Kellan
Custom User Title
I'm a car-audiophile, so all the misinformation in this thread makes me want to delete posts even though I can't.
First off and most importantly: no stereo is "complete" without a (or multiple) subwoofers. Period.
Secondly: the rest of the sound-stage is often overlooked by most people who invest in a sub/amp combo. the highs and mids are just as, if not more important; than the sub-stage. Playing guitar through an amp that just has a ton of low-end and minimal mid/high end is going to sound stupid right? Same principle applies here.
Third: my most pet-peeve misconception is; the larger diameter speaker, the less accurate it will be.
absolutely, 110%, completely false. accurate sound reproduction of a speaker has everything to do with the structural integrity of the motor assembly and suspension of the speaker. I own a sub for my car (though it isn't in there currently) that came in an 8", 10", 12", and 15" diameter. all were the same model speaker and all used the same motor. all had the same power handling properties (obviously, because they all used the same voice coils, magnets, suspension [aside from size due to speaker diameter, but the properties remained the same], etc etc etc), and so forth. I can guarantee that the 15" is every single bit as accurate as the 8".
fourth: when building a stereo system, it's "10% product (your actual speaker and amplifier), 90% install (the efficiency and strength of your enclosure)"
basically this means that you can put fantastic gear into a piss-poor enclosure and it will sound horrible. you can conversely put shitty gear into a stout, well built, properly tuned (if ported) enclosure and it will sound extremely impressive. especially considering the gear is next to shit.
another important aspect of good clarity is being able to tune your amplifier properly. most people will crank the gain (sensitivity) switch, as well as the bass boost; thus the booming, inaccurate, shitty sound reproduction. there are proper ways to set these things, as well as crossover frequencies (which are equally important), and 90% of the population that own car audio systems probably have no idea how to make use of them properly. the gain is not a volume dial.
alright, now that that's out of the way, onto the whole "brand debate". what's good and what isn't? just as with anything else, it's all about your ear and what sounds good to you. JL is a great company, as was previously mentioned, and make gear that, in the right enclosure; will sound fantastic. personally I think they're quite over-priced and over-hyped, but that's my opinion. I won't say they don't make good gear though. just find what you like, really.
6x9s aren't a bad choice, but aren't an optimal one. just by the asymmetrical design of that speaker, they can't be as efficient as a circular-shaped speaker. a good 6.5" component set in the front and a single, efficient sub in the back will probably do you just fine. with sufficient power going to both the front stage and the rear stage, of course.
now, the metal disclaimer:
as everyone knows, there are some wonderfully produced metal albums, and there are some metal albums where the production is downright god-awful. this will be reflected 10x in your upgraded stereo system, be it one or the other.
a well-produced album will be completely rediscovered upon listening to it on a good stereo, and you'll notice a ton of subtleties that you never acknowledged before; even if it's your favorite album. tom drum sustains, cymbal subtleties you'd never picked up on, being able to hear and feel the actual tone of the bass drum, snappy bass that actually comes from the snare drum, bass notes that can't be reproduced properly by shitty speakers, and just an overall fullness and richness that enhances the listening experience beyond belief.
subsequently, on say a really badly produced black metal album; the bass drum frequency might be cut off completely and the sub will have little to no reactivity, the shrieking highs will be disgustingly present (you'll probably hear even more white noise than before since the frequency response of the speakers are now a lot better than your previous ones), and so on and so forth. so it's a double-edged sword in that respect.
my advice to you is to try to find someone who knows what they're doing and talking about with car stereo (which is fairly difficult to come by), and try to listen to some of your favorite music on a good stereo and figure out what you might like in a setup. and, as with anything, reading a lot is good starting place for a solid foundation.
First off and most importantly: no stereo is "complete" without a (or multiple) subwoofers. Period.
Secondly: the rest of the sound-stage is often overlooked by most people who invest in a sub/amp combo. the highs and mids are just as, if not more important; than the sub-stage. Playing guitar through an amp that just has a ton of low-end and minimal mid/high end is going to sound stupid right? Same principle applies here.
Third: my most pet-peeve misconception is; the larger diameter speaker, the less accurate it will be.
absolutely, 110%, completely false. accurate sound reproduction of a speaker has everything to do with the structural integrity of the motor assembly and suspension of the speaker. I own a sub for my car (though it isn't in there currently) that came in an 8", 10", 12", and 15" diameter. all were the same model speaker and all used the same motor. all had the same power handling properties (obviously, because they all used the same voice coils, magnets, suspension [aside from size due to speaker diameter, but the properties remained the same], etc etc etc), and so forth. I can guarantee that the 15" is every single bit as accurate as the 8".
fourth: when building a stereo system, it's "10% product (your actual speaker and amplifier), 90% install (the efficiency and strength of your enclosure)"
basically this means that you can put fantastic gear into a piss-poor enclosure and it will sound horrible. you can conversely put shitty gear into a stout, well built, properly tuned (if ported) enclosure and it will sound extremely impressive. especially considering the gear is next to shit.
another important aspect of good clarity is being able to tune your amplifier properly. most people will crank the gain (sensitivity) switch, as well as the bass boost; thus the booming, inaccurate, shitty sound reproduction. there are proper ways to set these things, as well as crossover frequencies (which are equally important), and 90% of the population that own car audio systems probably have no idea how to make use of them properly. the gain is not a volume dial.
alright, now that that's out of the way, onto the whole "brand debate". what's good and what isn't? just as with anything else, it's all about your ear and what sounds good to you. JL is a great company, as was previously mentioned, and make gear that, in the right enclosure; will sound fantastic. personally I think they're quite over-priced and over-hyped, but that's my opinion. I won't say they don't make good gear though. just find what you like, really.
6x9s aren't a bad choice, but aren't an optimal one. just by the asymmetrical design of that speaker, they can't be as efficient as a circular-shaped speaker. a good 6.5" component set in the front and a single, efficient sub in the back will probably do you just fine. with sufficient power going to both the front stage and the rear stage, of course.
now, the metal disclaimer:
as everyone knows, there are some wonderfully produced metal albums, and there are some metal albums where the production is downright god-awful. this will be reflected 10x in your upgraded stereo system, be it one or the other.
a well-produced album will be completely rediscovered upon listening to it on a good stereo, and you'll notice a ton of subtleties that you never acknowledged before; even if it's your favorite album. tom drum sustains, cymbal subtleties you'd never picked up on, being able to hear and feel the actual tone of the bass drum, snappy bass that actually comes from the snare drum, bass notes that can't be reproduced properly by shitty speakers, and just an overall fullness and richness that enhances the listening experience beyond belief.
subsequently, on say a really badly produced black metal album; the bass drum frequency might be cut off completely and the sub will have little to no reactivity, the shrieking highs will be disgustingly present (you'll probably hear even more white noise than before since the frequency response of the speakers are now a lot better than your previous ones), and so on and so forth. so it's a double-edged sword in that respect.
my advice to you is to try to find someone who knows what they're doing and talking about with car stereo (which is fairly difficult to come by), and try to listen to some of your favorite music on a good stereo and figure out what you might like in a setup. and, as with anything, reading a lot is good starting place for a solid foundation.
)
