Pricey components

[soldiermedic 10+ year member]

Which is why I was wondering what's the top end that screams "I'm a self-righteous rich prick and I have no reason to be careful on what I spend money on."

 

[Dak446 10+ year member]

or " i want to have the best sounding vehicle in the world". i guess u could just get that out of pg rsd's though right?

 

[bones22 5,000+ posts]

Which is why I was wondering what's the top end that screams "I'm a self-righteous rich prick and I have no reason to be careful on what I spend money on."

that would be contacting a company and having them build you something.

contact one of the european companies and the price will add up fast depending on what you want from them

 

[CobraStang98 10+ year member]

The worse part is that what is "ultra-expensive" in the car audio world isn't even "sorta expensive" in the home audio world.

 

I've seen home audio systems in magazines and one in person that approached seven figures.

 

[MmatsDude 10+ year member]

ive seein those on woofers etc before too, i thought the price was nuts :[

 

[FJF 10+ year member]

The worse part is that what is "ultra-expensive" in the car audio world isn't even "sorta expensive" in the home audio world.

Ain't that the truth! The MSRP of my entire (car) system(s) doesn't equal that of my phono cartridge. Car audio is very inexpensive next to good home gear. At the same time, there's a large disparity in quality, both physical and sonic.

For the cost of a top-level automotive rig, one can put together an entry-level High-End home system that will absolutely demolish the automotive option in terms of resolution. The car system will play louder, it can offer bone-crushing bass, but it simply won't resolve as much recorded information. Yes, the cost of a car system is a lot lower, but so is its sound quality. This said, I enjoy car audio on a personal level; it's inexpensive and it's fun - win/win. Plus, it plays music in the car. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Ain't that the truth! The MSRP of my entire (car) system(s) doesn't equal that of my phono cartridge. Car audio is very inexpensive next to good home gear. At the same time, there's a large disparity in quality, both physical and sonic.
For the cost of a top-level automotive rig, one can put together an entry-level High-End home system that will absolutely demolish the automotive option in terms of resolution. The car system will play louder, it can offer bone-crushing bass, but it simply won't resolve as much recorded information. Yes, the cost of a car system is a lot lower, but so is its sound quality. This said, I enjoy car audio on a personal level; it's inexpensive and it's fun - win/win. Plus, it plays music in the car. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

The largest difference in performance you will find between car and home audio systems will be in how the environment affects the sound. Home audio has a HUGE advantage here. But the 'high quality' of home audio equipment tends to get all the credit.

 

[Enellz 10+ year member]

The largest difference in performance you will find between car and home audio systems will be in how the environment affects the sound. Home audio has a HUGE advantage here. But the 'high quality' of home audio equipment tends to get all the credit.

True. I think is spent about 1200 getting my Home audio setup. Including the Digital surge protector.

 

[FJF 10+ year member]

The largest difference in performance you will find between car and home audio systems will be in how the environment affects the sound. Home audio has a HUGE advantage here. But the 'high quality' of home audio equipment tends to get all the credit.

While environmental factors can and will impact a system's tonal balance and it spatial definition, resolution is mostly immune in the near-field. This can be demonstrated very easily. One can stand next to a speaker fronting a High-End system and compare the system's resolution to being the sweet spot. It's not that different, aside from the previously mentioned constraints. OTOH, car audio is low-rez, regardless, within varying degrees, of course.

Even the concept of sound quality in car audio is convoluted, as it almost solely relies on tonal shaping and spatial manipulation, while the idea of extracting the most recoded information lays dormant. This isn't due to lack of user skill or substandard installs; it's due to the shitty gear and low expectations. A lot of folks would be shocked by how music they're not hearing in their car systems, if they were used to another level reproduction. It's all a matter of reference.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

While environmental factors can and will impact a system's tonal balance and it spatial definition, resolution is mostly immune in the near-field. This can be demonstrated very easily. One can stand next to a speaker fronting a High-End system and compare the system's resolution to being the sweet spot. It's not that different, aside from the previously mentioned constraints. OTOH, car audio is low-rez, regardless, within varying degrees, of course.
Even the concept of sound quality in car audio is convoluted, as it almost solely relies on tonal shaping and spatial manipulation, while the idea of extracting the most recoded information lays dormant. This isn't due to lack of user skill or substandard installs; it's due to the shitty gear and low expectations. A lot of folks would be shocked by how music they're not hearing in their car systems, if they were used to another level reproduction. It's all a matter of reference.

So what technology does home audio gear use that car audio does not that allows this superior resolution and 'extracting of most recorded info'?
Toss even a good set of speakers in a leaky *** door or teenie tiny sealed kick panels, with very different pathlengths, some on-axis and some off, mids and tweets not even mounted close together, interior panels rattling, reflections everywhere from a non-symmetrical enviroment with highly reflective surfaces... and its gonna sound bad. Now go to the extreme, rip the interior out of your car and build a new one around the stereo. Single seat, directly centered in the car, speakers in custom kick pods for maximum equlization of pathlengths, sealed doors with midbass drivers, etc. This extreme situation is still far inferior to a simple square room of decent size with carpet on the floor and even the most basic of home audio gear, with speaker placement and adjustment happening in 10 minutes or less to find the ideal location and axis directions.

The huge advantage home audio has in the most crucial area, enviroment, is so huge that even comparing the two hobbies bcomes very difficult and based mostly on subjective data rather than objective comparisons. But to listen to the home audio crowd, its due to their $5k gold plated signal cables, platimum speaker wire and their $20k speakers that make all the difference. Justification for spending those huge amounts of money.

 

[FJF 10+ year member]

Perhaps one day you'll be able to listen to your favorite recordings on a High-End system. Discussing this blind, if you will, and on the 'net with no audible reference is a kin to explaining what snow feels like to an individual who's never left the tropics. Yes, we can say it's cold and wet, but one won't really know until he experiences it for himself. Like I said, it's all a matter of perspective.

I'm not the enemy. I'm the only person in High-End that I know of who's even remotely interested in car audio. Last time I was at CES, I couldn't find a single soul among my peers willing to go see the car audio exhibits. Similarly, I don't know any audiophiles, beside myself, with an aftermarket car system. The general consensus is that car audio isn't worth exploring due to its substandard sound quality, so why bother. I'm at least trying to work with it and I'm having lots of fun in the process.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Perhaps one day you'll be able to listen to your favorite recordings on a High-End system. Discussing this blind, if you will, and on the 'net with no audible reference is a kin to explaining what snow feels like to an individual who's never left the tropics. Yes, we can say it's cold and wet, but one won't really know until he experiences it for himself. Like I said, it's all a matter of perspective.
I'm not the enemy. I'm the only person in High-End that I know of who's even remotely interested in car audio. Last time I was at CES, I couldn't find a single soul among my peers willing to go see the car audio exhibits. Similarly, I don't know any audiophiles, beside myself, with an aftermarket car system. The general consensus is that car audio isn't worth exploring due to its substandard sound quality, so why bother. I'm at least trying to work with it and I'm having lots of fun in the process.

Who says I haven't listened to a 'high end' system? I find it quite odd you would assume this based on my statements in this thread.
You never answered what technology home audio employs that car audio does not.

Your home audio buddys dont 'bother' with car audio not because the equipment is so vastly inferior, its because the listening environment sucks so badly, and there is nothing you can do to improve it in any significant way. They can drag their platinum speaker wires and $20k speakers out and cram them in even a full size stretched van, and its gonna sound like crap compared to their 'listening room' set up perfectly symmetrical and having acoustical foam on the walls. No glass 4 inches from your ear to reflect sound waves off of. No plastic dash with hard reflective surfaces. No multi-faceted interior to reflect sound waves erratically. No tire noise. No engine noise. Etc. Again, the main difference in car and home audio is the listening environment.

I dont consider you an enemy, at all. Even if we disagree or debate a topic, we both are discussing the same hobby we enjoy. No hard feelings here, and I assume the same from you. Just dont mention my mom.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

The worse part is that what is "ultra-expensive" in the car audio world isn't even "sorta expensive" in the home audio world. 

I've seen home audio systems in magazines and one in person that approached seven figures.

this