How much gear has been in and out of your vehicle over the years?

[Hillbilly SQ]

A lot of us have chewed through the gear but how many of you can remember all of it? I know at least a couple people on here would probably crash the server with their list Here's mine over the past 12 years...

Headunits-Pioneer deh3400, 550mp, 7800, 880, and 80prs...Alpine 9833...Eclipse 3414 and 5000.

Analog crossovers-Coustic xm6 and Memphis xo3.

DSP-Mini dsp 2x4 (2 of 'em).

Amps-Sony xm2150...JBL gto 6 channel, JBL bp600.1...Alpine t220, pdx5...Crossfire vr302, vr404, vr600d...Treo ssi 750.1 and the matching 4ch...Memphis mc150, mc300, mca3004, mcd500...Eclipse 32440...US Acoustics usx2150...PPI PC1000.1 and own a PPI Atom 1000.4 to try out...Soundstream dtr1700d...Clarion apa 4152 (I think)...Fake Brax Graphic edition 2400.2 made by Zuki, Original Eleets...Mosconi One 120.4...PG X100.4, X400.1...I think that's about it lol.

Component sets-Alpine Type-R 6.5"...JL tr 6.5...CDT ef6...PG Xenon...Memphis MCSQ 6.5...Focal Polyglass

Coaxials-Cerwin Vega hed 6.5...RF Punch 6.5...Kenwood 4x6...Dual 6.5"

Raw drivers-Seas cd18, L18, Performance car tweeters, w10 mag cone...Morel mdt29...Dayton nd20...couple random pairs of Vifa buyout speakers, Vifa PL18, yellow fiberglass 7" they had several years ago...CDT hd6...Audax Aerogel ht17...Scanspeak Discovery 2" and 7"...H-Audio x2 and Soul, Audible Physics Arian...ID oem 6.5...Ascendant Poly 7"...Diamond Hex 6...Tangband ceramic tweets, 6x9 subwoofers...that should be about it...

Subwoofers-Cerwin Vega hed10...Kicker cvr10, round solo classic 12...IDMAX12, ID8v3...Dayton ho10, Titanic 10...Diyma r12...Eclipse Aluminum 10...Diamond m6 10...Fi x10...CDT ef8...RE SE12, SE10, REX10...Arc 12...Crossfire cf2 12...Treo ssi10...Memphis MSQ10, PR10, HPO10...Alpine type-s 15...Pioneer Champion 12...Ground Zero Uranium sq8...Infinity Kappa Perfect 10...DD 510

[chad]

Car:

3 head units: Sony CDX something something, Alpine 9855 (still in use by a member,) Alpine 9877 (existing)
1 sub: Dayton RS265HO in 3 different enclosures. Sealed, vented prototype, the existing one that fits.
2 amplifiers: Next VRz 5.500, JL audio 500/5 (existing)
2 sets of 6"/7": Seas CA18RNX, Aura NS6-255-8A (existing)
4 sets of tweets: Morel MDT12, Seas H1397, M/K Vifa buyout, Vifa XT25SC90-04 (existing)
An audio control Matrix ran thru it like a streaker at one point also.

[Hic]

As long as the sound "keeps getting better "

[n_olympios]

In my current car, which has been my "test mule" for the past 11 years (well, this and the two same ones before that, yes I've bought the same type of car three times in a row):

1 sub
2 sets of cables
3 processors
4 sets of amps
6 front end speaker sets
8 headunits

This is a rough estimate of stuff I have bought/owned, not the stuff I've just used or tested (I used to do reviews for magazines and stores).

[Hic]

Nick, what were your findings ?
1) head units ?
2) speaker sets ?
3) processors ?

Has there been a steady improvement ? or up and down on sound quality ?

[n_olympios]

Oh that's a difficult task you're asking of me, I was hoping to avoid it.

In general it's been an upwards sequence. I'll try to name them in order of appearance (sic) without leaving any out.

1) Head units (and processors where applicable):
Alpine CDA-7893R
Alpine CDA-9813R
Alpine DVA-9861R with PXA-H701 processor
Alpine CDA-9833R (downgrade due to other car being prepared)
Alpine CDA-7998R (current daily use, with or without F#1 Status processor, first gen PXA-H900)
Ural CDD
Old school Clarion ARX-9470R with CDC635 changer and DPH9300 processor (briefly, I must confess - the blue screen doesn't match my dash at all)
Clarion HX-D2 (with or without Alto Mobile UCS Pro processor)

I've also tested various Alpine, Pioneer and Kenwood single dins or multimedia units. And a very few Sony stuff reviews of the Xplod era I'm too ashamed to admit of.

2) Speaker sets:
Audax paper and Aerogel units
Focal 165K2P set
Focal Utopia 3way (first gen, with modded crossovers)
Brax Graphic Pro 2-way
Hybrid Audio Legatia 2way and 3way sets in various forms (mainly in SE variation).

Right now I have the stock front speakers in the car again. First time after 10 years. Work in progress badge never leaves the car though.

[ChrisB]

I don't even remember all the Head Units by specific model number. I started out with an old ass car, a 1981 Chevy Malibu Classic and a twin pole Sony Cassette Deck that only had a tone control. Next was a Alpine twin pole that the internal amplifier burned up on. After that was a Pioneer Supertuner III twin pole. Then by 1993, I moved to a Sony CD Player that I took with me through a couple of hoopties.

In the late 90s, I had a Sony CDX C90 in my 1996 Thunderbird; next I had an Alpine CDA 7941 in my 2000 F150, next I had a cheaper Alpine that played MP3s off CDs in my 2000 Honda Accord. I got out of car audio for a few years. My first HU upon re-entering in 2007 was a CDA-9885 in my Mehstang. I liked it so much, I purchased another CDA-9885 for my Civic. Then I discovered DIYMA and upgraded to a CDA-9887 in the Mehstang. There was also a Clarion DXZ785USB in there that I installed in my wife's vehicle.

Then we get to the Pioneer DEH-80POS in my 2012 WRX and I really hated that Pioneer. I tried a Clarion NX702 and realized that things could actually be worse, so I returned it. I purchased a used CDA-9887 that I ended up selling without installing due to injuring my left knee to the point where I could not drive a manual only car.

Now I am running a Kenwood DNX891HD in the 2013 GTI to the stock speakers. I have a MMATS HIFI-6150D, a BitOne, some Genesis Components, and a Type Argh subwoofer that I plan on installing sooner or later.

[Hillbilly SQ]

Reflecting on all the gear that made its way through my 01 Silverado and 06 Sierra one thing sticks out. I was getting caught up in forum boners and the door install had all kinds of fail. I was ignorant and my ego made sure I made an ass out of myself at every corner. The Ram doors are so much better for installing speakers right out of the gate. In my two Ram trucks since 09 all I've had in them is 3 headunits, 4 pairs of dash speakers (tweeters), 4 pairs of midbasses, 7 amps, 1 processor (pair of 2x4's count as 1), and about 9 subs. Well, that's still A LOT of gear by most peoples standards but the movement is in a downward trend. Factory headunit and dsp's are likely going to stay, Discovery front stage will stay put since I like it so much, the three amps I own will likely stay until the day they fail, and the sub will probably get replaced with a Discovery 10" and will add Discovery automotive tweeters likely sooner than later.

[erinh]

judging by some of the replies in this thread, no one can say anything about me changing gear...

most of my changes over the years have been headunits. No one makes the 'perfect' one, yet I still pursue the quest. The last one I had lasted over a year, then the 149bt lasted only a month until I decided that I didn't like the look/gui so I picked up the current alpine 957hd and so far and happy with the purchase.

I've had the same amps for the last 3-4 years.

the speakers have changed a few times but I'm nearing two years on the current speakers.

It would take me some time to generate a list... but I'll try if I can find the time to try to walk through it.

[Hillbilly SQ]

I'd like my truck to be like the home setup. I've run the same Usher 701 home built speakers for like 6 years now on the same Onkyo Receiver. I do need to get a decent amp for the speakers since the Usher mids and tweets soak up the power. Fine for watching tv but on movies with lots of dynamics the Onkyo just plain runs out of steam. Fixing to put my 12" pioneer sub in a big low tuned ported box on a 300 watt Bash amp. Home towers are getting rebuilt to fix the mistakes I made on the original enclosures...will be at ear level in relation to me in my recliner and a router will be used to flush mount. Anyone know of a decent 2ch amp for not a lot of money that does at least 100x2 at 8 ohms? Will also have to accept speaker level inputs from this entry level Onkyo 5.1 receiver.