Why can't I decide... Direction for audio build

[islandguy69]

Originally Posted by softgrip

It's a klipsch thx ultra 2 and a denon avr.

It can go a lot louder than the OEM audio plus, but unless you've got supersonic hearing, are parked in a sound deadened room and have the engine off, you wouldn't pick the difference.

No photos, it's in the cupboard prepping to be sold. I moved and I no longer have a HT room

I can't really believe oem has a fuller,deeper,warm sound that your set up........oem provides a class a product like denon and klisph??

[softgrip]

See if you can find a demo unit somewhere. I'm wrapped. I'd buy this unit again.

Let your ears judge, not your cheque book

[Mr.ac]

Originally Posted by softgrip

See if you can find a demo unit somewhere. I'm wrapped. I'd buy this unit again.

Let your ears judge, not your cheque book

And yet a $300 set up would sound just as good if not better than OEM+. As I said on the first post your paying for the custom look, and plug and play install.
It's great if you don't know jack about car audio install. But for those that know what a positive lead to an amp is, it's not even on the radar.

[softgrip]

Oh ok.

I did demo a set of amped up morels with and without a sub before I chose the OEM+ unit. Not a super high end system, but close in cost to the OEM kit. Did not sound as good - specifically mid to high range.

But since you have heard the OEM+ system and know $300 can do a better job... Why not start a super profitable business?

[Mr.ac]

No need to. that $300 is combined from just off the shelf amp, sub, and box form any online or audio store retailer. The savings are you do the install yourself, cutting wires, taping into the factory amp, running power cables, looking for a good amp mounting location, etc. Its like doing your own oil change. If you know what your doing and have the tools its fast and simple.

The whole point of OEM Audio + is their factory looking plug and play install. Thats what your paying them for.

[softgrip]

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

The whole point of OEM Audio + is their factory looking plug and play install. Thats what your paying them for.

What did you think of the OEM+ system after hearing it?

From experiencing the system, I think you're dreaming if you think the price tag is because they have a moulded box, and preloomed/cut cables. Sure, that might be some of the cost, but you're discounting what it actually sounds like, what the DSP does, how it's calibrated to the car acoustics.

My sound guy, who has 25 years experience with car audio install was impressed by the audio. After hearing it blind, he asked me about the system, and thought the price was good.

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

And yet a $300 set up would sound just as good if not better than OEM+. As I said on the first post your paying for the custom look, and plug and play install.
It's great if you don't know jack about car audio install. But for those that know what a positive lead to an amp is, it's not even on the radar.

This is not at all correct. You couldn't even buy a cheap dsp and amp for $300, which would be ABSOLUTELY NESSESARY to beat the sound of the oem+. The "magic" of oem+ is not the plug and play install, it's the dsp tuning.

[Vmax911]

Originally Posted by sgh

Initially I was going to do an OEM Audio Plus build with an 8100NEX.

Isn't one of the big selling points of the OEM Audio + is that it is tuned with the OEM headunit for "seamless" integration. I'm not sure if switching out the headunit would be a good idea with that system.

[sgh]

The biggest reason for me to switch out the head unit is to get nav.


Thank you for all the comments so far everyone. I don't think I'm any closer to making a decision, other than likely not doing the Utopia / Mosconi combo unless I can find a screaming good deal on the components.


I suppose if I did go OEM+ and I wasn't happy with it I could just pull it out and sell it off even at a loss.


Edit: Oh and the OEM+ can be ordered specifically for different head units including the 8100/8200, so the seamless part is still there for the different head units.

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

Originally Posted by softgrip

I could also be full of shit

I worked in a sound studio as a recording engineer. It generally takes a pretty good system to impress me.... But probably not as much as you crazy audiophiles.

I'm not a fan of super loud, so if that's your goal by all means, spend the cost of the car on the audio. Having money to burn is a beautiful thing.

Definitely not trying to knock your hearing or experience. I just have a hard time with the idea someone saying that oem+ would be indistinguishable from the home system. The decay time alone in a vehicle it huge compared to an actual room. Keep in mind I'm saying that based on my references, which are;

My home set up which uses a pair of $130 a piece andy Jones designed pioneer towers, a few subs to distribute room modes, and a onkyo avr. The weakest link in my home system is the lack of manual processing power.

A pair of 90's era Kef Q500's, powered by a crown amp.

A rediculous demo room using mark levinson monoblocks, a $20k pair of towers, and two 10k subwoofers.


Vs

My car, which cost me 5k to build, in terms of pure sound quality, every setup above beat it out. I would place my car as above the level of the oem+ system.

Through competition I've had the chance to hear some of the best cars in the country. The cars that can beat out my home system, cost generally 8k plus and are placed in the extreme class due to the modifications done to get that kind of sound. I would only put the top 3-4 cars in the country as sounding better than that sound room I demoed.

[Mr.ac]

Originally Posted by TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL

This is not at all correct. You couldn't even buy a cheap dsp and amp for $300, which would be ABSOLUTELY NESSESARY to beat the sound of the oem+. The "magic" of oem+ is not the plug and play install, it's the dsp tuning.

You mean the Digital Sound Processor. Yeah I read the brochure too.
Call me Sussie but 90% of all amps from 2000 have DSP. The level and quality goes up depending on price/brand, bla bla bla.Then again it's could be marketing lingo. One companies DSP could be a better form of the line in converters.

I'm still sticking to their price is about pnp. And being the first in the market with custom enclosure.

I would first start with a better head unit and sub, than jump in with expensive components.

Then again if you just want to listen to Pandora or streaming music while driving, this whole thread is worthless.

[sgh]

No, no streaming / Pandora. I was going to do FLAC / other lossless on SSD or USB. In the pricier builds I would put a couple of docks in the trunk for SSD drives. In the OEM+ build I would just do flash drive.

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

You mean the Digital Sound Processor. Yeah I read the brochure too.
Call me Sussie but 90% of all amps from 2000 have DSP. The level and quality goes up depending on price/brand, bla bla bla.Then again it's could be marketing lingo. One companies DSP could be a better form of the line in converters.

I'm still sticking to their price is about pnp. And being the first in the market with custom enclosure.

I would first start with a better head unit and sub, than jump in with expensive components.

Then again if you just want to listen to Pandora or streaming music while driving, this whole thread is worthless.

Your way off base. An adjustable crossover and bass boost is not real dsp.

The oem+ uses active crossovers, time alignment, and multiple bands of parametric eq per channel. Car audio amps have barely started including time alignment in the last couple years, and even then it's only a handful. And not one that I know of has parametric eq.

You keep focusing on the amp and speakers, but it's processing and tune that matter. This is what separates a real sound quality from a basic set up.

[softgrip]

I'm not sure why the OEM+ distaste. He obviously hasn't heard the system.

Good luck finding a review of it less than 5/5 stars. I did my research and couldn't find a single negative.

As I said earlier, I'm accustomed to good sound and equipment costing a lot more... And I'm still impressed.

He just doesn't know what he's talking about.

Good luck OP. . You know my recommendation.