dannichols

Color: The Spectrum II is really dark grey, almost black. In the wheel wells its hard to tell the difference from stock color.

WhiteZed

iTrader: (8)

sounds excellant

i guess i wont drive it for 12 hours, just to be safe, let it set properly under the wheel wells

im fine with that ...
i just got my allignment done today, need some new tires, so hopefully the new tires / allignment and V3, i should have a nice ride

will keep you updated

thanks for the detailed decription, ill let you know just how thick it actually is... ill try describe it 100% without exagerating how good it actually is

swift_switch

Dr. Ed...

as for the sound system, you will definitely get better sound reproduction with a higher end aftermarket system. Even with just the head unit alone, the processor will definitely be an upgrade to the factory Bose head unit. To guage your interest in the upgrade...i would suggest to upgrade in stages...first with the head unit

Dream

If I remember correctly, Dynamat is meant more for preventing rattles (usually from custom systems) than blocking exterior noise. It does have sound deadening qualities, but I think that there are other, cheaper materials available for use that will work better. I'm not sure what those are, as I haven't put much research into this area yet.

As far as getting a system goes, you get better sound quality/configuration from a custom system, especially if you listen at high volumes. A good head unit + amp + quality component speakers will sound a lot better than the stock system. You also might want a Basslink or smaller sub, just to give some low-end fill. Just make sure that you actually listen to the speakers before you buy, and don't let a saleman talk you into getting something you don't want.

JimRHIT

iTrader: (6)

Guys,

His question was asking if hi-fi audio in a car is worth it.

The answer is NO.

A standard upgrade is a definite yes, but trying to achieve reference quality with minimal distortion amplifiers, expensive cabling, and very tedious sound deadening is not.

This is a sports car, it has loud tires, the exhaust drones and stuff rattles sometimes.

Dr. Greg,
I would suggest a mild stereo upgrade for you. Something along the lines of the apparently "cheap" sony, pioneer, jvc, clarion.

It will allow you to play CDs/Mp3s, get XM Radio (if you like) and possibly add an external changer if you like. Since you are not into rap, new age rock (read: very dynamic music), the internal amplifiers of the head unit will suit you just fine. You can look into some high(er) efficiency speakers to replace the stocks that will definitely clean up the sound and fill the car with sound better to overcome the noise floor of the moving car.

Unless you have a subwoofer in your home and NEED it on all the time when you listen to music. A good set of 4 speakers in the car will give you all the bass you will need for you taste in music.

Like some others have said ... hop on down to your local store and bring your favorite CDs, ignore the kids that frown while you are blasting Elvis in the showroom

libeval

Jim is right. In fact, you can probably get by with just the front speakers. Rears are not really necessary in our Z's, just ask Ahsmo Possibly even coaxials would work, if you don't want to mess with external crossovers. I also have Track with the following: Clarion DXZ745MP (plays MP3s), Boston Acoustics NX67 coaxials in front (rears and stock tweeters are disconnected) and a healthy dose of eDead sound deadener from http://www.edesignaudio.com/ in my doors.

I can almost hear "Well, it is one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go cat go..."

JimRHIT

iTrader: (6)

I get away with only front speakers as well.

I use
Klipsch Audio 6.5" Cerametallic Mids
1" Ti 60x90 Tractrix Horns - custom xo
and a PG M44i for power ... no rear fill needed .. and my stage is over my steering wheel.

And yes, for Doc's situation a set of coax's will be a great setup, easy to install and sound nice for the $$

Dr. Greg

I appreciate all the information; I'm not really an "audiophile" so the high-end systems would be lost on me (plus I got three more kids to get out of the house). And the Z really IS supposed to be a sports car; by definition a little bit noisy. I'll check out the car audio places around town sometime soon and see what I think.

In any event I probably won't be doing anything until towards the end of the summer and I'll check back with you wacky youngsters then!

P.S. Not really an Elvis fan. Best song ever: "Baby Blue" by the Echoes. Anyone know it? Didn't think so! Cheers!

jreiter

iTrader: (6)

In my opinion, with a proper speaker install in the doors you don't need a sub in this car unless you really want big bass. You also don't need the rear speakers at all if you don't want them there. (I don't use them.)

After thoroughly covering the doors in Brown Bread (similar to Dynamat) and using it to seal up the gaps in the door skin (thus making a somewhat "sealed" enclosure), my Dyns can put out almost as much bass as my sub can. I've often done this just to surprise people. I turn off the sub, and set the Dyns to run full range. They'll shake things just fine, and people have even commented on how smooth and balanced the sub sounds. (They're always in disbelief when I tell them the sub is off.) The sub really only becomes necessary when you really want serious bass, especially while on the freeway where the Z's excessive road noise covers up a lot of the low frequencies. Around town and at slower speeds, a well done speaker install in the doors with a decent amplifier will make loads of solid bass.

It mostly comes down to a properly done install, *especially* the speakers. You can have very inexpensive equipment, and yet still make it sound good if you just install things right.

WhiteZed

iTrader: (8)

i agree with just running some fronts

save the money you would spend on rears, and put them towards some better fronts

dannichols

For what it's worth, his question was whether nice audio is a waste in a noisy car. My response would be -- make the car less noisy first then work on the audi. Thus my description of sound deadening. This sets the stage for a more enjoyable, and less-wasted audio system.

jreiter

iTrader: (6)

Absolutely. Simply getting something that plays loud so you can just "crank it up" to overcome the noise is not an optimal solution. For one thing, that tends to lead to long term hearing loss.

WhiteZed

iTrader: (8)

but guys , do you think that an older person, like the good Doc
would bother with sound deadening, and the process of it

i mean us younger people are stupid and have too much time to worry about this stuff,
i know my dad wouldnt even bother with this stuff, he would have bought a different car if he was worried,

dannichols

I think It's all up to the individual. Hell I'll be 38 in a few months and my musical tastes haven't changed much over the years. But you're right, if someone is looking for a moderate improvement, and doesn't enjoy things like tearing the car apart ;-) then there are other avenues.

WhiteZed

iTrader: (8)

is tearing the car apart an addiction??

i hate doing it,
i hate thinking about it

but i still do it

to answer the question... i cant help with that, i dont know the answer, we all have differant views on what is best

rplink

I hear you WhiteZed. First time removing the interior was cool. Now, I don't look forward to it anymore, but I like to change amps, subs, etc often so I'm probably on my 6th interior removal and installation.

Even if the good Doc doesn't want to do the work himself, sound deadening is still the best way to improve the quiteness of the interior. Take the ride to a respectable car audio shop (find some local references) and be done with it!