Hopefully most of you will be getting some money back this year. Before you do any spur of the moment buying on ebay, please stop by and ask us what we think. I often complain about posts asking about one item such as "are these any good?" or "should I buy these?", with no basis of comparison it is hard to give an opinion.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.. but do some comparison shopping first. Tell us what you are looking for and give links to the items you are looking at. Give as much information about the rest of your system as possible and we will gladly help you along. For example, if you have a 75w x 4 amplifier, a set of components that are rated at 200w RMS are not a good match. Details are important.
Lately this forum has been a little slow. I, for one, would be more than willing to jump on the opportunity to do a little research.
Replies (2)
swez on 02/3/2007 07:09:02
Well said Kit. The better one plans and researches a given project, the better the results are likely to be.
With all the various skills and talents on this board, I cannot help but wonder if we can pool our knowledge and come up with a basic format type planning guide for new and current readers. It need not be comprehensive, exhaustive or overly technical. (This tends to confuse and discourage many newbies, more then help them)
Am thinking a practical check list of sorts might be a good start. Things to consider at first blush might be: ("I and me" refers to the user, not Swez personally)
1. What is my working budget?
2. Do I want SPL, SQL or an SQ system?
3. Do I want basic factory upgrades, a full blown Aftermarket system or a hybrid? (Mix of both factory and Aftermarket)
4. What's in the vehicle now? (Factory speaker formats and locations)
5. How much wattage can my stock electrical system support before upgrades are needed?
6. A list of performance features I desire or need (EQ, Sound Stage Leveling, Digital Signal Processing, adding AUX players like MP3 or I-Pods, ect.)
OK, that's a starter. What else should be considered as part of this guide/list?
Am thinking it best to avoid specific brand names, model #'s and such of HU's, amps, speakers and subs in this overview. For now, just a basic/generic check list seems like a good starting point.
Comments invited,
Swez
MrBrownstone on 02/5/2007 18:12:42
I think that we went over this about 6 years ago on 'How to select equipment' in many forums and different arenas.
The nuts & bolts of the situation is that everybody wants the world handed to them for free. If you ask 'can I get a great system for $200 including headunit and subs?'--the answer is no.
The art of car audio (or any field of purchase) is to get the maximum satisfaction for the minimum buck. There are 2 ways to go about it. either:
1) buy the best equipment coordinated for the best performance, or
2) buy cheap crap, get a starter system, then systematically replace everything 1 piece at a time till you have a ghett-azzed funky looking mismatch multi-colored, five-branded behemoth that cost 2x as much as solution #1.
What I like to do is start from the top down. What do you want to accomplish, how ambitious are you--do you want to end up with the best? From there, show the enthusiast a reasonable means to accomplish their goals.
The problem is that retail stores have vested interest in your decision. If you want a lightweight, efficient, quality product, and they don't sell Alumapro, then they'll either oversell what they have.....or badmouth Alumapro. Therefore, we need to consult with folks with experience in the industry (like this forum) or those who can bring you advice without a vested interest in any one brand or product.
That is also why we have problems because most people come to forums looking for reassurance that they are making the right decision buying a $150 flea-bitten market Legacy amp when what they really want is a $500 Crossfire amp. The reality is that they will never be satisfied until they buck up, pick up their skirt and fork over the REAL money for the REAL DEAL.
I like Swez's idea of a checklist. 5 obvious questions are going to be:
1. How much do you want to spend
2. How important is it to have a system that's going to impress your friends.
3. Are you experienced enough to do your own wiring confidently
4. Are you willing to wait til you have proper funding to buy the right equipment the first time
5. Are you competing or just listening for daily driving...because you don't get both.
After those, particularly budget, we can make recommendations...such as:
1. Get a quality Head Unit
2. Get quality components
.....after that, when budget permits
3. Get quality amp(s) and subwoofers.
The whole project, particularly with young 'uns is often predicated upon budget, and dictated on what their friends have or impressing their friends. If not, we have a winner.
PS if you don't pay taxes, you don't get any back :-)
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.. but do some comparison shopping first. Tell us what you are looking for and give links to the items you are looking at. Give as much information about the rest of your system as possible and we will gladly help you along. For example, if you have a 75w x 4 amplifier, a set of components that are rated at 200w RMS are not a good match. Details are important.
Lately this forum has been a little slow. I, for one, would be more than willing to jump on the opportunity to do a little research.
Replies (2)
swez on 02/3/2007 07:09:02
Well said Kit. The better one plans and researches a given project, the better the results are likely to be.
With all the various skills and talents on this board, I cannot help but wonder if we can pool our knowledge and come up with a basic format type planning guide for new and current readers. It need not be comprehensive, exhaustive or overly technical. (This tends to confuse and discourage many newbies, more then help them)
Am thinking a practical check list of sorts might be a good start. Things to consider at first blush might be: ("I and me" refers to the user, not Swez personally)
1. What is my working budget?
2. Do I want SPL, SQL or an SQ system?
3. Do I want basic factory upgrades, a full blown Aftermarket system or a hybrid? (Mix of both factory and Aftermarket)
4. What's in the vehicle now? (Factory speaker formats and locations)
5. How much wattage can my stock electrical system support before upgrades are needed?
6. A list of performance features I desire or need (EQ, Sound Stage Leveling, Digital Signal Processing, adding AUX players like MP3 or I-Pods, ect.)
OK, that's a starter. What else should be considered as part of this guide/list?
Am thinking it best to avoid specific brand names, model #'s and such of HU's, amps, speakers and subs in this overview. For now, just a basic/generic check list seems like a good starting point.
Comments invited,
Swez
MrBrownstone on 02/5/2007 18:12:42
I think that we went over this about 6 years ago on 'How to select equipment' in many forums and different arenas.
The nuts & bolts of the situation is that everybody wants the world handed to them for free. If you ask 'can I get a great system for $200 including headunit and subs?'--the answer is no.
The art of car audio (or any field of purchase) is to get the maximum satisfaction for the minimum buck. There are 2 ways to go about it. either:
1) buy the best equipment coordinated for the best performance, or
2) buy cheap crap, get a starter system, then systematically replace everything 1 piece at a time till you have a ghett-azzed funky looking mismatch multi-colored, five-branded behemoth that cost 2x as much as solution #1.
What I like to do is start from the top down. What do you want to accomplish, how ambitious are you--do you want to end up with the best? From there, show the enthusiast a reasonable means to accomplish their goals.
The problem is that retail stores have vested interest in your decision. If you want a lightweight, efficient, quality product, and they don't sell Alumapro, then they'll either oversell what they have.....or badmouth Alumapro. Therefore, we need to consult with folks with experience in the industry (like this forum) or those who can bring you advice without a vested interest in any one brand or product.
That is also why we have problems because most people come to forums looking for reassurance that they are making the right decision buying a $150 flea-bitten market Legacy amp when what they really want is a $500 Crossfire amp. The reality is that they will never be satisfied until they buck up, pick up their skirt and fork over the REAL money for the REAL DEAL.
I like Swez's idea of a checklist. 5 obvious questions are going to be:
1. How much do you want to spend
2. How important is it to have a system that's going to impress your friends.
3. Are you experienced enough to do your own wiring confidently
4. Are you willing to wait til you have proper funding to buy the right equipment the first time
5. Are you competing or just listening for daily driving...because you don't get both.
After those, particularly budget, we can make recommendations...such as:
1. Get a quality Head Unit
2. Get quality components
.....after that, when budget permits
3. Get quality amp(s) and subwoofers.
The whole project, particularly with young 'uns is often predicated upon budget, and dictated on what their friends have or impressing their friends. If not, we have a winner.
PS if you don't pay taxes, you don't get any back :-)
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