Car Audio and the High End


I am both an automotive hobbyist and a dedicated audio geek, and something that has always struck me is the difference between the two when it comes to music reproduction.

The car guys often spend a huge amount of money on 'improving' their car audio, which mostly means creating a bass heavy unnatural (usually loud) sound that gives them some sort of satisfaction.

The audio geeks like me may make some slight improvements in the stock car system (a notable one is swapping out the speaker drivers that perhaps cost the factory $5 for something that cost 10 times that and calling it done) but don't seem to be bothered by mediocre sound (by high end standards). Personally, I view car audio as having to be good enough not to annoy me while driving home to listen to some really well reproduced music on the home system.

Then of course there are the outliers of car audio who load up the vehicles with some much amplification that they win SPL level contests at levels that preclude anyone actually being inside the vehicle lest they have their hearing seriously damaged (the audio equivalent of those people that like to watch cars spin their tires on the spot until they burst, IMHO)

I wondered whether there were any that hang out on this site that overlap their interest in audio between cars and home, or whether they mostly stuck to home use.....
wspohn

Showing 1 response by oldhvymec

I'm a torn up old heavy equipment mechanic.. Sometimes inspired by inspiration and sometimes by desperation, BUT always by motivation.

I can't stand NOISE. I love beautiful things.. Like GREAT sound.. 

In any cab there just isn't enough room to get the stereo effects you get in your home units.. That being said, you can get rid of a lot of outside noise. Secure rattles, and dampen the shins of the cab a LOT better..

German, and English cars are a heaver gage material.  They use some really good composites to help with dampening, pressure flex and leakage. There is a LOT of dampening material between joints NOW to the point of, epoxy bonding in leu of electro arc.  Joining metals and composites now is a GLUE factory..  Look out slow running horses..

Can you get the inside of a cab to sound pretty good? YUP..

I have a 1996 Eddie Bower.. F150 5.0.. When I tip the bed up and plug in.. We have a WALL of SOUND EFFECTS.. nothing more.. Kids use to love it.. Carlos.. DANCING..

Me.. I'd go inside and listen to MY STEREO..

NOW!!!

A Rolls-Royce and a FINE looking chauffeur please.. :-)