MP3Car.com - View Single Post - can a carputer compete with a head unit for sound quality?

LATEOTT · 01-17-2005, 06:49 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by edscholl

as i said, exactly how much processing do you think you need? it ain't a whole lot if you want to reproduce accurate sound, versus process the sound to make it sound different than the original source. this is because the information (imaging, sound stage, etc) you're using needs limited processing to begin with- it's simply included in the source.

Well, that's the point. A good HU these days does much more than "reproduce accurate sound." It's easy to play a source and make it come out of speakers, the trick is to come as close as possible to making a ridiculously imperfect accoustic evironment (your car) sound as close as possible to a recording studio. Processing power can help.

This is also complicated by the fact that most cars are space limited (like my S2000) so it is not possible to design the kind of loudspeakers you would use in a lager space. Heck, you end up using your doors for speakers in most cars. If your space-limited speakers don't reproduce all frequencies perfectly (and they don't) you need to "process" the sound with an equalizer to compensate for those imperfections.

In cars you also have the problem of reflections and resonance, and further processing can help compensate for that as well.

My Alpine HU has a parametric equalizer, electronic crossovers, and six position time correction. That is "processing" beyond simple playback, and those are things to make the sound sound better in a less-than-perfect environment.

I always used to "center the sound" using the Balance and Fader controls. I had no idea what I was missing until I experienced Time Correction in a car (The proper way to balance sound is with both Time Delay AND Balance/Fader--you want the speakers that are NOT equidistant from your head to SOUND like they are equidistant.)

I think computers have MUCH more capacity to process music than a HU. I think the main limitation will be software, and the expense of good software. To be honest I don't know what all is out there but there are a lot of audio hobbiests and musicians. Combine that with academia and maybe there is some good free or low-cost audio software out there...

And yes, try to go USB with your soundcard. From what I have read it is far better to remove all analog portions of the sound from the noisy electrical environment of the computer. Digital signals are FAR less susceptible to picking up audible noise than analog signals, so keep everything digital inside the computer box, and have the external USB DA converter make it analog just before it enters your amp or preamp.

M-Audio makes some great external audio solutions, (I have the M-Audio Transit and I love it.)

Many computer soundcards are analyzed these days with RightMark Audio Analyzer, a free software package LINK TO FREE SOFTWARE . There is some excellent info at that site, and the user forums have a wealth of knowledge and many reviews.

Good luck!

01-17-2005, 06:49 PM	#23
LATEOTT Newbie Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 15 My Photos: ()	Quote: Originally Posted by edscholl as i said, exactly how much processing do you think you need? it ain't a whole lot if you want to reproduce accurate sound, versus process the sound to make it sound different than the original source. this is because the information (imaging, sound stage, etc) you're using needs limited processing to begin with- it's simply included in the source. Well, that's the point. A good HU these days does much more than "reproduce accurate sound." It's easy to play a source and make it come out of speakers, the trick is to come as close as possible to making a ridiculously imperfect accoustic evironment (your car) sound as close as possible to a recording studio. Processing power can help. This is also complicated by the fact that most cars are space limited (like my S2000) so it is not possible to design the kind of loudspeakers you would use in a lager space. Heck, you end up using your doors for speakers in most cars. If your space-limited speakers don't reproduce all frequencies perfectly (and they don't) you need to "process" the sound with an equalizer to compensate for those imperfections. In cars you also have the problem of reflections and resonance, and further processing can help compensate for that as well. My Alpine HU has a parametric equalizer, electronic crossovers, and six position time correction. That is "processing" beyond simple playback, and those are things to make the sound sound better in a less-than-perfect environment. I always used to "center the sound" using the Balance and Fader controls. I had no idea what I was missing until I experienced Time Correction in a car (The proper way to balance sound is with both Time Delay AND Balance/Fader--you want the speakers that are NOT equidistant from your head to SOUND like they are equidistant.) I think computers have MUCH more capacity to process music than a HU. I think the main limitation will be software, and the expense of good software. To be honest I don't know what all is out there but there are a lot of audio hobbiests and musicians. Combine that with academia and maybe there is some good free or low-cost audio software out there... And yes, try to go USB with your soundcard. From what I have read it is far better to remove all analog portions of the sound from the noisy electrical environment of the computer. Digital signals are FAR less susceptible to picking up audible noise than analog signals, so keep everything digital inside the computer box, and have the external USB DA converter make it analog just before it enters your amp or preamp. M-Audio makes some great external audio solutions, (I have the M-Audio Transit and I love it.) Many computer soundcards are analyzed these days with RightMark Audio Analyzer, a free software package LINK TO FREE SOFTWARE . There is some excellent info at that site, and the user forums have a wealth of knowledge and many reviews. Good luck!