Car Audio - The missing link in music forums...

So there is much talk about audio equipment, with the biggest discussions being about turntables.
We have the vintage fans, digital, tubes, R2R, cassette, etc...

But on the few audio forums I have seen (SH, tapeheads, audiokarma), there is little, if any, talk about car audio.
Some enthusiasts for it spend 5 figures, much like serious (and well-off) audiophiles do with their home set-up. It is a hobby at least and a lifestyle to some.

I used to be a fan of car audio myself (but only had 4 figures invested). It can get really complex.

So what I wonder is why the disconnect? Is it maybe for the same reason that the street racer scene (like import racers) do not really associate much with the classic car scene?

Maybe that is a bad comparison but why so few car audio discussion?

 

That's a good question, but perhaps you shouldn't keep talking about how it's a rich man's game because it isn't. It puts people off.

 

Although I've spent some money at Crutchfield (back in the catalogue days) over the years, I think it is all about the environment. My driving is in pretty bad traffic, lots of noise plus noise of the car, why throw money at that system when there is plenty to upgrade in my home listening environment which is more optimal for better sound? Also, new cars seem to have pretty good systems to begin with, just bought a Nissan SUV and cds sound just fine in it. Lastly since just about everyone has XM/Sirius satellite radio I am pretty sure they are playing mp3's (maybe terrestrial radio is too) so why bother? Interesting question though and if I lived in a rural area and/or did more hanging out in my car I could see the appeal.

 

Also, factory-installed stereo systems have really come up in the world in the last couple of decades. Certainly, ome may still be able to improve on that, but When you have a relatively new car with payments, and the factory system sounds pretty damn good, there is less of a reason to mess with it.

 

I have a piece of crap car that I keep having repaired, only because the stereo sounds so good.

 

When I was first driving I was very concerned with car audio from an aftermarket perspective. My first car had only an AM radio with a mono speaker in the dash, the need to upgrade that situation was imperative. A lot has changed in the following 30 years. I drive a much nicer car with a very good system from the factory, cutting into the interior to upgrade speakers or components is a very low return on investment. The next big change is that I have a house where I can build a system and that provides a great return on investment.

Car audio is less about audio and more about cars. If you have a classic/custom car that you show, a big system is kind of part of that world. A guy driving to work or getting groceries is just going to buy a car that has the stereo he/she is going to be happy with. No need to buy some Alpine 6x9's or throw an obnoxious woofer in the trunk. The world of car audio is much less about hi-fi and more about volume. That is the disconnect that would keep it from being a common topic on this forum.

That being said, I listen to at least 20 hours of music in my car every week. Having a quiet ride and exceptional stereo is a big consideration when I shop for a car. Even still, it is a far car from what a modest home system can produce.

 

People don't usually do critical listening in the car. I'll jam to tunes in the car or listen to news. If I want to enjoy music and pay attention to detail, I'll put on my earphones at home.

 

I think Dennis0675 is spot on in his post.

I just got a new car myself and the last thing I want to do is start taking the dash apart. The current system sounds much better than those factory units from years ago. Uninstalling new parts to install a expensive sound system that I could only listen to 30 minutes a day makes no sense.

I sold car stereo 35 years ago when it was a popular mod to do. Times now have changed.

 

My stereo is where I get lost in the music. A car is where I'm forced to spend time to get places and I pay more attention to the road to get where I am safely than getting transported into my "music zone." Hence why I don't really care much about car audio.

I also own a cheap car and it wouldn't make any sense whatsoever to spend a crazy amount on quality gear only to have it broken into, which doesn't happen with as much frequency with homes.

 

The original poster answered his own question. Posters in audio forums want their equipment vintage, cheap or a combination of both. You won't be able to have that in a recent model car.

I see plenty of people with their smartphones to their ears as they are driving a new car. There is no reason they can't have a Bluetooth connection going. Is it laziness, stupidity or something else? It sure would be safer.

 

I'm enjoying DVD/DVD-A in my SQ5. It was a must have while shopping for my next automobile. In my younger years I installed many many aftermarket systems in my cars. Stopped in the 80's.

 

I'm surprised how terrible the audio system is in my new-ish car. I'm wondering if they were having trouble getting people to upgrade to the "Mark Levinson" audio package because the base model sounded good as it was. I really don't want to subtract from the aesthetics and add a reason to find my windows smashed, but man, it sounds bad right now.

 

There is too much of a hassle to upgrade newer car now. It is close to impossible to upgrade the head unit cheaply in new cars without losing many integrated functionality.

Also, incresing popularity of car leasing is making it less desirable to spend lots of money into cars that likely to be returned in a few years.

Having said that, I did spend about $1800 in my current car to upgrade speakers, add external amp, and trunk subwoofer. Makes a big difference since it can do clean loud music much better than OEM setup.

 

For me the primary reason is the environment. It's not a place for critical listening - you should be focused on driving! It's noisy, has loads of reflective surfaces, has terrible imaging.

Car audio's always seemed more about SPLs than anything else IME.

The premium stock systems in our family's cars are fine for background listening.

 

I loved the simplicity of a stereo unit with volume, tuning plus tone & fade round knobs.
Sweet stuff.

Buttons, menus, power options etc. were just too complicated for a car.

 

Agreed. I've had rental cars where I've driven in silence because I can't figure out how to make them play music and drive at the same time. When I get gas or something, I sit down and unravel the nested menus to discover the basic functionality that an on button used to provide.

 

I've only have read how bad the base is and how really great the Mark Levinson audio package. When I was looking at Lexus, it would have to have the Mark Levinson.

 

It's extremely difficult to adjust light and distance to get decent pictures of the car head unit. Also there is no way to show the cables, the speakers are hidden behind the door panels, upgrades are difficult due to the integration with the car computerized systems, tubes have a ridiculously short life expectancy in a car, especially if the car isn't a garage queen and it bounces over potholes and source choices is also very limited, I mean when was the last time you saw a reel to reel setup in a car that wasn't a KGB surveillance van? This turn the whole business of bragging about the car audio system rather pointless.

There is also the issue that cars are usually not kept long enough to justify the kind of major surgery required to do any kind of serious audio upgrade. Sure, one can add a sub-woofer, change some speakers and hide an external amplifier under the seats without too much problems. I did it - and the audio is still sub-par compared to even a cheap audio setup for a typical student room.

 

Yeah, this is a 2009 ES350. The 1998 ES300 it replaced had a fantastic system despite being the base, not-Bose. I can't stress enough how the base system isn't merely "non fancy", its bad. Toyota Corollas blow it away.

 

Yeah, probably age related in both examples.
-Bill

 

Love my JL Audio speakers and sub powered by Audison amps! I do a lot of listening in the car and when recording with my band I end up checking mixes in the car to quickly compare the sound to what we are hearing in the studio. I didn't have navigation or a big touch screen so replacing the stock head unit was not an issue for me. Plus Dr. Dre and Metallica sound killer when it's cranked, lots of fun!

 

Yeah, I have Focal speakers, JL amp and JL sealed sub. Yes, it cranks great! : )

 

First thing I did 4 years ago when I got my new (to me) Toyota Avalon was to have a Nav system with bluetooth, ipod integration, backup camera and XM installed. I use the car for work and it's the best money I've spent on it.

 

I invested a little in car audio, but I never expected great results. All that glass, speakers firing this way and that. What I noticed first was that all the drivers sounded like garbage mounted in the display room. I just bought the least bright drivers, filled the holes, added a lower watt but overengineered amp and a 10" sub. Ultimately, road noise is just a killer.

One guy who worked at the shop I ended up buying from let me listen to his competition car. He had expensive drivers, the thing was trailer only so it would not drive. It had custom fiberglass dash etc. with each driver carefully positioned and tons of batteries. He swore it could make a stereo image but I never heard it.

Seems kinda pointless.

 

I gave up on car audio 20 some years ago after having two different aftermarket installations forcibly removed, causing more damage to the cars than the value of the equipment that was stolen.