Is good enough really good enough?

Is JL audio components, stock speaker locations, and a w7 in the back good enough?

I'm building a 300zx. Going to be RHD, nice suede and leather interior the whole bit. Going for a nice, clean, daily driven type of build, For now.
But I want some good audio in it.
At first, we were thinking about going balls out. stripping it all the way down, sound proofing, custom speaker mounts, audio processor etc etc But I'm starting to think that it isn't gonna be worth it. Seems almost like the gap from "good enough" to "awesome" isn't very much in audible sound but huge in price tag.
Right now we're in the "paper build" part of it. Pricing it all out, getting a solid plan put together while the funding gets worked out. We don't want to sound like the average, wal mart bought, tossed together, sound system. We want better than that, but it doesn't need to be a competition level build either. With my limited knowledge of the audio industry, I don't really know where to draw the line as far as "good enough"

Is a stand alone audio processor really going to give that much better sound?
or can a decent head unit handle it?

Would the average person notice the difference between a door mounted component versus a custom kick panel install?

Any recommendations? components, subs, tweeters, amps, head units, processors, sound deadening, wiring, etc etc etc? tips, tricks, cheat codes?

hugely appreciated.

 

oh, some overall goals for the car,
-it is a 300zx 2+2 (hatchback with a backseat)
-would like to maintain functionality as it will be driven daily. Can sacrifice some truck space because of the back seat, but don't want to make the truck space useless.
-Would like it to sound good quite but also be clear when it cranked up.
-Don't want to be a rattly mess and would like the bass to come through when it is banging. Don't want to just hear the tweeters from outside.
-Would like it to still sound good when cruising with the t-tops off.
-The car will be going to several shows so it needs to look good and sound good when all opened up.

Pretty sure that covers most of it.

The interior is going to be pretty much totally redone. Going to get stripped down to the sheet metal and built back up. Planning on custom insulation to block as much heat as possible. (got a bunch of other custom things going on too, like rear a/c vents and intakes)
So we aren't really limited to the stock set up. The main concern is the end result's functionality.

 

well are you trying to use certain manufacturers? like only brands you can get your hands on or is this an im open to ideas kind of thing? i kno we focus on two different aspects of car audio but id love to give some input. iv gone a more simple route with my set up too, cutting out my EQ which i have not seen any real difference in tuning vs the pioneer HU im using now. id love FI/ascendant audio try there lower line like an assasin or chaos they produce a great sound on little power. is this going to be a sealed or ported box? try a bandpass if u can fit one in there, might help with the top off. i use pro audio mids (i kno not everyones cup of tea) but i hear there are some components out from ppl like addictive and other SPL oriented companys that sound good. i really like the range these db drive p55d (or something of the sort) carry, and the way they sound doing it.

 

Ok, just to let you know I have owned 4 1990-96 z32's and all I went with was 1 JL 10W0 in a 10" Bazooka tube / 500X1 JL Amp / Infinity kapa's in stock locations and that was insane. The hatch is like a concert hall for sound, and if the speaker is placed in a good spot and well insulated (dynomat) the SPL's are amplified even more. And the FACT that JL Audio is the SHIT teamed with a hatchbachk (300z) I think you should be fine. And if you want to blow people away like I wanted to I think it would be good if you went with a plexigalss hatch window and my choice of Viper 15's with nothing less than a 1000w amp then no body will be able to sit inside your car and breath at the same time. LOL!!! I used only one of mine and it blew out my hatch window like a stick of DY-NO-MITE!!! If you want to kill'em make sure you kill'em "DEAD". Like I tell me girl all the time "If you got it, play it loud or don't play at all." cuz once you start just like everything thing in life "Enough will never be Enough".

 

are you being serious?

 

no, not set manufacturers in mind. Since we are still in the "paper build" part of this project, we're open to any input.
Would be nice if the stuff was somewhat easily gotten a hold of. I don't mind tracking some stuff down, but I don't want to focus on trying to find some super rare part.

Its kind alike we want the best of both worlds. We want to get loud, but we want it to sound good in the process.

I'm looking for the "break point"
When you build an engine, you spend 10% of your money getting your first 90% of your power. Then you spend the remaining 90% of your money getting the last 10%.
Well, how much of that higher end stuff falls into that last 10%? IE, custom kick panel mounts, or $1,000 component speakers or $12 a foot wiring or a stand along audio processor?


as for the sealed, or ported, I don't know. I always thought that the box depended on the sub you were using. I've not really wrapped my head around the pros and cons of sealed vs ported vs bandpass. I get the general concepts of each, but once you start talking about efficiency and all of that, I'm totally lost. I do want it sharp and crisp and "punchy", but I want it to get deep and low. So from when I know about them, the sealed box seems to be the best route. But "they" say that a ported box is more efficient and therefore, if built properly, better. Bandpass, from what I understand, is for a narrow range and basically just for getting loud, sacrificing a lot of sound quality. but again, my knowledge is limited.

the reason I first threw out JL audio is that I have heard a JL audio car and thought it sounded fantastic. I know it had a pair of older 10 inch subs and they were really nice sounding.
I was at a car show recently and sat in the (I believe it was alpine) Alpine show car. A newer mustang. Not sure on the brand, but it sounded fantastic.
Didn't get to crank up either of those systems to really test them out. But I couldn't help but wonder if they sounded that good because they had a huge parts list and cost several grand to put together, or if similar results could be had for much less. (again, going back to that 10%-90% thing)

 

that sounds like the rattly car, mushy sounding type of build I'm trying to avoid.
The goal isn't to blow windows out.
Don't get me wrong, I'd like to crank it and feel it in my chest (sometimes) but I don't want it to just rattle all over the place and all you can hear is a loud bass.
I've heard those stupid loud guys. They don't sound good. They are just loud as hell. I'd like to hear the words to my song and not just in between bass notes.

 

If your building the car, start with deadener. Read up on this website, and shoot the guy an e-mail he is awesome at helping you obtain your goals, Sound Deadener Showdown - Your Source for Sound Deadening Products and Information. He doesn't even care if you use his product or not.

Next I would look into an active set-up. A 2-way front stage with a single sub should be more than enough, especially if you got a good processor. You could get all the speakers for fairly cheap, a processor is where your money will be at, but will make the world of difference.

 

You're going to get a variety of opinions on this topic, and i'll be glad to add mine. It sounds to me like you're looking for a more SQ-oriented setup that is capable of playing rather loudly. In my opinion a nice front stage, a good powerful amp, and a mid-level single subwoofer are likely to fit your needs nicely. As mentioned above some sound deadener is going to be important in that car to calm down all the little rattles and resonances as well. No matter how good the equipment sounds, if there is buzzing and rattling making you crazy you can't enjoy it.
I like to ask if there is even a rough budget in mind when I'm designing a system for my customers. Obviously it may change during the process, but even a rough idea can get you in the park. It's no help to spec a 3500$ system if you'd prefer to only spend 1500$, or the other way around. I always encourage most people to lay the majority of their budget to the amplifier first, front stage second, and then depending on the budget either the processor or the sub system next. There are great sounding systems for almost any budget, but obviously the quality leaps upward as you are willing to spend more on better parts.
Your analogy with the engines 90%/10% this is pretty right on. The thing about building a high end system that makes use of that last 10% is that you need everything in the system to be able to perform at the highest level(with one exception that I'll get to last). Buying the best subwoofer on the market wont do you any good if it's powered by a 99$ flea market amplifier, it will likely work much worse than a much cheaper woofer would. I sell a certain component set that I simply will not install unless it's being powered by a certain level of amplifier, because anything under level that simply doesn't work right and the customer wont end up happy. The exception is buying an amp that is of a much higher level than the rest of the system. You simply cannot buy "too good" of an amplifier. Even cheaper speakers will sound better with more, cleaner, better controlled power. And a high quality amplifier can provide you with great sound for dozens of years, while speakers by nature of their constant movement will eventually wear down. Again back to why I recommend people allow a large part of their budget to the amplifier. In your case you may even find a good quality 5 channel amp will serve you needs well, while saving a little space. The processor is a part that will help quite a bit, but only if you get the right one and use it correctly. I dont't bother with any sort of little 1/2 din EQ or the like most of the time. Most decent head units will do everything they can do, only better. You need something to truly affect the sound field with things like time correction. The BitOne, MS8 are 3sixty.3 are in my opinion the best options out there right at this moment. If they can be fit into the budget without having to downgrade the rest of the system they can make a huge difference.

 

Well, at this point lets say the budget is going to be somewhere in the 2,500 range.
That will change. And can be increased if it is warranted. Part of the confusion comes into play when trying to figure out if adding an extra 500 bucks to the budget will yield noticeable results. Or if even adding 1,500 bucks to the budget will yield noticeable results.
I've seen some cars put together for under 2 grand and they sounded just as good as a 6 grand setup.
So, at this point, I'm planning on about 2,500 bucks, but that is including all of the extra stuff, like sound deadening.
at least, at this point.