Audio Shop Recommendation

[richard_crl032]

Yup. Thanks. All connection settled by 1 optical.

 

 

[Theoldjaffa]

ICE is always a hot topic where "arguments" ensue. I always find it amusing when purists wanna replicate the "original sound as what the artist intended". We are not the artist itself, how to know what to replicate, or how it originally sounds like?

 

Even when the artist is recording in the studio, the voice gets processed and "coloured" because of the equipment used.. and for each artist, the equipment can be different. So where's the benchmark?

 

I've had ICE gurus sitting in my car auditing, giving comments this and that. Then when I invited him to audit again after I sent it for some tuning adjustment, he claimed that the imaging is slightly better and is pushed further back and the bass is now not as obvious coming from the rear.. when in fact I've done nothing at all. It's just placebo effect.

 

Therefore, sound appreciation is illogical, subjective, with no one size fits all.

 

While a good HU is important to get an improvement in sound, many cars nowadays come with integrated HU. A 4ch amp driving a 2-way passive speakers and a 10" sub in a sealed box will yield a sound that will be acceptable to most. Soundproofing 2 layers for the front door is a must too. I believe these can be achieved under 2k with some promo packages offered by installers. From experience, just do it once and do it right.. don't do Liao and then backside itchy and change again.. that will be more expensive.

 

For newbies, listen to other members setups to have an idea of the sound you want. Listening in the car vs listening at the demo board at the installer is completely different.

 

Specs in one thing but it doesn't determine the quality of sound. A good installer will be able to match the equipment based on your requirement.

 

Personally I use Foon and Audio Solution; each is good in his own way and both are reliable and have integrity. There are other popular ones like Chuan Sing, New Generation, Xtremez, Robin, Dimension etc that you can try.

 

Happy ICEing!

[richard_crl032]

ICE is always a hot topic where "arguments" ensue. I always find it amusing when purists wanna replicate the "original sound as what the artist intended". We are not the artist itself, how to know what to replicate, or how it originally sounds like?

 

Even when the artist is recording in the studio, the voice gets processed and "coloured" because of the equipment used.. and for each artist, the equipment can be different. So where's the benchmark?

 

I've had ICE gurus sitting in my car auditing, giving comments this and that. Then when I invited him to audit again after I sent it for some tuning adjustment, he claimed that the imaging is slightly better and is pushed further back and the bass is now not as obvious coming from the rear.. when in fact I've done nothing at all. It's just placebo effect.

 

Therefore, sound appreciation is illogical, subjective, with no one size fits all.

 

While a good HU is important to get an improvement in sound, many cars nowadays come with integrated HU. A 4ch amp driving a 2-way passive speakers and a 10" sub in a sealed box will yield a sound that will be acceptable to most. Soundproofing 2 layers for the front door is a must too. I believe these can be achieved under 2k with some promo packages offered by installers. From experience, just do it once and do it right.. don't do Liao and then backside itchy and change again.. that will be more expensive.

 

For newbies, listen to other members setups to have an idea of the sound you want. Listening in the car vs listening at the demo board at the installer is completely different.

 

Specs in one thing but it doesn't determine the quality of sound. A good installer will be able to match the equipment based on your requirement.

 

Personally I use Foon and Audio Solution; each is good in his own way and both are reliable and have integrity. There are other popular ones like Chuan Sing, New Generation, Xtremez, Robin, Dimension etc that you can try.

 

Happy ICEing!

Hi Jaffa,

 

ICE indeed as you had mentioned is subjective and to each expectation but dun think any more illogical than life itself.

 

Upgraded equipment, installation consideration, tuning etc. do get you nearer to actual recording but not live music which is the job of the recording studios .. it is also indeed no end for high end but even bits helps.

 

ICE to me is just a hobby to call your own .. a journey .. learning experience .. and often sharing .. no different from any hobby say cycling to keep fit but only to spend tens of thousands to make it lighter which reduces the efforts and reducing the effectiveness ? Sure, you can cycle further with lighter high end bikes but why not keep the weight and yet cycle further then but I would not say it is illogical or irrational .. lol !

 

Indeed also installation is key and improved stock headunit like Mark Levision in lexus or even Harmon Kardon in forester suffices for more owners but equipment with higher spec than these upgraded stock setup is also important with all things being equal ... heard many says that they heard 3 ways setup and worse than their 2 way systems but this is only if the 3 way systems are not tuned as well as their 2 way system. This can be the only logical conclusion since fundamental must also prevail just like specification on measureable SNR or 3 ways vs 2 ways but these are more expensive choices to make.

 

Lastly, even home audio without all the challenges in car ICE is also subjective with varied supporters of tube vs solid state amps, open baffled vs full range transmission line svs electrostatics speakers, vinyl vs cd vs lossless files etc. etc. but it sure makes life a bit more interesting with the option for us to venture into .. or not but again hardly illogical or irrational.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

[Theoldjaffa]

Hi Jaffa,

 

ICE indeed as you had mentioned is subjective and to each expectation but dun think any more illogical than life itself.

 

Upgraded equipment, installation consideration, tuning etc. do get you nearer to actual recording but not live music which is the job of the recording studios .. it is also indeed no end for high end but even bits helps.

 

ICE to me is just a hobby to call your own .. a journey .. learning experience .. and often sharing .. no different from any hobby say cycling to keep fit but only to spend tens of thousands to make it lighter which reduces the efforts and reducing the effectiveness ? Sure, you can cycle further with lighter high end bikes but why not keep the weight and yet cycle further then but I would not say it is illogical or irrational .. lol !

 

Indeed also installation is key and improved stock headunit like Mark Levision in lexus or even Harmon Kardon in forester suffices for more owners but equipment with higher spec than these upgraded stock setup is also important with all things being equal ... heard many says that they heard 3 ways setup and worse than their 2 way systems but this is only if the 3 way systems are not tuned as well as their 2 way system. This can be the only logical conclusion since fundamental must also prevail just like specification on measureable SNR or 3 ways vs 2 ways but these are more expensive choices to make.

 

Lastly, even home audio without all the challenges in car ICE is also subjective with varied supporters of tube vs solid state amps, open baffled vs full range transmission line svs electrostatics speakers, vinyl vs cd vs lossless files etc. etc. but it sure makes life a bit more interesting with the option for us to venture into .. or not but again hardly illogical or irrational.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

Cheers Richard.

 

My illogical refers to the person's state of mind for sound appreciation. Not so much on ICE itself ☺️

 

That said, the best sound I heard came from a Forester XT. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what? He's using an integrated Helix DSP cum amp only.

 

After I heard his setup, I went to buy the same speakers as him. Only the mid-range is diff cos he uses a home audio driver which is much more expensive and not easily available.

[richard_crl032]

Cheers Richard.

 

My illogical refers to the person's state of mind for sound appreciation. Not so much on ICE itself ☺️

 

 

 

Hey Jaffa,

 

Aaah ... got it and indeed the case ... keke !

 

Great that that Forester XT sounded fantastic with only integrated Helix P6 dsp amp which I also recommended to bro Cephas and others...  he must have a then a neat installation and had good tuner/tuning ... not too expensive and probably within sgd5k set up with 3 way speakers, installation/SP and not sure what HU or if stock HU used. without optical connection. 

 

BTW, who was the installer/tuner for that forester xt and yours ??

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

[Theoldjaffa]

Hey Jaffa,

 

Aaah ... got it and indeed the case ... keke !

 

Great that that Forester XT sounded fantastic with only integrated Helix P6 dsp amp which I also recommended to bro Cephas and others... he must have a then a neat installation and had good tuner/tuning ... not too expensive and probably within sgd5k set up with 3 way speakers, installation/SP and not sure what HU or if stock HU used. without optical connection.

 

BTW, who was the installer/tuner for that forester xt and yours ??

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

No worries man.

 

Installer is Audio Solution.

[richard_crl032]

No worries man.

 

Installer is Audio Solution.

Hi Jaffa,

 

Thanks !

 

The white forester bro who took my recommendation on getting Helix P6 dsp amp was also installed by Ah Kwang.

 

Alpine HU and MP Series 5 3-ways were installed which I auditioned 1 week thereafter .. phew, nearly tot world is that small !

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

Edited June 27, 2018 by richard_crl032

[Theoldjaffa]

Hi Jaffa,

 

Thanks !

 

The white forester bro who took my recommendation on getting Helix P6 dsp amp was also installed by Ah Kwang.

 

Alpine HU and MP Series 5 3-ways were installed which I auditioned 1 week thereafter .. phew, nearly tot world is that small !

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

Nice! Would love to hear it too. Keen to know how MP sounds like. Let's arrange? ;)

[Cephas]

ICE is always a hot topic where "arguments" ensue. I always find it amusing when purists wanna replicate the "original sound as what the artist intended". We are not the artist itself, how to know what to replicate, or how it originally sounds like?

 

Even when the artist is recording in the studio, the voice gets processed and "coloured" because of the equipment used.. and for each artist, the equipment can be different. So where's the benchmark?

 

I've had ICE gurus sitting in my car auditing, giving comments this and that. Then when I invited him to audit again after I sent it for some tuning adjustment, he claimed that the imaging is slightly better and is pushed further back and the bass is now not as obvious coming from the rear.. when in fact I've done nothing at all. It's just placebo effect.

 

Therefore, sound appreciation is illogical, subjective, with no one size fits all.

 

While a good HU is important to get an improvement in sound, many cars nowadays come with integrated HU. A 4ch amp driving a 2-way passive speakers and a 10" sub in a sealed box will yield a sound that will be acceptable to most. Soundproofing 2 layers for the front door is a must too. I believe these can be achieved under 2k with some promo packages offered by installers. From experience, just do it once and do it right.. don't do Liao and then backside itchy and change again.. that will be more expensive.

 

For newbies, listen to other members setups to have an idea of the sound you want. Listening in the car vs listening at the demo board at the installer is completely different.

 

Specs in one thing but it doesn't determine the quality of sound. A good installer will be able to match the equipment based on your requirement.

 

Personally I use Foon and Audio Solution; each is good in his own way and both are reliable and have integrity. There are other popular ones like Chuan Sing, New Generation, Xtremez, Robin, Dimension etc that you can try.

 

Happy ICEing!

Just to summarize in layman term... As long you happy can liao.. Lol

 

I like to hear you guys setup to refresh my fond memories in car audio.

 

Cheers and let's meet

[richard_crl032]

Just to summarize in layman term... As long you happy can liao.. Lol

 

I like to hear you guys setup to refresh my fond memories in car audio.

 

Cheers and let's meet

 

Hi Cephas,

 

Not as active as before with every Wed and Friday at AMK Ave 1 Blk 332 but the sgcaraudio had regrouped with many sifus there  and gtg about once a month.

 

Please PM me if keen to join them ... I will forward contact of Admin to you for him to keep you posted on next gtg but I not no longer actively joining them.

 

Welcome back to the darkside ... lol !

 

Cheers,

 

Richard

Edited June 27, 2018 by richard_crl032

[Cephas]

Hi Cephas,

 

Not as active as before with every Wed and Friday at AMK Ave 1 Blk 332 but the sgcaraudio had regrouped with many sifus there and gtg about once a month.

 

Please PM me if keen to join them ... I will forward contact of Admin to you for him to keep you posted on next gtg but I not no longer actively joining them.

 

Welcome back to the darkside ... lol !

 

Cheers,

 

Richard

Noted with thanks.

[Meemee]

Sub woofer enclouser fittment test

[Mkl22]

Cheers Richard.

 

My illogical refers to the person's state of mind for sound appreciation. Not so much on ICE itself âºï¸

 

That said, the best sound I heard came from a Forester XT. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what? He's using an integrated Helix DSP cum amp only.

 

After I heard his setup, I went to buy the same speakers as him. Only the mid-range is diff cos he uses a home audio driver which is much more expensive and not easily available.

Ya.illogical is the self professed expert who claimed to have heard something when you didn’t change anything.

 

Anyway lots of such people around, they just want to act as an expert and cannot lose face.

 

One should always keep an open mind. If a stuff is good means it’s good, regardless of $$ spent or brand. Expensive equipment and install can also be shit regardless of how you tune. Doesn’t mean top class stuff will always be good in whatever setting. Some are quick to condemn the install and tuning rather than the equipment if things don’t sound right. Equipment also made by man and equally failable.

 

 

Anyway like Richard says, it’s a hobby and it doesn’t need to make sense. Else it would have been easier just to plug in headphones to your phone as audio in the car.

 

Used to play with ice, but gave up liao. No longer so ngeow with things and happy to accept a simple stock audio setup. My car is also 99% stock from factory. For me it is now, mod less, less things to fix.

Edited June 28, 2018 by Mkl22

[Meemee]

I ever heard that the height of tuning affect the sub woofer performance.

 

Meaning If you were to tune at ground floor as compare to level 6.( the last Emma competition held at )

It will sound very different.

This is due to the law of gravity.

Which will rather some how suck up the power from the sub...

 

 

Wah..... fxxking bulls**t .....

 

This comment is from one of the repubtiable audio shop ....

 

What a joke ......

 

 

Manage to look at the tunning ...

And the subwoofer Was tune to only to 50hz...

Edited June 28, 2018 by Meemee

[Theoldjaffa]

Foon's workmanship is really tok kong

[Cephas]

Foon's workmanship is really tok kong ðð¼

 

Compare this with others who just "slap it on"

1D2C39E7-2247-49C9-B529-FA3538D83551.jpeg

 

5C5AE847-4CC9-4859-8C6E-C4BC17D9AFF9.jpeg

Cute bear u got there

[Genes]

Dont think that is TOJ's car

[richard_crl032]

Foon's workmanship is really tok kong ðð¼

 

Compare this with others who just "slap it on"

1D2C39E7-2247-49C9-B529-FA3538D83551.jpeg

 

5C5AE847-4CC9-4859-8C6E-C4BC17D9AFF9.jpeg

Hey Jaffa,

 

Indeed Foon's workmanship is top notch locally ... if you can book his tight schedule.

 

More photos ....including modded rear aircon and full fiberglass A pillars to avoid inevitable crack using just putty joints.

 

Cheers.

 

Richard

Edited June 30, 2018 by richard_crl032