Audiophiles... a word...

[Beachcomber72]

My personal setup with the Alpine Premium is this. I wanted it to match as close as possible to my McIntosh/Bowers and Wilkins/SVS home audio setup. It’s not even in the same ballpark audio clarity wise but as close as I could replicate.

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[Beachcomber72]

I use this song as a basis for my EQ settings on all music devices.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/hotel-california-live-on-mtv-1994/1453924216?i=1453925093

 

[BullMoose1776]

A true audiophile will use more than the three band EQ that the OEM Alpine has. I'm in the process of putting together a system for a buddy that will have a DSP with 10 channels of EQ/crossover/TA and phase. Each speaker will get it's own power and DSP channel so I will have all of the options I need to make it sound good. The owner appreciates a great sound so she is willing to pay the $4k for equipment and the extra cost for the install and tune from me. Tuning will be done with an oscilloscope, and an RTA.

In a JL Wrangler?

 

[Cutterone]

All personal opinions, I listen to fairly loud (vol. 20-25ish) heavier rock lots of the time, downloaded to phone from apple music (256 AAC). EQ on phone off, Jeep EQ at -2 or 0 bass, mid -4, treble +4. Any more bass and it overpowers the rest, any more mid and it sounds tinny to my ears...Don't bother trying to get good sound from XM, its so compressed its helpless...

 

[jonyothan]

I have the alpine system in a 2 door and sometimes when im listening to something with heavy bass i hear a rattle coming from the back, almost like something is blown, but i bought my jeep brand new and havent even touched my eq yet, will have to try some of these settings. but the alpine system in the 2 door is kinda disappointing compared to my 2010 bmw 335i with the harmon kardon

 

[Terpsmandan]

So here is my take on the factory Alpine. We got her a 21 JLURD about 18 months ago and I would plug my phone in and run Spotify, which sounded great on my 09 JK Infinity with a Pioneer HU and the PRS mod, and I thought that it was lacking in sound quality but it her Jeep and she is not an audiophile. So when I ordered my 22 JLURD, I had planned to replace the HU, figuring that what worked for the JK, would work for the JL. I was also upgrading the speakers and with the 8.4 and new speakers it sounded a little better but not what I wanted. So after swapping out the speakers I accidentally switched over to HD FM and thought, gee this sounds much better than Spotify. So I went into the setting and upgraded my quality settings and lo and behold, what a difference it made. So I also checked out Apple Lossless and it sounded better as well. In the meantime I had already tossed the dash and soundbar speakers and then saw the youtube that @carstereochick posted and went and got a Quart stage 6 kit and installed it, added the third amp and rewired the stock 4 coil sub to show the amp 2 ohms and now I can go to 11. While sorting out he Quart system in my Jeep, I got a second set of JC-108 Quart dash speakers and replaced her stock dash speakers and now it sounds much beter as well. It doesn't get a loud as the quart system but it is still good. Might not get you everything you want with the top down but still pretty good. Might replace her small soundbar speakers with a set of Kicker Dart speakers someday.

 

[Opus]

I use this song as a basis for my EQ settings on all music devices.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/hotel-california-live-on-mtv-1994/1453924216?i=1453925093

Good choice!

 

[Steph1]

treble all the way up, mid at middle and bass one or two notches up the middle. depends on the type of music. I like hiphop and somethimes bass is too strong at 2 notches.

 

[Cutterone]

I wonder how many people these days, no matter the vehicle, put $$$ into the sound system then run super compressed XM through it and wonder why it sounds like crap. I'm betting so many people aren't aware of how low quality the XM feed is. To most people, my wife included, it sounds fine, but to even a slight audiophile it simply won't do, the quality of the source material is as important or even more so than the system itself...

 

[Beachcomber72]

I wonder how many people these days, no matter the vehicle, put $$$ into the sound system then run super compressed XM through it and wonder why it sounds like crap. I'm betting so many people aren't aware of how low quality the XM feed is. To most people, my wife included, it sounds fine, but to even a slight audiophile it simply won't do, the quality of the source material is as important or even more so than the system itself...

That, and also those that use Bluetooth instead of a direct wired source.

 

[Opus]

I wonder how many people these days, no matter the vehicle, put $$$ into the sound system then run super compressed XM through it and wonder why it sounds like crap. I'm betting so many people aren't aware of how low quality the XM feed is. To most people, my wife included, it sounds fine, but to even a slight audiophile it simply won't do, the quality of the source material is as important or even more so than the system itself...

Here's where I think for me ignorance is bliss. The Premium Alpine I have now sounds much better than the system I had, so I'm happy with what it can do. If I were to sit in a fully kitted-out ride that had been tuned to the nth degree, I'm pretty sure I'd think my current system sucks. Then I'd be trying to figure out how to scrape together the funds to upgrade everything... and so it goes...

 

[Beachcomber72]

I have the alpine system in a 2 door and sometimes when im listening to something with heavy bass i hear a rattle coming from the back, almost like something is blown, but i bought my jeep brand new and havent even touched my eq yet, will have to try some of these settings. but the alpine system in the 2 door is kinda disappointing compared to my 2010 bmw 335i with the harmon kardon

On the 2 door I would always have to remove the grille on the floor sub to get dirt or sand out for that very reason.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

I wonder how many people these days, no matter the vehicle, put $$$ into the sound system then run super compressed XM through it and wonder why it sounds like crap. I'm betting so many people aren't aware of how low quality the XM feed is. To most people, my wife included, it sounds fine, but to even a slight audiophile it simply won't do, the quality of the source material is as important or even more so than the system itself...

I just can't stand/do the XM service, it's too awful. I'm a huge fan of Apple's lossless service.

 

[Mx5red]

On the 2 door I would always have to remove the grille on the floor sub to get dirt or sand out for that very reason.

Just turn it up louder to blow the sand out

 

[dpike]

Honestly, the most important setting to me is volume, which I use to drown out the hardtop squeaking, wind noise, and tires.

Off topic but the rear window seals on my hard top use to make all kind of squeaking when dry. I picked up some Honda seal grease and it took are of my squeaks. There's threads here about taking care of those squeaks. My dashboard when it's cold.. now that a whole 'nother story...

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