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look for and even in that sense, if one is only purchasing equipment based on name, I would make an analogy of it and say that a decision based on that information is no different than choosing a book to read based on its cover. The relevant information one needs to look at are the "dyno numbers" for such equipment. Greddy makes pretty good stuff, Stillen produces nice equipment, etc etc etc, but when it really comes down to it, the real question when spending money on something is how much quality can you get within your budget. The name means nothing, the numbers speak for themselves. There are a few key properties to look at when determining the actual quality of an audio component; I'll start with the source: the head unit. Ideally you would want a head unit that provides signal outputs using a technology that offers the best transfer of signal to your amplifiers. Coaxial RCA is pretty decent - its "shielded" design minimizes inductive interference - "noise" which is induced electromagnetically into the signal wire by other various wiring it resides close to. Typically thse outputs are also a "low level" signal - a signal which has not been amplified within the head unit but rather, the "direct" signal produced by the hardware used to read the media. These "low level" outputs, not having gone through an amplification stage within the head unit, will not have additional noise introduced into the signal. Optical technology is another possibility. It is virtually immune to inductive interference and will provide the best transfer of the audio signal to the amplifiers. I'm not completely up to date on this but I would have to presume that there is also some sort of cyclic redundancy check built into the protocol associated with this technology to ensure that the signal is received by the amplifiers with 100% accuracy. But even as great as that may appear, the analog to digital conversion process just prior to the output at the head unit will introduces its own degree of signal degradation - not to mention, the D-A conversion that must occur in the amplifier will further add to this. Which now leads to the amplifiers themselves. Amplifiers have almost identical measured properties as a head unit when it comes to performance - at least, as far as the "dyno numbers" of primary concern to a consumer seeking a quality piece. Here is the page with a pdf for the head unit you are looking at:
[ http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/support/support_search.php?modelname=cda-9833 ] Page 37 lists all of the performance characteristics of the unit. If you are unfamiliar with the terminology, a quick wikipedia search for the parameter definitions will bring you up to speed on what those values mean. Once you have spent a little time getting up to speed on what you are looking at you will be able to look through other head units' datasheets to compare and contrast not just the features, but also the performance characteristics and then weigh them against the price tag to determine which fits your needs and budget. The final decisions you'll need to make are on the speaker components you'll be using. Ideally, channels equipped with multiple components will produce the best fidelity as each component will only be reproducing a narrow range of frequencies - this allows them to more accurately convert the electrical signal into sound. Unfortunately the speakers are by far the weakest link in an audio system in terms of accurate conversion of the electrical signal into sound. However, when it comes to speakers there is ~almost~ a rule of thumb you can go by - the more expensive speakers are typically manufactured using higher quality materials and offer better warranties. I really cringe to say it that way but the key importance, I think, comes down to the warranty. There is also a huge variation in design and materials used in speakers which have effects on their maximum power handling capability, maximum SPL output, sensitivity, etc. But because the head unit you are looking at includes a multitude of "tuning" parameters, such as a user-definable 3-way mode crossover, time correction, bass focus, Media Expander, response slope, etc, you will be able to adjust the signal to cater to your speaker choice and your personal preference on how you want the system as a whole to sound. Bigger speakers definately do not mean better sound. The ideal speaker would have zero mass - the mass of the moving components in a speaker introduce inertial effects which degrade how effectively and accurately it can reproduce the range of sound being demanded of it (at least, the kind of sounds you will likely be listening to - sine waves at complimentary harmonics of the speakers' natural resonance not withstanding :) You would be surprised at just how little variance there really is between speakers in terms of how well it performs its function - you just can't compare a bunch of different speakers driving all of them with the same identical signal - you will pretty clearly hear a difference in a test like that. But if you have the ability to manipulate the signal to cater specifically to each of those speakers, you'll find that it is virtually impossible to distinguish one speaker from another. I have always got a good chuckle from audio shops with the big wall with head units and speakers where you can push a button to switch the speakers. It is a no-brainer that different speakers, even those of nearly identical size and structure, are going to produce a distinguishably different reproduction of an identical signal. With the right features to manipulate the signal you can make just about any two speakers sound virtually identical (speakers of same size and component count, obviously) I personally use focal tweets in the doors, above the vents, 6" JBL 1-way in the lower door position, Boston Acoustic 3-way 6X9s in the rear, and an Infinity 12" reference series sub in the luggage area. They are powered by a US Amps 4-channel 600W amp for front and rear surround and a Coustic 400W amp driving the sub. Audio is sourced from the in-car PC with a Sound Blaster Live Platinum 5.1 card. The digital soundfield processing capabilities and parametric EQ functions this card possesses has been one of the keys to really bringing the system together - the sound quality is phenomenal. The main key is to produce the cleanest conversion of media data to signal, produce the cleanest amplification of that signal to drive the speakers, and have a head unit that offers the adjustability needed to fine tune the system. This head unit will read MP3 and WMA formats of various sample and bitrates - I highly suggest that if you produce your own CDs with these formats, do not get greedy and try to stuff 10 CD's worth of music on one disc. With the sound quality it appears you are seeking, settle for no less than 256kb/s - you will definately hear the difference and lack of quality if you try to use the 128kb rips that you listen to on your PC squeakers.
Hope this helps.....
[ ashspecz.com ]
[ agpowers@bellsouth.net ] Enthusiasts soon understand each other. --W. Irving.
Are you an enthusiast? If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.
Albert Einstein
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