thispain 10+ year member
Junior Member
Originally posted at: http://forums.gamespot.com/gamespot/board/message?board.id=userboard48878&message.id=60
I bought a Pioneer DEH-P8500MP cd player; it doesn’t fit my dash opening completely like the factory receiver, but rather half of it (half din); that’s the only thing I don’t like about it that I know of. Sense it doesn’t fit I had to have a “fitting kit”. The display features a full motion 3D graphics, but I don’t really car; much rather wanted something to fit the “opening”. The 1-bit D/A converter cd player insure playback pretty close to its original recording; plus it’s like glue, and won’t skip when I hit a pot hole. The 3-band parametric EQ (5-curves) allows me to adjust the EQ curves; although this isn’t a “true” equalizer I still fell that it works great. Sound Focus EQ (SFEQ) allows me to individually tune the treble and bass for the front and rear speaker individually. I used this for my rear factory 6x9’s, but left it alone for my front components. Pleas note that my rear factory speakers are just used for “fill” and are barely heard. Automatic Sound Levelizer adjust the volume automatically in changes in road noises. This seamed a little flawed to me; at some points it seamed to devolumize to much, and I would have to slightly turn it up, and then when the RPM’s got up the volume would go higher than I originally intended. Anywise, I turned that feature off. Also features a rotary volume controle, witch is a must over the “push buttons” in my mind. Other features:
XM satellite ready
Controls other PI compatible (pretty much anything 1998+) Pioneer cd players.
Playes CD-R/CD-RW/MP3/WMA
Internal mosfet power chip on amplifier; 50watts x 4. Doesn’t pertain to me sinc I will be using amps. External amps are still far better, disperse heat and cool more easily=run better; chassis is laid out better rather than crammed together on receivers=no noise interference, larger compacters for more power. I read far to often that receivers are overated in power? For they say that every 20watts in a receiver is more like 8 due to factors such as heat, ect….
My components are powered by the one and only Hifonics Nemesis NX400 amplifier. Features fully variable high pass crossovers (and low pass), and runs my components at 100watts to each side; exactly what my components are recommended at! I got the amp for $160 at SoundDomain, and it’s a $300 amp, not a bad deal I guess. Also features 0-18dB bass boost, but this is a no-no on non-sub speakers.
Up front I have Dynaudio System 240mk II. OK, at first I thought I might have went overboard on these since they cost me $500 (retail for $720), but there really nice; expensive? Yes, but really, really nice. The 7” midwoofer mounted in the factory door location with little pain (kind-of had to squeeze them in there, but no bigy). I also put a foam baffle behind it to protect it from the elements and help improve sound. I have a fairly “newish” car (2000 Neon) and I figured there was no need for any sound deadening material since cars these days are computer designed to reduce interior noise, and my Neon features foam inside the doors along with plastic mates, and “rubber stuff”. The interior is quite, not as quite a Benz, but relaxingly quite. The factory location is slanted a little so the speakers point towards the front center of the car (thank you Dodge!); this is important I suppose. I installed the tweeter in the floor pillar that runs up along the front of the car (in front of door, usually hood release are here). Painfully cut a hole and flushed mounted it on including swivel hardware; the “swivel home” allows me to turn the tweeter to point in a certain place. I’m quite surprised with my cutting, there’s no sign of any cutting; looks like it might be professional/factory installed. Anywise, the speakers seam pretty impressive; large 3” voice coil on the 7”midwoofer; long throw vented motor; soft Ferro fluid dome tweeter with neodymium dual magnet motors. I don’t know the exact aspects of those materials, but I do know that’s what’s on the “best” (of course I do have Dynaudio’s and they cost me $500, so what the hel is my point?..lol). The passive crossovers has a built in self resetting protection circuit for the tweeter (to protect it from blowing or overload I guess?) A three position tweeter level control allow s me to adjust sound according to the position and my taste; I love this feature it really helps balance in-between from “soft” to “ear piercing”. I like it a little shimmery, but not ear piercing….lol. Gold plated terminals (provides cleaner signal flow) and vibration resistant mounting feet (to keep it from rattling noise interference I guess).
After “un-fun” gain setting with my clip testing cd, and adjusting some of my receivers “features” I was ready to listen. At first I just sat in the driveway and popped in the cd Ophelia (Natalie Merchant); Natalie’s soft female voice, and the slow (in a good way) piano, violin, and other musical instruments sounded great. I was quite pleased; the vocals seamed reproduced in good clarity, and the string guitar played great in the lower midrange. This cd didn’t have much “techno and hard low notes” testing my component set, so I decided to give theme a more challenge. I then switched to Tack a Look In The Mirror (Korn). “Loudish” fierce guitar effects, and a hint of hip-hop electronic bass pushed the 7”midwoofer more than Natalie. Lower notes seamed to muddy a little (not distort, but how can I explain this? Echoism at low frequencies), and when David screamed “in agony” it got a little piercing harsh; but all of this could be worked out with adjusting the crossover, and so I did. Now, I can turn it up fairly high and it wont even distort; although it does get to that point at high volumes (doesn’t matter since I don’t turn it up that high). David’s dark toned voice plays well, and the tweeters really bring out the drums. As you can see I’m clearly enjoyed by this set (I wrote this review didn’t I ); I would most likely recommend Dynaudio’s to anyone (well, there fairly pricey though). Future plans include a sub and amplifier; I already have the trunk lyned with Dynamate sounddeading material. I’m going to leave it at that, and I hope you guys/galls don’t ignore my post that I was kind enough to write; took me an half hour with my notes.....
I bought a Pioneer DEH-P8500MP cd player; it doesn’t fit my dash opening completely like the factory receiver, but rather half of it (half din); that’s the only thing I don’t like about it that I know of. Sense it doesn’t fit I had to have a “fitting kit”. The display features a full motion 3D graphics, but I don’t really car; much rather wanted something to fit the “opening”. The 1-bit D/A converter cd player insure playback pretty close to its original recording; plus it’s like glue, and won’t skip when I hit a pot hole. The 3-band parametric EQ (5-curves) allows me to adjust the EQ curves; although this isn’t a “true” equalizer I still fell that it works great. Sound Focus EQ (SFEQ) allows me to individually tune the treble and bass for the front and rear speaker individually. I used this for my rear factory 6x9’s, but left it alone for my front components. Pleas note that my rear factory speakers are just used for “fill” and are barely heard. Automatic Sound Levelizer adjust the volume automatically in changes in road noises. This seamed a little flawed to me; at some points it seamed to devolumize to much, and I would have to slightly turn it up, and then when the RPM’s got up the volume would go higher than I originally intended. Anywise, I turned that feature off. Also features a rotary volume controle, witch is a must over the “push buttons” in my mind. Other features:
XM satellite ready
Controls other PI compatible (pretty much anything 1998+) Pioneer cd players.
Playes CD-R/CD-RW/MP3/WMA
Internal mosfet power chip on amplifier; 50watts x 4. Doesn’t pertain to me sinc I will be using amps. External amps are still far better, disperse heat and cool more easily=run better; chassis is laid out better rather than crammed together on receivers=no noise interference, larger compacters for more power. I read far to often that receivers are overated in power? For they say that every 20watts in a receiver is more like 8 due to factors such as heat, ect….
My components are powered by the one and only Hifonics Nemesis NX400 amplifier. Features fully variable high pass crossovers (and low pass), and runs my components at 100watts to each side; exactly what my components are recommended at! I got the amp for $160 at SoundDomain, and it’s a $300 amp, not a bad deal I guess. Also features 0-18dB bass boost, but this is a no-no on non-sub speakers.
Up front I have Dynaudio System 240mk II. OK, at first I thought I might have went overboard on these since they cost me $500 (retail for $720), but there really nice; expensive? Yes, but really, really nice. The 7” midwoofer mounted in the factory door location with little pain (kind-of had to squeeze them in there, but no bigy). I also put a foam baffle behind it to protect it from the elements and help improve sound. I have a fairly “newish” car (2000 Neon) and I figured there was no need for any sound deadening material since cars these days are computer designed to reduce interior noise, and my Neon features foam inside the doors along with plastic mates, and “rubber stuff”. The interior is quite, not as quite a Benz, but relaxingly quite. The factory location is slanted a little so the speakers point towards the front center of the car (thank you Dodge!); this is important I suppose. I installed the tweeter in the floor pillar that runs up along the front of the car (in front of door, usually hood release are here). Painfully cut a hole and flushed mounted it on including swivel hardware; the “swivel home” allows me to turn the tweeter to point in a certain place. I’m quite surprised with my cutting, there’s no sign of any cutting; looks like it might be professional/factory installed. Anywise, the speakers seam pretty impressive; large 3” voice coil on the 7”midwoofer; long throw vented motor; soft Ferro fluid dome tweeter with neodymium dual magnet motors. I don’t know the exact aspects of those materials, but I do know that’s what’s on the “best” (of course I do have Dynaudio’s and they cost me $500, so what the hel is my point?..lol). The passive crossovers has a built in self resetting protection circuit for the tweeter (to protect it from blowing or overload I guess?) A three position tweeter level control allow s me to adjust sound according to the position and my taste; I love this feature it really helps balance in-between from “soft” to “ear piercing”. I like it a little shimmery, but not ear piercing….lol. Gold plated terminals (provides cleaner signal flow) and vibration resistant mounting feet (to keep it from rattling noise interference I guess).
After “un-fun” gain setting with my clip testing cd, and adjusting some of my receivers “features” I was ready to listen. At first I just sat in the driveway and popped in the cd Ophelia (Natalie Merchant); Natalie’s soft female voice, and the slow (in a good way) piano, violin, and other musical instruments sounded great. I was quite pleased; the vocals seamed reproduced in good clarity, and the string guitar played great in the lower midrange. This cd didn’t have much “techno and hard low notes” testing my component set, so I decided to give theme a more challenge. I then switched to Tack a Look In The Mirror (Korn). “Loudish” fierce guitar effects, and a hint of hip-hop electronic bass pushed the 7”midwoofer more than Natalie. Lower notes seamed to muddy a little (not distort, but how can I explain this? Echoism at low frequencies), and when David screamed “in agony” it got a little piercing harsh; but all of this could be worked out with adjusting the crossover, and so I did. Now, I can turn it up fairly high and it wont even distort; although it does get to that point at high volumes (doesn’t matter since I don’t turn it up that high). David’s dark toned voice plays well, and the tweeters really bring out the drums. As you can see I’m clearly enjoyed by this set (I wrote this review didn’t I ); I would most likely recommend Dynaudio’s to anyone (well, there fairly pricey though). Future plans include a sub and amplifier; I already have the trunk lyned with Dynamate sounddeading material. I’m going to leave it at that, and I hope you guys/galls don’t ignore my post that I was kind enough to write; took me an half hour with my notes.....
