RFinco Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 ---------------- On 4/8/2004 9:59:59 AM caz1604 wrote: I am currently selling my system. Email me if your interested. ashleighdad@hotmail.com 3 10" JL Auido W6v2's in custom made fiber glass box. JL Audio 500/1 JL Audio 300/4 Aluma Pro 5 Fared Capacitor Trust me, your explorer would rock with set-up. ---------------- THIS IS SOME NICE GEAR! jesus...."3" W6v2s?????? good lord...that has to be out of control... nice amps too... this is a great buy for someone... 007-- I spend at least 2 hours a day in my car--I have over 150 CDs in there, I listen to music in my car WAAAAY more than I do at home. We spend so much time in our cars, why not make it as enjoyable as possible? by the way--if you go with the system I described above it will beat the Refrence home system any day of the week. you said it--a super small enclosure--there isn't much air to push and control--the sound on a audiophile car system is just incredible. most people spend all their money on subs for their car and they get a big bass cannon which sounds like crap, and because of this people don't take car audio seriously--I'm not talking about SPL competions here, I'm talking about good sound. just because you've never heard a good system, or what you have heard was nothing more than a rockford amp connected to 3 12" crappy subs with NO CONCERN for good sounding tweets, or mids--don't dismiss the possibilities. my dad said similar things, i.e. car audio--blah blah blah..--then, he got in my car and listened. he's not an audiophile by any means, but after listening to some of his CDs while driving around, his response was: Jesus your stereo sounds good! but..like anything, quality often will cost you. think about what you're doing--just like home audio gear you need to respect every piece in the chain--from power to processor(head unit)to amp to speakers to wireing. if you want good sound in your home, you need to do the same thing. So why is car audio any different than home audio? The equipment I describe is some very nice stuff--you don't have to go that expensive--you want a noticeable difference? change out your factory deck, they all suck--I don't care if you have the lexus Mark levingson factory set--factory set ups are WEAK (yes, I've heard almost all the "high end" factory setups--they don't compare). go get a 200.00 pioneer deck, and some infinity Kappa 63.5 components--price--about 500 bucks total for the speaks and deck. the difference is amazing. for 500 bucks you changed your processor, amplifier, and speakers. you went from a factory amp of about 15 watts maybe, to a 40 to 50 watt per channel deck. get a external multi channel amp and that climbs to 75 to 100 watts per channel. now you move up to a NAK deck for 320.00 with specs that rival home systems, use it as a processor(the 1500 dollar nak deck doesn't even have an amp--it is a true stand alone processor) get a good multichannel amp (you don't need monoblocks unless you want to drive huge subs)and get a nice little 10" JL w6v2 in their prowedge prebuilt enclosure. its black and nice looking and has fuzzy carpeted ends, not to mention that it will best most home subs easily. the good thing about car audio is that unlike home audio at a point the gear tops out in price. then it becomes a question of quantity-not quality. I understand 007 that you may not like car audio, but I assure you its not bull****, and the difference between a good car audio set up and the factory set up is staggering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caz1604 Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 ---------------- THIS IS SOME NICE GEAR! jesus...."3" W6v2s?????? good lord...that has to be out of control... nice amps too... this is a great buy for someone... --------------- Thanks, I like my gear as well, kind of sad to part with, especially since it is only 11 months old, but I want some help for the down payment on a car I've had my eye on. I also have an Eclipse 8401 - 8 volt CD Player and Eclipse Point Source all the way around. I still want Focal Utopias too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFinco Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 Caz: why sell when you're just going to buy it all again?? first, if you soundproof your new wheels you won't need 3 subs, just position 1 or 2 faceing inside the trunk instead of bouncing off the roof or glass--sealing off the car gets you fantastic results without adding more equipment. you should just save a bit longer and keep the gear you've got--you're not going to get enough from selling the gear to justify the sale in your heart! well...anyway, I wish you luck with whatever you decide. what new car are you looking at? just curious.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caz1604 Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 I am going to get either a Acura TSX or a Lexus IS 300. I am leaning towards the TSX though. I currently have my entire trunk sealed with Dynamatt Dampening Putty. Works great and I get the full potential of my system. I have a couple offers that are reasonable and worth considering. We will see how it goes. This will be my replacement system in the future: 3 JL Audio 13" W7's 3 JL Audio 1000/1 JL Audio 450/4 Aluma Pro 15 Fared Cap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFinco Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 ---------------- On 4/8/2004 4:21:09 PM caz1604 wrote: I am going to get either a Acura TSX or a Lexus IS 300. I am leaning towards the TSX though. I currently have my entire trunk sealed with Dynamatt Dampening Putty. Works great and I get the full potential of my system. I have a couple offers that are reasonable and worth considering. We will see how it goes. This will be my replacement system in the future: 3 JL Audio 13" W7's 3 JL Audio 1000/1 JL Audio 450/4 Aluma Pro 15 Fared Cap ---------------- you got a ton of bass here but where's mids and highs? Utopia 2 and 3 ways are awsome...with that kind of gear you might want to look at the Flagship Nakamichi deck--it has no internal amplification and its specs are audiophile quality.... Lexus IS300 is a waste of money. Acura is a much nicer car. I tested them both--the lexus is like a shineier toyota. for the money get a slightly used Audi S4--way nicer than both of these honestly...new cars kill you with first year depreciation.. But the Acura are very nice...the TLs and such are very nice. I was thinking about Acuras, S4s, IS300s, and I ended up getting something I never would have thought of: I tested a Saab Viggen and I loved it. thats what I'm driving now. Good luck with your Sale!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 ---------------- On 4/8/2004 2:09:59 PM RFinco wrote: 007-- I spend at least 2 hours a day in my car--I have over 150 CDs in there, I listen to music in my car WAAAAY more than I do at home. We spend so much time in our cars, why not make it as enjoyable as possible? by the way--if you go with the system I described above it will beat the Refrence home system any day of the week. {snip for brevity sake} I understand 007 that you may not like car audio, but I assure you its not bull****, and the difference between a good car audio set up and the factory set up is staggering. ---------------- RFinco! I don't think I could've said it better myself. I was one of those "car audio is just a wast of money" types, but I wanted something better than the stock setup that was in my 1999 Saturn SL-2 (I know, nothing fancy, but all I need to get back and forth to work). At the very least, I wanted a CD deck to replace the factory cassette deck, and perhaps even XM Radio. I have a good 30 to 45 minute commute to work each way every morning, so I wanted something decent to make the drive that much more enjoyable. I went to a local installer to price and and get an idea of I wanted. Well, I heard the following: Alpine CDA-9820XM CD player head unit with built-in XM radio tuner MB Quart Premier components for front MB Quart Reference components for rear Single 10inch JL Audio 10W3v2 subwoofer in a sealed box JL Audio 500/5 amplifier. Once I heard that, I was completely blown away at just how good it sounded. I knew I had to have that in my car! . Now, it has been about a month later, and I still smile from ear-to-ear everytime I get into my car and listen to that setup. Also, the door panels, rear deck and trunk have been dynamatted (the rear deck only because I had some extra and figured, what the hell) As far as this sounding better than a Klipsch Reference setup, well, perhaps. I know in my case, my Reference 7 with B&K Ref 200.7 amp sounds way better than my car setup. My system is very close to what you got (for comparison sake, my MB Quarts are only one model down from yours, and my JL sub is only one model down from yours - we are probably even in head units (which is better, NAK or Alpine - well probably simply a matter of taste) and amplification - maybe the JL Audio amp is better than the AudioTek you have - in the end our systems are very comparable - yours proably just a tad better). I still think, at least in my experience, my Reference 7 setup is much better in sound quality than my car system. Yes, I could get a car system that would best my Reference 7, but I don't want to take out a second mortgage to do so. I can gurante that my car audio would easily blow away a set of ProMedias pressed into car-audio service. I have a set of the ProMedias on one of my computers, and yes they sound good, but no way in hell comparable to my car setup. Also, I wonder how well those ProMedias will withstand the typically harsh environment of a car. Here in Virginia, it can get blisteringly hot and humid during the summer and bone-chillingly code during the winter. I find it hard to believe that a set of ProMedias will be able to withstand those kinds of conditions for too long. Still, I very much agree with everyting you said there! A good audiophile grade car system is going to be pricy, but it will sound much much better than your typical "all boom" system, and will rival, if not surpass, many a home audio setup as well. Still, it cracks me up because one of my neighbers has one of those "all boom, but no real substance" setups. I've never heard bass that sounded so overdriven, distorted, and one-notey. I've gotten so spoiled with my home and car setups that I now going to drop something into my little 1990 Mazda B2200 pickup. This is what I got so far: Clarion DP-130 (I think) CD player head-unit (replaced the crappy POS Sony cassette deck that was in there - the thing was broken anyways). Only paid $100 for it. A pair of Boston Acoustics CX4e speakers (I only paid $9 for the pair, and they sound quite good for a pair of two-way 4inch speakers - they normally retailed for about $80/pair) A single 10inch JL Audio 10W0 subwoofer (those BA CX4e speakers have no friggan bass output) A four channel Alpine Amp. Two channels to the two speakers and the other two bridged to drive the subwoofer. I don't remember the model, but I think it is a 400 watt amp with 100watts to each channel. I heard this setup in the demo room at the installer, and I was quite impressed with the overall sound of this. Total cost will come to about $600. Plenty good enough for that little truck - almost too good. I sure would love to hear your car setup. Hell, I would not mind even hearing your Def Tech home system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFinco Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 ---------------- RFinco! I don't think I could've said it better myself. ---Thank you kindly! I have a good 30 to 45 minute commute to work each way every morning, so I wanted something decent to make the drive that much more enjoyable. --exactly--you are in your car a min. of 1 1/2 hours a day why not enjoy it! add that up over a month or a year and then think about that time NOT in a car--it would be quickly remedied, I'm sure..yet everyone 'forgets' about all that time in the automobile... Once I heard that, I was completely blown away at just how good it sounded. I knew I had to have that in my car! ---night and day from the factory to the after market parts...the diff...is staggering. (which is better, NAK or Alpine - well probably simply a matter of taste) and amplification - maybe the JL Audio amp is better than the AudioTek you have - in the end our systems are very comparable - yours proably just a tad better). I would agree--its splitting hairs at a point. that JL amp is a nice amp! the autotek puts out more to the sub channel which is one of the reasons I like it... The Nak decks sound really good, and they are fairly "simple", which is what I wanted. I still think, at least in my experience, my Reference 7 setup is much better in sound quality than my car system. ----fair enough--I'm not out to burst anyones balloon here. I'm glad you can say that about your gear. I also think the listening enviorment is so radically different that i can be hard to compare directly--so, I believe that I may have overstated the case a bit--i was merely trying to say that car audio has "audiophiles" as well, and its within many people's reach to get dramatic sound from their car. I have a set of the ProMedias on one of my computers, and yes they sound good, but no way in hell comparable to my car setup. ----I have the 4.1 promedias...in fact I bought them the first DAY! they were selling them to the public, and you could only get them on-line direct from Klipsch. They're great but my car beats them in every possible capacity. Still, I very much agree with everyting you said there! A good audiophile grade car system is going to be pricy, but it will sound much much better than your typical "boom" system, and will rival, if not surpass, many a home audio setup as well. ---Yep. Still, it cracks me up because one of my neighbers has one of those "all boom, but no real substance" setups. I've never heard bass that sounded so overdriven, distorted, and one-notey. ---those systems usually are TERRIBLE! they spend a TON of money on subs and amps and all they do is sound like a deep fart...the best is when they haven't sound proofed their car well or their placement is all wrong and the body panels on the car rattle! I've gotten so spoiled with my home and car setups that I now going to drop something into my little 1990 Mazda B2200 pickup. -----Its addictive--the worst is when you are in a friends car, and you can't help but compare sound in your head...you don't want to tell them, but it actually sounds "bad" to you..... I sure would love to hear your car setup. Hell, I would not mind even hearing your Def Tech home system. ---"even" my def tech...HEHEHE...thats ok though..I'd love to show them to you--alas it would be quite a trip with 280lbs of speakers tied to my back. Theres a HUGE thread about me defending my speakers...look up Def Tech and blamo...there it is. I've been listening to def tech's and Klipsch quite a bit lately and it seems to come down to one fine, but important point. Klipsh are very directive, i.e. they have that "pinpoint" quality to their sound. Def Techs, on the other hand do not have this--they are very difused--they'll fill a room with great sound but there is no "sweet spot" per se. I don't think one actually "sounds" better, I think its a matter of what the listener prefers. I will say this: my car sounds better for music than my home system--but mainly cause I like "near field listening" more than most I guess. good luck on all your car audio endevors, and if you need new stuff, you'll get great prices from those two links I provided--both are awsome companies to work with. PS!! go buy an OPTIMA yellow top battery!! your system will EXCEL!! right now, it doesn't get enough power.... ---------------- [/blockquote> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 ---------------- On 4/8/2004 9:05:30 PM RFinco wrote: ----fair enough--I'm not out to burst anyones balloon here. I'm glad you can say that about your gear. I also think the listening enviorment is so radically different that i can be hard to compare directly--so, I believe that I may have overstated the case a bit--i was merely trying to say that car audio has "audiophiles" as well, and its within many people's reach to get dramatic sound from their car. ---------------- No prroblem, I see what you are getting at. It is very true that you can get a very nice system for the car. The system that is going into my truck, which I only paid a fraction of what I paid for the system in my car, still sounds very good. Kinda funny when I got my car system installed. The guys were lementing to me how it must be nice for me to be able to have such a nice system in the car, and then be able to go home to an even nicer system. Then getting into that truck - ugh. At least that'll be fixed this weekend. I already have the Clarion head-unit and the Bostan Acoustic speakers installed. The subwoofer, speaker wire, cabling, and amp kit are sitting in my living room. The amp was not in yet, and I am awaiting a custom made sub box to be completed (none of the "standard" boxes they had would fit behind the seat, so I am getting one custom made). It'll be a sealed box. I do use my truck pretty often, so it'll be nice to get something decent in there. ---------------- ----I have the 4.1 promedias...in fact I bought them the first DAY! they were selling them to the public, and you could only get them on-line direct from Klipsch. They're great but my car beats them in every possible capacity. ---------------- Same here. I've had mine since nearly the beginning (and how I remember having to wait a good six months before I could even place an order, since they were in so much demand!). They've been going strong ever since. ---------------- ---those systems usually are TERRIBLE! they spend a TON of money on subs and amps and all they do is sound like a deep fart...the best is when they haven't sound proofed their car well or their placement is all wrong and the body panels on the car rattle! ---------------- What is even funnier, almost to the point where it is actually pretty sad, is that I actually witnessed a couple of kids go into the car audio display, select one of the head units, selected one of the amps, and selected one of the subs and turned down the treble and turned up the bass! They ended up overdriving the subwoofer to the point that back of the voice coil was slapping the backplate of the driver, thus producing a hideous sounding "popping" noise! Un-friggan-believable! I cannot begin to count the number of times when I've seen people go into any car audio display, whether it is at the high-end dealer or at Best Buy, and immediatly crank up the bass to the point of sounding distorted, overdriven, and "farty". And they all stand there acting like is the coolest thing around! I just stand there and shake my head in disblief, along with the salesman. Some of the stories I even gotten from my installer! He had one guy that brought a jeep in to have some ungodly amount of subwoofers installed. We are talking three 12inch subs and something like 2000watts of amplification! The funny part was that the guy had no speakers up front! They were just empty holes in the dash! That system was all subwoofer! The installer actually gave him a free pair of those Boston Acoustic CX4e speakers they were clearing out for $9/pair just to have something up front! I find it hard to believe that all this dude does is ride around blasting all that bass as though that has gotta be the most badd-@$$ thing on the street! ---------------- ---"even" my def tech...HEHEHE...thats ok though..I'd love to show them to you--alas it would be quite a trip with 280lbs of speakers tied to my back. Theres a HUGE thread about me defending my speakers...look up Def Tech and blamo...there it is. I've been listening to def tech's and Klipsch quite a bit lately and it seems to come down to one fine, but important point. Klipsh are very directive, i.e. they have that "pinpoint" quality to their sound. Def Techs, on the other hand do not have this--they are very difused--they'll fill a room with great sound but there is no "sweet spot" per se. I don't think one actually "sounds" better, I think its a matter of what the listener prefers. I will say this: my car sounds better for music than my home system--but mainly cause I like "near field listening" more than most I guess. ---------------- Yeah, I remember that thread! My opinion on all that is that you go with what you think sounds best for you and what works best in your listening environment and within your budget. I personally love the shear clarity and dynamics of my Klipsch RF-7s, but there are folks that just cannot stand the sound of them. To each there own. That is why there is a Def Tech, Paradigm, Klipsch, and yes, even Bose, as well as a miriad of other manufacturers. They all seem to have thier own distinctive sound and thier own style and look. Go with the one that works the best for you. Most likely, you'll have them for many many years. ---------------- good luck on all your car audio endevors, and if you need new stuff, you'll get great prices from those two links I provided--both are awsome companies to work with. PS!! go buy an OPTIMA yellow top battery!! your system will EXCEL!! right now, it doesn't get enough power.... ---------------- Thanks! I'll have to check those links out. Yeah, about the battery, it is getting close to time that I'll need to replace the car battery anyway. I'll go check out that OPTIMA battery you suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caz1604 Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 ---------------- On 4/8/2004 6:08:43 PM RFinco wrote: ---------------- On 4/8/2004 4:21:09 PM caz1604 wrote: I am going to get either a Acura TSX or a Lexus IS 300. I am leaning towards the TSX though. I currently have my entire trunk sealed with Dynamatt Dampening Putty. Works great and I get the full potential of my system. I have a couple offers that are reasonable and worth considering. We will see how it goes. This will be my replacement system in the future: 3 JL Audio 13" W7's 3 JL Audio 1000/1 JL Audio 450/4 Aluma Pro 15 Fared Cap ---------------- you got a ton of bass here but where's mids and highs? Utopia 2 and 3 ways are awsome...with that kind of gear you might want to look at the Flagship Nakamichi deck--it has no internal amplification and its specs are audiophile quality.... Lexus IS300 is a waste of money. Acura is a much nicer car. I tested them both--the lexus is like a shineier toyota. for the money get a slightly used Audi S4--way nicer than both of these honestly...new cars kill you with first year depreciation.. But the Acura are very nice...the TLs and such are very nice. I was thinking about Acuras, S4s, IS300s, and I ended up getting something I never would have thought of: I tested a Saab Viggen and I loved it. thats what I'm driving now. Good luck with your Sale!! ---------------- Oh trust me, I am not the type of person who likes more bass than treble...I just didn't list the mids and highs. If you noticed I listed a 450/4, which can drive any door speaker. Like I said before, I still like the Focal Utopias and probably will shell out the money to get them for my new car as well. My current Eclipse head unit has no internal amp as well, which really helps the sound quality, especially since it is a 8-volt. I will only run Eclipse as my head unit, I personally think their decks are far superior than anything on the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 Check around at a battery wholesaler, I can get the yellow top ( deep cycle ) here in canada for $ 180 canadian and the red top for $130 canadian. Group 34/78 should fit fine in the mazda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caz1604 Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 ---------------- On 4/9/2004 9:48:38 AM michael hurd wrote: Check around at a battery wholesaler, I can get the yellow top ( deep cycle ) here in canada for $ 180 canadian and the red top for $130 canadian. Group 34/78 should fit fine in the mazda. ---------------- Yeah Michael, those yellow and red top batteries are the best. I would have put a yellow top in my car, but it was too big and I really didn't need it. How much does $180 canadian come out to in american dollars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFinco Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 ---------------- On 4/9/2004 10:04:39 AM caz1604 wrote: ---------------- On 4/9/2004 9:48:38 AM michael hurd wrote: Check around at a battery wholesaler, I can get the yellow top ( deep cycle ) here in canada for $ 180 canadian and the red top for $130 canadian. Group 34/78 should fit fine in the mazda. ---------------- How much does $180 canadian come out to in american dollars? ---------------- I paid 150.00 US dollars for my Yellow-top Optima from a shop, BUT!! I didn't shop around--my car was COMPLETELY! dead, which caused all sorts of problems with the alarm, and I didn't have time--I needed to get a working auto STAT! Had I shopped around I could have gotten a yellow top for probably 120.00 US shipped to me... CAZ! with all that nice gear I hope you have a good alarm, cause the factory systems aren't very good. I've got a COMPUSTAR, which are the best in the biz, PLUS!! they aren't very common cause of their price so thieves don't know how they work--as opposed to DEI electronics--i.e. almost every other alarm out there.... www.compustar.org check them out--AWSOME alarms. the "knock" pager on the window is just too cool (if you knock on the glass where the sensor is it will send a page to the handset up to a 1/4 mile away) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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