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

[sgh]

For whatever reason I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm continuing to second guess myself so much with my audio build.


Initially I was going to do an OEM Audio Plus build with an 8100NEX. I decided to up that and got a couple of sound shops to do up a build quote, mostly consisting of Focal KRX2's or Morell Elates, Alpine PDX or JL amplification with JL subs and Audison DSP.


I then bounced back down to just doing the OEM Audio Plus build, then bounced back up to going all the way with a build focused around Focal Utopia BE No. 5 / No. 7 with Mosconi zero 3 amplification.


I'm not looking to simply throw money away. In Canadian pricing, I'm probably looking at somewhere around $3,500 for the OEM Audio Plus build (with replacement head) which in some ways feels like too much money for not a lot (though I could be wrong). At the other extreme if I go with the Utopia's and Mosconi's I'm probably clocking in right around the $20k mark which feels like too much money to be putting into a car audio system when I only drive my car a couple of times a week and will not be doing any audio competitions or anything. The midpoint with KRX2's or Elates is going to be around a $12k build and I start thinking both directions from there - too much to spend for what I probably get over the OEM Audio Plus build, and if I'm spending $12k on that build, I may as well spend $20k on the Utopia and Mosconi build.


Am I just overthinking this? Is the $20k build really that huge of an improvement over the OEM Audio Plus build that it makes it worth dropping the extra $16k on?


Half of me thinks "It's just car audio, it's never going to be as good as home due to the nature of the environment", then the other half of me wants to have as good a system as possible.


Any advice? Have you experienced the same dilemma and if so what did you do? Would you do the same again?


Thanks all.

[sly]

A pet peeve of mine is when you do something and know that it could have been better. I personally would build my own system (and have several times). However you have to ask yourself, are you spending money on brands or on actual good sound? Brands go old pretty quickly. But if your system sounds good, it will keep you happy a lot longer.


I would look at specs. What can a system do? What is the signal to noise ratio? What is the frequency response? Do they provide time alignment or phase correction? Ignore the brand names and look for performance. IMO, $20,000 US or Canadian is asinine to spend on an audio system for a car as small as a BRZ. Maybe a competition SPL machine but not for a small car that barely gets driven a few times per week. Buy the system that is not going to have you regretting that you could have done better, or regretting that you spent too much.

[Mr.ac]

Holy shit batman.
Sly is right spending that much money on audio is insane.

I keep hearing the word "build" as its some PC desktop or some mmo character. It's not.

First of all how much driving are you doing?
Second OEM+ audio is not as great as it sounds. Your just paying the custom setup and plug and play install. That alone to me is where your money is spent. Pretty good deal if you don't know jack about car audio install.
Thrid, do you really want to spend that much?

In the end it's going to be up to your wallet and your ears.
My advice go to some car meets ask what people have in their rides and listen to them. You'll be surprised with just how inexpensive small upgrades will sound over stock.

Just because a set of speakers are a grand a pop doesn't mean it's going to sound great in your car.
It's like buying race slicks and putting them on a 100% bone stock car.
Will it feel better, go faster? Oh yeah it would, but you'll only be getting 10% of its true potential. Then again if all you do is daily drive, what is the point?

If your just spending money to spend money, remember no one is going to see your set up. Unless you build it to show off.... I mean have it custom made.

[cjd]

It's all in the crossover / environment management.

You can always spend more money, but that does not guarantee anything at all in the results. There are super expensive drivers I won't touch, and some very well priced parts that sound amazing (especially well implemented.)

[Mr.ac]

If it was me, and I wanted to spend money, I'll start off with a way better head unit. Even the new one 2016 are utter dog shit.

A good aftermarket one will have all the bells and whistles and more than the stock head unit has. And let's not forget way better audio controls and mofo'ing eq 's and pre amps!

Then some nice $200 components (insert any brand here) with the full sound dampening. I already have the amp and sub. That would be way more pleasant than stock.

Then again I am driving a mofo'ing cheap sports car not a 7 series bmw.
So eh...

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

If you really want to spend money, get a good processor. The focal utopia's and mosconi amps aren't going to sound good anyways without proper processing. I would look towards the alpine h800. Yes, there are others on the market, but it's the only one I've seen to be absolutely bullet proof. I've seen problems with every other processor out there, especially the audison units.

After that, you pick speakers based on frequency response and output needs, and amps based on output needs and noise floor.

For sound deadening, refer to my testing thread that will hopefully be stickied at some point. Sound deadening is not where you want to be cheap, but that doesn't mean expensive is better either. The thread says it all with actual testing.

[islandguy69]

Sgh...im just across the pond on van isle.....$4/5 k cdn...is good enuff in the small car...I have subs,focal speakers,audison,alpine head unit,alarm $3500..it thunders in my f350.....ill do same in my frs....only diff is double din to single.....

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

I would agree on that price range. Unless you get really serious into it, $3500 is plenty for an excellent sounding system.

[softgrip]

OEM audio plus sounds as good as my $15k home theatre.

You'd be stupid to spend more.

[islandguy69]

Originally Posted by softgrip

OEM audio plus sounds as good as my $15k home theatre.

You'd be stupid to spend more.

Seriously??....oem sounds better than your $15k home unit??.......

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

There's now way oem+ should sound better than a 15k home system. I don't mean any offense by that, but a car is one of the most difficult places to build a high end system. If a home system costing 5x as much doesn't sound better, it's either not set up right, or something is flawed with it. Again, not trying to offend, that's just my experience with home and car audio.

For example, my last car audio system cost me $5000, and I didn't pay a dime for labor, except $20 to get my concrete/fiberglass/steel kick panels carpeted. That system was good enough to be compete for state in modex class sound quality. My home system on the other hand is just over half that, at about $2800. That includes 1k for a budget turntable. And my home system sounds night and day better than my car did. My car got louder and had more visceral impact, but it couldn't compete with the home system in terms of clarity and imaging.

[Mr.ac]

Originally Posted by softgrip

OEM audio plus sounds as good as my $15k home theatre.

You'd be stupid to spend more.

Really? Pics of your home theater.
I hope to god it's not a Bose set up LOL.

[softgrip]

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

Really? Pics of your home theater.
I hope to god it's not a Bose set up LOL.

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

[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.