[teaston]

I was just watching a program about the build process of the Rolls Royce Phantom and they said that it has a 400w 15 speaker audio system, the F30 HK is 600w and 16 speakers!

Could our F30's really sound better than a current Rolls Royce which is commonly referred to as the best car in the world?

[Rich9600]

Nice thought. But... Err, no...

My living room stereo has 2 speakers and 2x70W, and a 400W sub... Kicks the arse out of any car system I've ever heard. Much less power and far fewer speakers than than the 16 speaker 600W of HK.

Though, I'll give it a good test this weekend.

Not all equal power rated systems are equal. My present 70W amp is far better than my previous cheaper 100W amp.

But, Top Trumps...

[Mattt1]

Unfortunately sound quality isn't proportionate to wattage and number of speakers!

[teaston]

Ah, so the Phantoms audio parts will be far better quality then!

[Tengocity]

A definite no! Numbers of speakers is not that relevant, much more the quality of the components, or the installation. A good speaker is kind of wasted in a relatively flimsy door that vibrates, compared to a very solid structure, for example.

[F30AM]

It depends how you measure power. RMS values or peak values. Power does not mean a better sound either. I have heard the Rolls Phantom System and it is in another league to the squealy HK system in the F30.

[Floriank]

Apart from anything else, the Rolls has a MUCH quieter internal environment.

Tyre roar, rear view mirror wind noise, diesel engine, minimal engine compartment insulation, etc - won't find any of that in the Rolls. If you start with a near silent space, no matter what the speed is you don't need all that wattage, you can hear even a whisper.

Just think how much easier it is to craft a delicate yet powerful musical ambience in THAT kind of space....

[teaston]

Originally Posted by F30AM

It depends how you measure power. RMS values or peak values. Power does not mean a better sound either. I have heard the Rolls Phantom System and it is in another league to the squealy HK system in the F30.

From the horses mouth! I didn't expect anyone on here to have been in a Phantom!

So the difference is massive then?

I do know all about wattage etc being a qualified Electrician, but am i right in thinking that the quoted figures for both systems are RMS? I think it's only really cheap stuff that they sneakily quote PMPO values isn't it?

[Rich9600]

Yep. I'm sure the HK is a fantastic car system, but won't be a patch on the Roller. Car set ups are always fighting with the car, it's internal noise and acoustics. So, the far quieter Rolls will be at an instant advantage. The HK uses digital sound processing to make the best of the cars environment and to produce the effect of a sound stage.

Amplifiers aren't equal, a less powerful higher quality amp will produce a far more pleasing tone, especially when reproducing real instruments. So, the Phantoms amp is likely to be of a far superior grade to the HK. I'd expect the HK 600W digital amp to be a D or lower. Home amps are usually AB at the more decent budget end.

Speakers aren't equal, different magnets, construction and housings all affect the sound produced.

The HK setup of digital amp and metal drivers is likely to give a more forward presentation, best suited to rock and pop. Twin 8" subs will provide the bass to smooth out the forwardness of metal units. Lots of bass available to those who want it...

I'm looking forward to getting my HK system, I'm certain it will be a notable upgrade from the basic system in my E90!

I'll audio geek it and set up the EQ using a Sound Pressure Level Meter and tone sweeps... I've done this with my home system and you can hardly tell there is a sub there most of the time. It just goes very low but isn't bass heavy.

I'll report back once I've had a play...

[F30AM]

The HK system in the F30 is Low Fidelity. That in the Rolls is near High Fidelity. Also, the Meridian System in the Range Rover is simply stunning. Probably the very best.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Floriank

Apart from anything else, the Rolls has a MUCH quieter internal environment.

Tyre roar, rear view mirror wind noise, diesel engine, minimal engine compartment insulation, etc - won't find any of that in the Rolls. If you start with a near silent space, no matter what the speed is you don't need all that wattage, you can hear even a whisper.

Just think how much easier it is to craft a delicate yet powerful musical ambience in THAT kind of space....

Actually now you mention it, my cars system sounds much better when the car is still with the engine off! And even then the Roller would still be much better because of the solidly built door & trim etc.

Originally Posted by Rich9600

Yep. I'm sure the HK is a fantastic car system, but won't be a patch on the Roller. Car set ups are always fighting with the car, it's internal noise and acoustics. So, the far quieter Rolls will be at an instant advantage. The HK uses digital sound processing to make the best of the cars environment and to produce the effect of a sound stage.

Amplifiers aren't equal, a less powerful higher quality amp will produce a far more pleasing tone, especially when reproducing real instruments. So, the Phantoms amp is likely to be of a far superior grade to the HK. I'd expect the HK 600W digital amp to be a D or lower. Home amps are usually AB at the more decent budget end.

Speakers aren't equal, different magnets, construction and housings all affect the sound produced.

The HK setup of digital amp and metal drivers is likely to give a more forward presentation, best suited to rock and pop. Twin 8" subs will provide the bass to smooth out the forwardness of metal units. Lots of bass available to those who want it...

I'm looking forward to getting my HK system, I'm certain it will be a notable upgrade from the basic system in my E90!

I'll audio geek it and set up the EQ using a Sound Pressure Level Meter and tone sweeps... I've done this with my home system and you can hardly tell there is a sub there most of the time. It just goes very low but isn't bass heavy.

I'll report back once I've had a play...

Yes please let me know, so i can copy your settings!

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by teaston

From the horses mouth! I didn't expect anyone on here to have been in a Phantom!

So the difference is massive then?

I do know all about wattage etc being a qualified Electrician, but am i right in thinking that the quoted figures for both systems are RMS? I think it's only really cheap stuff that they sneakily quote PMPO values isn't it?

Yeah, they mess about totally describing speaker or amplifier output.

Signal / noise ratio is probably one of better ways to view it.

Basically with system on and no signal it should be silent.

I give up with most sales speak over it all.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by F30AM

The HK system in the F30 is Low Fidelity. That in the Rolls is near High Fidelity. Also, the Meridian System in the Range Rover is simply stunning. Probably the very best.

Surely any HK system is High Fidelity, just not as high as the Roller or Range?

[dopper99]

At the end of the day the HK system is just a £650 upgrade. I've not heard a system in a Rolls, but I'd bet it sounds a hell of a lot better than the HK as it's probably a lot more expensive system no doubt.
I think the HK is a very good system but not outstanding. You get what you pay for I guess.

I am really glad I got it, but I would imagine there are better systems out there as mentioned above.

[///MSport420]

There is always going to be something more superior then the other..the world does not emd @ rolls phantom.. No one can claim 100%

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by ///MSport420

There is always going to be something more superior then the other..the world does not emd @ rolls phantom.. No one can claim 100%

There are some stunning aftermarket systems in everything from a polo to a transit van.

At a guess the more upmarket (and probably non sporty) limousines will have better setups than family cars.

[///MSport420]

Originally Posted by Brigand

There are some stunning aftermarket systems in everything from a polo to a transit van.

At a guess the more upmarket (and probably non sporty) limousines will have better setups than family cars.

Yep it's all to do with how it has been setup...
There are alot of big names out there...
Alpine
Kenwood
Jbl
Meridian
Bowers Wilkins
Bang & olufson etc
They all can perform very well with right septup amd extra cost....depends how much you willing to spend

[Tengocity]

A good home system is always going to be better than a car system. I find it hard to get excited about the HK system compared to what I have in my lounge. (I've been through a few phases of being really in to my hifi systems over the years!)

The wattage of an amplifier is also slightly misleading as how it relates to volume is not linear, so a 100W amp is not twice as loud as a 50W amp. And as already mentioned the tonal quality of an amp, the quality of the source, as well as the overall match of components all go to affect sound quality.

Doesn't matter how good the amp and speakers are if you're listening an AM radio station for example, or a compressed audio file.

[Andykf31]

I have two speakers in my studio at home that cost about a quarter the price of my car. More isn't always best.
Having said that my tinnitus blocks most of the top end out nowadays anyway...

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

A good home system is always going to be better than a car system. I find it hard to get excited about the HK system compared to what I have in my lounge. (I've been through a few phases of being really in to my hifi systems over the years!)

The wattage of an amplifier is also slightly misleading as how it relates to volume is not linear, so a 100W amp is not twice as loud as a 50W amp. And as already mentioned the tonal quality of an amp, the quality of the source, as well as the overall match of components all go to affect sound quality.

Doesn't matter how good the amp and speakers are if you're listening an AM radio station for example, or a compressed audio file.

It's the dynamic range, the sig noise ratio across that range and db/w.

It pretty much is best to ignore anything that says xx watts, bit like purely buying a car on bhp.

[chiark]

The Nokia 1020 phone has 41 megapixels. That's more than the professional offerings from Nikon or Canon so it must be better...

[///MSport420]

Originally Posted by chiark

The Nokia 1020 phone has 41 megapixels. That's more than the professional offerings from Nikon or Canon so it must be better...

Standalone 5MP cam is far superior then 12Mp phone camera. When you tranfer those pics into your pc... You'll be able to see the difference.

Its similar to £80 tomtom comparison with £2000 bmw pro satnav. When i took the bm for test drive.. Satnav was completely lost