AUDIO SYSTEM IN YOUR CAR

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While I'm aware that there are dedicated forums for car audio enthusiasts, I would be keen to know what type of sound system the members of this forum have in their vehicles. I wouldn't be surprised if the guys living in big cities spend more time listening to music in their vehicles than in their living rooms. What are your views on the audio system that came standard with your vehicle? Do you try to match the sound quality of your hi-fi system with the audio system in your car or are you satisfied with a AM/FM radio? What about subwoofers? Extra amplifiers? Special cables?

Our new Jeep comes with a fairly impressive audio system. It utilises a 12-channel, 506-watt, 5.1 surround sound amplifier powering 9 speakers and dual voice coil subwoofer strategically placed throughout the cabin. It is voice activated and contains a built-in hard drive to store your music files.

[naughty]

I have had a few decent systems in my car - the last lot i sold uninstalled because i had to get rid of the car and get a bakkie

the equipment that i did not instal consisted of :

1) Alpine 9887 headunit
2) SPL Dynamics S7006 6 channel amplifier for the front speakers (in three way)
3) SPL Dynamics S4002 2 channel amplifier for the subwoofers
4) 2 x Resonant Engineering REx 10 subwoofers
5) Dynaudio esotec front speakers system 242

this was not for a boombox type of system and even the subs are not very boomy and extremely loud - they were there to complement the front speakers and actually just add the lower end of the frequency spectrum

even in my previous system which had a JBL W15GTI 15" subwoofer i used to play the sub very softly .... my friends used to tell me i was wasting a sub cos they could not hear it - but i could ..... it was more important to me that bass guitars sounded like bass guitars and kick drums sounded like kick drums and tom drums had musical impact .... rather than all condensing into one huge mushy boomy sound that assaulted your ears

hence i always pay more attention to the front speakers and how they are positioned - the sound systems in my car generally have a decent soundstage and image pretty well - and they were more geared toward being an audiophile setup instead of a basshead setup even with the subs being present

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this was not for a boombox type of system and even the subs are not very boomy and extremely loud - they were there to complement the front speakers and actually just add the lower end of the frequency spectrum. even in my previous system which had a JBL W15GTI 15" subwoofer i used to play the sub very softly .... my friends used to tell me i was wasting a sub cos they could not hear it - but i could ..... it was more important to me that bass guitars sounded like bass guitars and kick drums sounded like kick drums and tom drums had musical impact .... rather than all condensing into one huge mushy boomy sound that assaulted your ears. hence i always pay more attention to the front speakers and how they are positioned - the sound systems in my car generally have a decent soundstage and image pretty well - and they were more geared toward being an audiophile setup instead of a basshead setup even with the subs being present.

naughty, I agree 100% Never understood how one can enjoy the music when the subs overpower all the other speakers.

[naughty]

subs in a car were originally designed to actually supplement the lower spectrum of music that front speakers could not reproduce and which were lost because of road noise like wind noise or tyre rumble and exhaust noise

its a pity that it became a fashion to just turn those up loud so that "other people hear you coming from miles away" - but anyways i follow a policy of each to his own - i dont stop anyone from doing what they want - i just chose to do it differently so my subs are going to remain as only as loud as is necessary for me to hear all the required frequencies that constitute the music i want to listen to

[johnc]

I am more than content with the sound of my engine. 
For a long trip across the country, I would consider using my bookshelf speakers.

[dean]

I heard the b@w system in the new jaguar all I can say is wow ,as for me its  pointless putting anything nice in nowadays as the just steal it .

[KenMasters]

My real listening doesn't happen at home, it's in transit. In Copenhagen there really is no reason to own a car, so my iPod and my Shures are my en route entertainment. Back in S.A. I had my single cab decked out with a 12 CD shuttle, modest Sony mid and tweeter splits and 8" JL Audio sub.

Really worth while having decent sound in the car, made every drive to and from work a pleasure.

I see the new premium model Audis come with Dynaudio systems.

[naughty]

I see the new premium model Audis come with Dynaudio systems.

the higher model VW's too

[dkronie]

wife's car ,8" JL audio sub , MB Quart splits and JBL amp ,factory radio
my car, 8" MB Quart sub, factory splits and Audison amp , factory radio 

[Jaco]

My wife's car: Standard Mazda 7 Speaker Bose system. Sounds very good with the 8" Bose driver in each door, one centre in the dash, mid/high in each door and 2 full range drivers between the seats. It's a MX-5 if anyone was wondering about the strange configuration.

Mine: 1200, straight four BMW system...

[Heinrich]

in my previous car i had some or other JVC radio(nothing to write home about)
DLA RS6A splits up front
JL Audio 12W0 sub
DLS CA41 4 channel amp for the front splits
DLS CA12 mono block for the sub.

before this i only ever owned very cheap stuff . not that this is the best out there, but i got plenty of joyful hours out of this system.

all the above is to go into my current car.still undecided on the splits, would like to go 3 way as the car has 3 way factory.

but bottom line, if you hear the rattles before the music, somethings wrong.

[patham]

I found car sound to be a journey in itself.

Start off cheap and nasty, aiming for quantity at a starting off salary ( the infamous 6x9" trap). Then the gradual realisation that maybe quality is a preffered option.

My final custom system that lived in several vehicles was:

Sony Head unit and 6 CD shuttle.
Rockford Fosgate 4 channel amp.
MB-Quart 6.5" splits
R-F 10" sub

& whatever rear fill's were in the car at the time.

I loved that system. Refined and tasteful, without being overpowering in any one quality.

But for some reason, I never got round to putting it in my new car, the factory fitted Bose is just good enough so that I am not motivated enough to go through the hassles...

[Crankshaft]

Who's that car-sound guy in CT that is always recommended?

[Rodney_gold]

Tom , I always had good service from Mark Chernotsky of Loud and Clear in CT/blaauwberg . Not sure if they still are around.
All my cars (2 Corvettes and a Camaro) have OEM BOSE active speaker systems , pretty heavily weighted in the bass , they sound okish.....
However all my cars are also V8's with fairly loudish unrestricted exhaust systems so you need some serious emphasis to hear bass over the engine/exhaust when the car is moving.
V8 rumble and roar when you got the pedal to the metal is way more satisfying then car sound IMO.
I drive about 15km a day tho , so mainly just listen to the radio anyway so whatever is in the car is ok for me.

[Crankshaft]

Tom , I always had good service from Mark Chernotsky of Loud and Clear in CT/blaauwberg . Not sure if they still are around.
All my cars (2 Corvettes and a Camaro) have OEM BOSE active speaker systems , pretty heavily weighted in the bass , they sound okish.....
However all my cars are also V8's with fairly loudish unrestricted exhaust systems so you need some serious emphasis to hear bass over the engine/exhaust when the car is moving.
V8 rumble and roar when you got the pedal to the metal is way more satisfying then car sound IMO.
I drive about 15km a day tho , so mainly just listen to the radio anyway so whatever is in the car is ok for me.

Hey, I wonder if that's Paul's brother?

I think the person I'm thinking about is Ashley, or something like that - he's in the s.suburbs.

I still have a tapedeck in my car, and only 3 of the speakers operate!

But yes, I agree with the other posters, that great car sound can be amazing - no volume restrictions when you're on the road.