New Basic I.C.E setup advise needed

[Kermit]

Oh, back to the topic....

 

A good HU is surely a good start. If got budget, of cos must get amp. But if no budget for a good amp...rather not have amp than to just anyhow get amp...makes sense?

[Dunno]

Depends really on what kind of amp and budget. I would really like to have Tru Techs but they cost like $2k. But they have to go with very good speakers as well, to bring out the clarity. No point installing Trus but have a set of $300 speakers. There are also budget amps that costs a few hundreds and still be able to drive some decent speakers in the $300 range.

 

Last but not least, a good/decent HU is a must, cos that's the source if all music...bad source = bad output, regardless of what amps and speakers you have.

[Kermit]

I can fully understand your position. I think u have wisdom.

[Sarong1]

Don't forget the most important of all, the software itself...no point spending so much but yet listening to rip CDs, worse still using rip CDs to tune. Not doing justice to the system...might as well use radio to tune ...

Edited July 24, 2007 by Sarong1

[Dinooo]

I think it would be good for the Thread Starter to listen to his preferred setup without an amp and subsequently add an amp (helix? rockford? alpine? etc) to the same setup and listen to the same song.

 

See if the TS prefer which one.. with amp or without amp?

 

Anyway, as many gurus here used to say, we must judge by our own ear on what we like. Afterall, it is our own hard earned money :)

 

2 cents.

 

cheers

 

You are right.. Best is to go listen/try it out.

I am very certain I dun need a subwoofer as I wanted the boot space. But at the audio shop when I heard the system with/without the sub, str away decide to install the sub

Edited July 24, 2007 by Dinooo

[Mydotcom]

Wah... what can I get with $1K budget?

[Dunno]

With 1K budget, your choices are very limited unless you go for 2nd hand ones. You can source them from http://www.sgsoundsystem.com. A good HU will set you back by $500-700 for new units. Welcome to the ICE poison

Edited July 24, 2007 by Dunno

[Mydotcom]

I'm starting to feel the poison....

[Dinooo]

You can go for the Rockford system? I got that at AE recently together with my W202. Its .. Well at least for my level

[Hyun]

an amp provides good clean power to drive your speakers. they can make sound deeper and richer.

 

thanks for the advice! in what way does an amp make the sound deeper and richer? our HU power will easily hit the limit at pleasant listening volume?

[Theoldjaffa]

I think it would be good for the Thread Starter to listen to his preferred setup without an amp and subsequently add an amp (helix? rockford? alpine? etc) to the same setup and listen to the same song.

 

See if the TS prefer which one.. with amp or without amp?

 

Anyway, as many gurus here used to say, we must judge by our own ear on what we like. Afterall, it is our own hard earned money :)

 

2 cents.

 

cheers

 

yup you are right. guess i was too overzealous hehee

[Theoldjaffa]

[Theoldjaffa]

i'm no technical guy, so i don't know how to explain it.

 

i made the statement based on my own ears, listening to my setup when i first installed ICE w/o amp. With amp, it definitely sounds that way.

[Clarence07]

No worries, bro. We all have good intentions of helping out those who starts dabbling with ICE as we know that once sometime back , we also were 'blur' (not that we are not now but less 'blur') and to slowly provide them with the 'antidote' to the ICE poison.

 

Have a great week ahead.

 

cheers

[Theoldjaffa]

well, i see your antidotes...

 

DEX-P90RS & DEQ-P90 | BRAX Matrix 6.1PP-Sinfoni AMPLItude 150.2x | BRAX Matrix 2.1-Sinfoni AMPLItude 90.2 | BRAX Matrix 1.1 - Sinfoni AMPLItude 90.2 | Rainbow 12" Vanadium-Steg K2|02 | 1 Farad BRAX IPC Capacitor

[Theoldjaffa]

Don't forget the most important of all, the software itself...no point spending so much but yet listening to rip CDs, worse still using rip CDs to tune. Not doing justice to the system...might as well use radio to tune ...

 

bro, need ur advice on this.

 

i usually listen to mass commercially produced CDs.. i know the sound fidelity is not as good as the 24-bit audiophile CDs.

 

so my question is, when tuning my setup, do i use the audiophile CD to tune in order to obtain the accuracy, or do i use my favourite mass-produced listening CD?

 

my tuner used a hip hop CD (original) to tune, but when i listen to my favourite CDs from David Tao or Cao Ge, it doesn't sound as good.

 

look forward to ur opinion. thx!~

[Sarong1]

i usually listen to mass commercially produced CDs.. i know the sound fidelity is not as good as the 24-bit audiophile CDs.

 

so my question is, when tuning my setup, do i use the audiophile CD to tune in order to obtain the accuracy, or do i use my favourite mass-produced listening CD?

 

my tuner used a hip hop CD (original) to tune, but when i listen to my favourite CDs from David Tao or Cao Ge, it doesn't sound as good.

 

look forward to ur opinion. thx!~

 

There are many genre of music and CD I use for tuning, I look out for specific characteristics and phenomenon in each CD and each track. I use CDs that are neater in arrangements. Your tuner will use his favourite CD to do an initial tuning but I always recommend folks to use their most frequently listen CDs to tune as they are familiar with them and it will be easier to pick up any slight difference.

 

A setting tuned to hip hop may not necessary sound good for David Tao and vice versa because the emphasis on these two genres is different. For a start, use David Tao's CD to tune. I till prefer to use his "Ultrasound" CD 1 and 2 to tune, especially on CD 2 track 4's Blue Moon.

 

If all tuning is correct, audiophile CD will sound even nicer.

 

Regards/Sarong1

Edited July 25, 2007 by Sarong1

[Theoldjaffa]

i have the Ultrasound CD too!

 

so if its tuned correctly using the CD, will it sound right across all genres?

 

i'm looking for balance cos i listen to pop, rock, hip hop and 80s dance (bananaram, rick astley etc) and chinese pop. Each genre has its own emphasis on clarity, mids and bass. thus, i'm looking at a setting that will achieve a balanced sound across this 4 genres.

 

right now, i find my bass acceptable but not clear enough on vocals.