What is your Car Sound Setup? (Merged Threads)

**Johncsong** · June 28th, 2012 10:17 PM

Recent upgrade from stock:

Head unit - stock for Mitsubishi ASX (AVT)
Front : Focal 165 K2P
Rear : Focal Polyglass 165 V30 (component only that served as midbass)

**monty_GTV** · June 29th, 2012 04:05 AM

Originally Posted by Johncsong

Recent upgrade from stock:

Head unit - stock for Mitsubishi ASX (AVT)
Front : Focal 165 K2P
Rear : Focal Polyglass 165 V30 (component only that served as midbass)

hi sir Johncsong, anong sub at ampli gamit mo? i'm planning to have a similar set-up, either 165 V30 or 165 KR as my front seps...thanks!

**jhnkvn** · June 29th, 2012 07:22 PM

Guys, I would like to point out that when thinking of spending more than 20,000php on speakers, upgrading your head unit to one with adequate tuning features or purchasing an external processor would yield an immense price-performance benefit than "going up" the speaker exotic-ness and price list. In fact, I would recommend anybody who's going to spend more than 10,000php on speakers to invest in one. To put emphasis on this, I would rather get a 10,000php speaker with an excellent head unit over a 80,000php speaker with a stock head unit as the former would sound better.

As for the two, the 165KR would play louder, a tad bit more "raw", and more detailed while the V30 would be smoother. Between the two, I'd go for the V30 as Focal's anniversary Polyglass was really excellent at 20,000php. To sum the Kevlar series, it'll be powerful and refined while Polyglass would be smooth and detailed. Take note that the K2P series is derived from the more expensive Utopia due to the 50% kevlar and 50% W-membrane cone material. However, once you reach Focal's home audio.. there's no Kevlar-series -- it's only Polyglass and Utopia membranes so the V30 isn't inferior either ;)

**monty_GTV** · June 30th, 2012 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by jhnkvn

Guys, I would like to point out that when thinking of spending more than 20,000php on speakers, upgrading your head unit to one with adequate tuning features or purchasing an external processor would yield an immense price-performance benefit than "going up" the speaker exotic-ness and price list. In fact, I would recommend anybody who's going to spend more than 10,000php on speakers to invest in one. To put emphasis on this, I would rather get a 10,000php speaker with an excellent head unit over a 80,000php speaker with a stock head unit as the former would sound better.

As for the two, the 165KR would play louder, a tad bit more "raw", and more detailed while the V30 would be smoother. Between the two, I'd go for the V30 as Focal's anniversary Polyglass was really excellent at 20,000php. To sum the Kevlar series, it'll be powerful and refined while Polyglass would be smooth and detailed. Take note that the K2P series is derived from the more expensive Utopia due to the 50% kevlar and 50% W-membrane cone material. However, once you reach Focal's home audio.. there's no Kevlar-series -- it's only Polyglass and Utopia membranes so the V30 isn't inferior either ;)

hi sir jhnkvn, i got your point since i want to keep my stock HU. we all know that the key to a good SQ set-up is first to have a good HU. as the saying goes garbage in, garbage out. no matter how exotic the speakers are, we can't really harness the full potential of the speakers unless we have a good HU to feed them. now to enhance the factory HU, i'm sold to the idea of having a sound processor. i'll check out with mickey when i bring my ride to them.

i saw your set-up with your sonata in earlier post, you must have invested well in your car audio system, really geared to the "music" side. not to mention your "priceless" xtant ampli. and you have JBL MS-8 sound processor. the tweeter aluminum casing protruding from the pillars are also cool, craftmanship is excellent!

i'll definitely go with focal seps and probablly RF ampli ang JL subs..

**Johncsong** · July 4th, 2012 12:37 AM

Hi Monty_gvt, the front and rear speakers/seps are driven plainly by the AVT HU currently. Pretty "raw" indeed as preferably a decent amp would be able to bring out more from these babies, but suits me fine at this point. The excess tweeter and crossover actually from the polyglass v30 is left in the box currently that i am thinking of disposing soon....

Hi jhnkvn, cannot argue more with you on the points laid out. I have a stereo setup at home with NAD amp/cdp paired with a B&W bookshelf speakers (kevlar as well) and the high current output of the NAD just drives the B&W with ease, sounding like a tube actually.

**Johncsong** · July 4th, 2012 12:43 AM

Erratum : monty_gtv my bad, had it monty_gvt, no amp and sub yet for my recent upgrade. Got the Focal polyglass V30 limited edition by the way. HU would be next in line then likely a pair of good amps....if budget allows.

**boogielloyd** · July 5th, 2012 09:06 PM

after a long research...finally had my monty's simple sq setup and heres what i've got

HU: Stock AVT HU of 2012 Montero
Seps: Focal Performance PS165(front doors deadened)
Amp: Firland 360.4 planning to replace this with Dominations Atom 2.0 (mas ok kaya?)
Sub: Dominations ZB12 in a customized enclosure.

from an initial budget of 15k to 30k++... anyway worth it naman

**jhnkvn** · July 6th, 2012 01:44 AM

Originally Posted by boogielloyd

after a long research...finally had my monty's simple sq setup and heres what i've got

HU: Stock AVT HU of 2012 Montero
Seps: Focal Performance PS165(front doors deadened)
Amp: Firland 360.4 planning to replace this with Dominations Atom 2.0 (mas ok kaya?)
Sub: Dominations ZB12 in a customized enclosure.

from an initial budget of 15k to 30k++... anyway worth it naman

Kindly don't. Stick with the Firland. It has more power.