subbies.... amps... HELP me...

ANBU_fto · Post by **ANBU_fto** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 10:55 pm

hey people
ok, first of all i am really lost in the ICE area, i dont know nothing about it, so i was wondering if anyone can help me choose an amp and subby...

Slither · Post by **Slither** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 11:36 pm

few questions for ya first

What sort of music do u listen to?
Whats your budget?
What else ya got in the way of ice setup?

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 11:53 pm

add to that list of questions, what is it that you want from your car audio system? (i.e. precise sound quality, doof doof bass, cool looks, features like DVD etc.)

FTOluv · Post by **FTOluv** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 11:57 pm

the FTO isnt a SPL style car because of the boot lid design it has, but u can still get a fair bit of bass out of it.
Good quality products will go a long way. Just make sure u dont get Sony products.

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:05 am

Regardless of the product, I'd never buy on brand name alone, nor eliminate products on brand name alone.

You should be buying based on what best fits your requirements, not what the badge on the product says.

All that matters is that you enjoy the experience you get from listening to the products, your ears will be the best judge of that, not someone elses opinion.

FTOluv · Post by **FTOluv** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:07 am

I didnt realise yr from Melbourne, Im actually selling 4 PPI Precision Power subs and an amp. PPI won the SPL competition in the United States last year and is deemed a very high quality product. The subs and amp are brand new, they are still in the box with the plastic.
Subs are $160 each and the amp is a 2 channel - $440. U can check these prices on the net and u will see they are well below half price.

PM me if interested.

Slither · Post by **Slither** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:33 am

well he only asked about an amp and sub so i don't think he's lookin for dvd ruchi

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:48 am

You're right he did only ask about an amp and sub, but knowing the bigger picture helps with the selection of components.

Just like with tuning a car for best performance, the same goes for audio, and you shouldn't select individual components in an isolated fashion. You'll get a better result if the components are inline with the rest of the system.

FTOluv · Post by **FTOluv** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 12:48 am

The ICE setup in my car consists of Clarion, Viper, Boston Acoustics, Blaupunkt and Kenwood.
Ruchi was correct on what he said about never buy on brand name alone but what he failed to realise is, that u CAN eliminate on certain brands. Certain brands in car audio are rubbish and a waste of money. By buying these products u will get frustrated with the quality and wished u had bought something else and this doesnt necessary mean something more expensive.
The reason why i say Sony is not a wise choice for car audio because there are far more other brands that deliver better quality and the SAME price.

Best thing to do is see what ICE u need, set yr budget, research yr products and then go buy them.

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:12 am

oh dear, I cannot believe that last reply and am doing everything I can to not make any inflammatory remarks or personal comments.

I could write a very long message on this, but I won't...

Although I do not personally own any Sony car audio equipment, I will say that if it meets your requirements, fits into your budget and most importantly, if it sounds good to your ears then it is most definitely worth considering.

While I believe it is important to consider other people's opinions, I would suggest that you always be cautious of anyone who blanketly promotes or dismisses an item based purely on its brand and not on its own individual merits.

In the end, it will be you who is using the product, not the person giving their opinion, so all that matters is that you are happy with it, not that you followed what the other person said. Trust your own ears more than the opinion of others, and select the equipment which best meets your requirements and brings you the most enjoyment.

FTOluv · Post by **FTOluv** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:25 am

Ruchi, first of all, i am part of an organisation that holds sound off events for shows such as Easternats. I have an RTA (Real time analyser) for audio sitting in my room.
I think my thoughts and opinion in the area of ICE has far more merit than yours as I am backed up with the industries leading installers and retailers. They all NEVER recommend sony products to their customers for ANY budget.
So without making this a big long post battle please refrain from making any unnecessary comments about my ICE posts.

If u wish to discuss this in person, please feel free at the next meet at the Dandenong Ranges.

Teania · Post by **Teania** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:46 am

Alright peoples - can we please keep this nice..... ANBU_fto posted up a valid question and ALL are entitled to their opinions.... if you have a serious disagreement with each other - then please utilise the PM's.

Having seen FTOluv's system - I can vouch that it is very impressive..... and on a personal note - I bought a Sony XPLOD head unit and I have to say I am not all that impressed with it..... wish I'd done more homework first.... but each to their own.

If anyone has any serious issues, please feel free to contact me.

Regards
Tanya

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:50 am

I think you've just illustrated my point perfectly...

You have been unable to find a Sony product which matches your requirements therefore you eliminate it. However, based on your last post it would appear your requirements are much higher than most other people's and therefore a lot of product would be eliminated.

For the average person who does not enter their car in a "sound off" competition and who does not have a "real time analyser" in their room, and who does not need a system with a high output so they can hear it over their exhaust, their requirements will be lower and chances are that Sony will have a product that meets their requirements.

Neither a SPL meter from a sound off competition nor a real time analyser can measure the enjoyment a person will receive from listening to their favourite music, the best device people can use for this is their own ears. As everyone hears slightly differently the result will be different from one person to another and from human ear to electronic measuring equipment. But one thing I am sure of is that they will get far more enjoyment listening to their favourite music on their new audio system based on how it sounds than they will from looking at the dB rating of their system from a SPL meter or a frequency response chart from a real time analyser.

You will find that I have given the advice of choosing products based on individual requirements rather than people's opinions to many people in many threads, covering many topics including such things as lights, tyres and exhausts. I post these remarks here because the same holds true for audio not because I am trying to attack you.

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:55 am

Sorry Tanya, was already typing my response before you posted yours.

Tanya, which Sony unit did you buy, why did you buy it and what were your requirements?

Why are you not happy with it and what other components do you have that make up your audio system?

FTOluv · Post by **FTOluv** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:18 am

Ruchi, can u please keep Tanya out of this.

Ruchi as u know there is a difference between ENJOYING MUSIC and purchasing the BEST QUALITY product for the PRICE RANGE.
Can u please understand that im making a point about the BEST PRODUCTS for the PRICE RANGE!!

I cant believe u are posting comments like this. A grown man like yrself should be wise enough to understand that some people have more merit and knowledge in certain topics than u do.

I have read a lot of your posts and there are areas that u know far more than me, but i can assure u this is one area that can get backed up on by the ICE industries best.

As i said before , if u wish to speak to me about it dont post on these forums. I didnt join the FTO club to battle with you. Please speak to me at the next meet in person.

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:41 am

Tanya has a genuine issue and should be helped, not ignored. Likewise ANBU_fto has a genuine request and we are trying to help him/her too. Slither started off this thread by asking what some of ANBU_fto's requirements were, my first post followed on from that.

As soon as we get responses from ANBU_fto and from Tanya we can begin to help them.

There is no such thing as a "best" product or best brand per se, quite simply the "best" product you can get is the one the best fits your requirements. As different people have different requirements the "best" product can be different for each of them.

Your knowledge on ICE is not in question here, what is, is the practice of making blanket recommendations based purely on brand rather than a product's individual merits. If you didn't make such remarks you wouldn't get such replies

.

Slither · Post by **Slither** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:56 am

look please everyone don't take offense to this but can we try and help ANBU_fto out??

im sure when he posted this question he actually wanted peoples opinions, thats one of the reasons u post somethin like this to hear what everyone thinks, not to have people argue about whose opinion is rite!! What we are lookin for here is help not the right answer, there is no right answer!!!

FTOluv has provided info based on his knowledge nothin more, he's not tryin to get ANBU_fto to buy somethin rather what to look out for

ruchi no-one has blanketed the entire sony range here, merely their amps and subs, which i have to say are quite inferiour to a lot of other similar priced items, still if ANBU_fto wants to buy them thats up to him, we are not having a go at them simply tryin to advise a fellow member about what he asked

can we please get back to helpin out a fellow member

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 10:27 am

I agree with you Slither, and as I said in my last post: "Tanya has a genuine issue and should be helped, not ignored. Likewise ANBU_fto has a genuine request and we are trying to help him/her too. ...As soon as we get responses from ANBU_fto and from Tanya we can begin to help them."

FTOluv has blanketly canned Sony, not only in this thread but many others too. This is a real pity as his advice and expertise would carry far more weight if his comments were unbiased.

I'm going to be away for the next couple of days, so just wanted to reiterate some points:

Different Requirements Need Different Solutions
As stated many times, the best product is the one that best suits your own individual requirements. To make blanket decisions based on brand only is prejudiced and unwise. Obviously Sony products are the right decision for many people, otherwise they wouldn't still be in business making car audio products. If they were as crap as what FTOluv says then everyone who bought Sony product would be unhappy with it, and would express this unhappiness to others causing a domino effect which over time would send the car audio division of Sony broke.

Primary Purpose
The primary purpose of music is to evoke an emotional response from what you hear. You cannot smell music, you cannot touch it, you cannot taste it nor see it. Therefore the number one item you should use in your decision in relation to music is your own ears. To help with this, you should use a piece of music you enjoy and are familiar with.

Weakest Link
As with any other "system" an audio system is only as good as the weakest link in the chain. In the case of most cars, and definitely so for the FTO, the accoustic listening environment of the vehicle is very poor.

Most audio equipment can produce sound beyond what the average person can hear, likewise many people cannot pick up on the difference of various technology, such as convertors with different bit rates. The number of people listening to MP3 is ever increasing, yet this sound format is quite poor when compared to the specifications of most audio equipment. Yet people listen to these things, get enjoyment from them, and are happy with their decision. At the end of the day, this is the most important point - that you get enjoyment from it.

Obviously there are people out there for whom the Sony product was the best match to their requirements and who are very happy with the product. What seems to be lacking is sales people and technical people who take the time to understand what a person's requirements are and to match the product to them. This issue covers all industries, not just audio

.

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 10:45 am

I've got very simple soultion here, since we all from melbourne you both can show ANBU_FTO what you guys are on about in real life not on text. cause theres no point talk about it, if you can't proof it.

And we can all keep the forum "clean" as possible.

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 10:53 am

How do you "prove" and measure the amount of satisfaction someone gets from having a system which matches their requirements?

Only ANBU_fto and his ears can decide that.