Car audio help please 😜

[splashtryagain]

My beloved car has been written off due to flood damage and so I have bought a stop gap car (3-4 years) to see me through to the time when electric cars really make sense around where I live.

My question revolves around improving the sound system (previous car had meridian system). What do improve first - speakers and woofers, amplification, sound deadening (is this even worth it?) Or something else?

I don't want to spend a fortune on it either

 

[splashtryagain]

To further clarify needs - I would like clarity across a wide, deep soundstage rather than boy racer thumping techno sounds (a bit old for that)

I used to be interested in hifi (sold it for years too) and so I'm looking for that clear, large open sounding stage that good hifi gives. Or at least an approximation in a less than ideal environment.

I won't be putting stickers in the windows advertising my chosen manufacturers either

 

[CliveW]

I would suggest that upgrading the speakers would be your first move.

 

[splashtryagain]

It has two separate subwoofers under the seats. Would you go with upgrading the main stereo front pair from co ax to component first? Then the woofers then the rears?

 

[Beezerk]

Christ, I can probably hear your car from my village 20 miles away

 

[cliveb]

High quality playback in a car is fundamentally impossible.
Even if you're in a Rolls Royce the ambient background noise level is so high that you'd be lucky to experience 40dB of usable dynamic range.
If it weren't illegal, you could try wearing noise cancelling headphones.

 

[splashtryagain]

Christ, I can probably hear your car from my village 20 miles away

That'll be me, just cruising around with the sounds going

 

[splashtryagain]

@cliveb - I understand the limitations, hence the question about sound deadening. I wonder if a couple of hundred quid and some graft will provide a more "stable platform" on which to build something i would enjoy.

 

[CliveW]

If it weren't illegal, you could try wearing noise cancelling headphones.

Is it illegal to use noise cancelling earphones whilst driving? The reason I ask is because I use earplugs or noise cancelling earbuds when driving my Cobra.

 

[Neilds]

Is it illegal to use noise cancelling earphones whilst driving? The reason I ask is because I use earplugs or noise cancelling earbuds when driving my Cobra.

There is no specific law but you could get done if they are proved to be distracting- not sure how they prove this though. Given the lack of police on the roads now I suspect you have nothing to worry about

 

[Reemul]

High quality playback in a car is fundamentally impossible.
Even if you're in a Rolls Royce the ambient background noise level is so high that you'd be lucky to experience 40dB of usable dynamic range.
If it weren't illegal, you could try wearing noise cancelling headphones.

I had a boss with a Bentley 4x4 and it had triple glazed windows and 24 speakers, the sound was awesome

 

[cliveb]

There is no specific law but you could get done if they are proved to be distracting- not sure how they prove this though. Given the lack of police on the roads now I suspect you have nothing to worry about

I thought I'd seen it written down somewhere back in the mists of time that wearing headphones while driving is not allowed. But on checking I see it only falls under the general umbrella of possibly being a distraction.

However, my comment about it was just a flippant aside after the main point about good sound being impossible in a car. I wasn't being serious.