Initial impressions of the PXA-H900
Thread Starter
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,783
islandphile, I totally agree with you.
Case and point:
I get quite a few PMs from numerous people on this forum asking for my oppinion.
Folks, that oppinion comes from dwelling in the 95% to %100 domain. So everybody that asks, to some degree benifits from this.
Hey, I'm having fun... So forking out the cash it worth it.
Again, really good point islandphile. I'm kind of a space program fanatic as well, so I relate to what you say quite easily. Formula 1 is very similar in phylosophy as well.
Adam
Case and point:
I get quite a few PMs from numerous people on this forum asking for my oppinion.
Folks, that oppinion comes from dwelling in the 95% to %100 domain. So everybody that asks, to some degree benifits from this.
Hey, I'm having fun... So forking out the cash it worth it.
Again, really good point islandphile. I'm kind of a space program fanatic as well, so I relate to what you say quite easily. Formula 1 is very similar in phylosophy as well.
Adam
Guest
Posts: n/a
the expectation of a system sounding as good going down the road as it does sitting still is ridiculous, do you listen to a great sounding home stereo with the dishwasher and the washer and dryer going in the back ground, of course not, you excpectations would have to be lower due to ambient noise, no need to go any further with that. i believe that the last 5% is what separates the true car audio addicts from the hobbiest. i have one simple question for the f#1 nay sayers, how many of you have installed one in a car and used it? opinions based on conjecture and word of mouth have no place in a discussion about f#1. unless you have had first hand use and installed one how can you say its not worth it. dukk, you say that if you can get 95% of the way with 50% of the $$$$, ask adam and mdx, people that own and use it every day, did you systems get 5% better or less or more. but no matter how great f#1 is, in the hands of people with little skill at tuning a system, a disaster is iminent. you had best have a lot of experience tuning good quality car stereos before using the pxah900.
Yankee
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
My boss (the wife) gets in my car once in a while and listens and then will proclaim my efforts worthy or "needs more work” or the worst of all... "it sounds OK" I mean what in the heck does that mean. There is nothing like the satisfaction of having someone whose opinion you respect (my wife and my youngest son have GREAT ears for audio) compliment your sonic decisions.
The only way to prove/ disprove it is to do it and find out! I think that a pursuit for ‘sonic perfection’ is as noble as many selfish or materialistic endeavors, i.e. a street car that can do 13 sec in the ¼ mile, a perfectly landscaped front yard, bagging the prom queen, getting a new Mercedes. I mean it won’t solve world hunger but it will provide pleasure for the driver and his/her passengers.
as a pragmatist I agree, but if you can afford it why not! If you can’t afford it DON’T do it! I suspect car audio is every bit as addictive as gambling. Sometimes I wonder what the guys spending 20-30K on a car build are spending it on… a lot of things (actuators, fiberglass, paint, forced cooling, deluxe materials) for the presentation etc. None of those items improve SQ!
I have heard some awesome systems this year that were drop dead simple and not all that pricey. So I wonder sometimes if the unlimited budget is sometimes a hindrance to good sound. “I must get this new remote controlled active crossover because Dave Mac said it was great in PAS!” or “this TRU Technology amp MUST be better than the Brax it is more expensive”
And the whole "you need ultimate gear for ultimate sound" and "if it makes the smallest improvement it is worth the price, regardless of what the price is" philosophy makes me wanna barf.
If I can get 95% of the way there for 50% of the cost then I'm more than happy.
I have heard some awesome systems this year that were drop dead simple and not all that pricey. So I wonder sometimes if the unlimited budget is sometimes a hindrance to good sound. “I must get this new remote controlled active crossover because Dave Mac said it was great in PAS!” or “this TRU Technology amp MUST be better than the Brax it is more expensive”
Guest
Posts: n/a
Man, Dave, you're just a walking ad for F#1 aren't you.
I figured that 95% statement would get responses from you four.
Do you really think a $4000 processor makes you "on the edge"? Maybe on the edge of sanity..
Do you really think that having a Brax/Audison/FlavoroftheDay amp makes you more "hardcore" or a "true car audio addict" rather than the guy who 'only' runs *insert major brand here*?
Does a $2500 CD player automatically sound better than a $500 one? 5x better? If it doesn't, what do you do? Can't have a lowly $500 CD player in the 'ultimate SQ car' can you? Better find a $3000 CD player I guess.
Yes I campaign for the 'reality' side of audio where amps are a buck a watt or less and speakers are under $100/inch. Does that mean that I am a "hobbiest" and don't strive for ultimate sound quality?
I wouldn't bet on it.
Sure the megabuck gear has a place and it has a clientele too. The attitude that if one does not own that gear that it makes them or their system inferior though is ignorant.
[ September 15, 2004, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: Dukk ]
I figured that 95% statement would get responses from you four.
Do you really think a $4000 processor makes you "on the edge"? Maybe on the edge of sanity..
Do you really think that having a Brax/Audison/FlavoroftheDay amp makes you more "hardcore" or a "true car audio addict" rather than the guy who 'only' runs *insert major brand here*?
Does a $2500 CD player automatically sound better than a $500 one? 5x better? If it doesn't, what do you do? Can't have a lowly $500 CD player in the 'ultimate SQ car' can you? Better find a $3000 CD player I guess.
Yes I campaign for the 'reality' side of audio where amps are a buck a watt or less and speakers are under $100/inch. Does that mean that I am a "hobbiest" and don't strive for ultimate sound quality?
I wouldn't bet on it.
Sure the megabuck gear has a place and it has a clientele too. The attitude that if one does not own that gear that it makes them or their system inferior though is ignorant.
[ September 15, 2004, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: Dukk ]
^ That was pretty darn well put.
I agree with something Islandphile said though, and that was the bit about pushing the edge in that last 5% range eventually makes everyting better overall (more or less). 30 years ago, the most expensive piece of car audio available would be London Drugs-worthy these days (ie. total crap). Even 20 years ago but to a lesser extent and so on. Eventually, what was the huge dollar/highest quality/best to have/biggest *****/longest ******* item to have today will tomorrow be affordable when the next megadollar item comes out.
I agree with something Islandphile said though, and that was the bit about pushing the edge in that last 5% range eventually makes everyting better overall (more or less). 30 years ago, the most expensive piece of car audio available would be London Drugs-worthy these days (ie. total crap). Even 20 years ago but to a lesser extent and so on. Eventually, what was the huge dollar/highest quality/best to have/biggest *****/longest ******* item to have today will tomorrow be affordable when the next megadollar item comes out.
Thread Starter
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,783
Man..this is some funny stuff to read.
Everybody thinks their right.....and they are!
Got to love CCA in the hands of a few car audio addicts. Why can't everybody just buy an H900 and we can all be friends?
Umm OK?
[img]tongue.gif[/img]
Everybody thinks their right.....and they are!
Got to love CCA in the hands of a few car audio addicts. Why can't everybody just buy an H900 and we can all be friends?
Umm OK?
[img]tongue.gif[/img]
Guest
Posts: n/a
im not saying that if you dont use f#1 that your system is inferior, just not as good as it can be. i dont think that you can get 95% out of a system for half the $$. if you take great speakers,for sake of arguement, the focal utopia 6" components at say 2000$, take any brands "best" cd player say 1000$, get a couple great amps, say the avi, 1100$ each, buy a great woofer, take your pick , lets say 500$, buy some wire, say 750$, lets assume that the install value is inconsequential, being that both installs would be optimum, our high end system would be aroung 6000$, if you think that you can get 95% as good of sound for 3000$, that, imo, is ignorant, keep in mind im talking retail prices. if i sound very pro f#1, your damn right i am. the product has to be used to fully understand how much better it really is and the very significant sq advantages it has over anything else. f#1 has been around for over 2 years now and im not sure if there is anything out there quite like it or anything in the works by any 12 voly manufacturers. its unfortunate that many people dispense with the idea of f#1 based on price before they have ever used it themselves. do you need a f#1 type product to get a great sounding system, of course not, do you need something like f#1 to get better than great, no question you do. to strive for that last 5% you speak of, you have to be on a different level that just a guy interested in car audio. due to the perhaps cost prohibitiveness of products like f#1, many wont ever get to explore the potential that they have, i wish that f#1 and products like it we not as costly as they are, i wish that more people had the oppotunity to use things like it, it would really give people a new respect for it rather than dismissing it without ever having used it. you can try to preach value to dollar to me, i dont belive it.. there si a lot of expesive stuff out there i wouldnt put in my wagon, but the expensive stuff that is really good, walks on even the best value per dollar under 100$ an inch call it whatever you want speakers out there, damn i love defending f#1 [img]tongue.gif[/img]
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,649
Listen guys, I think it's pretty easy to come off saying that by having the best of the best and knowing how to install it and set it up will make some pretty good differences, money aside. It's easy to stand behind that. But another danger of high end........ I defer back to something Adam mentioned........... ego. The elitist [img]graemlins/bs.gif[/img] that surround those that have it and can afford it makes me wanna barf. I'm of the same school as Dukk, I it warms my heart when I see/judge an average equipment install that spanks the elitist ****y ******. Same attitudes in Home audio. F1 is awesome, and there's no doubt about it. But the best F1 user is a humble one that can appreciate the average Joe that just handed him his azz on a plate. 
I saw it happen. Mind you, the guy was using passive cross-over for his front stage.............. with his F1 deck and processor. [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img]
Cars are for driving for the most part. In a realistic sense, if you have to park it in a quiet place to fully enjoy it, why not invest in home audio where the ENVIRONMENT is exponently better and easier to control [img]graemlins/dunno.gif[/img] (that sounds like something a practically speaking woman would say!!) Cars are REALLY REALLY a sh!tty environment for audio, except for the natural low frequency gains you can get in the cabin.
I think you honestly need to re-think this. This is an immature comment. That last 5% can get you into some serious money. What about the guy that can't afford to pay to play at that level??? Is he any less of a serious enthusiast??? Would he demand any less of your attention???? That my friend is one of those elit-ist comments. Some of the best car audio systems in the world DO NOT USE F1, even though you find it to be the best of the best. Most of the guys pushing the envelope on the competition scene (last time I looked) are NOT using F1.
Honestly, you can't be a nay-sayer technically about the F1 system because it's just that good. Defro, are you running an F1 setup in your ride? I hope so. 
I saw it happen. Mind you, the guy was using passive cross-over for his front stage.............. with his F1 deck and processor. [img]graemlins/bow.gif[/img]
the expectation of a system sounding as good going down the road as it does sitting still is ridiculous, do you listen to a great sounding home stereo with the dishwasher and the washer and dryer going in the back ground, of course not, you excpectations would have to be lower due to ambient noise, no need to go any further with that.
i believe that the last 5% is what separates the true car audio addicts from the hobbiest.
i have one simple question for the f#1 nay sayers, how many of you have installed one in a car and used it? opinions based on conjecture and word of mouth have no place in a discussion about f#1. unless you have had first hand use and installed one how can you say its not worth it
Guest
Posts: n/a
yes i do use f#1 and have installed many. f#1 products and "products like it" are used in many of the best sounding cars in the world right now. i would agree that the term hobbiest was a poor choice of words to use. at some point there has to be a line drawn in the sand between enthusiast and the the feaks, and its unfortunate that the line is $$$$. i cant belive that some guy would buy f#1 and use passives, a perfect expample of a guy that has a very powerful tool and uses it poorly. im not trying to come across as an elitest or arrogant, if that is the case, that wasnt the intention. just trying to defend a product and others like it that have never used by people. i wish it was a responsible thing for me to ship people a pxah900 and a 7990 to insert into their system and give them plenty of time to utilize it, im not sure how many i'd get back, or how many divorces and really uncomfortable conversations with wives/girlfriends that it would cause. i still dont think you can get 95% of a porsche buying a volkswagon [img]tongue.gif[/img]
