12 replies to this topic

[shizzle]

Heya,

I have a question about the 'centre' of ones soundstage.
From what I understand, the centre of the soundstage should be in the middle of the dash? This makes sense for many reasons, but practically for the driver, it does not. If your centre is in this position, it is biased towards the left hand side, makig it appear that a singer (if in the centre of the stage on the recording) is always to your left.

TO me it makes more sense that the centre should be directly in front of you. I understand that this makes the left and rights alot less seperated though, and probavly the reason for kleeping the centre, well, in the centre of the two speakers?

I have never heard a true Sound Quality car, so could be misinformed. Am I being idiotic?

Thanks

[BMWTurbo]

There was a thread on exactly this not all that long ago...

I'll try and find the link.

http://www.mobileelectronics.com.au/forums...hl=centre+image

Edited by BMWTurbo, 04 November 2009 - 07:52 AM.

[syd-monster]

Its actually up to you, no one is saying how your car HAS to image, but to allow for judging, we need to establish a common ground.
MEA's competition rules make the same call as most other organized events around the world that indeed center is deep in the middle, being of equal length from side to side of the car. Looking at the rules it explains this quite clearly, at least to me it does.

Its not for every one, some don't agree and feel it should in front of them, others do.

[shizzle]

Heya,

Thanks for the link BMWTurbo (feels weird typing that as a name)

i do agree syd, I was asking more as a clarification if I understand it correctly, not ever having heard a true SQ car.

I prefer my centre to be just to the left of me, to keep good separation, and not quite in the middle, but if I were to compete, I would put it more in the centre, so as not to get penalised.

CHeers,

[syd-monster]

If you do plan to compete, go to a comp first, speak to a judge and have them show you what they mean and what were looking for. Get intimate with the rules and look at a judging sheet. It will give you a reasonable idea if what is trying to be achieved.

Sometimes you need to sacrifice a little of one for the other. You can get good staging & tonality/response. Its seems easier to do in a 1 seat judged car, but it's more of a challenge in a 2-seat car, on top of all that you have variables such type of music, your reference V car etc, environment, there's also not hard set rules about what works and what doesn't in terms of set up/intallation, you have to be prepared for perhaps re-installing etc etc. I've gonne through 4 different front stages, in 3 months... and still not 100% happy. I also compare to my home reference hi-fi than other cars.

[Winno]

shizzle, on Nov 4 2009, 12:50 PM, said:

Heya,

Thanks for the link BMWTurbo (feels weird typing that as a name)

i do agree syd, I was asking more as a clarification if I understand it correctly, not ever having heard a true SQ car.

I prefer my centre to be just to the left of me, to keep good separation, and not quite in the middle, but if I were to compete, I would put it more in the centre, so as not to get penalised.

CHeers,

But that's the thing, a good system will allow you to support both a solid, transparent central image AND give a good even sound stage with elements in their own easily defined spaces.
Imagine you're sitting right of centre stage at a live concert/musical/play - same thing.

[shizzle]

aaah, point taken guys. Thats for educating a noob. just when you think you are starting to understand, you realise you know nothing

knowledge is not king, it just leads you to more questions!

[2LOUD2OLD]

syd-monster, on Nov 4 2009, 02:30 PM, said:

If you do plan to compete, go to a comp first, speak to a judge and have them show you what they mean and what were looking for. Get intimate with the rules and look at a judging sheet. It will give you a reasonable idea if what is trying to be achieved.

Sometimes you need to sacrifice a little of one for the other. You can get good staging & tonality/response. Its seems easier to do in a 1 seat judged car, but it's more of a challenge in a 2-seat car, on top of all that you have variables such type of music, your reference V car etc, environment, there's also not hard set rules about what works and what doesn't in terms of set up/intallation, you have to be prepared for perhaps re-installing etc etc. I've gonne through 4 different front stages, in 3 months... and still not 100% happy. I also compare to my home reference hi-fi than other cars.

and while your at it, maybe try to get a listen to a decent SQ car, I never understood what it was all about until I actually heard it myself

[crosspug]

And then you decided to actually do it well with those darn a pillars.... LOL.......... ^^^

[shizzle]

For sure. I plan on trying to make it to a comp or get together one day. Just live around 500km frm Melbourne, 600km from Sydney, in the middle of nowhere

But will make the trip for sure, once I have my HQ finished.

[2LOUD2OLD]

crosspug, on Nov 4 2009, 08:20 PM, said:

And then you decided to actually do it well with those darn a pillars.... LOL.......... ^^^

you know it

[dharren]

I personally think it weird someday your stage is there and one day its not same song same cd different day. I have been in cars that you could close your eyes and the female singer voice is flirting in front of you and some that you could hear The Eagles all on stage right in front of you as if it was the front row seats of their concert.. It in the setup. Angles of the mids and tweeters on the a-pillar not to forget the depth of the car dash

[~thematt~]

Unless the microphones are located in the front row seating of a concert, you'll never get the impression that you're sitting there unless your speakers are 10' away. In a car, you'll always seem like the lead singer is singing in your face.

Depth should be judged not on the main contributors, but the backups, and the far-instruments. It is these that should be sitting away.

In another thread, Pulse_R draw a fantastic diagram to represent centre respective to depth perspective. The better your depth, the closer to your side centre will appear.

Personally though, I find image and stage a secondary trait. Tonality is much more important in a fruitless environment like a car.