Audio Review Inside

[Jibberish18]

This is posted simultaneously at the TCCA. I'm gonna be making reviews on the other products in my car and I thought it might come in handy to you guys.

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X817
Availability: Discontinued
Price Paid: Approx $305 including S/H on ebay.
Features:22 watts RMS, 50 Watts Peak Power, 4.5 Volt Preamp Outputs, Low Output Impedance 80 ohms, 105 Signal To Noise Ratio, Gold Plated RCA's, Kenwood Exclusive System E Advanced Crossover system, Quad 1 Bit Digital to Analog Converters, Low Distortion Audio Circuit, Zero Mute Circuit, Loudness, System Q Sound Fine Tuner, 8 Times Oversampling, D-Mask, Motorized Detachable Face, Angled Face Option, Illuminated Buttons (Green and Red interchanging by user) Compatible with Excelon Amps, Dot Matrix Motion Display, Ebony Shiny Finish, Remote Control with Attenuator at 20db. Front, Rear and Non-Fading RCA outputs.
Pros:Beautiful sounds, Cool Display, 3 sets of RCA's and great features to start a very decent sound system.
Cons:Cannot turn off Internal amplifier, Cluttered Buttons, Remote cannot search (fast forward or reverse) through your tracks, Unit heats up after extended use.
Overall Review:This stereo is fantastic! I had a Pioneer DEH-P4100 in my car before and it sounded good but it was just missing something. So when I snapped a few months later and decided I was gonna build the ultimate sound system for my car a few months later I instantly started researching what stereo I was going to purchase. As we all know your stereo is the heart of your audio system and will play a major role in the sound that comes out of your various speakers. Well I was looking for something with a high Signal to Noise Ratio as I've heard that your Amplifier will only play as high a S/N Ratio as your stereo will allow. 105 db sounded nice to me. As I researched a bit longer everything from the price to the features sounded nice to me. So I purchased and it and installed it. The first thing I noticed on my factory speakers compared to my Pioneer is that this puppy could play at high levels with reduced distortion and crystal clear accuracy. As I learned more about the stereo, I was more and more impressed. It had many features such as changing button color, Turning on traffic emergency reports, and others. But the wonderful thing is the ability to fine tune your sound by adjusting Bass, Mids, and Highs to a considerable degree. And if you're a precision type of person the built in crossovers will help you define your system to match your likings. It has 3 sets of RCA's including one for your Subwoofer so that you can set the level of your sub without harming your other speakers volume levels. Black polished finish gives it a nice tone for setting a classy setting in your car. Security Features include a D-mask for going somewhere quickly to buy something, a security code, and a Detachable face. All I can say is this stereo sounds amazing. I'm using it with other high quality components and I'm very happy. I still feel robbed for the fact that I can't turn off the internal amplifier to have an improved sound. Alpine has it why can't Kenwood? BTW 2 year warranty. Not bad.

<small>[ August 21, 2002, 01:00 AM: Message edited by: Jibberish18 ]</small>

 

[thebigjimsho]

Too bad it doesn't have a better digital to analog converter. The sound would be even better. 16, 20 or 24 bit converters are the way to go. All I want is a couple year old Clarion drx-9255z head unit. Simple, elegant and crystal clear.

 

[Jibberish18]

Polk DX8-4
Availability: Discontinued, but can still be found at various websites.
Price Paid:$96.95 from Audio Website/Store in New York
Features:Polymer and Graphite Cones are extremely strong and are able to keep their shape when put under a stressful situation avoiding possible distortion or breakup. Can be put in very small enclosures with amazing results. Thick and tough Rubber surround for more durability and better cone movement. 4" 2 layer voice coils. 8 Ohm or 4 Ohm options. Handles 200 watts RMS. 400 Watts peak Power Handling, Sensitivity 84 db, 40 oz. Magnet
Pros:Big BOOM in a very small box .33 Cubic Ft. Takes the heat!
Cons:8" may not be enough to satisfy some wink . Needs a lot of power.
Overall Review:This subwoofer is simply an amazing piece of equipment. 8 inches in diameter and able to fit in such a tiny box yet capable of so much damage that I can honestly quote and say "that this little tyke puts some 10" and 12" subs I've heard to shame". It goes in a sealed box which is .33 cubic feet in size and delivers a decent amount of frequencies. It hit's low frequencies with awesome accuracy while still being able to deliver higher frequencies with song such as "Dido" or "Garbage" with good accuracy. In fact I've played some of the lowest frequencies in any song (can't remember the song name) and it was delivering the bass! Most importantly it sounds natural. It also handles a lot of power. I am currently throwing 286 watts RMS and I have my Non-Fading Sub control to MAX and it has performed well and consistently. Although it does have it's limits. At some point the cone will distort and you will hear Voice Coil Bumping but what do you expect from an 8" inch? This does not bother me since I cannot hear any of this distortion from my drivers seat. Fans of showing off their equipment may want to be alert. Also this is the first 8" sub I've seen with Dual Layer 2" Voice Coils. Paired with a Trunk full of the sound dampener called RAAMAT, the subwoofer efficiency is greatly enhanced and more frequencied are heard along with bass hitting much harder. All in all this 8" along with an 8" Boston Acoustics sub would probably be the only 8" subs I'd go near. If you are a person with on a quest for natural sound who doesn't want too much bass in their music but just that right KICK, then this maybe the item for you. Bassheads steer clear. You'll rarely find an 8" to satisfy your monstrous hungers.
Sidenote:Instructions on Polks website give step by step details on how to build a box that will allow the DX8-4 to play up to 130db!

<small>[ August 21, 2002, 01:03 AM: Message edited by: Jibberish18 ]</small>

 

[Konos44]

105db?! Am I the only one in here under 30?! I had 1x12" Rockford Fosgate Punch series sub running on a Punch 60x2 in my '87 Firebird and I was hitting 125db with the windows down.

Give me 6 months, I just bought my SHO last month, here's the plan:

2x15" DVC Fosgate Subs running off a Punch 250m (yeah I like the old stuff)
Phoenix Gold QX series component set
Lanzar tweeters
Phoenix Gold QX series amp of some sort (don't know PG stuff that well, buts its good quality anyway).

I've been a car audio buff for 10 years, and let me tell you. No matter what the vehicle, do it right the first time! You won't regret it!

Only problem is building a custom box with proper air space that still fits in your trunk! ... Oh, and you can forget about putting anything in there when your done!