It's such a slippery slope to getting lost in the intricacies of car audio that you can easily forget why you got into it in the first place. Right now I'm currently mulling over various aspects of the system in my project Bimmer for our "vehicle makeover" series, which we'll be launching here next month (readers will get a chance to win some free gear, courtesy of Audiovox, and customize their rides). I'm thinking of having a second pair of tweeters installed in the A-pillars to complement the component set in the kick panels - we'll see how much it helps in terms of raising the soundstage. And I'd been planning to employ a dual subwoofer system with one in the trunk and another in the glove box. That should ameliorate the problem of bass nodes and, you would hope, provide the upfront bass to help the music sound more uniform. You could go further in detail on how to set up those tweets and the subwoofer system. This is the "problem" with car audio: it's DEEP, and the options and refinement are practically endless. I know I'm going to have to do a lot of tweaking. And I haven't even touched on the nitty-gritty installation aspect. To think, these are only a couple of issues related to the project. Of course, the entire interior in terms of aesthetics is a big concern for me as well. Figuring out something for the upholstery, to distinguish it from all the other show-worthy vehicles out there, is no small task. The overall list of to-dos is daunting.
With my project much on my mind of late I wound up in a Toyota MR-S, a longterm project car that belongs to Sport Compact Car magazine. The editor of SCC was nice enough to lend me the vehicle while my daily driver was out of commission. I squeezed myself into its ultra-compact interior, took off, turned on the air conditioner that pushed out "lukecool" air, then turned off the air conditioner and opened the windows instead. I had just borrowed some Led Zeppelin CDs from a friend and, despite the road noise, I decided to insert a disc. I quickly found "Rock and Roll" and cranked it up. It sounded horrible, the speakers crackled! And I loved it. I was probably going over the speed limit. I was taking corners a little too fast. The tires were squealing. At a stoplight I waited for the signal to turn green so I could punch it and check out the 0-60 time - it took around maybe four measures of "Misty Mountain." I could've done better, I think. Then as I was speeding along on the freeway, the turbulent wind twisting in the car, the music blaring, the engine roaring, I realized something: I was having fun. The audio quality was miserable but somehow at that moment, the combination of what I could discern of the music with the wind and engine sounds sort of thrilled me. I thought, at its essence, THIS is what's so great about car audio. It's the music, sure, but the motion as well; it's about being transported both physically and mentally. And you don't always need the best car or the best system for that. I'm not saying I'm going to give up on my SQ Bimmer. I'm just saying I might spend more time in it on the road doing some spirited driving, as the phrase goes, with the windows down and the music at high volume. Put a little fuel mixed with air in the music. Maybe it won't sound so great. But then, maybe it will.
Next monthThe November issue will be our annual DIY issue! Look for it on newsstands starting mid-September.
Write to: Editor CA&E, 2400 E. Katella Ave, Ste. 1100, Anaheim, CA 92806ben.oh@primedia.com