The advances in sound technoloy are a WOW!

[W1GUH]

So I updated my car stereo last week and I"m blown away by how improved the sound is. The new radio has twice the power and that helps, of course, but I didn't expect to hear THAT much of a difference, but I sure do. I've got Infinity speakers in the back and they sure use that power effectively. Only changed the head unit, the speakers were unchanged.

The radio has a "Rear Bass Enhancement" which simulates having front speakers and a sub-woofer in the back. Wow! Now I can put on Hip-Hop and make it go boomba-boomba! That is, if I want to destroy even more celia in my inner ear.

Incidentally, the more I hear the real rap and hip hop the more I'm liking it, FWIW.

One thing that's noticeable is that the radio is set up to really blast the bass. What I need to do is get the equalizer (7 band) set up to deal with that. The default settings really, really blast it. Guess that's the latest popular way to listen, with ball-rattling bass on everything? Gonna be a lot of people with burnt out bass celia in the future?

The main motivations for upgrading were to have XM radio built-in -- I'd grown tired of always messing with my portable and all the wires that means. Secondly, I wanted a USB input. Much more convenient to carry around an SD card in a reader than a stack of CD's. Might be that CD's are about to go the way of hissettes. The mechanism on the radio is kind of an afterthought. It's there for when you need it, but there's no changer controls or all that stuff. Who needs it with a USB port?

AND, thanks to China, this stuff is CHEAP!!! The radio has all the latest bells and whistles for a price of $120 + $20 (after one of those obnoxious MIR's) for the XM tuner. Cheesh! The tuner is obviously a loss leader - XM gets more from me now.

[KG4NEL]

Just FWIW, higher frequencies do a lot more damage than sub-80Hz ;)

Are you using an external amplifier? I never thought I'd hear the difference in dynamic range, but even the 100x2 amp I've been using for the past several years was a huge improvement. Head unit internal amps tend to be hopelessly optimistic, even after CEA-2006 was supposed to level the playing field somewhat...

[kf0rt]

Whatd'ja get, Paul?

Just put one of these in the XYL's Blazer a month or so ago. No XM, but everything else. Sounds better than the factory thing, but still using the factory speakers. $150 delivered from Crutchfield (included all the extra parts and pieces).

6769

[W1GUH]

This is the one I got... Crutchfield Write-up (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_158GT565UP/Sony-CDX-GT565UP.html?tp=5684#overview-tab)
http://www.crutchfield.com.edgesuite.net/pix.crutchfield.com/products/2011/34/158/x158GT565UP-F.jpeg

No amp. Rear speakers are 18 year old Infinity Kappa 5 1/4's....front speakers are '92 Celica stock with tweeters in the door wings.

Just in case someone doesn't know this, Crutchfield is, IMHO, the only place to get car sound stuff. You always get adapters so the new radio can plug directly into the car's harness. Installation is trivial -- the hardest part is taking the dash or console apart.

That radio's $119.95.

[n2ize]

The radio has a "Rear Bass Enhancement" which simulates having front speakers and a sub-woofer in the back. Wow! Now I can put on Hip-Hop and make it go boomba-boomba! That is, if I want to destroy even more celia in my inner ear.


Sounds awesome.


Incidentally, the more I hear the real rap and hip hop the more I'm liking it, FWIW.


Rap and hip hop are great. It's sad that not enough people give them a chance. I think hip hop is the best stuff to come out in ages. Blows away most of the old stuff.


One thing that's noticeable is that the radio is set up to really blast the bass. What I need to do is get the equalizer (7 band) set up to deal with that. The default settings really, really blast it. Guess that's the latest popular way to listen, with ball-rattling bass on everything? Gonna be a lot of people with burnt out bass celia in the future?


When you're in the car you don;t just want to hear music, you want to "feel it". That's where clear solid pounding bass + lots of volume come in. Friend of mine has a system that literally shakes every car on the road within 1000' of him when he cranks it. And man, he does crank it...often. That earth shattering bass really kicks some serious ass.


The main motivations for upgrading were to have XM radio built-in -- I'd grown tired of always messing with my portable and all the wires that means. Secondly, I wanted a USB input. Much more convenient to carry around an SD card in a reader than a stack of CD's. Might be that CD's are about to go the way of hissettes. The mechanism on the radio is kind of an afterthought. It's there for when you need it, but there's no changer controls or all that stuff. Who needs it with a USB port?



CD's are obsolete as far as I am concerned. DVD's are out as well. Only use I have for DVD devices is to rip out the guts and use the innards to make small lasers.



AND, thanks to China, this stuff is CHEAP!!! The radio has all the latest bells and whistles for a price of $120 + $20 (after one of those obnoxious MIR's) for the XM tuner. Cheesh! The tuner is obviously a loss leader - XM gets more from me now.
I'm loving it. I can;t think of how many items I have bought, quality stuff made in China that performs outstanding and outperforms a lot of the crap that was made here in the USA. Plus with the very low Chinese prices I rarely hesitate to buy stuff these days.

[W1GUH]

Forgot the single most important convenience of the new radio. It has a knob! Now it's easy to play with...don't have to find a tiny button.

[WØTKX]

I upgraded the Miata door speakers a few months ago with some Polk units. Wow.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P0PF9G/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Uw4vYPiIL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[W1GUH]

Been wondering if upgrading the stock in-dash speakers is worthwhile. The major impediment would be taking the dash apart without damaging it and it's not clear that would happen. The speakers that are there now are handling the add'l power without ill effects plus the tweeters in the wings do a great job.

Anyone remember when a mid-seventies Crutchfield catalog sold something like a "Hi-Fi improvement kit" that did a good job of "spreading the highs around the room?" One of the items in that kit was an alligator clip but I never knew what that was for. I'll have to ask about that next time I call them up!

[KG4NEL]

Just in case someone doesn't know this, Crutchfield is, IMHO, the only place to get car sound stuff. You always get adapters so the new radio can plug directly into the car's harness. Installation is trivial -- the hardest part is taking the dash or console apart.

That radio's $119.95.

Crutchfield's hard to beat for their head unit integration, but for other components (amps, speakers, wiring kits), their prices aren't very competitive.

[KG4NEL]

Been wondering if upgrading the stock in-dash speakers is worthwhile. The major impediment would be taking the dash apart without damaging it and it's not clear that would happen. The speakers that are there now are handling the add'l power without ill effects plus the tweeters in the wings do a great job.


IMO, unless you have an external amp, I wouldn't.

[n2ize]

Been wondering if upgrading the stock in-dash speakers is worthwhile. The major impediment would be taking the dash apart without damaging it and it's not clear that would happen. The speakers that are there now are handling the add'l power without ill effects plus the tweeters in the wings do a great job.

Anyone remember when a mid-seventies Crutchfield catalog sold something like a "Hi-Fi improvement kit" that did a good job of "spreading the highs around the room?" One of the items in that kit was an alligator clip but I never knew what that was for. I'll have to ask about that next time I call them up!

Do they sell crutches ??

[WØTKX]

Years ago, I worked for an outfit in Hopkins, MN that did a lot of early days stereo installs, as well as CB radios. You know, the mid-70's. We developed our own install kits for cars, using speaker components and our own home brew passive crossovers.

Microphones and an audio spectrum analyzer with the same test tones used to balance a larger room. Once we had a vehicle figured out, we used it as a recipie for doing similar cars. Full size sedans were pretty easy. Corvettes were a bitch (very boomy) but we figured it out. Typical install was a pair of mid range speakers in the doors, soft dome tweeters on top of the dash, and 6x9 woofers in the back. We glued patches of cheap kitchen carpet down to stop vibration and/or soundproof.

It blew people away, even without amps. Then, Fosgate got started, and we got prototypes. Fun days. Did bigass boats and RV's. Fancy big rigs. Got to work on some high end Mercedes, Maserati, Ferrari, and a bunch of Panteras. Corvettes were a "bread and butter" item for us. Just don't ever ask me to install anything in a freaking Jaguar XJ sedan. :hand:

[W1GUH]

Years ago, I worked for an outfit in Hopkins, MN that did a lot of early days stereo installs, as well as CB radios. You know, the mid-70's. We developed our own install kits for cars, using speaker components and our own home brew passive crossovers.

Microphones and an audio spectrum analyzer with the same test tones used to balance a larger room. Once we had a vehicle figured out, we used it as a recipie for doing similar cars. Full size sedans were pretty easy. Corvettes were a bitch (very boomy) but we figured it out. Typical install was a pair of mid range speakers in the doors, soft dome tweeters on top of the dash, and 6x9 woofers in the back. We glued patches of cheap kitchen carpet down to stop vibration and/or soundproof.

It blew people away, even without amps. Then, Fosgate got started, and we got prototypes. Fun days. Did bigass boats and RV's. Fancy big rigs. Got to work on some high end Mercedes, Maserati, Ferrari, and a bunch of Panteras. Corvettes were a "bread and butter" item for us. Just don't ever ask me to install anything in a freaking Jaguar XJ sedan. :hand:

Very interesting. I was hoping to hear about finding hidden stashes behind the dash or whatever panel you took off!

[W1GUH]

Do they sell crutches ??

I suppose that entertainment systems could be characterized as crutches by a certain segment of the population, but I've never seen actual medical crutches in their catalog.

[KG4CGC]

Anyone know anything about water proofing speakers for use on a moped, scooter or motorcycle?
I've seen the ready made motorcycle speakers, aside from sounding a bit tinny, they're outrageously priced.

[WØTKX]

Marine rated speakers. The Polk units I recently installed in the Miata are.

Just in case I get caught in the rain with the top down.

[KG4CGC]

Marine rated speakers. The Polk units I recently installed in the Miata are.

Just in case I get caught in the rain with the top down.

What are those? 4 to 6 inches? I have 4 nice 4" speakers but I need to find a way to waterproof them.

[WØTKX]

They are 6" speakers. Polypropelene cones have become the norm, and they deal with water fine. It's the foam surrounds that are the issue anymore. Waterproofing existing cones is something I have tried using rubber cement thinned and then painted on. The problem is, it 'effs with the sound... the tonal response changes. If it's just for voice pageing, as these were, no big deal. But I wouldn't do that for music.

Larger diameter speakers will need less "throw" or "excursion" to produce lower notes than smaller ones. These are under $20.00. :dunno:

http://www.amazon.com/PLMR67W-2-Inch-Waterproof-Stereo-Speaker/dp/B001OS6VMS/ref=sr_1_23?s=marine&ie=UTF8&qid=1345665184&sr=1-23&keywords=marine+speakers

[KG4CGC]

You said "Polk." The link is to Pyle. I refined the search to 4" speakers and the Pyles go for 16.99 while the Polks are 55.98. FWIW.

I could do a mesh over the speakers with an extension to mount the grills on. I could also slot the output and make it face down. You know, a lot of the music fidelity is going to take a backseat to the wind noise.

[n2ize]

I suppose that entertainment systems could be characterized as crutches by a certain segment of the population, but I've never seen actual medical crutches in their catalog.

Well, I figured with the name "Crutchfield".... One thing I learned about car sound systems. If every car within at least 1/4 mile cannot hear what you're playing then your doing it wrong. BTW I am infamous for really blasting the sound when I drive.

[WØTKX]

You said "Polk." The link is to Pyle. I refined the search to 4" speakers and the Pyles go for 16.99 while the Polks are 55.98. FWIW.

I could do a mesh over the speakers with an extension to mount the grills on. I could also slot the output and make it face down. You know, a lot of the music fidelity is going to take a backseat to the wind noise.

The second link was to some waterproof Pyle speakers. My first link was to the Polk speakers, used in my Miata. Not water proof, but water resistant. The Polk speakers have a (deserved) reputation for really good sound, but the Pyle speakers are less money.

If you wear a helmet (as I always did) just use ear buds and carefully hide the wires.
Don't crank it up so much you can't hear other vehicles. Better sound, period.

I have experimented with mounting Sennheiser drivers inside the helmet foam.
But the earbuds work better, and sound better. Don't let Smoky see ya!

[KG4CGC]

The second link was to some waterproof Pyle speakers. My first link was to the Polk speakers, used in my Miata. Not water proof, but water resistant. The Polk speakers have a (deserved) reputation for really good sound, but the Pyle speakers are less money.

If you wear a helmet (as I always did) just use ear buds and carefully hide the wires.
Don't crank it up so much you can't hear other vehicles. Better sound, period.

I have experimented with mounting Sennheiser drivers inside the helmet foam.
But the earbuds work better, and sound better. Don't let Smoky see ya!

Helmets are perfect for transducers and they don't block your ears.

[KG4NEL]

If every car within at least 1/4 mile cannot hear what you're playing then your doing it wrong. BTW I am infamous for really blasting the sound when I drive.

The best-sounding car stereos I've ever listened to cannot be heard outside the vehicle :)

Takes a lot of sound deadening and filling holes in panels to get to that point, but the results are amazing.

[n2ize]

The best-sounding car stereos I've ever listened to cannot be heard outside the vehicle :)

Takes a lot of sound deadening and filling holes in panels to get to that point, but the results are amazing.

Yeah but that takes away all the fun. When I'm driving around blasting Beethoven, Vivaldi, or Handel I want everyone around me to hear it !! :)