I am an avid music listener. I love to listen to nice music, good music, music with good quality recording. I will spend money to buy CDs and keep them. When I was in Polytechnic, I would read about speakers and amplifiers and wished that I was able to afford them.
As I got older, I just became lazy and got down to listening to stuff like MP3, which is an inexpensive way to enjoy music. However, when I started driving to work, I hardly got to use my MP3 player except while I am jogging.
While driving, I would like to listen to my CDs and MP3. And found that there was something terrrible wrong with my sound system. It was reasonably audible but seriously lacking in quality. It was not even any where close to my iPod nano (on Pioneer Headphones).
So I decided that I would save up (bear with the quality) and have enough to get myself a new I.C.E (In Car Entertainment) system.
The happy day when I got back my car with my new system installed was 12 May 2007. After a month long of asking around and listening around. I settled on following set up below (meant for those who are interested):
Headunit: Pioneer P80
Front Component Speakers: Danish Acoustics Pristinum 6.1
Amplifier for Front Comp: Rockford Fosgate Power Mini T600-2
Sound Proofing: 2 Layer per door (front)
Door Structure: Rebuilt with solid hold for 6.5" woofer.
RCA cables: Ramm Audio Cables/Connects
Extras: Upgraded Car battery, Fuse holder with current readout, Electrical-grounding.
And the results are superb. I do not have a reference sound system setup at home to be a 'pro' to comment on a perfect sound system. But, when I was young, I was obsessed with sound and went to Adelphi (opposite Funan) and listen to the 'uncles' with their reference sound systems at their shops. From there, I learn a bit here and there. And I learn to appreciate that it is not that easy to produce good sound. With a good bass punch (for the very low frequencies ~10-50Hz), good bass hold/reverberation or Mid-bass (frequencies ~50-500Hz), strong Mid ranges for low keys in instruments and vocals' power (frequencies ~500-2kHz) and finally the Highs where most of the details from instruments and sopranos' vocals will emerge (frequencies ~2k- 20kHz). And further to that, a good sound system is able to blend them (all the above) nicely such that they feel like one solid voice in the centre where you should be sitting. The crispness of the strings' instruments, power and impact of horns' instruments, sensations from low key string instruments, and the vocals right in the middle where it will blow you hair standing from your neck.
Back to the setup up in the car.
To me, it sounds just right. Everything about the system sounds right (except for the sounds from the engine). It basically made the hair on the back of my neck stand up when I played the first song as I sat in. I was playing the 2nd track of Steve Vai's album, The 7th song. And I was speechless. I never ever expect that a car could sound good and from then on it changed the perception I had about music in cars. It even made me drive slower just so that I can enjoy the music in the car.
I then tried to put my MP3 CDs in for a try. It made me realized that the quality difference in CD and MP3 was extremely great. MP3 sounded so flat and bland. It is not that the qualtiy of the MP3 is lousy. I usually encode my MP3s at 192kHz which is High Quality. They still were no where near the quality of CDs. Something even more shocking happened after that. My mom loves to sings and is learning to sing as well. She has quite a collection and passed me one set of CDs which is a collection of nice singers titled, Essential Voices. It was recorded using the DSD (Direct Streaming Digital) format from Sony. And I was totally blown away and I had NEVER known CDs to sound that good, to be able to reproduce sounds that are so real, sounds that I thought I would only hear if they were singing live.
The first song from CD1 is evidence to that. Amigos Para Siempere by Sarah Brightman & Jose Carreras. If I remember correctly, its the theme song in one of the Olympics games. Though it may be a modern song with digital instruments being used, there is no denying that the vocals are at a level which is hard to achieve from these 2 singers as examples. The clarity of the song was beyond me and I was speechless enjoying the celestial music and heavenly voices. The system reproduced the bass thumps with vigour and power, the low-mid and mid ranges was carried so pleasantly through the song with the reverberations being felt that draws you into the mood, the highs from Sarah Brightman is a marvel to 'see' and the system was able to clear shine her highs with warmth and clarity without stretching or scratching the listening pleasure. And at the meantime, throwing the power of Jose Carreras voice to your attention with his very powerful vocal range all the way from the Mid-ranges.
This entirely changed my perceptions that all CD recordings sound the same. The fact is that they DON'T sound the same. That is why some CDs cost 19 bucks while some cost 50 - 100 bucks. And with that thought, I set out to find the CD that I have been wanting to own for so very long.
Hell Freezes Over - Eagles
This album is like THE test album for most of the sounds systems in audiophile stores. And needless to say, those who have a bit of liking into rock music will know which song I am referring to. It is Hotel California, live version after 14 year vacation. I know, in theory, the reasons why a lot of people would choose this song as a test track for systems. But to physically hear the 'reasons' being displayed with such grace from a system is over-whelming (in a good way). This song covers a very wide dynamic range of the audible frequencies. (If I remember correctly) There is one bass drum which thumps the very powerful low thumps that you can actually feel the slight blowing wind from the thump. There are 2 Brazilian shakers (dun know the exact term for that instrument). There is at least one bass guitar player which plays the low bass strings with the so detail reverberations that you heard from the track. There are at least 3 main guitar players, one at Mid-low frequencies, another at Mid range frequencies and another at Mid-High frequencies. And of course there is lead singer, with his voice that matured over the years, the husky tonal from the voice makes the song 'feel' real and alive. And basically I can tell you that I can hear all that from the driver's seat of my car, feeling the kicks from the thumps onto my chest, feeling the guitar strings tingling my senses with each pluck, and all the details of the husky voices revealed. It is totally a heavenly feeling.
These days, I am cruising down the expressways with the accompaniment of great music. My colleagues even joke about the importance of a good sound system in the car to keep my dangerous driving at bay. So if you happen to spot a Wish cruising at the speed of <100km/h, before it gets on your nerves, remember that I have a good sound system.
There is surely better systems out there. And I would surely like the chance to hear them. I would also love to share my passion with my friends. If you are interested, do let me know and we shall see if we could arrange to meet up for coffee.
I will look out for more CDs to add to my collection.
Take care and Best Regards,
Ken
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