Vote

I spend a large part of my life commuting. I listen to my car stereo more than my home stereo, so it makes sense for me to spend money to improve the horrible stock stereo.

I found car audio quality very important so my first step is to buy a car.

Unless you drive a very quiet car, why spend the money? I believ thaat even CD Players are a waste unless you only have CDs.

I installed dual MacIntosh amps, MB Quart speakers, and JL Audio subwoofer. The only thing that shows is the Fujitsu CD player, everything else is s direct replacement for stock equipment. The sound is beyond belief, images about a foot in front of the dash. When I first installed the system, I was driving across the San Raphel bridge trying to locate the loose thing causing an odd noise, when I realized the bassist was slapping the side in time with the music (Oscar Peterson "We Get Requests"). I had never heard that before. What a rush! At 50 years old, I have sound in the car that beats most home systems and can pump enough to hear above road noise at 70MPH with windows and sunroof open. If you haven't put a good unit in your car, you have no idea just what can be done.

Five hundred bucks to buy a car radio? OK, what do you get for it? Let's take the 1989 Toyota Celica I used to own. The first time I tried to use the tape player, the unit refused to return my tape. FIVE UNITS LATER,I ended up with a tape player that returned my tapes every time, but stretched them into uselessness. OK, so maybe I could listen to the radio? The factory speaker had several hi-Q resonances in the speech range that most of the time, listening to voices was physically painful. Now I seldom turn on the radio when I'm in the car. I've been conditioned into avoidance. And Toyota? I complained to them. They couldn't have cared less. So much for the fabled Japanese concern for the customer. Until the automotive industry cares about audio, nobody else will, either.

Five hundred bucks to buy a car radio? OK, what do you get for it? Let's take the 1989 Toyota Celica I used to own. The first time I tried to use the tape player, the unit refused to return my tape. FIVE UNITS LATER, I ended up with a tape player that returned my tapes every time, but stretched them into uselessness. OK, so maybe I could have listened to the radio? The factory speakers had several hi-Q resonances in the speech range so that most of the time, listening to voices was physically painful. Now I seldom turn on the radio when I'm in the car. I've been conditioned into avoidance. And Toyota? I complained to them. They couldn't have cared less. So much for the fabled Japanese concern for the customer. Until the automotive industry cares about audio, nobody else will, either.

Unless you just potter along, you will not hear the nuances so why pay for them?

It should sound good, however with all the road noise and some good talk radio why should I spend the money.

I like music and have made some modest upgrades to my car stereo system, but with a car you never know what is going to happen when you are on the road or driving about town, so I do not see any point in sinking too much money into it.

I can't afford to move my hobby on the road as well, but I do like some quality reproduction while I'm in my car.

My old truck is to noisy to worry about a "nice" car system

I designed and installed hi-end car audio from 1977-1985. Spent countless hours on my 1977 VW Rabbits sound. The biggest improvements came from doubling the play speed of a Alpine cassette deck to 3&3/4 ips and modified the playback eq in the tape head preamp to 35us since I had a BIC T-2 home unit that would record at that speed or normal speed of 1&7/8 ips. This was in 1980 before CD was available. Also had a 3way JBL L110 home spkr. system in the doors, substituting a 6" JBL driver for the 10" and putting the 10" woofs in the rear. Ran the 10" up to 80Hz and the front three-way system from 80Hz on up. Sounded very clean with strong defined bass. The mid and tweet L-pads in the JBL crossover allowed for correct adjustment of levels using my ears and a spectrum analizer. Now that I'm an old man of 46 years and drive only company cars, I'm more into my home audio.

I would rather concentrate on driving and leave the serious listening for home; besides, this is the time to listen to NPR news and talk.

I've added an aftemarket CD player and a single JL Audio 10" Subwoofer. I am very pleased to outhit some people who spent a considerable amount mare than I did!

Even the quietest car is too loud for the appreciation of good audio.

My only reason for being in my car is to drive, and I should not be distracted by other things.

I have a mono radio. I would looove to have a top notch car system, but the priority is always to splash out on the swingin' x-ray machine in the lounge instead.

I spend so much time commuting that it has become my home away from home

Have a '86 Porsche 911, and getting the bass extensions is a problem. Also overcoming the high engine noise levels and trying to reduce the ambient road noise poses a problem, too. Finding the right components for the interior volume is a kicker too! Something that's commensurate quality wise is a daunting task as well.

I feel that the car companies have improvrd thier system to the extant . That they equal to after market sysytems . I am sat tsfied with the peformance of my factory instald in my car .I don't think it is necessary to spend alot of money on a car system. The money I think most of the money should be spent on home systems.

When I bought my 328i earlier this year, I paid out the ear to get the upgraded stereo package, featuring Harmon Kardon speakers--more than I can count on my two hands--subs, and amps. The sound is great, simply great, for a car stereo.

I think that the home system is much more important! I don't think that you can fully enjoy the music when you are driving a car. Like Enzo Ferrari said : "Why do you need a stereo in your car,? isn't the sound of the engine enough?

Yes, I do believe that car equipment is very important because....I spend a great deal of time driving to and from work. I have Clarion RDX-555D receiver, a Clarion Pro Audio 6 disc CD Changer, a Clarion DAC processor, Alpine equalization, ADS amplification and Polk Speakers in the front (5X7") and rear (6.5").

I actually could afford a car, if I didn't spend all my money on home audio gear :-) But if I did have one, I would like it to sound nice; however, there is no point in spending over a $1000 for a car stereo, or even less, simply because of all the other noises in the car, and your seating position. It won't probably make that much of a difference . . .

The sound comes from the exhaust system and the (Porsche) twin turbos!

I have bought Lexus's as my last three cars with the Nakamichi sound systems, which are wonderful.

Yet another place to shovel money! And so easy to have it all stolen.

If I did care, I would never consider an MP3 player. Anyway, car hi fi is a contradiction in itself, isn't it?

Byuying a true hi-end car audio system makes as much sense as buying a bike for your fish.

Right after buying my current vehicle, I immediately ripped out the factory head unit and speakers. My truck now has Pioneer and Polk speakers driven by a Coustic head unit and Coustic power amp.