Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeM7
I just can't justify paying more for inferior quality.
|
Yeah, I can certainly understand that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeM7
I guess what I really want is for someone to provide a build that is equivalent or superior to the OEM+ systems for less money. I can figure out how to get it installed or use the difference to pay a shop to do it.
|
Systems like the OA+ aim to do exactly what you're asking -- take the guesswork out of a process with an insane number of variables and provide a packaged solution that tries to hit a wide audience with a wide variance of criteria.
But... the thing with this all is, as you've no doubt surmised, there's really no single right answer or silver bullet magic build. Ask 100 people the same question and you'll get 100 different answers. 4 different audio shops will give you 4 different "the only right way to do it" packages.
I can come up with numerous combinations, all of which could be within an approximate budget, and they'll have varying levels of features, installation hassles, and sound characteristics.
I started with a blank slate on my project and I listed out what I chose. I'm really happy with it. Feel free to copy my setup.
It beats the pants off of systems in my friends cars that cost 2, 3, 5X as much. But there are probably 20 other choices I could have made that would have made me equally happy.
A starting point might be what I mentioned in the previous post... if you like that Sony HU, then build around it by matching speakers as I suggested and filling out the rest. I love the Stealthbox in the BRZ, it's just the right amount of bass and JL subs make really nice bass. Not boomy, not obnoxious... just clean, tight, well-rounded, musical bass. I'm really digging those little NVX mini amps right now. The mono amp is exactly the right amount of power for that JL sub (you'd need to set the gain and crossover correctly). The Sony HU has the ability to add another amp like that NVX 4 channel mini amp in the future if you find the included amp power insufficient or move to a set of speakers that demand more power.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeM7
I just don't even begin to understand things like how many watts I need to power what speakers or if I really need 10 band equalizer or if 3 will be fine, or any of this technical stuff.
|
It's a lot to try to get your head around. In the grand scheme of what a true audio professional knows, I don't know squat. I know just enough to get myself in trouble most of the time. Also, if you're just getting your feet wet with some of this stuff, some of the equipment you need to do it correctly might not be in your toolbox, so add that to your budget. Multimeter, oscilloscope, the right kinds of wire tools and connectors, soldering, etc. You'll be running thick gauge power wires, finding a good chassis ground, poking holes through grommets in the engine firewall, installing fuse holders near the battery, getting lots of wires to/from the front/back of the car, the list goes on.
If you go with building your own system, there are some things that you really want to get at least a cursory understand of in order to be able to set it up correctly. Setting amplifier gains properly is a BIG one, and a basic understanding of blending crossover points and using equalizers and frequency analyzers to tune the system are often-skipped steps that make the difference between spending a lot of money for something that sounds like a garbage can full of ass, and something that sings sweet and rocks your socks off.
A shop is going to want to sell you the gear they install, most won't be too keen on you walking in with gear that they didn't make money selling. You might find someone who's cool with doing a labor-only job, but they won't really be doing their best work. So, you'll be paying retail for equipment and shop rates for install. Budget goes way up. If you really want the guidance (which can be invaluable) and don't want to bog yourself down with learning how to correctly install car audio systems, it might be completely worth the extra money. They'll demo equipment for you so you can choose what you like, go over installation options, equipment choices, etc. Drop off your car, pick it up when done, and whammo -- no more audio worries (hopefully, if the shop does a good job.
)
One possible middle ground is getting it all installed and working at a basic level on your own, and then take it to a friendly local shop and ask them to dial it in and tune it for you. If they're jerks about it, move on to somewhere else.
My personal golden rule is that "you get what you pay for" isn't really always true. I've heard $500 systems that sounded like $10,000 systems, and I've heard $10,000 systems that sounded like $500 systems. I prefer to think that you should pay for what you get. Make the decision of what you want based on its merits, and then shop for how to buy it. People who buy something with the mindset that "if it costs more it must be better" are the reason for sayings like "a fool and his money are soon parted" and drive the entire business line for Monster Cables and extended warranty plans at Best Buy. Sorry if you own Monster Cables or extended warranties, no offense intended.
