In this part we bring to you the basic things that one should keep in mind while going for a car system. There are a variety of things are to be considered but certain key aspects stand out as the decision making factors. So, read on..
Planning and Buying
A bare-basic system will include a head unit and two to four speakers. But to find the best you can afford and get the best sound out of your car will take a fair bit of research and a competent installer. Compromise is inevitable, given the average consumer’s usually limited budget. An ICE setup can cost anything in range of a few thousands to a few lakhs.
You should start by listing down a few things which you should use as a guideline. Start with the budget (very important, since you can go overboard very easily!), what music formats are the most common in your library, what kind of connectivity you would like in your receiver (iPod, USB, SD card), any other features you may want (Bluetooth or phone compatibility, navigation) and whether you want to hook up a head-rest monitor or overhead screen for video playback for rear passengers. You've also got to be certain about what you're expecting from the system and also look at what kind of music genre you primarily listen to. Some systems configured for pure video may end up doing a shoddy job of reproducing a natural soundstage when listening to a concert for example. And you need to understand whether it's nice crisp bass you fancy or whether you want a lot of boom. So list all these down methodically and try and stick to the list since it is very easy to get tempted to spend more money and not arrive at the kind of sound you had envisaged in your car.
First we’ll walk you through an example system that we believe includes everything you need to have a pretty good sounding system. Here’s a nice tip for you, do not do everything at once, especially since budgets can be a deciding factor and you can build the system over a few years. With a little planning you can upgrade your system in steps and that way it’s like getting a new system every time you change something instead of getting everything at once!
Setup
A good system should start off with a good head unit that either has a DVD or a CD player which will play all the regular sound formats (mp3, aac, wma). You may like something with an iPod control or an Aux-In since that will make it more usable. Next, a component kit with a good midrange/tweeter set for the front rather than coaxial. Since, head units generally do not put out enough clean power so you may want an amplifier to drive the speakers. In the rear where you only need some ‘fill’ for ambiance you can get away with cheaper coaxials and set their level lower than the fronts to keep the sound stage in front. A modest (50x4) 4 channel amp is a good choice here for powering the component set up front and the rear speakers. Midranges sound best when they do not play bass so you will want a 2 way electronic crossover, which should come as part of the component kit. Most people are happy with a single 10" subwoofer or a pair of 12"s. Use an appropriate enclosure and a big amp (at least 75x2, preferably even more) or run a monoblock for the sub. Throw in installation and wiring accessories (like fuses and distribution blocks).
Head unit: 7,000 – 15,000
4-channel amp for highs: 9,000 – 16,000
2-channel amp for lows: 9,000 – 18,000
Sub(s) (1-10" to 2-12"): 4,500 – 16,000
Enclosure (Bandpass) for sub(s): 2500 – 4000
Component set: 4,500 – 12,000
Coaxials for rear fill: 3,000 – 8,000
Wiring and Accessories: 1,500 – 4,000
Installation: 1,500 – 3,000
This comes out to close to 42,000 for quality setup. However, the things listed above are what we feel is necessary to have a system with only a few compromises. If you are less concerned about highs, get coaxials in front instead of the component set and power them off of the head unit and use some bass blockers on them. This will save you quite a bit! You could also consider getting an active subwoofer instead of running a separate amp and a subwoofer with a custom enclosure. Getting a bargain head unit can save you some money as well and you should try and negotiate with the installer on the total package cost. So proper planning and selection of components according to ones needs it can be brought down easily.
If you are really not hot on bass, you can forgo all the bass related equipment and run your component set full range. This will still give you clean sound but not much bass. However, you might end up saving some money. When buying equipment try to spend time listening to it before you buy, especially with speakers. Also try to use equipment that is similar to yours when listening in a store. As for amps, it costs money to build a good amp so if you see some awesome price on an amp you have never heard of before, it is probably a piece of junk. Stick with good names with amplifiers and speakers. So an alternative setup may be as,
Head unit: 7,000 – 15,000
Active Sub-Woofer : 8,000 – 18,000
Coaxials for front & rear: 6,000-12,000
Wiring and Accessories: 1,500 – 2,500
Installation: 1,500 – 3,000
This setup should set you back by roughly 25,000-30,000. Only you know what kind of system you can be happy with so let your ears be the guide when it comes to your car audio system, since what sound might appeal to you, may not appeal to your friends.
And since money doesn’t grow on trees and you want an immediately better sounding system, just changing the factory speakers and getting better speaker wiring will help. And whatever it is, remember it’s your car and your ears so don’t get taken in by sales spiel and buy something you do not need or can’t really afford!
Very high end audio setups include everything from adding high quality components with dedicated amps, at least two sub woofers with their own amps. Today a lot of people add two or more screens and some newer headunits support Dolby 5.1 for DVD playback. There’s no dearth of what you can really cram into your car. If you think that your car’s electrical system can’t stand it, you can always add in a deep cycle battery and capacitors to handle the extra load when the bass really hits! Setups like this can start at a mere Lakh and go to several Lakh Rupees. It all boils down to what brands you want in your car and how loud or customized you want it to get.
More to come on Part 3 about installations, brands & more. So stay tuned
-The Grease Monkey Blog Team
No comments:
Post a Comment