ultim8DTM5
12-11-2005, 07:07
Courtesy of current reigning IASCA world champ Scott Buwalda:
MYTH #1: Certain brands win every time.
"Equipment was infinitely important in the early '90s, but it's not nearly as important nowadays because the top 10 or 12 manufacturers are all building very solid product. You're going to hear very minimal differences between them. Today, you still have the zealots who will stand by their brand because it's the most expensive and carries the most weight in the competition scene. But the biggest decision for the entry-level enthusiast is to buy what sounds good to your ears."
MYTH #2: The midrange and tweeter must be within 2 inches of each other to work properly.
"You put the tweeter wherever it works, wherever it sounds good. I found it works exceptionally well with a high crossover frequency on the A pillar; it helps to widen and deepen the stage. About 5 or 6 years ago, if you had tweeters in your A pillars, you were scorned. Even today, people will email me, saying, 'I don't know how your car could possibly image or stage with the tweeter so close to your ear.'"
MYTH #3: Get a high-end amplifier.
"A watt is a watt. I doubt most people can hear the difference between amplifiers unless you push them into clipping anyway."
MYTH #4: Your system must be upgraded with a "fancy" battery and alternator.
"You'll notice I don't use either in my Altima, and that's because as long as you're just listening to music, you can get by with a factory battery and alternator. The only time an upgrade to the charging system is necessary is when sound pressure level [SPL] is more important. A system that's intended to be listened to with music at standard levels doesn't need a fancy battery or alternator."
MYTH #5: Keep power cables away from signal cables when you're running wires.
"I still separate the two, but only to establish a cosmetic flow to the wiring scheme. But the reality is that, in a negative ground system — as in 99.9% of the cars on the road — the ground plane is the vehicle's chassis, and it carries with it a voltage potential. Simply routing signal wires along this ground plane can induce the same amount of noise as running signal cables right next to power cables. The electron potential of the car's chassis acts as one big antenna for noise, irrespective of where cables are in relation to each other. So routing signal wires and power wires on the opposite side of a vehicle is a completely moot point."
MYTH #1: Certain brands win every time.
"Equipment was infinitely important in the early '90s, but it's not nearly as important nowadays because the top 10 or 12 manufacturers are all building very solid product. You're going to hear very minimal differences between them. Today, you still have the zealots who will stand by their brand because it's the most expensive and carries the most weight in the competition scene. But the biggest decision for the entry-level enthusiast is to buy what sounds good to your ears."
MYTH #2: The midrange and tweeter must be within 2 inches of each other to work properly.
"You put the tweeter wherever it works, wherever it sounds good. I found it works exceptionally well with a high crossover frequency on the A pillar; it helps to widen and deepen the stage. About 5 or 6 years ago, if you had tweeters in your A pillars, you were scorned. Even today, people will email me, saying, 'I don't know how your car could possibly image or stage with the tweeter so close to your ear.'"
MYTH #3: Get a high-end amplifier.
"A watt is a watt. I doubt most people can hear the difference between amplifiers unless you push them into clipping anyway."
MYTH #4: Your system must be upgraded with a "fancy" battery and alternator.
"You'll notice I don't use either in my Altima, and that's because as long as you're just listening to music, you can get by with a factory battery and alternator. The only time an upgrade to the charging system is necessary is when sound pressure level [SPL] is more important. A system that's intended to be listened to with music at standard levels doesn't need a fancy battery or alternator."
MYTH #5: Keep power cables away from signal cables when you're running wires.
"I still separate the two, but only to establish a cosmetic flow to the wiring scheme. But the reality is that, in a negative ground system — as in 99.9% of the cars on the road — the ground plane is the vehicle's chassis, and it carries with it a voltage potential. Simply routing signal wires along this ground plane can induce the same amount of noise as running signal cables right next to power cables. The electron potential of the car's chassis acts as one big antenna for noise, irrespective of where cables are in relation to each other. So routing signal wires and power wires on the opposite side of a vehicle is a completely moot point."