Quote:
Originally Posted by Bumbo
$2500 is a pretty respectable budget. It helps to do some of the work yourself, but I feel like it might be a stretch to do it right if you had to pay an installer.
I kinda gave up on trying to take car audio to an “enthusiast level” because it’s far from an ideal environment when trying to build something that revolves around sound quality. That said, if you keep your expectations within reason and know where to spend the money, you can still get A LOT accomplished without going overboard.
The sound deadening portion of the setup is very labor intensive and you can save a lot doing this yourself. Depending on the vehicle, it could be one of the most important thing you can do to improve perceived sound quality and overall efficiency of the setup. A popular rule of thumb is to raise the volume 3db, it takes double the amplification power. Making a car quieter allows you to enjoy and hear more with less amplification. It could also make lesser equipment sound “bigger” than it really is, meaning you can get away with spending less on speaker and amps.
The two things that are a must have for me in a proper setup is sound deadening and tuning. Tuning you will need some type of DSP and RTA mic. I have accomplished far greater and more enjoyable results with cheaper audio equipment, sound deadening, and DSP, than with throwing a bunch of coin at expensive speakers and amps.
RTA = real time analyzer (microphone and software which allows you to tune the system, typically from your listening position)
DSP = digital signal processing (graphic and parametric eq)
I don’t like spending a ton of money on this stuff anymore so I use this free software called REW (Room EQ Wizard) and a $50 Behringer reference microphone (model# ecm8000)
REW - Room EQ Wizard Room Acoustics Software
There are newer systems out there, easier to use, more integrated as well, but they cost a few bucks.
YouTube
DM-RTA | AudioControl |
And herein lies the issue. You cannot take an oddly shaped metal box with hard glass surfaces, with wind and road noise and expect "hi-fi."
In addition, you have to split your attention between sound and the roadway. All that will take the "hi" out of hi-fi.
There is no car, regardless of the amount of money that you throw at it, that can provide proper sound while moving.
You can get pleasing sound but it won't be accurate - and certainly not in a 4R.
