I agree with a lot being said here, & I also see that there is some ignorance here too(no offence intended twards sdashiki
) . you can play cd's or dvda's through the attached drive, & if the sound card is up to par it can sound about as good, provided you went & added line driver(s) to boost the line output from the 1.5v-2v line out the average sound card provides, WITHOUT adding any more noise to the signal: noise ratio,(try actually mesuring THAT someday...) or used fiber optics to a processor(Which you would probably want to use a head unit to control anyway) but that's only one disc at a time unless you plan on installing multiple drives. Now if you could hook up a dvd/cd changer to a carputer you'd be coming a lot closer to it being acceptable as far as sound quality goes. I have an extensive collection of mp3’s & I will even admit to listening to them often, but I do have a staple of my real favorites also loaded in the changers. When I play an mp3 that I also have in a changer & compare the two it becomes obvious that the cd is truer & suffers no compression loss, I however know nothing about the two software mentioned in this post & I will look into them.
When you’re listening to rap, most rock & disco or even the majority of pop music then yes, it is a little difficult to discern any real big difference between a good mp3 recorded at a high bit rate & a cd, but that’s because the dynamic range on this sort of music isn't so high to begin with. Try listening to something really dynamic like classical instrumental or really dynamic vocals & you will see there is a significant difference, especially to a trained ear.
Technology is great & I fully embrace it, but sometimes there is a loss as technology increases, for example, nobody who really knows will ever argue that tube amplifiers aren't better than solid state amps, a definite technology improvement in efficiency, but a slight loss in warmness & overall tonal balance. now there are true class d amplifiers that again are a technological advancement in efficiency & power consumption, but again the best class d amp isn't as good as the best solid state amp, which isn't as good as a tube amp. This is not my opinion; this is a widely accepted fact. Up until recently class d amps were reserved for bass use only because they sounded so "digital" that they sucked, but now there are compensations that allow use for full range that is CLOSE to as good as a solid state amp.
For several years after digital photography has been on the scene, while it was a technological wonder for what it was, professional photographers would still be using film because the digital stuff just wasn't as good. Obviously advances have made it good enough that today the majority of photographers use digital, but there are still a few who insist that film is better, even minutely, but better none the less....
GRANTED, I get the point that the average guy here doesn't care, & I can't say that I blame you either. I really am not trying to convince anybody here that I am right & you are wrong. I guess my bottom line conclusion to this thread as far as my question original went is that while it may be possible to build a carputer that can closely emulate a high end system install it is still a simulation
sim•u•la•tion P Pronunciation Key (s m y -l sh n)
n.
1. The act or process of simulating.
2. An imitation; a sham.
3. Assumption of a false appearance.
4.
a. Imitation or representation, as of a potential situation or in experimental testing.
b. Representation of the operation or features of one process or system through the use of another: computer simulation of an in-flight emergency.
My analogy would be similar to the guy who has a virago & thinks it’s the same as a Harley, almost.
I do wholeheartedly believe that the technology to build a carputer that is as good as a high end system is available, & in the right hands it could be done, but I also do admit that I am not enough of a computer genius to pull it off, & the majority here isn’t either. In the end I stand by my belief that: THE BEST POSSIBLE SYSTEM IF MONEY IS NOT A FACTOR, IS A HYBRYD SYSTEM FOR ME. THIS GIVES ME ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF EACH WITHOUT A LOT OF THE DRAWBACKS EITHER WOULD HAVE IF STAND ALONE.
This does not mean that there is anything wrong with building a carputer simulation, IT IS VERY COST EFFECTIVE & MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH FOR EVEN THOSE WHO APPRECIATE MUSIC, hence the loyalty to it displayed here. There is nothing wrong with saving thousands for something that is almost as good.
My next question would be as to if there are any class winning competition cars that are based on a carputer ALONE!!!!? I haven’t competed in a few years now & while I did see quite a few pc installs in the lanes, I never saw a carputer best a high end system, & when I compete I will always rely on my BEST SOURCE for sound quality, which is not my pc., times are changing quickly & I don’t doubt that someday a carputer can top a conventional install, but I have yet to see it & I know I am not enough of a guru to pull it off myself, although I wish I could. Maybe one day I would turn to this board seeking out the best available tech’s to team up with me to build a competition vehicle truly based on a pc, for all I know it may have already happened… if it did then please enlighten me…
I DO GIVE EVERYONE HERE CREDIT FOR THERE AMBITIONS & TRIUMPHS, & DON"T WANT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM ANYONE, THIS ISN"T ABOUT ANYONE BEING RIGHT OR WRONG....This is just an open discussion to bring out fact's, opinions & thoughts...