A-B
The fundamental difference between carmakers (who pay vendors to set up premium audio systems in their cars) and the aftermarket audio/electronics companies (that make the products enthusiasts and dealers buy and install) is that only one of them actually cares about music. GM, Honda, Toyota, Ford, et al. want to sell vehicles, not branded audio systems. But if it helps to sell the former, they'll gladly add the latter. An aftermarket audio company's bottom line is all about the music. At CES I had an interesting opportunity to A-B a couple of cars: (A) a highend vehicle with an impressive audio brand name, and (B) JL Audio's Mustang, built by the company's in-house installers.
It wasn't even close. Or to put it another way: It was like pitting an amateur boxing champ against Mike Tyson in his prime. Which is to say, it wasn't a fair fight. I'm not saying the comparison is really worthwhile; after all, A is working with a different type of budget with various objectives in mind, while B is all about making the very best sound and overcoming the limitations of building a system in a car.
But A-B'ing is interesting in that it shows how far off factory systems are from producing the level of quality found in a superior aftermarket setup. There was no comparison in terms of the breadth of soundstage, the imaging, the tonal balance and the sheer power. With B you have the feeling of being there. In contrast, A seems to simply play back the tunes. When you listen to great music reproductions you want to feel transported, as if you are listening to an artist in front of you. To settle for mediocre sound is like an injustice to the artist and the work.
Sitting in this seat, you can sometimes get a little jaded. Like with anything in life, you do something long enough for work and you can forget what you found so cool about it in the first place. Being able to compare and contrast the two cars reminded me why the mobile audio industry is so phenomenal. It's about the art. It's about listening to the Tierney Sutton Band at the Elettromedia party at CES and then slotting in their CD in your car a couple of weeks later and re-living that experience, rediscovering the artistry of the musicians-and updating your system to improve your SQ! To me, art, especially music, is the most mysterious and loftiest product of civilization and the fact that car audio contributes to that or celebrates it-well, at the very least, it more than makes up for all those trunks that go bump in the night, don't it?