5.1 in a car?

chewtoy · 09-07-2001, 05:39 PM

Ok Ok.. So I was driving down the road, thinking about my DVD-ROM that I bought off ebay and I thought to myself.. is it possible to have something like Dolby 5.1 in my car. I've got two front speakers and two back speakers and could easily hook up a center speaker and a sub. I just would need a sound card with 5.1 decoding, easy enough to find. So my question is .. has anyone done this before.. or atleast tried it maybe with out the center speaker or even the sub??

I have a 98 honda civic and I have an OEM HU. I doesnt' have the IPBUS like other HU (at least I don't think it does) but it does have a wire harness that is easy to hack and has a spot for front left, front right, rear left, and rear right speaker inputs. So it could be a 5.1 - 1.1 Dolby if I don't put in a sub or center speaker... Does this make any sense to anyone? Anyways .. I think it's might be a good idea....

CaffeineAddict · 09-08-2001, 03:58 AM

I would definately include a sub just for the pure fun of having explosion rumbling from your car at stoplights. But really, I have seen a picture of a car on sounddomain.com that had either a tweeter or small coaxial speaker mounted on the rear view mirror for a "center channel" (wasn't used for 5.1 or anything though, just to improve the front soundstage.) An interesting idea though might be (and I have no expirience with the 5.1 soundcards... its just an idea) if you could get the two front speakers to mimic a center channel... kinda like 3d sound processing on a computer. It might not sound as good for effects that go from left through center to right, but it would be a nice alternative to trying to add another speaker somewhere. Of course if you don't mind it sticking out it would be best to mount one right over your screen so when there is dialouge and such it looks like the people are speaking from the middle of the screen and not the left and right at the same time... which is what some 3d sound is like. It's an awesome plan if there is an easy way to do it without spending lots of money... just try it and keep us all posted. Im sure someone out there has done it though, give it a week and see if there are any replys on specifics.

Dragyn · 09-08-2001, 05:38 PM

A center channel doesn't really work in a car. I have one and it's hard to hear against the other speakers. Right now, I have it set to come out the front (left/right) speakers.

JamesB · 09-10-2001, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dragyn:
<STRONG>A center channel doesn't really work in a car. I have one and it's hard to hear against the other speakers. Right now, I have it set to come out the front (left/right) speakers.</STRONG>

The center channel doesnt work because you don't have it set up properly.

Center channels most certainly work in cars .. it's just a heck of a lot more difficult to properly set up than one would think. For starters, your center channel should be louder than the right/left speakers .. mind you, only slightly louder. Secondly, the left/right channels must be time-delayed very very slightly (to make it seem as though the speakers are positioned further away from the listener than they actually are.

There is more to take in to consideration .. and it becomes very elaborate. In short, center channels _do_ work .. they work very nicely .. but you have to set it up correctly, otherwise, it can hurt your sound quality (sound staging).

Dragyn · 09-12-2001, 11:03 PM

I know all about time-delays and SQ (one reason I don't use mp3s as the main sorce).

The problem is the center speaker. It can't handle it and probably never will. You only have so much space to work with. I would have a 6.5" center channel to go along with the others but due to space limitations, I don't!

The only way to make it sound decent is to turn down the other 5 channels. This to me is not the way to go. I don't use it that much to be worried about it. That's why (as I said earlier) I use the Front L/R ch's.

JamesB · 09-13-2001, 09:23 AM

Ouch. You need to invest in a reasonably powered amplifier to drive the center channel.

I have a center channel in my car and it sounds perfectly balanced .. so you might look into properly driving the center channel.

dbinnc · 09-25-2001, 11:04 PM

I have 5.1 in my car. Check out the Rockford Fosgate Dolby Pro-Logic II decoder. Pro-Logic II is the next step in pro logic and does 5.1 with full frequency rear. it's not digital, but its your car, who cares, it rocks!
Check out my car here My Car

D http://www.2k1civic.com

JamesB · 09-26-2001, 09:02 AM

Pro-Logic II is just a gimmick. It "creates" a rear-fill using a set of algorithims (similar to Pro-Logic) .. it is by no means is true rear-fill.

For the record: I've got AC-3, DTS and Pro Logic. I'm using the pioneer AVM-P9000R master unit with the 6 DVD changer. VERY good sound .. the 5.1 is VERY noticible.

As per turning all the other channels down .. how the heck do you tune your system? Let me guess ... no EQ, hence no tuning. On high-end EQs, you tune the system DOWN .. not normally up ..

ANyhoo .. tested my car last night with an RTA .. prefect flat response at 2db of separation per deviation

dbinnc · 09-26-2001, 02:41 PM

I don't really agree with that.
http://www.dolby.com/ht/co.br.0107.P...nersGuide.html

I also have a Audio Control Model11 System 90 Center channel amp with full EQ onboard.

D

JamesB · 09-27-2001, 09:31 AM

You can disagree all you want .. but until you educate your self further, you will continue to disagree blindly.

ProLogic |CREATES| rear fill .. it is |NOT| a decoder nor a recording scheme. It is therefore an interpolation that mimics true rear fill.

ProLogic II may be a little more advanced .. but it still is |NOT| surround.

A simple review of quadraphonic recording schemes will confirm this.

PS: Full EQ on board? What, a 6 band EQ? or is it 6 pre-sets?

[ 09-27-2001: Message edited by: JamesB ]

dbinnc · 09-27-2001, 04:33 PM

I was not comparing Pro-Logic and I am not saying it is Discrete true 5.1, I know you don't record in Pro-Logic II so it's not a format, but it does have two distinct surround channels and it can create a simulated 5.1-channel surround environment from a stereo or Dolby Surround signal.

If you are running a carputer or something similar, or don't have a DVD that has DTS or DD, than the RFQ 5000 is the best bet if you want surround in your car.

Here are quotes and more info:

Dolby Surround Pro Logic II Decoder Principles of Operation
http://www.audioadvisors.com/home/edition0601a.html

Quote:

Pro-Logic II decoding generates two distinct surround channels

Quote:

Dolby Pro-Logic is a five-channel 2:5 matrix system; it has theoretically full-range stereo surround channels. Jim Fosgate decided that in order for a matrix decoder to perform at its maximum theoretical level, a significant improvement in the steering circuitry would be required. Pro-Logic II is a 'ground-breaking' logic-steering system, based on a new concept that incorporates negative global feedback around the logic-steering circuits. This is known as a 'feedback-logic' design and is not to be confused with negative feedback used around audio stages to reduce distortion.

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/fram...ologicII.shtml

JamesB · 09-28-2001, 01:44 PM

I agree. I was given the impression that you were stating that PL2 was a format.

Another good decoder for in-car is the Pioneer AVM-P9000r .. but they use a proprietary (wannabe) optical [4 gold metal terminals .. hardly optical]

Skippman · 10-16-2001, 10:48 AM

Center channels do indeed work in a auto format. I'm running an Alpine IVA-C800 w/ an Alpine PXA-H510 Doulby Digital Decoder. This was the best route I could find. The decoder has seperate outputs for LF,RF,LR,RR,Center, and Sub. It will decode Doulby Digital, Doubly 5.1 Suround, and Doubly Pro-Logic. It also accepts TOS-LINK SPDIF inputs.

Alpine made this to compliment their in-dash DVD player, but it works fine with any TOS LINK source. As a matter of fact, just to test it we hooked up my Sony DVD player with composit video and TOS LINK audio only. Worked like a champ. Many vendors (Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood) are comming out with their own center channel kits. I advise you to look at the Alpine SBS-0515 to get an idea of what I'm talking about.

To see an example of a center channel excellently incorperated into a car check out this link.

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