what do you think the most important component to an SQ application is..?

[Car Trekker 10+ year member]

Speakers, Speakers Speakers

"You can't polish a turd"

While most electronics rate their distortion at way below 1%, you'll notice that almost no speakers have distortion specs...why?

Because the are typically 10%, and even more with some cheap ones.

A good set of components may get below 5% THD with a good install behind them.

No amount of EQ can lower the distortion on a cheap speaker.

Another phenomena....Change up your components, and your subs will sound cleaner. Our ears take their quality cues from the mids and highs, so even the same bass will appear to improve with cleaner top end.

The system is only as good as it's weakest link, and while the source is important, it takes a good set of speakers to be able to hear the flaws in the source, or amps.

Dollar for dollar the best upgrade is speakers.

I've had installs make it to the finals without an eq, using cheap amps and subs, great speakers, and awesome install. Of course they didn't do well against the big $$$ 30 band eq'd systems, but they spent less than $5k!

After that it's $1000 a point!

 

[paconyx 10+ year member]

^^^^^^ i am with him!!!!!!!!

I'm also with them. A solid head unit is a must, because it will make your job of finding eq's, speakers and what not much easier. Shit most people don't even need eq's with the type of head units being put out, they just have that much control.

 

[wickedmax 10+ year member]

I love the look of the alpine HU's and im thinking of getting the CDA-9813.... with that HU do i still NEED an EQ for a non-competing install? i got limited funds, and must purchase wisely, but like adam said, ur system is only as good as your weakest link, and i don't wanna buy cheap equipment.

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

I'm also with them. A solid head unit is a must, because it will make your job of finding eq's, speakers and what not much easier. Shit most people don't even need eq's with the type of head units being put out, they just have that much control.

Good point. However, it is a vehicles interior's acoustic properties that make there a need for an eq. No head unit can compensate for that totally. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Adam

 

[Bodawg111 10+ year member]

This question can be discussed until the Second Coming, but you have to realize its like whats more important?

A. Water

B. Oxygen

C. Pumping Heart

D. Creamy Chicken Ramon Noodles

 

[Diplexers 10+ year member]

This question can be discussed until the Second Coming, but you have to realize its like whats more important?
A. Water

B. Oxygen

C. Pumping Heart

D. Creamy Chicken Ramon Noodles

Amen, Amen...thank you //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/handclap.gif.0c301076f534e244f0460706894f19e0.gif

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

My vote goes to OTHER and I will explain.

The most important component in a SQ install is not a component at all it is the INSTALL. I'm not just talking screwing speaker A into hole B or fabbing up some crazy fiberglass thing. The installation includes choosing the the components in the system. Knowing how to get the most out of the components chosen. Knowing how to get all the components to work together. Knowing what you can cut corners on cost wise and what is worth the money.

For those of you saying that the HU is the most important component, consider this: I will build a system around a $100 HU and spend up to $500 on a comp set. You can spend up to $500 on a HU and $100 on a comp set. Assuming all other factors in the install are the same (amps, speaker placement, etc...) which do you think will sound better? Unless the HU is clipping its outputs, I doubt that anyone here could honestly hear the difference between a basic budget unit and the top of the line unit. Sure you can get more features out of the higher end units, but they are just features not really adding to the sound and I can reproduce most any of those features elsewhere with a different component.

 

[geolemon 10+ year member]

I think people aren't quite thinking this through...

The head unit is just a signal source.

The difference between a "high-end" HU and even a stock HU, in terms of basic "read the CD, and turn it into a line-level signal" are very small, if there is even a difference at all.

This is why this logic doesn't make sense, declaring it #1...

Put it into objective terms - what do you expect to gain - in terms of sound quality - from changing your head unit?

And what percentage of improvement do you expect you'll get from that change?

Or, do you understand what's truly changing? Replacing a stock head unit with one that's got a more powerful amplifier section... OK, what was the improvement... the HU, or the increase in power? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Not to mention, consider newer Chrysler HU's -

DLC of Detroit (home of DUMAX) has been working with Chrysler, using a proprietary transfer function measurement device to program EQ curves into a device that is built into new Chryslers... which is designed to optimize that particular signal chain.

Replacing that head unit (or any component in the audio system, for that matter), regardless of quality, is much more likely to degrade the sound quality than improve it.

Oops!

Also, regarding processors...

The more processors you have, the more you are manipulating the signal - there are trade-offs inherent in that.

Regarding EQ... the more EQ you use, the more you create phasing issues in the signal...

You NEVER install an EQ to improve sound quality...

Rather, you install an EQ, because you need to fix a known acoustical anomoly (and cross your fingers that it's not phase-related, because you won't be dialling that out with an EQ! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif ).

It's not something you just add, without need.

Theoretically, if you don't need one, you are indisputably better off without an EQ.

Which is why this logic doesn't make sense, declaring it #1 either...

As regards amplifiers...

They don't make your sound cleaner, they make it louder.

As long as you are operating your amplifier within it's limits, it'll be clean.

Adding a larger amp will definitely allow you to turn it up louder, beyond the point where the smaller amp (or just the built-in HU amp) would have gone beyond it's limits... but the culprit there isn't that the HU amp was "dirty"... it's that the user was using it beyond it's limits.

Would you consider an upgrade to an "user who listens to lower volume levels" to be the more appropriate SQ upgrade? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/satan.gif.9c6a335ed7aeeed3ee273e573f1fcaac.gif

Anyway, this is the same-old, same-old... if you are clipping your amp, trying to squeeze more watts (output) out of it than it's capable of, then SQ won't be good... but that's not the amp's fault...

Installing a new one and treating it similarly will result in the same sound quality.

Speakers, on the other hand, are the end of the chain.

They are the things that are taking that signal, and putting it into the cabin.

There are many more factors involved in speaker design related to sound quality than with really any other item in a car.

With a speaker, all of these contribute to SQ (relative to a given installation location...which is another big SQ factor):

* Frequency response

* Spectral decay (the "overhang" that the speaker has)

* Cone breakup-mode distortions (or other odd resonances)

* Intermodulation distortions (due to voice coil geometry @ excursion)

* Inductance (limits high frequency response)

* Excursion (limits low frequency response and output)

* On-axis vs. off-axis response (combined with the aiming of the install)

* Passive Xover design (that's a whole science in itself!)

...and more, I know I'm not listing them all...

But the bottom line is, they are what you hear.

 

[geolemon 10+ year member]

The system is only as good as it's weakest link, and while the source is important, it takes a good set of speakers to be able to hear the flaws in the source, or amps.Dollar for dollar the best upgrade is speakers.

Amen. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/clap.gif.178cba2c538c68e720c727fcb024b19c.gif

 

[Car Trekker 10+ year member]

Judging by the results of the poll, it appears that almost half the voters know their stuff.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

And Helotaxi, I agree. That's a shrewd "other" vote.

It's not so much a matter of deciding what to buy, but rather what "not" to buy for your budget.

Tom Dewar used to do a blind demo comparing a top line Harmon Kardon amp/preamp combo to the amp in an Advent CLOCK RADIO! Wasn't until I'd done it 4 times that I could hear a tiny improvement in the bass with the HK. He used $10k worth of Tannoys in the test and kept the power below 1 watt. Sure is easy to tell the difference between speakers in an A B test though. HMMM?

 

[sumone 10+ year member]

...I bought a $100 head unit just so that I could have auxilary inputs...no eq/miscellaneous features needed (although there is a bass/treble control). My auxilary input device handles all that...

 

[vurtrider 10+ year member]

there is no one most important componet in a sq set up. it is crazy to think that there could be. you can not hide anything in your system that is not top notch. in other words your system is only as good as your weekest link. if you have a complete system that is top notch (ie. mcintosh, focal, alpine f1, brax, butler, ect. . .) but you are running cheap rca's or cheep speaker wire, you can kiss your dreams of sq goodby. there are so many factors that go into good sound that you must research what you want to do and find the best way of doing it. so there for the most important part of a sq set up is the person who is building it and their personal knowlage. spend some time, and build your system as if each part is the most important right down to the wire you use to run your tweets vs. your subs and mids. as for an eq making up for any lessor quality parts in your system it is just not true, it will only make your s&!ty system sound it's personal best, not at all make it a sq system. if you would like any advice let me know.

 

[Diplexers 10+ year member]

so there for the most important part of a sq set up is the person who is building it and their personal knowlage. .

I laugh at the irony that you spelled knowledge wrong, however, I do like your style. Welcome to the forum.

 

[mattj 5,000+ posts]

there is no one most important componet in a sq set up. it is crazy to think that there could be. you can not hide anything in your system that is not top notch. in other words your system is only as good as your weekest link. if you have a complete system that is top notch (ie. mcintosh, focal, alpine f1, brax, butler, ect. . .) but you are running cheap rca's or cheep speaker wire, you can kiss your dreams of sq goodby. there are so many factors that go into good sound that you must research what you want to do and find the best way of doing it. so there for the most important part of a sq set up is the person who is building it and their personal knowlage. spend some time, and build your system as if each part is the most important right down to the wire you use to run your tweets vs. your subs and mids. as for an eq making up for any lessor quality parts in your system it is just not true, it will only make your s&!ty system sound it's personal best, not at all make it a sq system. if you would like any advice let me know.

wire is wire. the differences are unnoticed by ear and mic. Only special machines will pick up the difference.

 

[vurtrider 10+ year member]

wire is wire. the differences are unnoticed by ear and mic. Only special machines will pick up the difference.

This is a laughable statement. You sit in a car with two sets of wire run to the speakers on a switch, run one pair of monster cables 16g 9.9% oxygen free copper wire and a second set of Audio Quest Type 6 cables to the same speakers or if you want to get crazy run some pure silver wire in Teflon tubing as a third run. Now sit in the vehicle and listen to the monster cable. Sound will be what you know and love. Switch to the audioquest and you notice a huge gain in bass and in transient sounds (If you have a class A amp that will produce the transient noise) the mids and trebles will come alive with the music, then switch to the silver, It will be a whole different world with gains in all of the same area. If you doubt this find a good high end home audio shop that carries brands like B&W, Paradigm, McIntosh and ask them to demo some high end cables in this fashion on a very high end home audio system and the differences will be amazing! These differences alone in a stranded wire vs. a solid core wire are huge. You should understand the physics and qualities of something before you make a blanket statement like all wire is the same. This is uneducated, inexperienced thinking and results in second place at best.