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Car stereo [message #63684]

Thu, 05 August 2010 09:14

Old Timer
Messages: 11
Registered: August 2010

Chancellor

My car is pretty old and I've never bothered to replace the old junky stereo system. But now my grandson is learning to drive I would like to get something. I have a feeling he will be borrowing the car! Any ideas for a mid budget system?

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Re: Car stereo [message #63690 is a reply to message #63684]

Thu, 05 August 2010 11:21

Adveser
Messages: 434
Registered: July 2009
Location: USA

Illuminati (1st Degree)

Yes. No subwoofers. They technically do not work in cars and they cause massive hearing loss. I don't mean to sound preachy, but please consider that point.

http://adveser.webs.com/

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Re: Car stereo [message #63694 is a reply to message #63690]

Thu, 05 August 2010 13:26

Songs4Life
Messages: 36
Registered: August 2010
Location: Somewhere between the twe...

Baron

What's that again? Spoofers? Is that some new kind of speakers?

Just kidding. Yes, you said it right. Give the old eardrums a break before you break them.

To Old Timer:
I think your grandson would know better what he wants. Ask him so you won't end up buying something he won't even turn on.

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Re: Car stereo [message #63702 is a reply to message #63694]

Thu, 05 August 2010 20:35

Shane
Messages: 1117
Registered: May 2009

Illuminati (3rd Degree)

I put mid priced Alpine head unit from Crutchfield in my son's pickup for him. Came with the wiring harness and everything with it. Took about 20 minutes to yank the old one and install the new unit. Like night and day.

AS far as subs not working in cars? I don't know about that as I've sat in several audio dealer showcars and some competition cars and yes, they will play loud enough to blow your eardrums (heck, I can do that with my stock speakers in my stang), but they also sound exquisite at lower volumes and the subs fill in that bottom end just like home systems. Most subs in cars just do that rumble thing and sound like junk because they aren't EQ'd worth a darn. EQ's are indispensable IMO for car audio. One of the best systems I've ever heard was the Clarion rep's car. He had 4 6.5" woofers he was using to augment the bottom end, each with a 100W amp to them. Bass was low, tight, and fast...just like a good live show. I've not heard a home system yet that has come close to touching it. And I have no idea how those little speakers were able to reproduce the low frequencies that they did.

Point being he can do damage to his ears with about any car stereo, doesn't have to have subs. And a good idea above to let him have his $0.02 worth in picking stuff out.

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Re: Car stereo [message #63705 is a reply to message #63702]

Thu, 05 August 2010 21:03

Songs4Life
Messages: 36
Registered: August 2010
Location: Somewhere between the twe...

Baron

From my personal experience, cars make better sound rooms than the average room in the house.

For one thing, with the doors closed and the windows all wound up, it's a closed environment. With the air-conditioner on, it would be a closed climate controlled environment.

Two, cars come with good soundproofing built-in. Would take a lot of money and renovation to get any room in the house up to that level of soundproofing. Used to be I can't figure out why people would sit in a parked car by the beach with doors all closed and all windows wound up.

Then I tried it once and, yes, it's really many notches up from what I can get in my room.

btw doubt if damaging his hearing would make any difference when he isn't listening to you in the first place. Isn't it?

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Re: Car stereo [message #63709 is a reply to message #63684]

Thu, 05 August 2010 23:03

Adveser
Messages: 434
Registered: July 2009
Location: USA

Illuminati (1st Degree)

We can argue this all day, but I don't have an engine putting out a higher SPL than my stereo, that has to be dampened to death in my house. I don't live right next to a highway either. Some of us are so "mindful" of external noise we remove the plastic covers from light switches, power outlets and especially the metal grate over an AC where we listen to music because those things vibrate and/or reflect sound.

A 20Hz sine wave needs, if memory serves, 56 feet of room to complete a compression and rarefaction cycle. At least I was taught in college that when a wave doesn't have the space it doesn't produce the sound. Considering the school (which I left almost as soon as I got there because they screwed up a few too many "facts" for my taste) I could have been taught something that wasn't true.

Now, that said, there are probably a few people that have specially built enclosures that will get the job done, I think that is the rare exception.

Anyway, back on topic.

http://adveser.webs.com/

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Re: Car stereo [message #63713 is a reply to message #63709]

Fri, 06 August 2010 04:28

Songs4Life
Messages: 36
Registered: August 2010
Location: Somewhere between the twe...

Baron

I have done that once before.

With a limited budget, I built a sound room of only 2 metre by 2 metre. It was not for listening pleasure, though. I needed it for recording purposes and had to make a soundproofed enclosure because I was next to a busy street. The walls were 1-foot thick and filled with sawdust.

When I got inside and locked the double-layered doors, you could have exploded a bomb ten metres away and I wouldn't be the wiser.

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Re: Car stereo [message #63714 is a reply to message #63713]

Fri, 06 August 2010 06:42

Adveser
Messages: 434
Registered: July 2009
Location: USA

Illuminati (1st Degree)

Not the enclosure I had in mind. I was thinking of a speaker enclosure!

http://adveser.webs.com/

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Re: Car stereo [message #63717 is a reply to message #63714]

Fri, 06 August 2010 08:58

Songs4Life
Messages: 36
Registered: August 2010
Location: Somewhere between the twe...

Baron

Oops,how embarrassing. If it's speaker enclosure you are talking about, have you ever tried using a ceramic enclosure?

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Re: Car stereo [message #63788 is a reply to message #63684]

Tue, 10 August 2010 09:03

BigMacAndCheese
Messages: 44
Registered: August 2010

Baron

Find a few websites with products in your price range and let the lad go for it. It's really hard to fathom their tastes any other way. You should think about how much you will be using the car as well though Mad