high end stereo
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 917
Likes: 0
From: Vernon British Columbia
St. Jude Donor '05
First C3 General Poster!
MANY companies out there have high end components, Pioneer makes amazing high end Head Units, I run a DEH 9600 MP, Alpine has some killers as well. As far as audio goes, MQ Quart has a very very amazing upper end series of SQ speakers and tweets. Subs, Ive always been in love with my MMATS pro audio, I run their amps as well, again very expensive, but you get what you pay for.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 51,504
Likes: 6
From: Sacramento CA
High end head units...
Nakamichi, Denon, some Alpine, Eclipse.
Speakers...
Focal Utopia, Rainbow, DLS, Morel, CDT ES,
Amps...
Tru, ARC, Zapco, Mcintosh
There's many high end components.
Here's my set up... and retail prices. Usually you can get components online for 50-70% of retail.)
CD: Alpine 7998 (799)
Front amp: ARC 2100 CXL (400)
Speakers: Focal Utopia 165w (1000)
Sub: IDMAX 12 (450)
Sub amp: Hifonics BX1000 (Not high end, but its a sub amp, so...)
So it doesnt take that much money to get "high end" if you install yourself.
Nakamichi, Denon, some Alpine, Eclipse.
Speakers...
Focal Utopia, Rainbow, DLS, Morel, CDT ES,
Amps...
Tru, ARC, Zapco, Mcintosh
There's many high end components.
Here's my set up... and retail prices. Usually you can get components online for 50-70% of retail.)
CD: Alpine 7998 (799)
Front amp: ARC 2100 CXL (400)
Speakers: Focal Utopia 165w (1000)
Sub: IDMAX 12 (450)
Sub amp: Hifonics BX1000 (Not high end, but its a sub amp, so...)
So it doesnt take that much money to get "high end" if you install yourself.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 331
Likes: 17
From: Kerrville Texas
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
I warn about buying some of this stuff online - there may not be any factory warrantee.
As for high end things, add:
Speakers - Boston Acoustic, JL Audio (made in the same factory as MBQ)
Amps - Butler, Xtant
As for high end things, add:
Speakers - Boston Acoustic, JL Audio (made in the same factory as MBQ)
Amps - Butler, Xtant
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 6,059
Likes: 2
From: Texas
Originally Posted by bogus
JL Audio (made in the same factory as MBQ)
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
I was at my local Tweeter a while back... perhaps you are correct, but 3 years ago, their drivers looked just like MBQ.
I know that Canton drivers were made on the MBQ line.
A good shop, usually, is Tweeter, BTW.
I have had great success with them. Now, I have never had them do an install, but they have good quality components.
I know that Canton drivers were made on the MBQ line.
A good shop, usually, is Tweeter, BTW.
I have had great success with them. Now, I have never had them do an install, but they have good quality components.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 5,297
Likes: 0
From: Stamford VT
Everybody is going to have a different opinion of what "high end" is.
A person who's happy with the stock stereo probably considers the stuff in a crutchfield catalog to be "high end".
On the other end, there are plenty of people with home audio rigs that cost many times what a new C6 costs, and to them, there's really nothing available for a car that's any bit "high end".
The rest of us all fall somewhere in the middle.
Personally, I consider the mainstream stuff like Alpine, Boston Acoustics, Rockford and the likes to be just that... mainstream. I'm a fan of Boston speakers and own many pairs, so don't take this as a jab at these companies, but in my personal opinion, "high end" represents a step above the mainstream stuff.
This is stuff like the Clarion DRZ-9255 head unit to be "high end" because it's purpose in life is to sound as good as possible, not to tie into marketing plans or budgetary restrictions.
For speakers, something like the Seas Lotus is among the best available for car audio:
There are a lot of very high quality amps out there from Tru, Arc, Brax and others.
There are also a lot of very high quality subwoofers around from Image Dynamics, Adire, Resonant Engineering, and others.
A person who's happy with the stock stereo probably considers the stuff in a crutchfield catalog to be "high end".
On the other end, there are plenty of people with home audio rigs that cost many times what a new C6 costs, and to them, there's really nothing available for a car that's any bit "high end".
The rest of us all fall somewhere in the middle.
Personally, I consider the mainstream stuff like Alpine, Boston Acoustics, Rockford and the likes to be just that... mainstream. I'm a fan of Boston speakers and own many pairs, so don't take this as a jab at these companies, but in my personal opinion, "high end" represents a step above the mainstream stuff.
This is stuff like the Clarion DRZ-9255 head unit to be "high end" because it's purpose in life is to sound as good as possible, not to tie into marketing plans or budgetary restrictions.
For speakers, something like the Seas Lotus is among the best available for car audio:
There are a lot of very high quality amps out there from Tru, Arc, Brax and others.
There are also a lot of very high quality subwoofers around from Image Dynamics, Adire, Resonant Engineering, and others.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,088
Likes: 0
From: Silver Spring, Md.
Thanks everyone. Jim, I guess I take a similar position as yours, something better than mainstream, ie, Crutchfields. Still looking but you guys have given me some areas to investigate.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Originally Posted by Jim85IROC
Personally, I consider the mainstream stuff like Alpine, Boston Acoustics, Rockford and the likes to be just that... mainstream. I'm a fan of Boston speakers and own many pairs, so don't take this as a jab at these companies, but in my personal opinion, "high end" represents a step above the mainstream stuff.
This is stuff like the Clarion DRZ-9255 head unit to be "high end" because it's purpose in life is to sound as good as possible, not to tie into marketing plans or budgetary restrictions.
This is stuff like the Clarion DRZ-9255 head unit to be "high end" because it's purpose in life is to sound as good as possible, not to tie into marketing plans or budgetary restrictions.
Sure, there are some heads that out perform Alpine, but if you look in the dash at just about every independant sound off competitor, they use Alpine or Eclipse. That tells me something.
I have never head an Alpine I didn't like. And I will continue to buy them.
OVer the years, I have owned an Alpine 7525 (cassette). Solid, reliabable. Great sounding. I replaced that with a 7939. DAMN. That was a serious head. Hooked up to a ERA-G320, the source was perfect. Currently, I have a 7998. It's even clearer. And very reliable.
For speakers, something like the Seas Lotus is among the best available for car audio:
There are a lot of very high quality amps out there from Tru, Arc, Brax and others.
There are also a lot of very high quality subwoofers around from Image Dynamics, Adire, Resonant Engineering, and others.
There are a lot of very high quality amps out there from Tru, Arc, Brax and others.
There are also a lot of very high quality subwoofers around from Image Dynamics, Adire, Resonant Engineering, and others.
I had one of his older 2 channel amps. 150 per side. Ohmygod. That amp was just lovely. Pure audiophile sound quality. I suggest everyone check these units out. I wish I still had it.
