Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Axiom car audio

I'd respond to this but unfortunately i don't have a car or a drivers license... i know i should get it!

however, my experience hearing car audio is that it is nowhere close in quality compared to home audio. That is rather evident considering the vibrations and sounds the car makes.

I would hope that if Axiom got into the car game that it would replicate what it does for home audio, qualty at an exceptional price.

I think there is a market for high end quality speaker replacement in cars but it is probably a small one as most baby boomers seem to prefer the factory high end stuff and the "kids" seem to just want overwhelming bass at the expense of everything else. Not saying it couldn't be done but I think the business plan would have to be very well thought out.

BBIBH ..do I know you? I had a '69 Z28 Camaro in my youth, also drag raced it. A friend at work has a restored '72 SS Chevelle, and hangs around with 3 other Chevy nuts, all SS cars, a coupe, convertible and an El Camino, all with 454 power. It's quite a sight when they all get together.

I doubt it...as I have owned nothing close to that beast since. Are you from the local viewing area, or elsewhere? I spend more time lusting after vintage 1920-1950ish vehicles, originally restored (no rodders)....and of course great audio!

The problem with car audio is in the vehicle. To overcome the road, engine, and environment noise, the sound system must generate sound that are enhanced and louder at lower levels. This is typically because road/engine noise is lower in frequency.

Hey Linn is putting systems in BMW's I believe...and they are producing some of the world's best pieces!

Hi,

Trying to design speakers for mobile use in a car is a total nightmare. Think about it: In home speaker design, the engineer has control of the enclosure and knows roughly where the speaker will be set up for stereo and home theater applications in average rooms. And yes, every room is different, but not to the degree of car interiors!

In a car, every variable is different with each car and model: Where you can mount the speakers in the door, the air volume behind the woofers in the door, the amount of reflective glass, the dashboard area and material, the seat material, the fact that most listeners will be well off-axis to any installed tweeters. The list goes on.

The only positive thing about getting good sound in a car is the trunk, and subwoofer design. You can specify the box size, driver and crossover parameters, and stick the box in the trunk (or in the back of a hatchback), add a powerful dedicated amp for the sub (you have to overcome all that road, tire, and wind noise) and, because you're dealing with a relatively tiny enclosed space (roll up the windows, guys), a 12-inch or 10-inch driver in a sealed box can pressurize the interior so you can get response down to 20 Hz or lower for a modest amount of money (except for the amp, of course). But compared to trying to get 20 Hz low frequencies in a big living room, it's still relatively economical getting them in a car.

The best car systems are highly customized to a particular car's interior. JBL designers, along with the engineers at Ford, designed some excellent-sounding Ford/JBL systems for upscale Lincolns and the like. Paradoxically, Bose has produced better sounding car systems for Mercedes (albeit with rather peculiar imaging) than their home speakers. The Linn in the BMW left me underwhelmed, which doesn't surprise me because loudspeaker design has never been a strength of Linn's.

Regards,

I must say the the Bose system in my 2002 Audi A4 sounds pretty damn nice. They did a real good job. It's party responsible for the recent upgrades in my home system. I hated the fact that my cd's sounded better in my car than in my home!

I can understand Axiom not getting into this market though. Bose has contracts directly with the automakers, and designs systems specific to each car model. The Bose system in my A4 was design exactly for my A4. Trying to make speakers that would sound good in ANY car has got to be next to impossible.

Has anyone heard a Mark Levinson system in a Lexus yet? I wonder if it lives up to its name.

Yeah, I only test-drove a Lexus with the M/L system, and I did immediately hear significant improvements compared to the non-M/L Lexus. But what really struck me was the HUGE beneficial effect of Lexus sedans’ tranquility on its sound quality. Ever since that test drive, I always say, if you are interested in car audio, get a quiet car first!

Then again, the Viper I drove had a stereo that sounded like crap. But it wasn't needed.... ;-)

And WHO made that Viper drive possible?

You did, oh you great and wonderful person.

It was my bachelor party.