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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!uw-june!entropy!dataio!helens!del
From: del@helens.UUCP (Erik Lindberg)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: My 2 bits on Car Stereo
Message-ID: <141@helens.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Aug-85 23:43:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: helens.141
Posted: Sun Aug  4 23:43:55 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 7-Aug-85 03:13:05 EDT
Organization: Data I/O Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 37

< nononono please, please leave a line for me! >

Had to put in my two bits worth. I spent some time looking at car stereo
before deciding not to spend any money (relatively) on the deck. I suppose I
will eventually upgrade to a better quality deck, since I can now hear the
difference, but I wanted to get the most SOUND for my money, and that meant
spending the money on the speakers. I too was shooting for low cost, $250.
Well, I did spend more than that, but not much. I have compared my $300 system
to systems >$600, and mine sounded better (not to mention louder, if desired).
I spent $50 on the deck! Then I had a local outfit that does custom speakers
build a woofer enclosure to the dimensions I had to work with (a trick little
PC program they have let's them tune a box of any dimension to whatever you
plan to use for speakers). A midrange and tweeter combination from a warehouse
sale, plus a pair of medium quality 8" woofers completed the package. I stuck
a $49, 60 watt amplifier (also on sale) on the output of the cheapo deck, and
turned it all on, and myself to boot.

My two bits amounts to this: With the acoutsics of a steel box to deal with,
your money will be best invested in the best quality speaker system you can
figure out. Your typical tri-axial speaker running off the output of a $400
deck sounds the same as if you run it of a <$100 deck, so spend the money where
it counts, getting the widest frequency response you can. 1hz-100khz on the
deck ain't beans if your speakers do 150hz-10khz! (and if you think a tri-axial
is much better than that once it's in your car, you should be a salesman)

P.S. If you don't have the SPACE to put in a decent speaker system, don't
     bother wasting your money on a top quality deck, just get the features
     you want and leave it at that. Space means the tweeters have to point
     INTO the passenger compartment, high frequency doesn't like to bounce
     off windows, or wind around peoples legs.

The above opinions are solely my own, and wether they're really worth two
bits or even a plug nickel is a subjective matter. However, voluntary listeners
are welcome.

del
uw-beaver!dataio!helens