Any Car Audiophiles out there?

[mad dog1]

Originally Posted by LuckyR

The bottom line is that a car is a pretty darn imperfect location to listen to music. Sure, you can spend whatever you want but anything above decent is not going to give you anywhere the same bang for your buck as a dollar spent on your home system.

+1 for sure. don't waste your money on car audio. too much NVH to combat.

[Fearsome Forehand]

That is why God invented EQ.

But, yes, a moving car has its drawbacks in terms of acoustics.

I wonder whatever became of my Koss Pro4A's.

[r2473]

Originally Posted by Disgruntled Worker

There's really no perfect headphone. You have to try out stuff before you buy it. Beats are actually the reason I got into headphones. I'll never forget it! Horrible, harsh treble combined with an over-inflated low end. It sounded like someone was hitting a cat with a bagpipe. If you want what audio engineers and musicians use, Guitar Center has PLENTY of quality stuff from Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Beyerdynamics, Klipsch, and even AKG.

Originally Posted by mad dog1

don't forget to add Grado to the list.

I hate all headphones (from an audio quality perspective). But the best I've ever heard are a nice pair of Stax electrostats that I had a custom built tube headphone amp for. They were "OK", but nothing compared to listening in my main system through my klipschhorns (so why bother with the headphones?).

[ellipticality_224]

I may not be a vinyl junkie like I assume some of you older tters are, but If Im buying music I always get in the car and drive down to the CD store, in my state FYE dominates it. MP3s arent as good as SQ as the CDs are, I forget what the bit rates are, but its a pretty significant difference. Besides what I have written in the paragraph below will SHOCK some of you.

There is a radio program that comes on on weeknights from 8-11 pm called "the tech guy" and he just talks about all sorts of goodies us tech junkies drool over. Like the newest gaming systems, the latest in picture taking technology, audio, and he even LOVES to demonize Itunes and Zune, and all other major mp3 and ebook retailers. He was searching the terms and agreements one day and out of the blue he comes across a staggering new regulation on purchased ebooks and items from amazon and itunes etc. It basically says that "By buying our media, you are renting it for a lifetime, when you pass away, the library of purchased items then returns into apple or amazons possesion. Essentially YOU DO NOT OWN PURCHASED ITEMS FROM ITUNES! You simply have rights to listen to them, and you cannot put them in your will to hand them over to a relative. Apple and Amaon have every right to reach into your library and delete everything that you have bought from them. Yes, this is easily avoided by simply storing in an external HD. But, IMO, this is simply taking it too far, you should own the copy of the mp3 you buy. This is another reason I buy CDs only, because you cant track them and essentially you own the CD

[Fearsome Forehand]

^ Leo LaPorte

[ellipticality_224]

Lol, whose that?

[ellipticality_224]

oh, nvm! Duhh... thats the tech guy I was talking about, dont know his name, but now i do, just knew him as the tech guy.

[Ronaldo]

Originally Posted by mad dog1

don't forget to add Grado to the list.

Grado is on the top of my list since selling my Stax hdphones.

[r2473]

Originally Posted by ellipticality_224

I may not be a vinyl junkie like I assume some of you older tters are,

Good reel-to-reel blows vinyl out of the water for sound quality. Problem is, you can't buy anything to play.

But in all honesty, I've heard it said by many dyed-in-the-wool vinyl junkies, that computers are so good these days, that the sound quality is as good if not better than the best vinyl or reel-to-reel setups. Not just any old computer music setup mind you.

But all the music I like and listen to I have on vinyl, so that's what I'm sticking with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARhctL8xN0c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uREkZzOcIxk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTniz71YCpY

[Hot Sauce]

Interesting enough, I just got some JL Audio speakers (front and back) for my car for Christmas. I have the back ones installed, and I'm going to have my friend install the front ones for me this weekend.

I think a car is a great place to listen to music. It takes me 40 minutes to an hour to drive to work everyday (and back home), and having some great quality speakers really makes a big difference in the enjoyment of the ride. It can even put you into a good mood going into work.

Also, I recently bought a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50's for my desktop use. They're quite nice - good for gaming too.

[ellipticality_224]

Originally Posted by Hot Sauce

Interesting enough, I just got some JL Audio speakers (front and back) for my car for Christmas. I have the back ones installed, and I'm going to have my friend install the front ones for me this weekend.

I think a car is a great place to listen to music. It takes me 40 minutes to an hour to drive to work everyday (and back home), and having some great quality speakers really makes a big difference in the enjoyment of the ride. It can even put you into a good mood going into work.

Also, I recently bought a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50's for my desktop use. They're quite nice - good for gaming too.

I assume you have mid rate speakers for stock? Well, some people may say that car audio is waste over a certain dollar mark, but in my wrangler, anything beats the stock, I use JL audio 4x6 TR in the front and Marine grade kenwoods in the audio bar for rain storms. My sub is in a shallow mount its a 10 inch which is fine for the rock and country I listen to (Kenwood KFC Excelon) my amplifier is an Alpine, and mounted in under the instrument panel in my jeep to prevent theft and water damage (that was a fun install, lots of cussing in that one) and I use a Kenwood Excelon KDC 594 in for a deck (its a tad old, thinking about upgrading to the 597), Kenwood excleon decks are said to be hands down THE best in stereos and radios. I wont use anything else but kenwood decks. For me it was worth it, because the paper cones in my stock setup had already lost the styrofoam surrounds and barely made sound at all, and the deck was only a tape player, my dad still has some tapes laying around the house.I can honestly say it was money well spent, as the speakers are virtually theft proof because of the front being hidden in the leg panels and the audio bar speakers have TORX Key screws in them and wont work without that specific head which is very hard to find, my amp... well good luck getting that out of there, if you can find it. and my subwoofer is bolted to the floor in the back and hidden from clear view by the back seat. I personally think it was a good investment, all in all it ran me about 900 dollars, and since I did it myself I saved 200 some dollars in labor fees as well.

[diredesire]

Originally Posted by mad dog1

Did you just mention Bose and audiophile in the same thread???

Bose is as far from audiophile as audio gets. Bose is just a cheaper version of Bang & Olufsen.

Yeah, I'm not going to pile on here, but there's so much face palm worthy stuff going on in this thread...

I'm a "headphone" guy, but I rarely use them to their full potential, even if I accrue enough equipment to make nice cans shine, you still have source issues, which is another fat wad of cash disappearing. I actually "got into" headphones largely due to the DIY amp scene (I'm an electrical engineer). Fun stuff, but digital audio is too portable and compelling for me to invest my money into vinyl/other high end sources.

I've resigned myself to keeping computers, tennis/stringing, and hardware hacking/DIY as my expensive hobbies.

As far as OP: Just go read head-fi for a while, and re-read this thread in a year, you'll know what I mean

[NickC]

Originally Posted by diredesire

I've resigned myself to keeping computers, tennis/stringing, and hardware hacking/DIY as my expensive hobbies.

Lucky you. Atleast you have self-imposed limits. I just found out that I basically need to get a whole slew of new audio gear now that I've started taking production seriously, which will probably end in me spending my entire first paycheck on a new pair of monitors and a analog synth. That and tennis will practically bankrupt me.

[ellipticality_224]

My local small business that deals in AV has a big sign over their headphone shelves and racks that reads

"That moment when you get a good pair of headphones, and hear instruments that you didn't know were there before."

My knowledge is more limited to car audio, IMO, the best place to spend money on media enjoyment, when your a college kid, who virtually lives in their car, and is on the road ALL the time, as I am. A 15 minute drive to work from my apartment, 30 minutes from work to make it home for dinner, 40 minutes to get to my parents house from my apartment for dinner, 30 minute commute to the community college from my apartment. And depending on traffic, an hour to get to the local private courts or the cities recreational park, which have good looking courts. Unlike in my part of the county (yes, county) where no one knows what tennis is, and if they do, they think its basically a commie plot, like soccer.

[diredesire]

Originally Posted by NickC

Lucky you. Atleast you have self-imposed limits. I just found out that I basically need to get a whole slew of new audio gear now that I've started taking production seriously, which will probably end in me spending my entire first paycheck on a new pair of monitors and a analog synth. That and tennis will practically bankrupt me.

Production is your decision, and there's nothing wrong with that I just ended up with 'audiophile' related hobbies as a lower priority than the other interests I have. Simple as that

Originally Posted by ellipticality_224

My local small business that deals in AV has a big sign over their headphone shelves and racks that reads

"That moment when you get a good pair of headphones, and hear instruments that you didn't know were there before."

My knowledge is more limited to car audio, IMO, the best place to spend money on media enjoyment, when your a college kid, who virtually lives in their car, and is on the road ALL the time, as I am. A 15 minute drive to work from my apartment, 30 minutes from work to make it home for dinner, 40 minutes to get to my parents house from my apartment for dinner, 30 minute commute to the community college from my apartment. And depending on traffic, an hour to get to the local private courts or the cities recreational park, which have good looking courts. Unlike in my part of the county (yes, county) where no one knows what tennis is, and if they do, they think its basically a commie plot, like soccer.

I'm totally supportive of anyone spending their money on something they're enthusiastic about, and/or things that make them happy (if it truly does so). I think in terms of being a true "audiophile," though, as was said above, the car is one of the worst places to spend it on. There's just too much cabin noise for truly high fidelity reproduction. I DO agree that there's plenty of things that are worth upgrading in a vehicle, though

[Hot Sauce]

Originally Posted by ellipticality_224

I assume you have mid rate speakers for stock? Well, some people may say that car audio is waste over a certain dollar mark, but in my wrangler, anything beats the stock, I use JL audio 4x6 TR in the front and Marine grade kenwoods in the audio bar for rain storms. My sub is in a shallow mount its a 10 inch which is fine for the rock and country I listen to (Kenwood KFC Excelon) my amplifier is an Alpine, and mounted in under the instrument panel in my jeep to prevent theft and water damage (that was a fun install, lots of cussing in that one) and I use a Kenwood Excelon KDC 594 in for a deck (its a tad old, thinking about upgrading to the 597), Kenwood excleon decks are said to be hands down THE best in stereos and radios. I wont use anything else but kenwood decks. For me it was worth it, because the paper cones in my stock setup had already lost the styrofoam surrounds and barely made sound at all, and the deck was only a tape player, my dad still has some tapes laying around the house.I can honestly say it was money well spent, as the speakers are virtually theft proof because of the front being hidden in the leg panels and the audio bar speakers have TORX Key screws in them and wont work without that specific head which is very hard to find, my amp... well good luck getting that out of there, if you can find it. and my subwoofer is bolted to the floor in the back and hidden from clear view by the back seat. I personally think it was a good investment, all in all it ran me about 900 dollars, and since I did it myself I saved 200 some dollars in labor fees as well.

Yes, just stock Honda Civic speakers.

The difference between stock and aftermarket speakers is amazing. It makes the music so much more enjoyable.

[The_Question]

Originally Posted by ellipticality_224

I assume you have mid rate speakers for stock? Well, some people may say that car audio is waste over a certain dollar mark, but in my wrangler, anything beats the stock, I use JL audio 4x6 TR in the front and Marine grade kenwoods in the audio bar for rain storms. My sub is in a shallow mount its a 10 inch which is fine for the rock and country I listen to (Kenwood KFC Excelon) my amplifier is an Alpine, and mounted in under the instrument panel in my jeep to prevent theft and water damage (that was a fun install, lots of cussing in that one) and I use a Kenwood Excelon KDC 594 in for a deck (its a tad old, thinking about upgrading to the 597), Kenwood excleon decks are said to be hands down THE best in stereos and radios. I wont use anything else but kenwood decks. For me it was worth it, because the paper cones in my stock setup had already lost the styrofoam surrounds and barely made sound at all, and the deck was only a tape player, my dad still has some tapes laying around the house.I can honestly say it was money well spent, as the speakers are virtually theft proof because of the front being hidden in the leg panels and the audio bar speakers have TORX Key screws in them and wont work without that specific head which is very hard to find, my amp... well good luck getting that out of there, if you can find it. and my subwoofer is bolted to the floor in the back and hidden from clear view by the back seat. I personally think it was a good investment, all in all it ran me about 900 dollars, and since I did it myself I saved 200 some dollars in labor fees as well.

The only problem w/Kenwood is...they break so easy! The Excelon is awesome, no doubt, I have a few of them myself, but they breakdown right after the warranty had expired. As standard HU goes, I have yet found a similar sound shaping as the Excelon, Alpine comes closest.