AUDIo

[c a l i b a n <caliban@sharon.net>]

	i can chime in here (once again) about car audio since
	that's the one thing that's really super duper kick ass
	about my current !audi car.

	first of all, markup on speakers is totally outrageous,
	sometimes several hundred percent.  markup from factory
	to dealer, that is.  and many many "high end" car audio 
	companies have their speakers manufactured (to their 
	specs, of course) by a handful of factories around the 
	world.

	if you are willing to put a little effort into it, you can
	really get incredible shit at a fraction of the cost.

	the speakers in my car are all made by vifa - somewhere 
	in scandanavia, methinks.  i ordered this stuff thru 
	madisound, in madison, wisconsin.  they are really helpful
	on the fone and via email and did a bang-up job of specing
	and making the crossovers i needed.  they are pretty big,
	though, but they fit.

	i have a single 12" sub in the trunk with a too-small
	box that gives really, really tight and hard bass.  not
	for the jazz/classical crowd, but i tend to go for the
	thump of drum & bass or 4ad stuff when i drive.  the
	180 watts to the sub makes for some thump.  rear-mounted
	at the top corners by the hatchback hinges are a pair 
	of 2" titanium tweeters, with a stereo l-pad in the dash
	to control the level (if they are on when i have rear
	passengers it's unbearable for them). these really bring
	the sound forward from the front of the car when balanced
	well.

	up front i have some 6" vifa's in the door and another 
	set of 2" tweets - these are in the vents in the front 
	of the dash.  well hidden, all of it is invisible.  my
	head unit is an old sony and the amp, yum, it's a 
	soundstrem 2,3,4 i think - the usa line, not the highest
	end but it's huge, 360 watts.  180 to the sub, 180 to
	the front, the rear tweet fills run off the head unit.
	the car rocks and all the speakers (with crossovers)
	were easily around $300 and they easily outperform the
	nicer imilar stuff from boston acoustics and the like - 
	for a fraction of the cost.  if anyone wants more info 
	on the exact specs of my junk drop a line, i'll look
	it up for ya.  

	madisound can be reched at http://www.itis.com/madisound/
	i am pretty sure.

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 yamaha rz350 - suzuki ts250 - skydive - analog synthesis - chaotic good 
 ---- anarchy! apathy! entropy! --------- http://caliban.sf.ca.us/ -----