speaker grills
04-08-2005, 03:43 PM
#12
Yankee
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
As humans, we depend on sight more than any other sense to hunt, gather, and select a mate (and all the unimportant stuff too). For this reason a good looking install "must" sound better than a ghetto install.
A good critical listener may be able to divorce sight from sound, but I have met enough who hear a bling bling setup and assume it truly sounds as good as it looks. Most upscale home audio components are displayed with the covers off to display all the expensive components and gee-whiz technology.
I would take a lesson from industry and make covers that are visually exciting and are removable. This satisfies USACi and the demo car principle. And yes the grill cloth makes a small difference in the sound.
A good critical listener may be able to divorce sight from sound, but I have met enough who hear a bling bling setup and assume it truly sounds as good as it looks. Most upscale home audio components are displayed with the covers off to display all the expensive components and gee-whiz technology.
I would take a lesson from industry and make covers that are visually exciting and are removable. This satisfies USACi and the demo car principle. And yes the grill cloth makes a small difference in the sound.
04-08-2005, 03:44 PM
#13
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,242
^^funny how our senses work.
In most people smell is the most sensitve sense, and the one most closey tied to memory.
And this issue of sight affecting sound is why blind comparative testing is so important. And also why differences are rarely heard in DBT.
In most people smell is the most sensitve sense, and the one most closey tied to memory.
And this issue of sight affecting sound is why blind comparative testing is so important. And also why differences are rarely heard in DBT.
04-08-2005, 07:55 PM
#14
I believe strongly that our eyes play tricks on our ears.
the most common one I hear all the time is when a judge gets into a car with kickpanels....."oh your sound is comming from the kicks". When if you closed your eyes it's clearly comming from above the dash.
Sound is very subjective, which is why I believe to be totally fair, IASCA/USAC judges should be required to wear a blindfold while listening to a car.
the most common one I hear all the time is when a judge gets into a car with kickpanels....."oh your sound is comming from the kicks". When if you closed your eyes it's clearly comming from above the dash.
Sound is very subjective, which is why I believe to be totally fair, IASCA/USAC judges should be required to wear a blindfold while listening to a car.
04-08-2005, 08:05 PM
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
As a competitor and a judge, I always listen to a system with my eyes closed. No distractions. But I absolutly believe that people will automatically place judgement on how somthing "will" sound when they see the location speakers.
I have had guys that built kicks and think they sound phenomenal just cus they are kicks, but in actuality they sound like poo cus they were built like crap.
I dunno...how do you avoid the pre judgement? Blindfolds might help, but do you actually enforse that?
I have had guys that built kicks and think they sound phenomenal just cus they are kicks, but in actuality they sound like poo cus they were built like crap.
I dunno...how do you avoid the pre judgement? Blindfolds might help, but do you actually enforse that?
04-08-2005, 10:56 PM
#18
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 161
I agree with THE fat whacker, even tweaking a system, I always try to take my eyes out of the equation, as funny as it sounds to some, they can trick you and give you a skewed perception of what you're actually hearing and where it's coming from
04-09-2005, 05:33 AM
#19
Guest
Posts: n/a
the reason that i asked this question is becasue i am considering a different approach to building the speaker grills for my car. i agree that what we see affects what/how we hear. i want to build a speakers grill that is large enough to cover both my midrange and tweeter in a unique(not at all shaped like speakers) so that you couldnt tell what speakers i have and exactly where they are mounted, how do you thinmk thsi would affect the way a person would hear, as well this would also get me around the ball point pen touching speakers rule, we all like to think tha we are unbiased but im not to sure that subconciously we always can be
04-09-2005, 06:53 AM
#20
Yankee
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
BobG (on CARSOUND) has a Tiburon with speaker grill cloth covering potential locations. Where and what kind of drivers he uses are a mystery. BTW his car sounds great! I heard him at SBN.
At SBN I also heard Corey Himel who has his speakers proudly displayed (similar to your Neon but not the same) and he has certainly done well in IASCA, USACi and MECA. I thought BobG's Tiburon presented itself VERY well sonically and visually. Coreys was a visual tour-de-force with paint and glasswork everywhere. To each his own I figure, whatever pushes the owner’s happy button is most important (but whatever sounds best is my priority).
I do not think kicks or door speakers have to sound low, BUT I have found A LOT of cars (mine included) with Venetian blind affect (comb filtering) where moving your head changes center/ height etc. Several cars with the best height at finals used kicks. Judges who are short and tall will have varied results (due to the Venetian blind affect) so it is PARAMOUNT if you have this affect to put the judge at exactly the right height and distance from the dash.
[ April 09, 2005, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: JohnVroom ]
At SBN I also heard Corey Himel who has his speakers proudly displayed (similar to your Neon but not the same) and he has certainly done well in IASCA, USACi and MECA. I thought BobG's Tiburon presented itself VERY well sonically and visually. Coreys was a visual tour-de-force with paint and glasswork everywhere. To each his own I figure, whatever pushes the owner’s happy button is most important (but whatever sounds best is my priority).
I do not think kicks or door speakers have to sound low, BUT I have found A LOT of cars (mine included) with Venetian blind affect (comb filtering) where moving your head changes center/ height etc. Several cars with the best height at finals used kicks. Judges who are short and tall will have varied results (due to the Venetian blind affect) so it is PARAMOUNT if you have this affect to put the judge at exactly the right height and distance from the dash.
[ April 09, 2005, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: JohnVroom ]
