[MOSFET]

Come on guys! This not the RAC I knew and loved 15 years ago.

IASCA's dead. Alpine has stopped putting advanced parametric EQ's and
time-alignment features on their decks. People ONLY seem to care about
integrating their iPod's substandard MP3 quality music with their
substandard sounding (OK, they have gotten much better over the years)
factory systems. GOD FORBID you tarnish the seamless beauty of your new
car's elegant dashboard with an "aftermarket deck" (said with a distainful
tone).

Is it truly a trade-off: thousands of songs at your fingertips vs. concert
hall quality sound? Can you have both? I don't see why not. It can be
done.

There is basically NOTHING happening in this once venerable Usenet group. I
remember when the "gods" like Manville Smith, Matt Ion, Mark Zarella, Ian
Bjorhovde, and others dispensed wisdom on a daily basis and the ultimate
goal of a "concert hall on wheels" was considered the ultimate nirvana and
endlessly discussed and debated.

What's happened? I think it primarily boils down to the fact that people
today are less likely to mess with their integrated dashboards, and that
factory systems have improved dramatically. Add to that the fact that
people now consider 128 kbps to be "quality sound", where's the need to
improve imaging and staging when those subtle sonic cues are no longer to be
found in the music. I mean, if you think 128 kbps is "as good as it gets",
you will never hear the difference between good speakers, and incredible
speakers.

Well, I still care and I still strive for better and better sound in my car.
I can HONESTLY say that the system in my car sounds better than ANY system I
have ever had (and I competed in IASCA, and did pretty well, in the mid
90's). Quality aftermarket speakers today truly sound incredible, as do
today's amplifiers and head-units. But it's the speakers of today that
REALLY impress me. The tightness and clarity of my Alpine Type R 6.5"
midbass speakers STILL amaze me nearly every day, and I've had them for over
a year now (but they do need TONS of power, almost like a subwoofer, 150
watts RMS just to the midbass drivers, another 50 to the tweeters). I'm
sure recent subwoofer technology changes (like incredibly increased Xmax
figures) have something to do with these incredible midbass drivers.

The point is that car audio IS still improving, you just have to know where
to look. I don't think I will EVER stop improving my car's sound system
(for that matter, I'm sure I won't ever stop improving my home theater).

But it's sad to see so little happening in this group because I have ALWAYS
thought car audio far more interesting than home audio. I mean, any rich
guy can go out and spend $50,000 on some Krell, Audio Note, Lamm, Goldmund,
etc. gear and have fantastic sound in their home, no problem. But the sonic
challanges of the car make EVERY car audio system different and unique.
That's what makes this hobby great. That is what I fell in love with many
years ago, the desire to have a sound system in my car that equalled (and
sometimes surpassed) my home system. It is easy to create great sound in a
large, square room. The fun is creating that same sound in a cramped
environment full of sonic challanges.

Anyway, I felt like ranting. Hell, nothing else was happening, right?

Anyway, it's a little sad. I saw it happening 10 years ago with the death
of IASCA. I knew even WAY BACK THEN times, they were a changin'.

MOSFET
Ian D. Bjorhovde