Hi everybody.
I am very soon going to write the check for a 2005 Ex 4wd in Cargo Khaki. I should have the car in hand in like a month, tops. I'm pumped fer real!
Would I be crazy to spend the $6K-$8K necessary for the Alpine F1 Status system, including Focal speakers, JL Amps & Sub, capacitors, etc.?
I am an audiophile (read audio-FOOL) and am adamant that I get the best possible sound quality given the space and the fact that it's a damn car. My fiance thinks im stupid to want to spend almost 1/3 of the price of the car on crap like this.
Also will be putting in a top-shelf alarm and security system, as well as the only radar detector worth the money - Valentine One.

Of course, other than taking off all the badges and adding a billet grille and PIAA lamps (headlights & fogs), the E will look essentially stock - I'm taking the money I would be using to paint and add rims and such to build the audio/video system. I think it'll be pretty rockin, but am I STUPID or just plain CRAZY?

jb

Personally I am a firm believer in that if you can afford it, go for it. I LOVE car audio but can not afford to indulge in such awesome audio. I know people who have dumped thousands of dollars into their car audio and it is amazing. So by all means if you can afford it, indulge.

P.S. Look around for a better deal (I.E. the internet) if you can.

i love great sound systems as much as the next person, but i can't quite find the logic in putting almost 10k in a car stereo.

look at what kind of vehicle you could get by adding that 10k to your buying power on the vehicle itself.

not to mention that i've had every aftermarket stereo i've ever installed in a vehicle (with the exception of one) stolen at some point.

but it's your own money, and if it's that important, by all means, get the system.

It's "crazy", but all hobbies are. I think Skydiving and building little miniature plastic cars is pretty crazy, but people spend thousands on those. Go for it =]

Hi breitlingdj,
Welcome. I too consider my self a bit of an audiophile. My Krell/B&W system at home well exceeds what I paid for some of the cars I have driven in the past. I think that putting that much $ into a car system is not ideal. An auto systme will depreciate very quickly. If for some reason you sell your E in a few years, many of the items you buy will be obsolete or not compatible with a newer car.

It all depends on your means of course. If you live and die for the ultimate auto system, then go for it. How much time do you spend in the car?
It may be more worthwhile to look for some used high-end equipment that will give you the same results at a fraction of the price. Good luck.
Jeremy

Are you crazy?

I say you should take a vote.

What do the other five voices in your head tell you?

Crazy or not crazy?

And don't listen to the super deep voice. Didn't he get you in enough trouble in high school and college?

If a great sound system is your thing them do it.

Look at it this way: You could go out and get a BMW or a Lexus and spend more on the car and still not be satified with with sound system. But you are buying an Element that cost about 60% of those high priced vehicles. With that twisted thinking you can easily see putting in an extra $6,000 in a great system and still come out ahead.

Feel bad about the money? Get a paper route. Do you know how many Newspapers you can fit in and Element? Lots.

I would say go for it.

Joe Mama

Hmmm. You're going to be in a box with a lot of hard flat surfaces for sound to bounce around in. Maybe wait a month to see if you like the factory stereo and get some more feedback from the forums.

YES, u are crazy.
But so am I. I didn't spend nearly as much as you did, and my stuff isn't top quality...but I'm happy with it. Wish it thumped more, tho.

Nevertheless, seriously consider the other priorities in your life. If you got the discretionary money to afford a 6K-8K system, then go for it. If you know you're going to get a much better car in the future, I would save it for the future or go with just a decent system at less than half the cost maybe.

My 2cents, the acoustics in the E aren't worth installing a 6K-8K system. But if you plan to spend that kind of money, please promise me it'll look absolutely clean and worthy of such an expensive system.

You may be crazy. It depends.

Do you have a lot of extra money laying around? Then go for it!

You only go around once. so go for it.

that's all great product, but i'm not sure if you'll notice much of a difference between the alpine F#1 HU and a lower alpine. everything you've listed is great, but it's really going to hinge on the quality of the install as to what sort of SQ you get out of the setup. make sure you include some sound deadening and mass loading product in your install as the element translates a lot of road noise into the cabin, without which your money is wasted on the high end product.

Wow.
What can I say? I do think the f1 system is a bit extravagant. I will continue to weigh my options carefully. I may spend much less, or somewhere in between. It all remains to be seen.
I was not that great of a fan of the stock system, I took a Cd with me on a test drive...but, the stock system in the Land Rover i still drive is pretty good.
I am trying for as stealth as possible - I'm going to try everything to keep the stuff in the car. If it walks away, then I'll figure something out...hope insurance pays fer it!
I like the sound of a Krell/B&W system. I work for a B&W dealer, and am a big fan.
I will try to keep everyone updated. Thanks for the responses!

jb

I say if it fits your need then do not hesitate and just do it. All of the negative folks out there just don't get it and its their loss. Have fun and many years of happy motoring.

How serious are you about this girl friend? From a long time married guy, when they say, "That is crazy", even if it isn't they WILL make you wish you hadn't done it. My motto? "YES DEAR".

I say your nuts!!! Your driving down the road at 60 mph
you hear the road sounds the wind sounds . The E is a box that the sound will bounce around in. A great sound system won't sound that great...
Now if you plan on sitting in the car and not going anyplace ( can you afford gas after putting that much out?)
Then go for it....

Crazy? Stupid? Maybe, maybe not. Enthusiastic? Fanatical? Probably. I can see spending that kind of money on a home system, but before I dropped big bucks into car audio, I'd drive the Element long enough to make sure I loved it.

It also depends on how much time you spend in the E.

I couldn't hear anything but music in my E. The acoustics completely suck, so watch out. You have roughly 3.5 times as much air to move compared to a truck cabin, much less a car trunk, so you'll find the sub's are about 3 times as quiet as a car. I had one high-end 12" in the back and it was INSANE how much louder it was in other vehicles (using the same amp and headunit too).

At first I was very disappointed, but came to love the clarity. Now that my equipment has been stolen, I plan on getting at the very least 3 12's or 2 15's...maybe even one more 12 and 15.

That may sound excessive (no pun intended), but once you compare it, even in a Bronco or something else of equal size, you'll see what I mean.

But that's just bass. I had no problems with treble acoustics up front.

OK.
As far as the sound deadening materials, that will be handled. I'm putting Dynamat in places most people don't think of. A LOT of it. Enough to pave a path to Jupiter. Well, maybe not so much but definately a lot of it, as much as possible in every conceivable place. I'm trying to come up with a way to keep the rear glass from rattling.
As far as the sub in relation to the airspace in the vehicle - that's fine. Because I'm going more for sound quality, having the sub breathing will yield me lower bass (more space for longer wavelengths) and smoother response, which is great. I understand your point though - however, I had 2 10" Infinity Kappas in a Cherokee driven by a Rockford Punch 160x4 bridged into 2 channels, and that was absolutely kickin. The combination of either a JL W6 with a JL 500/1 or a W7 with a JL 1000/1 should do me right nicely I hope!
As far as the comment about home systems...I'm going to stay mum on the amount of cash I've poured into the living room A/V system. It FAR exceeds the amount going into the new car - and my fiance is perfectly cool with it as long as I go to the grocery store, pay bills, etc.
I have spoken with a few different folks since I started this post. I think now my only quibble is what head unit to use. I love the Alpine IVA-D901. But, it's not as good for navigation. I've decided not to mess with the F#1 stuff - it's simply too high, even for me. Hopefully I can get a D/A/C later on...I have a GREAT Transport-DAC setup here in the house (Musical Fidelity A3 CD & A3.24 DAC if yer interested in home audio.) Then again, the Eclipse AVN series is pretty rad. Of course, there is also Kenwood Excelon.
I'm set on amps, sub, and FOcal speakers. Probably will use a combination of JL & Monster Home M-series cabling with Monster Z2 Reference cables for the sub. Any suggestions for capacitors? I am mounting them out of the way, so digital readouts are not necessary. Also may end up with a second battery. All this crap flying around in my head! I'm losing my mind! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

THanks for the input. I value all of your opinions...you are all more familiar with the Element than I am. I'm sure though that I love it, and can't wait to get this bloody vehicle I've been drooling over for a couple of years now. Oh yeah - I get to sell the bleeding Land ROver...worst automotive decision I EVER made. The 3000GT VR4 was way more fun.

Cheers to all! Happy Elementing. Any more input would be greatly appreciated!

jb

[QUOTE=breitlingdj]OK.
As far as the sound deadening materials, that will be handled. I'm putting Dynamat in places most people don't think of. A LOT of it. Enough to pave a path to Jupiter.

Wrong planet analogy:
I believe you will need enough Dynamat for a path to Uranus. teee heeee

You are correct sir!

Except, maybe I need enough dynamat to get to Pluto.