Wide open Spaces – Auditioning Car Audio Upgrades
Wide open Spaces – Auditioning Car Audio Upgrades
There is no doubt that the past 5-6 years has seen a return to good quality sound. Many commercial opportunities have been exploited as a result and in particular car companies cashing in on the beautiful car stereo’s they can provide in return for the tick of a box and the addition of £2-3K on the cost of your new car. It is not unusual for customers to accept this willingly and often even without a demonstration. If they do get one it is under static conditions and probably quite short. After all, if the car manufacturer is selling it then it must be good yes?
When caught up in the moment of buying a new car it is very easy to rush a decision on an audio upgrade. Also, there is very little known about aftermarket upgrades and the work of the dedicated audio experts available to undertake upgrade work after a vehicle purchase. Our chief concern here is that people tend to be impressed by systems designed to “flatter to deceive”. The best way to grab someone by the ears is to provide plenty of bass and top-end and suppress the middle registers that tend to be much harder to reproduce.
It is extremely important to audition audio with music you are familiar with and have listened to in depth. If you cannot think of any tracks that fit the bill, then there are a few tunes that we like to use which will help you to identify if you are listening to a good system or simply being fooled by a shiny, sparkly sound.
If you like up tempo pop music, you could try The Way You Make Me Feel from Michael Jackson’s 1987 album, “Bad”. This begins with some heavy percussion which leaps across the sound stage (right to left to right to left etc.) The track then settles into a bass and drum driven groove. On average equipment it is hard to separate the kick drum from the synth bass line but it is very important that this detail is revealed. If it isn’t, the result will be too heavy and will just give you a headache. There is a hi hat panned to the left hand side of the stereo image. This opens on every eighth beat and this should also be clearly heard. An electric guitar enters the fray at around 1m42seconds. It has a heavily filtered or “phased” sound that makes it sound for all the world like a Jaw Harp.
This distinctive sound recurs throughout the rest of the track and should be clearly heard. In fact there are many noises on this recording all of which should be identifiable even at reasonably low listening levels. The acid test is how the sound is affected by road and wind noise. Even in a well balanced system you will experience a reduction in bass (most good systems allow you to manually compensate for this), as road rumble will cancel out low frequencies unless the car has been treated to prevent sound coming in or going out. This is achieved in the aftermarket by lining as many metal panels as can be reached with a bituminous sheet and applying a wave diffuser to prevent sound that emanates from the rear of the speaker from reflecting back. I know of no vehicle manufacturer that does this even when supplying an “audio upgrade”.
If up tempo pop music is not your bag then something acoustic will be equally revealing. A symphony orchestra is recorded in a specific manner. the soundstage replicates as exactly as possible the physical positions of each instrument. Therefore, first violins should be left of centre, cellos and other strings to the right while brass instruments should sound separated by distance leaving plenty of room for woodwind instruments, as in the image above.
A live orchestral track is ideal for auditioning a car audio upgrade for specific instrument placement. Lovers of this genre of music tend to be well versed in the sounds made by particular instruments and should ensure they can identify each instrument and point to its position (not whilst driving obviously!). Orchestral music also tends to have a large dynamic range and it is important that even quiet passages can be heard while loud passages should contain all of the drama of the bass instruments and percussion. Do not be put off by the presence of a subwoofer this is as important for orchestral music as it is for drum and bass!
Acoustic guitar offers a great test for a car audio system. we like to use tracks by Michael Hedges’ “Breakfast in a Field” or any Clive Carroll tracks which are always beautifully recorded (particularly those produced by Chris Newman – An undoubted genius in his field). Dynamics and attack are all important attributes here and if there is the merest hint of mushiness, your enjoyment will be very much reduced.
Rock music can be extremely revealing. As previously mentioned, the dynamics in the middle reaches are often the areas where biggest compromises are made in a car audio system. Without good reproduction here, it can be difficult to tell a keyboard from a guitar and bass often swamps the mids rendering them un precise and muddy. Listen out for snare drums in particular. We like to use a track from the band Porcupine Tree called “The Sound of Muzak” The drumming on this track is not only played beautifully but is also incredibly well recorded. it should be possible to not only to hear each cymbal but actually the moment of impact between sick and metal.
Percussion instruments are a great marker for sound. The number of hidden tambourines, triangles, wood blocks, guirro etc. hidden in music that is reproduced badly is depressing for percussionists everywhere.
Another “artefact” that is often mis-presented is the breathy vocal. A good singist with excellent breathing control will sound sexy when close mic’d. You can hear gentle breaths at the end of a phrase which reminds you that the noise is coming from an actual living being. However, filter the noise down a bit with poor car audio and you end up with a singer who sounds like she is drowning. Gulping in air in vast quantities at the end of their breath. Much of this is “affected” these days but the major issue is one of reproduction. If the breathing is heavier than the singing then Houston, we have a problem. Actually, compare the imperious Whitney Houston with some of her contemporary so called R&B “wailers” and you will get the idea.
Ultimately, sound can trip people up and catch them off guard. The same “showroom sound” that made you upgrade after listening to radio One for two minutes can sound dreary, flat, distorted and sometimes just horrible when listened to for 15 minutes. Bad sound can also be very fatiguing so always take some of your own music on a reasonable source (not MP3) and compare what you are buying with what you already have and don’t be afraid to hold out for what you really want! – There are many FOUR MASTERS who can help you achieve that and in many cases, save you a good deal of money!
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