I was wonderign if anyone in here has run the A/D/S 346cs component set? If you have do you like it? Has A/D/S taken a fall since the DEI take over cause I know all the other equipment has. Any info would be appreciated. Also if you have run this set what other sets can you compare them to? Thanks guys
Do you own the 346cs? It's pretty expensive. I don't spend too much time with component systems. I know there are many brands and models but so far I've been able to achieve the sound I expect by mixing and matching. There are some that cost over $1000. I thought of purchasing one but when I broke down the components, I didn't see anything worth $1000. I can get sounds just as good, if not better by using active crossover and 3 separate speakers, woofer, mid and highs. It might take a bit more time in setting them up, but once done, the result will be worth it. The way I see it is, amp is the most important piece in sound reproduction cause unlike, speaker components, you can't replace parts to achive better sound quality. Everytime I read posts/recommendations about speakers, it just makes me wonder sometimes. I hear a lot of "get this brand/model cause for clear vocals" or "such and such for hard highs" etc. Maybe it applies to newbies that doesn't want to spend any time tinkering. But anyone into high quality audio, must know throwing money at expensive components doesn't guarantee you the best sound. I see some Boston sets over $600. Sure they sound great, but I can get similar sound with $150 component with upgraded pieces. The point I'm trying to make is, there are too many people on here with mind set that thinks you can only get great SQ by going with Boston's/CDT's top models. I'd like to take all of them and do a little demo. They'd be surprised with the results.
Install and tinkering is 90% of audio, but a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. The speakers are by far the most important in a system IMO. Apples to apples you can easily tell a difference in speakers, with amps it's a huge debate and not noticeable until clipping levels. I do agree that a couple of raw drivers and an active crossover can go just as far as a high dollar component system, but that depends on which raw drivers you're talking about and if you match them well, just a "good" raw driver still isn't going to match up to a Morel, Dynaudio, DLS midbass, regardless of tuning and tweeking. Speakers have limitations and an EQ, processor, crossover, can't fix all of them, no matter how intelligent the processor may be. An EQ or processor can't fix the tonality of the speaker itself, it can't improve the performance of a speaker that has fatiguing cone resonance in upper midrange, it can't improve upper midrange performance after inductive rolloff well, it can't improve midbass of a driver without driving it to distortion, it can't prevent a weaker cone from flexing at high excursions, so on and so forth. I'm not comparing extremely crappy to extremely good either, there is a big design difference just between the good and great stuff. Speakers have far more compromises to be made than an amplifier. An amplifier is mainly about build quality, an AB amp is simple in it's operation and the the materials used are what makes a quality amp assuming it's executed well, it's not topology, a special engineering technique, or anything else. With speakers you have a lot more effort to put forth. You must balance efficiency with control, prevent resonance while still maintaining cone strength (very hard to do, the more rigid a material, generally the more resonant), have motor strength without using too much wire, as it can increase inductance of the driver and result in an early rolloff, the surround must damp and not lose a lot of efficiency, on top of that you have to consider off axis performance in a car, make a total suspension that performs well with an optimum balance between electrical and mechanical damping, and matches to the application it's in. You have to design a tweeter that complements the mid and blends in as far as tonality, and also starts where the mid left off. Often tweeters need a low resonant frequency and be able to play down to around 2khz, because of the fact that mids roll off around 2khz in a factory door applications. They also have the same issues as a midrange, except the treble region is very unforgiving and easily percieved as harsh or fatiguing. Metal domes suffer from resonance issues, and the resonance peak in the 20khz region can still cause intermodulation distortion in the upper treble range due to harmonics. The suspension of the speaker affects the impedance curve of a driver as well, not just the voice coil and it's inductance. You want a speaker that keeps it's linearity within the gap at different volume levels, if not you get sloppy performance at high volume levels and at different frequencies. Then the crossover needs to be engineered for a good transition at the crossover frequency, offer good performance for the axis that it is intended for, possibly compensate for the impedance curve of the driver, and do all that without ringing or poor transient response. It typically takes a company years to design a top of the line component system, with millions of dollars of research, amplifiers are usually designed by a single electrical engineer in a matter of months. Just a lot of physics and a lot of trial and error in a speaker system, it isn't as simple as choosing a mid, or a woofer, or a tweeter IMO. The reason that people do ask about component system is that regardless of tuning, they will all still offer different pros and cons and will still have a sonic character of their own. I prefer choosing drivers that will provide the flattest frequency response I can get in a setup without processing, then use an EQ for minor tweaks. Lots of EQ results in a sloppy impedance presented to the inputs of an amplifier, requiring the amplifier to work harder at certain frequencies. Add the fact that the load put upon the amplifier by the speaker isn't uniform or optimal either, affecting the headroom and potential output of the amplifier. You'll clip the amp earlier at high volume levels and you'll generally get less than optimum performance out of the system as a whole. If you look at the impedance curve of Dynaudios speakers for example, it is extremely flat and almost entirely resistive, making an easy load for any amp and offering a pretty flat response from the get-go, assuming the install is what it should be.
Okay did someone post a book? The point I was trying to make was that, too many people get too fussy with "average" component systems. It's not the end of the world if a particular brand/model didn't offer "certain" kind of sound. They can all be altered with a small fee and time. Take Polk Audio MM6 component. I took that and active crossover, and carefully selected mids & highs that complimented the mid-bass woofer. Now it sounds better than most components that cost 2x - 3x as much. The vocals and highs are very clear and precise. I think people can learn and benefit more if they spend a little quality time experimenting, at the same time, saving some money too.
I wasn't trying to argue, just saying my preference is in the speakers more so than the amps. Not putting down your opinion in any way. Like I said above, I agree with you that raw drivers and a custom crossover can go a long way for the money spent.
well I bought the A/D/S comps I got a pretty good deal on them installed so I went with them. I have the Boston Pro's which I was happy with but they dont seem to have the clarity and soft response of the A/D/S' Well thanks for the enjoying resposes Isaac and Jon I agree with you both but I just dont have the time to mix and match comonents like Isaac recomended. I listened to the A/D/S set in a car not just on the soundboard and I was blown away with the clarity and incredible detail so they sold themselves plus the fact that I got them for $250 under retail
Price, cosmetics, or brands: none of them really matter.
Matching the actual SPL levels, actual total system frequency response, and speaker placement counts more than anything else.
For instance a 6" driver in the door, a tweeter next to the visor, and a subwoofer in the trunk:
Comon people, can you really get true sound imaging from that setup? I have installed a lot of resistors on tweeters because they were so much more efficient than the mids or bass just because of phase alignment.
When all the sound comes from the same location, you are more likely to get a better image than the example I stated above.
The next time you look at a speakers frequency response graph. Note the off axis response. It is usually choppy and drops off much before its on axis response.
Test it for yourself. Take a small bookshelf home speaker and listen to it while standing in front of it. Then move away from it either left or right. You should hear a noticeable difference.
Component systems try to match because they are made by the same manufacturer, but thats never a 100% guarantee that you will get true sound reproduction from that setup. Passive crossovers help smooth out the response somewhat, but it is a science to achieve a flat response.
I agree with you but I am not trying for loud I am trying for Quality. I have owned many different component sets Boston,Focal,Infinity, and I feel that the a/D/S's have a great natural sound to them. Well anyways I got them so now I cant wait to put them in
