I put this up as an intro of The Audio Journey on a forum, of what I think about high-end home audio vs high-end car audio, and how that ties in with the items that appear on my blog:
Me, I'm just a high-end audio fan, been one for many years. As for high-end car audio, I must say I have not yet heard a car audio system that can quite match a good in-home setup in sound quality. My take on it (some may disagree) is that this is due to: (1) difference in quality of source, amplifier and speaker components when comparing high-end home audio vs car audio; (2) sometimes difference in philosophy of equipment design, ie designing products for dynamics vs natural sound; and (3) difficult in-car acoustics.
Couple that with the difficult consideration for owners of newer cars: (4) integration of head unit with car's HVAC and/or navigation systems; and (5) (rightful) reluctance of owners to tear up doors/dashboard/panels/pillars in order to optimally place speakers and amps.
With all these factors, the question in my mind is: How does one maximize sound quality while minimizing the amount of major surgery on the car? And my take is: (a) good head unit, if possible; (b) good OEM integration processor, if not possible to change head unit; (c) good amplifiers; (d) good speaker components/systems in stock locations; and (e) meticulous, systematic tuning.
Yes, while tone controls are the bane of high-end home audio, I believe they are the boon of high-end car audio, eg I think the Rockford Fosgate 3sixty.2 is probably one of the better OEM integration processors around in terms of allowing flexibility of tuning, with individual channel equalizers, time delay and all, while the JL Audio CleanSweep CL441dsp is probably one of the easiest to use, given that it comes with automatic equalization.
As and when I come across new items that fulfill conditions (a)-(d), or facilitate (e), I will list them, with pics, as soon as practically possible.
Showing posts with label Moderator updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moderator updates. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
McIntosh: "...For the Love of Music..."
Having been around since 1949, the McIntosh brand has grown to become today one of the most esteemed brands in the high-end home audio/video and car audio industries. McIntosh today is owned by D&M Holdings (owned by Bain Capital), that owns an array of audio businesses such as Snell Acoustics (which has been integrated under McIntosh), Marantz and Denon.
The sound quality of McIntosh products is unquestioned. Its older tube and solid-state preamps and power amps are amongst the most sought after vintage items. Many of its products over the years, such as the C45, C200, C2200, MA6900, MC275, MC501 have received "Stereophile Recommended Class A" ratings, while some other products, such as the C46, MC402, MC2102, have been "The Absolute Sound Editors' Choice" classifications.
McIntosh entered the high-end aftermarket car audio business in 1992, after the acquisition by Clarion provided the management direction and necessary financial resources to do so. The car audio business has continued to grow even after Clarion sold McIntosh to D&M Holdings in 2003. Contrary to some rumours, McIntosh products are all made in its Binghamton, NY. This was confirmed by Charlie Randall, President, McIntosh Laboratories in an interview in 2009.
McIntosh has provided high-end OEM equipment for the Subary Legacy, Ford GT and Harley Davidson. Its aftermarket high-end car audio range includes head units, power amplifiers and speaker systems. For high-end audio enthusiasts looking for similar sound quality in their cars, McIntosh is probably one of a few aftermarket brands that have built their reputations upon high-end home audio, along with the likes of Dynaudio and Focal (JM Lab).
The sound quality of McIntosh products is unquestioned. Its older tube and solid-state preamps and power amps are amongst the most sought after vintage items. Many of its products over the years, such as the C45, C200, C2200, MA6900, MC275, MC501 have received "Stereophile Recommended Class A" ratings, while some other products, such as the C46, MC402, MC2102, have been "The Absolute Sound Editors' Choice" classifications.
McIntosh entered the high-end aftermarket car audio business in 1992, after the acquisition by Clarion provided the management direction and necessary financial resources to do so. The car audio business has continued to grow even after Clarion sold McIntosh to D&M Holdings in 2003. Contrary to some rumours, McIntosh products are all made in its Binghamton, NY. This was confirmed by Charlie Randall, President, McIntosh Laboratories in an interview in 2009.
McIntosh has provided high-end OEM equipment for the Subary Legacy, Ford GT and Harley Davidson. Its aftermarket high-end car audio range includes head units, power amplifiers and speaker systems. For high-end audio enthusiasts looking for similar sound quality in their cars, McIntosh is probably one of a few aftermarket brands that have built their reputations upon high-end home audio, along with the likes of Dynaudio and Focal (JM Lab).
Greetings: How this blog works
1. The blog will be updated with additional items as they come along.
2. I will update sold items with a "(Sold)" in its title.
3. Any questions, please feel free to email me at theaudiojourney@gmail.com.
4. Please also feel free to email me if you have suggestions how I can improve the blog and listings to better serve you, or if there are specific products you are looking for.
5. Thanks for looking!
2. I will update sold items with a "(Sold)" in its title.
3. Any questions, please feel free to email me at theaudiojourney@gmail.com.
4. Please also feel free to email me if you have suggestions how I can improve the blog and listings to better serve you, or if there are specific products you are looking for.
5. Thanks for looking!
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