extreme high end car audio....
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From: Moore, Oklahoma, US
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extreme high end car audio....
i was wondering, what is the best of best, in quality and namebrand for car audio?
for example, when you think of expensive a$$ home audio/theater stuff, you might think of krell and martin logan, not pioneer and infinity ( which is still good stuff ).
i was looking at McIntosh car audio, it looked like good stuff.
my uncle has a 1998 7 series bmw ( i think its a 740i or iL ), he wants to put a very nice stereo in it, just for sound quality. he wants to stick with one brand, a headunit, speakers for the front and rear, a 4 channel amp, one sub + amp. he's going for total SQ, no emphasis on SPL at all. he also listens to these DTS audio cd's, i guess they are 5.1 audio cd's, so maybe he will want a center channel to, no sure yet.
he told me he can spend upto $5k on this thing, and like i said, he wants the absolute BEST.
any suggestions?
for example, when you think of expensive a$$ home audio/theater stuff, you might think of krell and martin logan, not pioneer and infinity ( which is still good stuff ).
i was looking at McIntosh car audio, it looked like good stuff.
my uncle has a 1998 7 series bmw ( i think its a 740i or iL ), he wants to put a very nice stereo in it, just for sound quality. he wants to stick with one brand, a headunit, speakers for the front and rear, a 4 channel amp, one sub + amp. he's going for total SQ, no emphasis on SPL at all. he also listens to these DTS audio cd's, i guess they are 5.1 audio cd's, so maybe he will want a center channel to, no sure yet.
he told me he can spend upto $5k on this thing, and like i said, he wants the absolute BEST.
any suggestions?
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From: Odenton, Maryland, US
Rep Power: 0 You won't even remotely come close to getting teh best with $5000. The best amps will run you that much alone. To do an entire system like that you may just want to look at the high end of the consumer products, not the pro class stuff.
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Rep Power: 317 ok, just got done talking with the uncle, found out more on what he really wants.
the headunit, thats where the most emphasis is, he doesn't care for the display to look cool, and can care less about features he will never use, like dsp modes and such, he just wants the nicest sounding, cleanest looking headunit, cd player only - no mp3's.
i think he's breaking away from the whole one brand name thing, he figured that sticking with one brand will make everything easier, but he's figured out that different companies make certain products that are good. he said he likes focal, but he didn't tell me the model that he liked.
he's looking for one 10" or 12" sub for SQ and an amp for it, he's gonna have a custom enclosure for it.
now its a question of a good sub, and a good 4 channel amp and mono sub amp.
him and his friends are going to install the headunit, speakers, and amps, its the sub that he wants done professionally, since he wants a custom made box for it that will fit in the trunk in a way that it can't be seen.
he now figured that it will cost a lot to do this, so his limit went up, $10,000 ( you dont know my uncle, his 7 series was $80k i beleive, and his previous car, an audi a8 ( 1996 model i think ) he GAVE to his friend, thats right, he GAVE it to him ) i told him he can do an all diamond system, speakers, sub, and amps, but he wants better, which i have no clue of whats "the best".
can anyone recommend a company that makes really high quality stuff that really isn't mainstream so i can make my uncle happy?
the headunit, thats where the most emphasis is, he doesn't care for the display to look cool, and can care less about features he will never use, like dsp modes and such, he just wants the nicest sounding, cleanest looking headunit, cd player only - no mp3's.
i think he's breaking away from the whole one brand name thing, he figured that sticking with one brand will make everything easier, but he's figured out that different companies make certain products that are good. he said he likes focal, but he didn't tell me the model that he liked.
he's looking for one 10" or 12" sub for SQ and an amp for it, he's gonna have a custom enclosure for it.
now its a question of a good sub, and a good 4 channel amp and mono sub amp.
him and his friends are going to install the headunit, speakers, and amps, its the sub that he wants done professionally, since he wants a custom made box for it that will fit in the trunk in a way that it can't be seen.
he now figured that it will cost a lot to do this, so his limit went up, $10,000 ( you dont know my uncle, his 7 series was $80k i beleive, and his previous car, an audi a8 ( 1996 model i think ) he GAVE to his friend, thats right, he GAVE it to him ) i told him he can do an all diamond system, speakers, sub, and amps, but he wants better, which i have no clue of whats "the best".
can anyone recommend a company that makes really high quality stuff that really isn't mainstream so i can make my uncle happy?
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Rep Power: 338 a shop for $10,000 will do everything he is looking for. if you find a really good shop, (youll probably need a phone book for this) they cna do litterally anything you want. anything.
as to product itself, time and time again, the name is meaningless. he needs to go out and listen to systems. Thats going to be tough, since only a very small number of shops demo their high end equipment. If you find a shop that has a demoboard of high end, its a good chance that they will have superior installers. whats in teh board is what sells most often, it tells you who the shop caters to.
we cant tell you what to buy. if you buy from what you heard here, its almost guaranteed to not sound they way you think it will sound.
furthermore, there is FAR more to sub-bass than just product, or the desired sound. budget im guessing isnt in there, but space surely is. how loud does he want to get? these are all considerations to take in when planning a stereo, and the best way to plan right, especially when the desired system is "best-of-the-best" is to go to a shop. no ma and pa's carstereo, i mean a really good shop.
edit: good case in point: my buddy wanted a LOUD 10. i mean a really freaking loud 10 for his rock music. after talking for awhile, and looking into some systems, he decided that he wanted a 10w7. alright, there were many other choices out there, but teh 10w7 struck him. another friend of mine actually bought teh 10w7 for different reasons, so this guy got to actually demo it. good thing he didnt buy it! It didnt play the way he wanted at all! sure it was LOUD, but it was too smooth, too warm, he wanted ear bleed! going through the list of choices again, he is now the proud owner of an HCCA 10, which gets absolutely retarded in his volvo, and its exactly that angry sound he was looking for.
so name and even reputation can be meaningless when it comes to personal taste. words are a pisspoor substitute for a good demo. 3 hours of talking is worth less than three seconds of a good audio clip in the right environment.
as to product itself, time and time again, the name is meaningless. he needs to go out and listen to systems. Thats going to be tough, since only a very small number of shops demo their high end equipment. If you find a shop that has a demoboard of high end, its a good chance that they will have superior installers. whats in teh board is what sells most often, it tells you who the shop caters to.
we cant tell you what to buy. if you buy from what you heard here, its almost guaranteed to not sound they way you think it will sound.
furthermore, there is FAR more to sub-bass than just product, or the desired sound. budget im guessing isnt in there, but space surely is. how loud does he want to get? these are all considerations to take in when planning a stereo, and the best way to plan right, especially when the desired system is "best-of-the-best" is to go to a shop. no ma and pa's carstereo, i mean a really good shop.
edit: good case in point: my buddy wanted a LOUD 10. i mean a really freaking loud 10 for his rock music. after talking for awhile, and looking into some systems, he decided that he wanted a 10w7. alright, there were many other choices out there, but teh 10w7 struck him. another friend of mine actually bought teh 10w7 for different reasons, so this guy got to actually demo it. good thing he didnt buy it! It didnt play the way he wanted at all! sure it was LOUD, but it was too smooth, too warm, he wanted ear bleed! going through the list of choices again, he is now the proud owner of an HCCA 10, which gets absolutely retarded in his volvo, and its exactly that angry sound he was looking for.
so name and even reputation can be meaningless when it comes to personal taste. words are a pisspoor substitute for a good demo. 3 hours of talking is worth less than three seconds of a good audio clip in the right environment.
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Rep Power: 0 what is your definition of best, there really no best out there, is civic are the best car, it all opinion, i dont know maybe they are maybe they are not. you buy what you get. it doesnt mean if it expensive it the best, with 5k that more than enought to get you a nice SQ systems. buy things online they are cheaper, ebay the cheapest place where you can get your stuff.
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Rep Power: 328 Zapco Amps, MB Quart QSD speakers, as far as bass goes....you have to find out what he likes....deep bass (12) or quick and punchy (10) The best sound i've ever heard was in a 2001 Jetta....All Zapco amps, and MB Quart QSD 3 ways with doubled 6.5"'s in kicks......and he had an MB Quart sub....sounds really awesome. Cost was around $12,000. He had an Alpine HU and an Alpine screen....I dont remember what kind.....zapco EQ and remote controls for all the amp settings mounted in the dash (Hz, Q, Center, Infrasonic Filter, etc...) And time correction modules taken from home audio and adapted for the car.....it sounds f*****g amazing. But that is a little out of your price range i guess....
-Mystic
-Mystic
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From: Moore, Oklahoma, US
Rep Power: 317 thanks for the advice. i really dont know what my uncle is looking for, but he tends to be one of those guys that thinks that if its expensive, its good, you know what i mean?
like the focal speakers, they were well over $500, so he believes that they have to be good.
he went to a few shops to check out what they have, but what it sounds like in the shop is different from what it will sound like in a car.
since he is liking those focal speakers ( i'm pretty sure they are utopias ), i'll suggest zapco amps since i heard nothing but good things about them. the sub is still in questions because he DOESN'T want JL ( i suggested a 10W7 ) he thinks they are too mainstream, and he wants to be as different as possible.
for the head unit, he's stuck on McIntosh, i looked it up for him on the net, and the specs look good, but i never heard of this brand, but he wants me to find out if its a good company or not, and if they make good stuff. do they?
i know you guys are annoyed with this ****, but try to understand how it is for me, he's gonna bug me until i help him out, and once its done, if it doesn't sound right, who do you think he's going to blame? thats right, ME. he's a cool guy, but he's always confused and plain clueless about things like this.
like the focal speakers, they were well over $500, so he believes that they have to be good.
he went to a few shops to check out what they have, but what it sounds like in the shop is different from what it will sound like in a car.
since he is liking those focal speakers ( i'm pretty sure they are utopias ), i'll suggest zapco amps since i heard nothing but good things about them. the sub is still in questions because he DOESN'T want JL ( i suggested a 10W7 ) he thinks they are too mainstream, and he wants to be as different as possible.
for the head unit, he's stuck on McIntosh, i looked it up for him on the net, and the specs look good, but i never heard of this brand, but he wants me to find out if its a good company or not, and if they make good stuff. do they?
i know you guys are annoyed with this ****, but try to understand how it is for me, he's gonna bug me until i help him out, and once its done, if it doesn't sound right, who do you think he's going to blame? thats right, ME. he's a cool guy, but he's always confused and plain clueless about things like this.
Yup, i'm an A$$hole.
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From: Florida
Rep Power: 328 I've never really heard much about McIntosh car audio....their home stuff is supposed to be pretty good I think. I would go with either a clarion, alpine, or nakamichi HU....I personaly like alpine, but hey, whatever floats your boat [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG] Go with at least 4volt Sub Pre-out, preferable all 4volt preouts....ummm...MB Quart QSD retail is like $1,500 for the 3ways, adding another 6.5" is like another 200 bucks. Utopias are $999, but I really dont like them.....the tweets just sound weird....kinda like its coming out of a can or something. In my experience the focals lack midbass warmth.... Zapco amps are pretty pricy....around $1,500 each I think. Your uncle will also want to use acoustic sound deadener and vibration damping....TACMat, Dynamatt, BrownBread, FATMAT.....any of those will do....check out www.alpine.com for different HU models....the 7893 I have is pretty nice.....good sound quality, but it only has a 4V sub-preout, not the regular preouts....check their more expensive models (7990 I think) have all 4 V im pretty sure.
-Mystic
-Mystic
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From: Overland park, Kansas, US
Rep Power: 0 Granted no one will know what it will sound like or remotly know what your uncle will like.
but some suggestions
Denon, McIntosh, Nakamichi - Head unit
Rainbow Platinum, MBQ QSD, Dyna Audio - for a set of components
A/D/S or a Canton Sub
A/D/S , Zapco, McIntosh, (Butler audio "vacume tube amps")
just a few of your options
but some suggestions
Denon, McIntosh, Nakamichi - Head unit
Rainbow Platinum, MBQ QSD, Dyna Audio - for a set of components
A/D/S or a Canton Sub
A/D/S , Zapco, McIntosh, (Butler audio "vacume tube amps")
just a few of your options
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From: Car Audioville, Quebec, Canada
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Denon, Macintosh, Eclipse 8052 or 8062 with balanced line output.
Amps. Zapco, Arc Audio, Soundstream, Brax, Helix, Butler tube amps(for mids),
Subs. Depends on the setup he wants.. Some subs which are a surefire hot are JL audio W7's W6v.2's Image Dynamics IDMAX, Kicker L7's, Audiomobile MASS 2400's.
For components...there's a plethora of choices here. Dynaudio system 360 (arguably the smoothest best midrange sound). Oz Audio Matrix, Rainbow Pro-fi Vinadium, Focal Utopias, Morel, MBQ "q" series
Really it's mostly going to be install...
If your uncle just wants incredible sound without tearing his car apart. MBQ Q series speakers and a JL 10W7 with an Eclipse 8052HU(or Denon) Hu will be his best bet for plug and play acoustical goodness
Denon, Macintosh, Eclipse 8052 or 8062 with balanced line output.
Amps. Zapco, Arc Audio, Soundstream, Brax, Helix, Butler tube amps(for mids),
Subs. Depends on the setup he wants.. Some subs which are a surefire hot are JL audio W7's W6v.2's Image Dynamics IDMAX, Kicker L7's, Audiomobile MASS 2400's.
For components...there's a plethora of choices here. Dynaudio system 360 (arguably the smoothest best midrange sound). Oz Audio Matrix, Rainbow Pro-fi Vinadium, Focal Utopias, Morel, MBQ "q" series
Really it's mostly going to be install...
If your uncle just wants incredible sound without tearing his car apart. MBQ Q series speakers and a JL 10W7 with an Eclipse 8052HU(or Denon) Hu will be his best bet for plug and play acoustical goodness
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From: Moore, Oklahoma, US
Rep Power: 317 ok, here is what i'm going to propose to my uncle:
MB Quart QSD's for the front and rear
Zapco C2K - 4.0X 4 Channel amp for the mids and highs
IDMAX12 12" sub, just one, i want to couple this sub with a zapco amp, but i have no clue on the specs for an IDMAX12, what can this sub handle? which zapco competition amp would you recommend?
the head unit, i think i'll recommend the nakamichi CD-700.
how does that look so far? i dont know the sizes for the speakers on a 1998 740iL, i'll let my uncle figure that out.
he can get the QSD's at a local audio shop, but all the other stuff he will have to buy online. i convinced him to get fatmat, i guess a few rolls of the 100ft will do. the sub install will be done by the shop, so no worries on box dimensions and such. i just need to know the specs on the IDMAX and i'm done.
thanks for all the help guys, i posted this here because i know i would get help.
MB Quart QSD's for the front and rear
Zapco C2K - 4.0X 4 Channel amp for the mids and highs
IDMAX12 12" sub, just one, i want to couple this sub with a zapco amp, but i have no clue on the specs for an IDMAX12, what can this sub handle? which zapco competition amp would you recommend?
the head unit, i think i'll recommend the nakamichi CD-700.
how does that look so far? i dont know the sizes for the speakers on a 1998 740iL, i'll let my uncle figure that out.
he can get the QSD's at a local audio shop, but all the other stuff he will have to buy online. i convinced him to get fatmat, i guess a few rolls of the 100ft will do. the sub install will be done by the shop, so no worries on box dimensions and such. i just need to know the specs on the IDMAX and i'm done.
thanks for all the help guys, i posted this here because i know i would get help.
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Rep Power: 0 McIntosh is pretty high end .... hell most vintage stereo recievers from the 70's still cost over $1,500 used.
Heres a place that sells new and used equipment to get an idea: http://www.audioclassics.com
Heres a review of a car amp: http://www.caraudiomag.com/testreports/0112cae_mcintosh
Here is the McIntosh homepage: http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/
If you ask me there stuff is bad *** ......
Heres a place that sells new and used equipment to get an idea: http://www.audioclassics.com
Heres a review of a car amp: http://www.caraudiomag.com/testreports/0112cae_mcintosh
Here is the McIntosh homepage: http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/
If you ask me there stuff is bad *** ......
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From: Car Audioville, Quebec, Canada
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From: Moore, Oklahoma, US
Rep Power: 317 wow, that sub handles a lot, i would have guessed 500W recommended, thanks mohawk.
regularjoe, i'll keep mcintosh in mind, there stuff looks sweet, it looks like its hard to find though.
regularjoe, i'll keep mcintosh in mind, there stuff looks sweet, it looks like its hard to find though.
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From: Bowie, Maryland, US
Rep Power: 0 the owner of my shop has a mcintosh HU in his VW... I don't know what he spent on it or what model but if sounds f**king nice! This guy is a total audiophile.. spent 8 hours moving around his B&W home speakers just so that he could get the PERFECT imaging.. and mcintosh is very nice stuff in general.. i'd go with them for the hu
begining and end of high end headunit argument
I love this unit...and i will probly use it along with a pro logic 2 decoder if i dont integrate 7.1 into my car with dvd audio and pro logic 2....i need to see how much of the home audio processor i can gut and put in the passenger side dash....i really hope to be the first with 7.1 in the car...[IMG]i/expressions/demon.gif[/IMG]
I love this unit...and i will probly use it along with a pro logic 2 decoder if i dont integrate 7.1 into my car with dvd audio and pro logic 2....i need to see how much of the home audio processor i can gut and put in the passenger side dash....i really hope to be the first with 7.1 in the car...[IMG]i/expressions/demon.gif[/IMG]
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From: Moore, Oklahoma, US
Rep Power: 317 thanks for the help so far, you guys are great.
i told my uncle about zapco amps, and i think he's going to get those. the speakers will be MBQ QSD's, but the sub and HU are still uncertain. i think he will end up with the mcintosh HU, because its simple looking, and most likely great sounding. the sub however, this one is going to be hard for him to choose. he saw a 12W7 in action, and he LOVED it. as much as he hates mainstream things, he liked that sub a lot, so he's really debating on getting it or not.
i think he's going to wrap this up this weekend, the decisions that is. he works all week and has no time to think about car audio. thanks for the great help, and i'm sorry for being a pest [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
i told my uncle about zapco amps, and i think he's going to get those. the speakers will be MBQ QSD's, but the sub and HU are still uncertain. i think he will end up with the mcintosh HU, because its simple looking, and most likely great sounding. the sub however, this one is going to be hard for him to choose. he saw a 12W7 in action, and he LOVED it. as much as he hates mainstream things, he liked that sub a lot, so he's really debating on getting it or not.
i think he's going to wrap this up this weekend, the decisions that is. he works all week and has no time to think about car audio. thanks for the great help, and i'm sorry for being a pest [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
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From: Moore, Oklahoma, US
Rep Power: 317 ok guys, he finally decided on what he wants ( thank god [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG] )
2 pairs of MB Quart QSD's ( whatever size fits in a 740iL )
2 zapco amps, C2K 4.0x 4 channel and C2K 9.0x 2 channel
2 10W7 subs, each will get 600 watts from the C2K 9.0x i guess
and a Nakamichi CD-700 ( i dont know what happened to mcintosh )
thats the final word, add a bunch of fatmat, amp and speaker wiring, rca's, and a couple months worth of headaches, and you got one happy uncle [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
btw, my uncle and his dumb a$$ friends are going to do this install. if you ever saw my uncles friends, you would think they are the rejects from that mtv show, "jacka$$". i just hope this install gets done by the summer, so i can see it when i go there.
2 pairs of MB Quart QSD's ( whatever size fits in a 740iL )
2 zapco amps, C2K 4.0x 4 channel and C2K 9.0x 2 channel
2 10W7 subs, each will get 600 watts from the C2K 9.0x i guess
and a Nakamichi CD-700 ( i dont know what happened to mcintosh )
thats the final word, add a bunch of fatmat, amp and speaker wiring, rca's, and a couple months worth of headaches, and you got one happy uncle [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
btw, my uncle and his dumb a$$ friends are going to do this install. if you ever saw my uncles friends, you would think they are the rejects from that mtv show, "jacka$$". i just hope this install gets done by the summer, so i can see it when i go there.
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From: Lansing, Michigan, US
Rep Power: 0 Just a word to the wise - Nakamichi head units have been known for their unreliability. If your uncle is in the Nakamichi price range, I would strongly suggest the Denon DCT-Z1 as an alternative. It is quite possibly the best sound quality deck available today.
You can see it here: Denon DCT-Z1
I believe that both decks are superior in their performance, so there really is no wrong choice in that respect. However, if longevity is an issue (and it should be with that expensive of a head unit), then the Denon would be the better choice.
Oh, and just for fun, if you want to see some other high-end gear, check out an Ebay seller that goes by the name mr.sqman. Crazy high-end stuff!
mr.sqman
You can see it here: Denon DCT-Z1
I believe that both decks are superior in their performance, so there really is no wrong choice in that respect. However, if longevity is an issue (and it should be with that expensive of a head unit), then the Denon would be the better choice.
Oh, and just for fun, if you want to see some other high-end gear, check out an Ebay seller that goes by the name mr.sqman. Crazy high-end stuff!
mr.sqman
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From: Moore, Oklahoma, US
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Quote
[hr]Originally posted by: SQCivicEX
Just a word to the wise - Nakamichi head units have been known for their unreliability. If your uncle is in the Nakamichi price range, I would strongly suggest the Denon DCT-Z1 as an alternative. It is quite possibly the best sound quality deck available today.
You can see it here: Denon DCT-Z1
I believe that both decks are superior in their performance, so there really is no wrong choice in that respect. However, if longevity is an issue (and it should be with that expensive of a head unit), then the Denon would be the better choice.
Oh, and just for fun, if you want to see some other high-end gear, check out an Ebay seller that goes by the name mr.sqman. Crazy high-end stuff!
mr.sqman[hr]
[hr]Originally posted by: SQCivicEX
Just a word to the wise - Nakamichi head units have been known for their unreliability. If your uncle is in the Nakamichi price range, I would strongly suggest the Denon DCT-Z1 as an alternative. It is quite possibly the best sound quality deck available today.
You can see it here: Denon DCT-Z1
I believe that both decks are superior in their performance, so there really is no wrong choice in that respect. However, if longevity is an issue (and it should be with that expensive of a head unit), then the Denon would be the better choice.
Oh, and just for fun, if you want to see some other high-end gear, check out an Ebay seller that goes by the name mr.sqman. Crazy high-end stuff!
mr.sqman[hr]
