The speakers are not traditional fitments... They clearly have molded frames around them specifically for the fitment of the panels in the TC2 which is exactly how the stock speakers are designed. You cant take any of the existing speakers that come stock or the OEM+ and put them in any other cars. If you want to say you can then please provide a video of doing this because it's not possible.

Don't know why you keep saying that this OEM+ Audio is tuned as if it's some magical hardware made to go beyond the sound barriers of modern physics. There is nothing special about their speakers or amps.

The cold heart truth is that tuning is subjective. Furthermore, if you want the best sound then you have to tune the system to each individual song since not all recordings are done the same. Have you never listened to one song that sounds balanced and another that sounds like it has more sound on 1 side than the other? There's also different genres of music in itself that would have you to alter the EQ setting or bass/treble. The list goes on and on.

No 1 system is tuned for every single song ever recorded. The same goes for instruments. There are people that have a highend home theater system with excellent sounding speakers for movie watching. Alot of those same people have a separate system entirely just for music because of how it sounds compared to their surround system for movies.

 

Good post. The way music is mastered and recorded makes a huge difference. Ever notice when you demo your system for someone you always choose certain music that is mastered extremely well and shows your system off? The best you can hope for is to get the system setup to your personal preference to where most of what you listen to is to your personal taste with only minor adjustments. The higher quality you go in components the better it will sound and provide more tuning capability. This is the key reason I choose to buy individual components vs a turn key system. Flexibility and upgrade ability, never know when I might find something that is higher end at a killer price, and again the ability to buy/sell components, and transfer them to another vehicle in the event I change cars.

My home theater has 7 speakers and 2 sub woofers. Reason is I use 5 for the home theater with 2 subs and then for music I have 4 full range speakers that are designed specifically for this and use the two subs. Typically I set the rear full range speakers as fill so as not to mess with the imaging of the two larger fronts. The one thing I will say in regards to car audio or home audio I feel it's very important to use the same speakers due to the voice matching of the tweeters. I'm not a fan of mixing them which is why I will be upgrading the front speakers in the car to Hertz audio to match the rears.

I'm also again researching 4 channel amps, initially I was looking at Class D 4 channel amps but now have my reservations and I have read on some of the car audio competition forums that the A/B amps sound better on the main speakers. Looking at some of the higher end brands as possible replacement for the Rockford with possibly more watts per channel as well for when I upgrade the fronts speakers. Advantage here, I can easily sell the Rockford for 100-150 (250 new) and use the money towards the new purchase, or move it to my sons Mazda 3 and let him enjoy it.

http://www.audison.eu/index.php?page=products

http://www.arcaudio.com/amps.asp

http://www.woofersetc.com/p-10622-fp...amplifier.aspx

Who knows I may hit the jackpot and find someone else that is upgrading and get a super deal on one. Will keep browsing about while drinking coffee in the morning until I take the leap and make the purchase.

 

its nice someone cares for spending money wisely, by the reading all the arguments you posted here, i think its a matter of choice either spending more money or less as long as you feel good about it that's matter most ok..... long live kenwood FYI: during those time this is the best audio before for the cars!!!

 

I am not knocking anyone here just stating some facts.

Damping is the proper term, not dynammating, dynomatting or any other term, dynamat is a brand. Think of it like saying you alpine'd your car.

The amazing clarity at max volume you guys speak of is because the audio system was tuned properly, albeit with under rated small equipment.

You can achieve the same or better with an RTA & Oscilliscope (dmm can work instead of oscope but does not give you as clear of feedback) and a good stand alone Active Crossover (RF 360.2, cleansweep, etc). Just for that equipment you will be spending well over what they charge.

So with that in mind you can look at it like any car audio fan would say.... go big or go home. If it has OEM in the title it better be a replacement part, not an upgrade. If your just looking for clarity at slightly higher levels go for the OEM+. If your looking to do it big go aftermarket (my choice).

In the end it is going to come down to your bank account and how far your willing to go. But I will say, just swapping out your deck, speakers and adding some amps will give you an improved quality of sound (if you set it correctly) but with out a proper tune (which would not be cheap) your just ____ing into the wind.


EDIT:

To the above posts (oblivion & rob) I didn't read when I first posted this.

Tuning in a car setting can be very tricky and when they say it is tuned for a specific car it means that the levels (above mentioned RTA) were set to maximize their capabilites in that particular car (similar to the factory stereos which have settings for tc/xb/xd) without clipping the signals using a 20hz-20khz frequency disk for the particular equipment they are using. Levels will also be set in the amp to prevent clipping of the signal. Physics really have everything to do with this, it is what tuning is all about. Once the levels are set without clipping at high volume you go through and adjust the audio signal levels to get essentially a flat eq. Last step (generally) based off of the particular vehicle and particular music the client listens to, which in their case is not possible since they are providing a pretuned setup, but they are giving you a good starting point. IF you have truly tuned your system well it can sound good all the time without tweaking your settings for every song that comes through your system. Another issue with that lies in the recording quality, if you are listening to a cd which is generally going to be @ 1024kbps vs listening to a itunes download @ 128kbps your going to notice a stark difference with almost a 10x compression on the music.

You would not believe how many clients I have seen say their new system sounds terrible, only for me to check it out and tell them to quit downloading crappy quality music. You wouldn't watch a movie formatted to watch on a ipod on a 50" screen.

And to rob, class ab amps will tend to have the better sound quality but are less efficient (produce more heat) class d amps are much more efficient (produce less heat) but aren't well suited for sound quality which is why they are usually used in sub/mid-low applications.

I really don't feel like typing out the differences but this guy did it so I will piggy back his page
http://www.bcae1.com/ampclass.htm

In regard to arc audio amps I am contemplating a 5 ch arc amp my buddy sells at his shop (my shop does not carry arc), from what he tells me they are really good.. plus he gives me everything at cost.

For the question of sound quality on a class d amp, I will just put it like this, its better than it used to be, read reviews and if you can try to hear it in a car (not a demo room).

And lastly to the comments about having seperate ht & music systems for home audio that is completely true, if I had a $2000 (per cabinet) system there is no way in hell I would play a movie through them. But for the average person who honestly probably couldn't tell the difference between insignia in wall 6.5" speakers and some top of the line polk speakers it would not make a world of difference to them. But to the audiophile who can hear the difference between the high end polk cabinets and some $5000 ML cabinets yes, it is a world of change.

What this all boils down to is this, do your research, don't bag on others and unless you really know what your talking about do a little research before you make a comment... and like the other guy above me said... chill out guys we are all friends here.

 

The tuning process is still an assumption based on how one thinks it will sound best for the overall audience. It is not the overall best for each and every individual.

I don't agree with this at all. As I mentioned in a previous post, not every form of music is recorded the same, therefore levels will be different even if we are listening to lossless which involves no compression. Some may have more bass, treble, balance than others which would make you want to adjust levels on the spot. Even the different types of music genre would make you want to change things. There's also times when you encounter the same exact song that you are used to hearing one way, but now hear a remastered version which throws it off completly.

Even more to the point is that not everyone's ears have the same sensitivity. Therefore tuning is still required for each individual if they want the setup to sound the best for their particular ears. An example, If someone has a 5db loss of hearing on their left side, then obviously he will have to adjust the balance to suit himself more than someone with better hearing. It's the same reason why people with hearing loss should goto a Otolaryngologist to get an exam so the doctor can give them a hearing aide best for their ears. Same concept applies with an Optometrist with bifocal lens.

The point I'm trying to make is that even if I were to buy the OEM+, then I know I would still adjust how it sounds in some fashion.

It all comes down to this.... tuning standards are just good starting points. They aren't the 'de facto' for the best utmost sound. Just the same with cooking. Every chef has their own unique recipes. Not everyone in the world follows the same exact recipe.

 

Sorry after reading this I have to say to the guy staying he has high-end equipment. Yes no make great audio equipment but what u have is there midline equipment . RF is sold at places like bestbuy, not going to be found in a high-end audio shop. Don't get me wrong RF does have a high-end line but its not what you listed as having. I had a competition SQ system in my is300 that JL used in there booth at car shows. The system ran close to $20,000. Most people on this site just want something that sounds good with no headaches. As for tuning I could leave it on the same settings for most music just adjusting the bass but during competition we would spend hours tuning the system for 5minutes of one song.

 

Like I said: Levels will also be set in the amp to prevent clipping of the signal. Physics really have everything to do with this, it is what tuning is all about. Once the levels are set without clipping at high volume you go through and adjust the audio signal levels to get essentially a flat eq. Last step (generally) based off of the particular vehicle and particular music the client listens to, which in their case is not possible since they are providing a pretuned setup, but they are giving you a good starting point.

I also mentioned that bit rates of the music being played will be a key factor in the audio quality. Look I deal with car audio on a daily basis, I understand what your saying. Your saying essentially the same thing I am. Only difference is that I do not think music HAS to be tuned every single song. Your never going to enjoy your music, would it be best? Of course it would, but if you want to set up specific EQ settings for all 100gb of music I have be my guest.

And I never said there was "defacto" tuning setup. I was saying that to get your system tuned properly you first need to eliminate distortion on the signal side and the output side. Once that is done you fine tune. Speaker placement is also a huge factor when it comes to imaging as well but lets not even get into that.

Exactly what I was saying thank you. And actually RF is not sold at best buy as of about 2 years ago, dropped them and picked up Polk & Kicker.

When it all boils down it comes to this, your either gonna drop 20k and have a killer amazing system. Drop $1400 and get a ok sounding basic system that plugs in to your stock one... or your gonna be like 99% of the people out there and drop a couple hundred here and there and get a decent system. Which honestly for me is more than adequate, I have a lot more important things in my life to spend that kind of money on and after doing it in other peoples cars 40 hours a week my car is last thing I wanna work on when it comes to a day off.

 

The Rockford Fosgate is gone, running JL 300/4 and JL 500/1 with a 10W6 in a custom ported enclosure tuned to 31hz, along with the Hertz 3 Way's and Hertz Coax I'm completely satisified. I've also changed out the speaker wiring and rca's to 12ga twisted knu wire and knu krystal rca interconnects. The system is tuned well, has plenty of volume and clarity in the car, the head unit is set flat on the bass one notch above center on the treble, the only adjustment I make for the different music selections now is the PAC LC1 Controller to adjust the subwoofer level. When I said high end I meant equipment I meant better than the low end... I don't think anyone in this thread is trying to spend $20,000 on their car stereo. This thread is old, I agree with alot of what is being said on tuning and everyone has their own preferences, I'm not trying to enter any competition events with the car and for the money I've spent I'm completely happy with the system for my needs.

 

Is there a way i can just purchase just the subwoofer housing?

 

Yea, what he said /\ /\ /\?

 

My son purchased the OEM+ Reference 400CF audio upgrade for his RS/8.0 and we installed it ourselves over the weekend. The installation video is priceless and very detailed! Just so you know...my son is 15 and I am pushing 50 yrs old. Neither of us have EVER done anything like this before and are pretty proud of ourselves for pulling it off Daniel LaBlanc from OEM+ Audio personally talked me through some of the wiring behind the radio that we had initially plugged in incorrectly (this was on a Saturday mind you!) In 5 minutes I had it corrected and we completed the install! The system is exactly as advertised...clean, crisp sound with a booming sub woofer in it's own color matched enclosure specifically for the RS/8.0. They have it in the other OEM colors as well. We couldn't be more pleased with the upgraded system and the excellent customer service provided to us by the company

 

that's awesome! great to hear that

also, not sure many people know but OEM has been working on a 2nd version of their system for the tC...i actually think it might be released already...but its only 999 and it includes plug-n-play cables, an amp that re-tunes/improves the stock speakers playing quality, and the subwoofer

 

Yes, that was an option as well but we decided to just GO FOR IT :-)

 

$999 and you still use the paper cone cheap stock speakers.... ewwww

Talk about wasting money

 

I just didn't want to say anything...

 

Nope it's either all or none with OEM, they won't sell you individual components or list the specs on them.
Do you really want an 8" sub in your car?

 

Well, guys, everyone is afforded their own opinion but until you have experienced it in it's specific environment,,,key word:specific,,,you have no room to talk. Especially when it comes judging whether it was a waste of money or not. That is none of your concern unless you are the one buying it. We bought this car for many reasons and one is to modify to our specs. One of those mods happens to be an awesome sound system and we know that this is a good investment. We wanted to have quality sound from a quality product for a quality car. (maybe it won't blow out the windows in the car next to us at the red light-we don't want to do that anyway because that's just ANNOYING) We wanted something we can enjoy on the road and that is exactly what this sound system is about. I'm not interested in it rattling windows in houses as we pass by like I said that's just ANNOYING. Just wanted something that lets us listen to music and hear every bit of it without distortion. Some of you are obviously haters of the OEM for whatever reason and should just move on. If you are not considering buying it yourself then what is your point exactly? I don't know where you did your research but you need to dig alot deeper for the facts before you start bashing a product that you DON't have the specs on and that you haven't even heard in person. IMHO

 

I work for Best Buy so i get pretty good discounts off car audio stuff. however, Best Buy doesn't sell a sub box that fits flush into the tC. I'll probably have my local sound shop custom mold a sub box for me

 

There you go. Get a custom fiberglass enclosure made and tuned for a high end sub, of if you have the time and a little skill buy the materials and DIY to save some money.

Definitely go 10" sub. The JL 10W6 or 10W3V3 are both excellent choices for good sound quality and will carry more than enough bass to fill the car. There are other really good subs out there as well just do your homework and a lot of reading and make a sound decision and purchase that meets your needs and budget. Join a few car audio forums, wealth of information and advice to be had there as well. Since you work at best buy maybe someone in the shop has experience with doing fiberglass enclosures and can help you!

 

Lovinthers8

You didn't buy the $999 kit which is what the comment was related to, I'm sure the entire system which you purchased sounds fine with upgraded speakers and the addition of a sub which the TC does not come with factory. Congrats on your purchase, install success, and satisfaction with your purchase and the system, it's obvious it was a good fit for you and worth the costs. Nothing wrong with that.

BTW: I am that ANNOYING excessive guy who loves to crank his music up to extremely loud crystal clear levels and feel the music in my bones. But sorry to disappoint you... I removed the entire interior of the car and sound dampened everything, outside the car with the system at a high level beyond what you can stand listening to for too long you can't hear it. So I'm not rattling any windows or disturbing anyone.

Anyway, enjoy your system and the car, that's what it's all about anyway.