Is there a car audio forum on PH?

[SonnyM]

...must be something wrong with my eyes because I can't find it!

Also could anyone recommend the best UK based car audio (ICE) forums please?

Thanks

[Arun_D]

For the latter query, I hear this site is held in high regard

http://www.talkaudio.co.uk/ipb/

[thinfourth2]

They decided not to have one as it would attract the chavs

[Jonny671]

Arun_D said:

For the latter query, I hear this site is held in high regard

http://www.talkaudio.co.uk/ipb/

This.. Talk Audio have been around ages and always very knowledgeable.

[SonnyM]

Thanks guys.

Car audio always seems at least 5 years behind compared to other AV technologies... Reckon I'll have to build my own in car PC. Bring on 2011!

[g3org3y]

SonnyM said:

Thanks guys.

Car audio always seems at least 5 years behind compared to other AV technologies... Reckon I'll have to build my own in car PC. Bring on 2011!

I've seen quite a few on various car forums, often using a touch screen display as interface or mouse and keyboard stored in the glovebox.

What are you planning to control with the PC?

[thinfourth2]

Or go hunt down an Empeg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empeg_Car

I have 2 and might be fleabaying it due to lack of interest

[hairyben]

SonnyM said:

Thanks guys.

Car audio always seems at least 5 years behind compared to other AV technologies... Reckon I'll have to build my own in car PC. Bring on 2011!

Fine if you enjoy the idea of a project that won't work half the time.

I tried using an Infill G4 that promised much, cost a shedload, and amounted to the most spectacular waste of money I'm ashamed to say I was conned out of.

Think very carefully about whether you want a windows PC on the dash thats crashing while you're trying to drive.

[SonnyM]

g3org3y said:

SonnyM said:

Thanks guys.

Car audio always seems at least 5 years behind compared to other AV technologies... Reckon I'll have to build my own in car PC. Bring on 2011!

I've seen quite a few on various car forums, often using a touch screen display as interface or mouse and keyboard stored in the glovebox.

What are you planning to control with the PC?

1. All I want is a great sounding head unit where I can plug in a couple of 500gb solid state drives and play uncompressed WAV or highest quality MP4 files.

2. Updateable Tomtom navigation would be great too (but only Sony do this I belive it has limited storage capacity).

3. And it has to "look right" in my Porsche that has PCM2 and crappy Bose that I will have to rip out...

It's a headache - thus the reason I have been listening to 7000 rpm instead for the last 16 months...!

[SonnyM]

hairyben said:

Think very carefully about whether you want a windows PC on the dash thats crashing while you're trying to drive.

I don't - thanks...!

[busta]

Mac Mini + touch screen makes an awesome in-car PC. A Mac Mini will just about fit in a 1 din head unit space with a bit of filing.

[hairyben]

SonnyM said:

hairyben said:

Think very carefully about whether you want a windows PC on the dash thats crashing while you're trying to drive.

I don't - thanks...!

Wise decision sir

Have you got a 2 din slot?

I'm using one of these http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_... with a 32GB SD card. If your budgets more there are some tasty items that make OE fit satnav/ent systems look pathetic. If you want to use high-cap storage I'd take the storage device into the store and ask to plug'n'play with it, I bought mine at the above store and did precisely that, plus they were happy to try out the steering wheel adapters and made sure they worked etc before i left (common problem with mercs)

[SonnyM]

busta said:

Mac Mini + touch screen makes an awesome in-car PC. A Mac Mini will just about fit in a 1 din head unit space with a bit of filing.

I struggle with my communist iPhone let alone a Mac. Although it would be a good reason to upgrade to a GT3 Club Sport with fire extinguisher in case the unit overheated and decided to burst into flames on a hot day...

[Jonny671]

busta said:

Mac Mini + touch screen makes an awesome in-car PC. A Mac Mini will just about fit in a 1 din head unit space with a bit of filing.

Was going to say a Mac Mini would work, small enough too.

[busta]

SonnyM said:

busta said:

Mac Mini + touch screen makes an awesome in-car PC. A Mac Mini will just about fit in a 1 din head unit space with a bit of filing.

I struggle with my communist iPhone let alone a Mac. Although it would be a good reason to upgrade to a GT3 Club Sport with fire extinguisher in case the unit overheated and decided to burst into flames on a hot day...

Haha! Fear not, apple computers are far less communist than apple phones. You can even get open source software and stuff! And run autocratic stuff like windows. Is overheating an issue with Mac Minis? I've had one for 4 years and never had a problem, although it is sat on a desk rather than stuff into a hot cramped dashboard.

[thinfourth2]

SonnyM said:

g3org3y said:

SonnyM said:

Thanks guys.

Car audio always seems at least 5 years behind compared to other AV technologies... Reckon I'll have to build my own in car PC. Bring on 2011!

I've seen quite a few on various car forums, often using a touch screen display as interface or mouse and keyboard stored in the glovebox.

What are you planning to control with the PC?

1. All I want is a great sounding head unit where I can plug in a couple of 500gb solid state drives and play uncompressed WAV or highest quality MP4 files.

2. Updateable Tomtom navigation would be great too (but only Sony do this I belive it has limited storage capacity).

3. And it has to "look right" in my Porsche that has PCM2 and crappy Bose that I will have to rip out...

It's a headache - thus the reason I have been listening to 7000 rpm instead for the last 16 months...!

An empeg will do the audio bit but not the sat nav go find their forum

[k-ink]

thinfourth2 said:

They decided not to have one as it would attract the chavs

There are different sides to car audio. Yes there is an SPL scene for chav's.

However there is also a far more subtle form of it - in the SQ (sound quality) scene. It's not for loudness, but for real high fidelity. A scene where £10,000 amplifiers are hand made for the purpose. £50,000 instals are not unheard of. Some much more expensive than that. And all the kit is hidden. The purpose is for personal satisfaction, not showing off.

[defblade]

OP - can't help with the satnav either, but many stereos can now be connected to a hard drive very easily. You may need to add a 5v power feed to get them to spin up (most HUs don't give enough juice on the USB port) but even that's much easier since all the stanav/ciggie lighter adaptors appeared. I'd look for one with a rear usb socket so the whole lot can be out of sight.

k-ink said:

There are different sides to car audio. Yes there is an SPL scene for chav's.

However there is also a far more subtle form of it - in the SQ (sound quality) scene. It's not for loudness, but for real high fidelity. A scene where £10,000 amplifiers are hand made for the purpose. £50,000 instals are not unheard of. Some much more expensive than that. And all the kit is hidden. The purpose is for personal satisfaction, not showing off.

I'm SQ and hidden away myself, but I can't help feeling some people go waaaayyyyy too far, especially considering you're starting with a car - something that's basically not suited to massive fidelity in the first place... worse again if you actually want to drive it at the same time

[SonnyM]

defblade said:

OP - can't help with the satnav either, but many stereos can now be connected to a hard drive very easily. You may need to add a 5v power feed to get them to spin up (most HUs don't give enough juice on the USB port) but even that's much easier since all the stanav/ciggie lighter adaptors appeared. I'd look for one with a rear usb socket so the whole lot can be out of sight.

k-ink said:

There are different sides to car audio. Yes there is an SPL scene for chav's.

However there is also a far more subtle form of it - in the SQ (sound quality) scene. It's not for loudness, but for real high fidelity. A scene where £10,000 amplifiers are hand made for the purpose. £50,000 instals are not unheard of. Some much more expensive than that. And all the kit is hidden. The purpose is for personal satisfaction, not showing off.

I'm SQ and hidden away myself, but I can't help feeling some people go waaaayyyyy too far, especially considering you're starting with a car - something that's basically not suited to massive fidelity in the first place... worse again if you actually want to drive it at the same time

Thanks. I didn't want to do silly - for me that was AutoAudio quoting £7.5k for:

2 x Genesis amps (heavy and I think they went bust?)
3 way Morel Ltd Edition Carbon fibre speakers
10" Morel sub in footwell
Pioneer Avic touchscreen unit (with admitted crap Nav) - best part of £2k for what?!

The £500 Alpine / JBL setup in my Golf sounded better than the Bose in my Boxster. I don't mind spending more if its worth it...

But it is nearly 2011 and these manufacturers need to sort themselves out, instead of charging silly money for products that are several limited by brand of USB drive / the file format / folder capacity / etc etc...

[defblade]

SonnyM said:

I don't mind spending more if its worth it...

I would say that adding an amp for the front speakers is almost always worth it. Doesn't need to be massive - you won't hear yourself over 2x75w RMS (if the speakers are properly mounted/sealed). Then a small (200w-ish RMS) amp and sub will round things out nicely (8" or 10" fine unless you're into stuff with very low lows (dance/RnB/DnB)).