home audio compared to car audio technology?

[big deal]

First of all, great discussion. As for the original question of technology? Its apples and oranges. New technology is developed to overcome obsticles and although both areas deal with sound reproduction, the environments are so different that technology is driven in different directions. Thats not to say that they may not borrow innovations from each other down the road but given that the best, cost no object, state of the art home audio equipment makes no compromise for size, power consumption, placement etc. means that the playing fields are uneven. Even though car audio is a much newer market and most of its technologies have been borrowed from home, there have been great advancements my opinion. Amplifier technology as mentioned earlier in the thread, subwoofers capable of insane power handling and output in tiny enclosures (although this may not be your cup of tea), off-axis frequency response for drivers used in non ideal locations, components that can withstand the pounding of road travel as well as temperature ranges from minus 30 to 130 degrees... all things that would not (likely) have been developed by home audio manufacturers because the need doesnt exist.

Any one else find it funny that this seems off topic and its a response to the original thread?

 

[annunaki]

If I can make a slight correction T-class amplifiers do exist even if they "coined" the phrase, think about it this way If you locate a previously never before seen star in the sky you have the right to name it, or if you design a new technology you can call it whatever you feel like.

Class D by nature can not run full range it is virtually an extremely rapid switching B class amp (I know there's more to it) and the switching in turn causes audible high frequency atifacts heard through the out put. D class also utilizes PWM technology which is the primary characteristic of D class and T-class uses no such thing http://www.tripath.com/downloads/an1.pdf.

Back to car you said that heat a space are now becoming a concern for home if I understood correctly, whereas it has always been a concern in car plus many other aspects not really worried about in home (most commonly efficiency until recently)

Essentially, isn't a "Class T" amplifier and Class D amplifier with and adjustable PWM frequency? More or less, that is what they seem to be describing. "Class T" just seems to use a switchable frequency PWM with very high bandwidth that keeps the artifacts out of the audible range.

 

[Hi Ho]

This is a very interesting discussion. I actually read it all the way through. I don't usually do that with long threads.

When I am driving I have things on my mind other than the soundstage, like, umm... driving? I love listening to music in my car but I don't spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to make it perfect. I have a decent head unit and some decent speakers and it really doesn't sound half bad. Does it sound as good as my home system? No, I don't expect it to.

Some day I will upgrade to a better head unit, seperate amps, and a subwoofer but for now my system sounds great.

I actually have two cars with decent sound systems. My 95 Civic has a Clarion head unit and Altec Lansing speakers. The speakers are only 4" but people that ride in that car swear there is a subwoofer. They really sound good. My 1990 Civic has a Panasonic head unit and some Lightning Audio speakers I picked up at Wal-Mart for $30. I'll bet many of you would be surprised at how good this setup actually sounds. It's not spectacular but it rivals and/or beats many car systesm I have heard that cost hundreds or thousands more. How can that be? Those systems focused mainly on super loud, muddy, and boomy bass. My systems have have good response in the low, mid and high ranges like any good sound system must.

There is no brilliant sound stage in my cars like in a home system but frankly I don't notice those kinds of things when I am driving. I don't notice all of the little details. Road noise covers many of those things up.

One real acoustical nightmare is my 1977 F-250 SuperCab. The doors are hollow sheet metal and the bass sounds terribly boomy. Some day I may try to remedy that. That truck could have a decent sound system if I could lessen the resonance in the doors. There is actually less road noise in the truck than my other vehicles.

 

[Sheep]

Heres my 2 cents.

A car has 40% of the wall surface area covered in glass. Homes dont.

Thusly, the car system will not be better, Unless you like the "Bose" experience.

SheepStar
PS - The car has to be drivable inorder for it to be considered.

 

[Tone]

I do know about this one: Home audio by far, for alot of the reasons already mentioned - although my $3000 car amplifiers etc. are amazing for operating on only 14.4 volts and coupled with Focal speakers (not unlike the JM Labs I have in one of my home systems) and at high volumes they are comparible.- But you have to spend at least $5000 to get the performance of the car system.