Car Audio Design

This distinction is lost on me - music is not background.

Whatever…

The beauty of this industry and this forum in particular is the diversity of listeners. I can relate to your perspective because I am in the same camp. But, I can also respect Elk’s position. I think the disconnect here is one perspective is consumer-based (us), and the other perspective is professional/industry-based (Elk). Just like with religion and politics, our appreciation of music is personal - first and foremost - to such an extent that nobody should be expected to understand why we as individuals adhere to said beliefs. For me, there is such an emotional tie to music that I can endure listening to it in my car with less than stellar sound quality, and I can listen to it in the background despite the fact that I am not 100% attentive. I tend to believe that is what artists can only hope for - that their music invokes and emotional response independent of anything else. It could be sitting in your sweet spot in your listening room or mingling with 30 people at the party that your hosting in your home. There is no right or wrong. Much of what we believe in life is based on more influences than we can comprehend. Music is no different.

EDIT: Sorry @cudfoo I just made the assumption that you were a music consumer and not a financial beneficiary of the music industry. I hope I was not incorrect in this assumption but if I was, I apologize wholeheartedly.

Why so dismissive? Do others’ views upset you if they do not align with your own?

As Jeff nicely points out, we all have our own relationship with music. I do not share your approach, but this is perfectly OK.

I can relate to that. Because we have so much time and dollars invested in our main systems, we become super critical, and often spend to much time in evaluation mode, instead of just enjoying the music. I have a TDK Bluetooth speaker that I stream music to from my phone, that I listen to when working in the garage or elsewhere, when away from the main system, that I enjoy the heck out of, because I’m never listening with a critical ear.

Also for those looking for a decent portable Bluetooth speaker, that is weatherproof and built like a tank, here’s the link:

https://www.amazon.com/TDK-Life-Record-Wireless-Weatherproof/dp/B008VMT2HQ

Like I said to each his own. If you’re not able to make the distinction that’s fine. I get it you’re a very serious music listener - that’s great.

I do not know if I am any more serious than anyone else, I merely cannot ignore music. I can make the distinction you draw, it is however irrelevant.

I similarly cannot prevent myself from reading any text I see, although I also read a great deal. Others ignore what they see and do not read.

Regardless, I do not dismiss another’s approach with “Whatever . . .”

Sorry didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. No dismissal intended your response just sounded silly. My mistake. I’ll be more sensitive next time. My wife tells me the same thing. I’m working on it.

Conversely I need background noise or background music to sleep, to work or (often) to drive. It might as well be music instead of white noise (tho tennis works fine too.)

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(tho tennis works fine too.)
I was only ever on a tennis court in high school, don’t watch it on TV, but you playing, that I would watch;-)

Music is a personal thing, but I enjoyed making up a cassette for our various road trips when we were younger. Only the driver couldn’t have his full attention on the music. We would load up a car and head to races throughout the Midwest and once to Bristol. Went to a lot of World Of Outlaws, Midgets, sprint cars both winged and not, dirt and pavement. NASCAR in Michigan, and Bristol. It was an opportunity to turn friends on to new music. And there is nothing like the Ramones to get you driving fast. For many of us music is the soundtrack of our lives.
Some of the newer luxury cars are quieter than your listening rooms.
We all have our own preferences. Before my neck went out I was an avid road bicyclist, I saw a lot of people with ear buds, I preferred hearing my surroundings, particularly cars.

@Elk I am much the same. If there is music I have to listen to it. Cant have music on at work (although I am the boss) as I cant concentrate on both music and the task at hand and neither one gets enough attention. Not being sexist but many women can concentrate and do more than one task at a time. Talk or listen to music and work. Maybe other men can but I never have been able to. Same with talking on the phone and driving. Cant do it safely.

I find my attention switching back and forth, not good for the music or the task.

That’s exactly my problem in many situations … I tend to take too much care for music in situations where others just ignore it more or less.

But I had a lot of fun with very active music listening in the car, too, at the time I had this equipment:
Equipment you wish you never sold. What? - #61 by jazznut

Today I also have a Harman „luxury“ but series manufacturing edition of the stock car audio in a good car, but it’s not even anywhere close to the one pictured behind the link.

so many car companies, including many high priced luxury cars, deliver the perception of raw power and Fake the excitement via the DSP in the audio system…

so, i guess, we should also be aware/enjoy our expensive auto systems, delivering better thrills…and better detail/imaging of engine sounds … oh boy, like wow…

even when audio system may be turned off, the artificial engine sounds are still engaged…

well, better living through DSP’s, i guess…

.

since this article was written in 2112, the manufacturers’ usage has exploded…

Even Porsche is starting to fake it… really disappointing as they built a brand on genuine auto racing. My 2009 C2S has a fake flute in the air intake box… a flap opens/closes at around 2500 RPM which changes the pitch of the induction noise. I disconnected it. Even in Porsche’s own liturature they note it does not affect horse power. While not through the stereo, well … doesn’t really matter when it is fake what the methods are.

Further, my stock stereo in my Porsche has “noise cancelling” (along with other DSP functions)… I can’t tell if it is on or off it is so badly implemented… anywho, I turn off all audio processing and set the system to flat. Then I work from there tweaking the simple bass/treble and fader controls.

My buddy purchased one of the first BMW i8 delivered to the USA… he let me drive it… the very first impression I had, as soon as I pressed the accelerator, of the car was… WTF? The speaker at my shoulder was pumping in fake engine noise. WTF? He was embarrassed and said he hoped I didn’t notice.

Oh well, there are those among us who really like big, fake, hard, silicon globes. And will pay big dollars for them… oh hum…

Peace
Bruce in Philly

you’re still talking about cars? or girls… :see_no_evil: :hear_no_evil: :speak_no_evil:

Ah, Bose and their creation of OEM branded sound ayatems. My aunt had a 1984 Buick Park Avenue, back in the day, with one of GM’s original Bose systems. The Talking Heads Little Creatures cassette sounded ok. VW had a really nice Dynaudio system with 1" tweeters, 3" dome midrange drivers and 8" woofers in the front doors of their Passats back in the mid 2000’s. Audi now has 2 levels of B&O systems for $850 and $4950 respectively. Those are stand alone prices and not part of package.
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I’ve always waffled between home audio and car audio. Each person is different and I am able tune into music when advantageous and then tune it out immediately if the situation demands. Especially love music on solo road trips. Also find the car or the bike great places to discover new music. Then I bring it back home to the big rig and see if it’s as good as it originally appeared to be.

While my home system now is WAY better than my car systems ever were, I kick myself for selling my last car audio system. It was a Sony ES head unit featuring Burr Brown 1702 20 Bit DACs with a copper classis, Boston Acoustics Pro Series 5.25" satelite speakers with the matching 10" sub, a 4 channel Soundstream Reference amp with built-in active xrossover and a 1 Farad capacitor to support transient bass response. It would have been a great fit for a classic German car one day!

Lost interest in car audio after my third system was ripped off.

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I lost 3 alpine head units in my jeep Cherokee (this was my first out of college real car), it was a magnet for theft. Then bought a cheap Sony, it was taken too. Finally just put the stupid factory tape deck back in. I spent so much on repairing windows and that stupid plastic piece that covered the whole dash around the vents and radio and stuff…Now I never ever get anything but what the factory puts in.

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A friend of mine was working a construction job in Boston and staying in a 3rd floor walkup apartment. One morning on the way out the door there was a set of legs hanging out of the passenger side window of a car parked on the street. My friend asked the person if they needed help. The guy replied “All I want is the stereo. you can have everything else”.

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