of preouts, crossovers, time alignment circuits can be very helpful to the "Purist", but not the average Joe. Just buy the HU w/ the features you want/need and build from there.
Swez
New to this site.. Nice site here! Just wondering on what to look out for when choosing a car audio. As we all know, there are so many brands and features to look out for. Considering a budget of 3000 USD, what is the best recommendation for an audio set.??
Hope to meet more car ethusiasts like me here in future..
I have also just got my new site running - [url]www.nostics.com[/url]
Replies (4)
compvr15s on 08/19/2004 21:44:52
when lookin for car auido its always best to hear before you buy something, or atleast get a few oppinions first. most audio shops dont do refunds so once you buy something your pretty much stuck with the equipment like it or not.... always check product ratings and learn how to understand what they mean... just cuz the amp says 1000watts dont mean its anywhere close to that, or if it is its the max output.. always go according to RMS or continuous power rating.. when lookin at amps check the fuse ratings.. whatever fuse rating is times that by 12 and that will give you the power that i can putout. so if you see a 1000 watt amp with 1 30 amp fuse in it you know they are overrating thier equipment. ummmm. when lookin for subs, try to know what type of box you are going to use, what type of music you will listen too, how much power will you need from an amp to power it, and basically what the voice coil rating is. most are like dual 2 or 4 ohm, but some are dual 3 omh. or single 2.4.8 ohm subs, this will help determine what amp to buy, dont want to be runnin a net load of 8 ohms to your amp if it can handle 2 ohms. see what im saying. use your power to its fullest potential... another big issue is if your vehicles electrical system can handle its normal usage plus added power loss from ugraded stereo equipment, some larger amps can pull over 100 amps, most stock alts are 85-105 amp, the vehicle needs around 50-60 just for its normal functions. i know im probably leaving out a lot of things, but if you have any other questions just post them, they will surely get answered..,. oh yea and if you have and questions about products just list them and we can look them up for you and maybe tell you a lil more about the product than the manufature does... big big thing here, just make sure to research your equipment before you buy it, your not gonna wanna keep buying and upgrading every 6 months, 3000 dollars wont last long doing that, so buy the good stuff now and save in the long run... lots of brands out there that many people dont know about that perform at or above many name brand manufactures but cost much less... hope i have helped alil bit. 3000 dollars will get you an extremely kick @$$ system, Good luck and welcome to clubknowledge enjoy your stay.
swez on 08/22/2004 09:07:24
Yes, researching your products before you buy is a good plan. The better HU's come out of Pioneer, Alpine, Eclipse and Nakamichi. That the first order of business. A quality control Head is key to the platform performance of all devices behind it.
Also, read our DIY primers. There is some very good info there to aid you in all areas of audio. Mr. B's car audio section is very helpful. The main thing here, use quality gear. It does not have to have a high price tag... but we can steer you along the path, as you determine what components you want in this system.
Swez
Geezer on 08/22/2004 19:42:51
I totally agree with both of the above posts, with one minor "potential" exception. I'll agree that the functions of the HU are very important and therefore establish the platform of the system. IMO however, technology has advanced in the audio realm to the point that within reason, most units above the introductory level will perform quite well and the decision becomes one functionality; i.e. built in crossovers, sub level control, EQ, number of RCA outs, direct connection for multi media, etc. This may well be what Swez was referring to in which case I totally agree with his post :-)
Planning what you want really is one of the most fun, important, and difficult parts of system design. Another planning issue includes what size speakers will your vehicle take without modification. Are you willing to modify your vehicle; cut doors, floor, rear shelf, etc. Becareful here, you don't want to adversly affect the vehicles structural integrity. Also, take into account all the interconnects, cables, distribution blocks, speaker wire, etc when reducing your budget. I don't feel you need to purchase slick name brands here, but you do want quality and this will all add up to a nice chunk of change when it's said and done.
Good luck; $3k is going to get you some excellent sound!
swez on 08/23/2004 08:05:30
Yes, that is what I meant... HU functions and flexibility. DSP, EQ, # of preouts, crossovers, time alignment circuits can be very helpful to the "Purist", but not the average Joe. Just buy the HU w/ the features you want/need and build from there.
Swez
Copyright ClubKnowledge 2009 * All Rights Reserved
