What goes into an "sq" system?

[chainsaw 5]

As the topic says, what is required to be an sq system? I ask because I only have experience with daily driver/ loud and low systems. I know that sq is about recreating a studio quality musical picture. I think that may be how I would like to go in my next car. If I get the car I'm leaning towards( Hyundai genesis coupe) I will keep the factory head unit and probably start with some sort of equipment like a clean sweep , etc. it may be 2-3 years til I get a new car, but I am interested in sq a little, not necessarily for competing, but just for listening pleasure

[Julian 641]

Front stage intensive while not focusing on Subs.

Sound deadening too

[lithium 358]

you actually install shit instead of throwing half a dozen speakers in where ever they fit.

[Randal Johnson 544]

Here is some good info I found that may help ...

Terms to Know about Car Audio: Aspects of Sound Quality

By Doug Newcomb

Listening to audiophiles go on about the sound quality of their audio systems — from their woofers to their tweeters — can sound a lot like oenophiles going on and on about the qualities of wine. To understand such talk, start by understanding the four basics of sound quality:

Clarity

Dynamic range

Frequency response

Tonal balance

Clarity

Clarity is the ability of a system to produce the original signal as intended, without distortion. Distortion can be caused by numerous things — from a head unit that's not level-matched with an amplifier to an amplifier that's clipping, or being overdriven and sending a distorted signal to the speakers. And distortion can come from any component in a system.

A good test is to listen to cymbals, which can have a brassy and off-putting sound when distorted. High-pitched female vocals are also difficult to reproduce and can reveal distortion rather easily.

Achieving clarity and therefore avoiding distortion is all about proper system design and tuning. It's making sure components are of sufficient quality and compatible with one another and that signal levels are well matched between electronics. It also involves using a component as it was intended and not pushing it past its design limits.

Dynamic range

Dynamic range refers to the ability of a system to reproduce loud and soft passages in music with the same level of detail. When you're at a live concert, a singer may wail and then whisper or a drummer may hit a drum head with brute force and then back off a bit. Each extreme is an important part of the performance.

If the performance is recorded and reproduced by an audio system, the loud and soft parts should be delivered with the same detail and accuracy. But often a system tends to suppress soft parts and emphasize loud ones, meaning you lose the subtleties of the performance.

A related concept is linearity, which refers to a system's tendency to lose detail when the volume is turned down. A system has great linearity if it can retain the same detail at a low volume that it does when it's cranked up.

Frequency response

Every sound you hear, from the low rumble of thunder to the high-pitch wail of a siren, is caused by vibrations in the air that occur at certain frequencies. These vibrations are measured in hertz (Hz), which refers to the number of times per second these vibrations occur.

Humans can hear frequencies roughly from 20 to 20,000 Hz. A car audio system's frequency response represents how much of the audible frequency spectrum it can reproduce. The frequency response of a car audio system can be measured by an instrument known as a real-time analyzer (RTA), which consists of a microphone attached to a processor with a display that has a graph that shows a system's response.

Tonal balance

An ideal car audio system uniformly reproduces the entire audible frequency spectrum from 20 to 20,000 Hz. But no system — at least while playing music — is perfect. Music is dynamic; some parts are loud and some are soft, so a system will naturally have dips and peaks in its frequency response.

Although a system can have these peaks and dips in frequency response, it needs to have good tonal balance — a relatively equal amount of sonic energy across the frequency range — to sound good. Subsequently, system designers and tuners often measure frequency response to gauge which frequencies may need to be boosted or cut as opposed to trying to achieve a flat frequency response. This can be done with an equalizer, although it's best that the system is designed in such a way that it has good tonal balance to begin with.

Read more: http://www.dummies.c...l#ixzz1IGxrzAQ8

[Randal Johnson 544]

and here is one more from the same site ... enjoy !!!

Advanced Car Audio Sound Quality Concepts

By Doug Newcomb

Although the four basic sound quality concepts (clarity, dynamic range, frequency response, and tonal balance) are the most fundamental to understand before purchasing a new car audio system, there are a few other sound quality attributes that are also important.

Timbre

Timbre (pronounced "TAM-bir") refers to a system's ability to recreate the sound of an instrument as it was originally intended to be heard. An acoustic guitar is usually a good test for this because most people have heard one. Does the sound have that warm, slightly resonant quality that the instrument is known for, or does it merely sound like a low-resolution reproduction of that signature sound?

Tonal accuracy

Tonal accuracy describes how faithful a system is in general to the original recording. It can apply to instruments as well as vocals. The more accurate the system is while playing a good recording, the more you feel as if you are there, listening to a live performance as opposed to a recording.

Tonal accuracy can also apply to the ambiance in a recording, which refers to the space in which a recording is made. Most modern recordings are made in a sort of vacuum, with individual instruments recorded separately or, in the case of some rap music, the individual parts are sampled from other recordings. But many older recordings, some modern ones, and almost all live albums capture the environment in which the performance was recorded. In fact, certain recording studios and performance spaces are known and revered for their sound, which give a recording or performance a specific ambiance.

Think of timbre and tonal accuracy as the reproduction of how close you get to the actual performance or how the producer intended for it to sound. Whether it's the sound of Miles Davis's trumpet, Jimmy Page's guitar, a Dr. Dre beat, or the ambiance of Carnegie Hall, how well a system can reproduce it the way it went down in a studio or concert hall determines the difference between a good system and a great one.

Staging and imaging

Staging and imaging are related concepts that go back to the heyday of stereo, and therefore don't always apply to modern music. The basic idea is that when you're listening to a stereo recording, the system should recreate the illusion of the stage on which the performance occurred, and you should be able to pinpoint the sonic image of the individual performers and instruments within the stage.

Think about the example of a basic rock band that includes a singer, guitarist, bass player, and drummer. You should be able to close your eyes and picture the singer at the center of the stage, the guitarist to the right, the bass player on the left, and the drummer center and behind the singer. Keep in mind that this is an ideal that sound quality systems should approach if not achieve. With rap and many pop-music recordings, the vocalist will be centered, but the concept of a band playing on a stage doesn't exactly apply.

Speaker placement has a dramatic effect on staging and imaging, and hardcore enthusiasts often go to great lengths to position their speakers for the best possible results. This includes rebuilding door panels to better position speakers. Some have even built elaborate mechanisms to mount speakers in or raise them above the dash in order to achieve better staging and imaging.

Finally, no discussion of sound quality would be complete without mentioning interior acoustics. A car's interior, its reflective surfaces (such as glass), and its absorptive materials (upholstery) play a dramatic role in a system's response. And every car interior is different; if you install the exact same components in your Toyota Camry that your friend has in his Chrysler 300C, the systems will sound very different.

Read more: http://www.dummies.c...l#ixzz1IGyu3hCJ

[j-roadtatts 1,129]

A decent SQ setup will sound balanced with a good soundstage. Alot of this is acheived through the install as much as the equipment choice its self.

I found understanding how the human ear and brain process sound helped alot also in creating the SQ illusion.

[chainsaw 5]

Thanks for the info cableguy.

[Tirefryr 1,742]

The true definition is a reproduction of the exact recording the exact way it was recorded. Unfortunately, most recordings today are of horrible quality, or people use compressed music files and players as source material, so if you want the true definition of sound quality, you'll be far from pleased.

Since you don't want to compete, throw everything out the window. Sound quality competitions are heavily biased and judged by ear so when building a competition vehicle, the only thing you have to worry about is manipulating your setup for particular judges.

Since this is purely for your listening pleasure, you are free to do as you choose. That's the beauty. There are no set rules, you just do what sounds best to you. If you want to run rear speakers and run them louder than anything else, you can do that. If you want to shove big woofers in the front doors, you can do that too. It's all what you want and like. Don't worry about others and you'll be happy.

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

The approach many people take can very wildly, in terms of quantity. Meaning, many believe in the less is more, such as in the less there is in-line of the signal, the less there is that can taint or color the sound. I have been in a couple of cars that have been super simple systems, with amplifiers with very little features. One install had those PRS amps that are essentially gain blocks. An install that ranks in my all time favorites that I was able to take part in, was all powered by an AG650.6.

Other's approach is more tweaking and tuning the better, so you will see independent 31 band a side EQ's with digital DSP and time alignment and multiple front stage drivers for a raised and more adjusted stage.

Personally, something in between I feel is the best approach, while not trying to act superior to others because you spent more on snake oil products.

[chainsaw 5]

thanks for all the insightful advice guys. So basically sound deadening, proper install and processing and so on.

[Dee 0]

Read more: http://www.dummies.c...l#ixzz1IGyu3hCJ

link does not work

[Kanaworm$ 292]

Focus on quality driver(s) for the front stage and placement for staging and imaging.

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

thanks for all the insightful advice guys. So basically sound deadening, proper install and processing and so on.

Not that easy, but it is a start. In terms of the sound deadening, it roughly means your system has to work less to achieve the same, along with there being less outside noise to contend with.

[Randal Johnson 544]

Attention to DETAILS !!!

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

not trying to act superior to others because you spent more on snake oil products.

So wait, the more I spend the better it will sound or no?

lol

[bassahaulic 155]

Why do you want an SQ system? What's your budget?

[ssh 924]

Why do you want an SQ system? What's your budget?

Why do you want loud bass?

[chainsaw 5]

I didn't necessarily say I did. It is an idea to throw around for the next car. Like I said earlier, it may be 2 years before I get anything new, so budget and equipment are way off. I just like to be informed