K,
the specs are of limited value in many cases. Getting to hear it in a "similar" car or environment would be THE best thing to do before parting with the cash. It sounds like it is quite expensive so you want to make sure it'll meet your needs. I can't wait to hear what you think, it might be something I'd also be interested in.

 

Nice! The 150s are beasts. I have the Anniversary 100 towers. I was going for the Anniversary 150s but the distributor talked me out of them for my size room.

 

I have a Audison / Hertz system in my winter vehicle (4Runner) and I have to say the sound is incredible. I have it running off an Alpine head unit without the Bit1.
There is a "tightness" to the bass and mid-bass that that really takes it to another level of sound quality. A far cry from the soft / muddy bass of the Bose system (my opinion, anyway).
I don't have a similiar system in my 997 yet because I find it hard to justify the cost. (The 4Runner has a mid-priced Audison / Hertz set-up). The 4Runner got the audio treatment first because the factory system died.

Anyway, I am very happy with the Audison / Hertz equipment.

 

What is the "approx" price for a mid-level Audison/Hertz install? Are we talking 4 figures or 5 figures for decent sound in the car?

 

The equipment + labor for the system in my 4Runner was approx $4000 CAD.
The one I would put in my 997 would be a few more grand (I'd put 3 piece components in the front instead of the two piece in the 'Runner and run more power).

And that cost was at a very reputable shop here that does a lot of very custom installs in Ferrari / Mercedes / Porsche / etc. Their work is very clean. My 4Runner system was probably at the low end of their typical customer budget.

And keep in mind: the sky is the limit with Audison. One of the amps in their highest end lineup sells for ~$15,000 or so. I don't think that level of clairity would be justified in my noisy 997, but to each their own.

John

 

Thanks John. That doesn't sound unreasonable if there is a decent upgrade. Something to think about anyway. I have thousands of dollars worth of car stereo pieces just sitting in my garage for the past 5-6 years. Just got too busy to install the stuff, changed cars etc... I should probably just try to sell it or give it away.
I look forward to Kafka's impressions of his new system when it gets installed.

 

This helps as the sales-tech people suggested I turn off all the speaker in the rear and I was puzzled why they would suggest doing this. It was suggested I forgo a woofer for a mid-range speaker that would aslo over the lower range.

Apparently Audison itself if putting out a Voce speakers (not Hertz - although they may be the same company) for the first time this July so I will also have this option.

Not sure of the specs yet but will get them when I return to Canada in September (just arrived and enjoying SoCal weather).

 

I was quoted between $5500 and $7000 depending upon my speaker choices and options. They are a very reputable company that will do a quality install and software tuning.
K

 

I had a 4 channel Audison and Focals in my 993 - loved the combo. Great imaging, no harshness, very good mids.

 

Did you do something similar in your 997tt?

 

I've heard this term a lot with this and similar systems. At the risk of seeming like a idiot , what does "imaging" mean? And is it there on these type of systems and not on others? Or is a matter of degree? Can I experience this when I'm "testing" my speakers in the sound room? What should I look for?
Thanks for the info.
K.

 

Imaging means creating a three dimensional sound - where you can "see" the soundstage in your head. I wouldn't get wrapped around the axle on this if you don't already know what it is.

I have an Audison 6.9 and a mix of energy and stock speakers (bose sub). In my house, I have all tube equipment and still spin a lot of vinyl - the point here is that your expectations will influence how you feel about the end results in your car.

I'm happy with my car system, but it doesn't even come close to my home systems. However, it was worth the cost. I can listen just fine with the top down.

 

Imaging is the sense of sound localization / 3-dimensionality that you get from the subtle difference in time it takes sound vibrations to reach one ear versus the other.

A stereo audio system attempts to reproduce the original soundfield to give you a sense of where the artists and instruments were in space. It is never great in a car. Lots of factors influence this. Still, some manufacturers and set-ups are much better than others.

You won't be able to judge imaging in the car from listening to the speakers on the shelf - the c o c k pit is a complex acoustic environment. It is worth listening to speaker demos to see if you like the quality of the sound you hear - high, mid, low range reproduction, but don't expect them to sound the same in the car.

I haven't messed with the 997TT system yet (it blows). There are tweaks you can do on the cheap for the "No highs, no lows, must be Bose" system. You can tighten the muddy bass with poly-fill packing. Look on the Cayman forum, Planet-9.

Listen to combos of amps/speakers before you buy and ask a few pro installers. I wouldn't go too crazy with expense, it'll never sound remotely as good as a simple 2 channel home stereo system of the same price. With the right level of expectations, an audiophile can be happy, though.

 

I diss Bose almost as much as anyone but the Bose system in my Infiniti G37xs sedan sounds really good. If the one in the Porsche sounded as good I'd certainly leave it alone. But it doesn't...

 

Just returned from my annual work-related trip to SoCal with drives through 5 states each way. But now that I'm back I'm jumping into the audio update options.

I spent over three hours at Mobile Solutions and was thoroughly impressed with their knowledge and patient assistance. There is a lot more to learn about car audio and making the "best" decision for each person's interest and subjective interpretation of music (and budget - was surprised how much one can spend if there are no limits). I learned a lot and had a lot of fun in the process. I had no idea there were so many sounds and so much complexity to music I had listened to for years. WOW!

I listened to different music on Mille, Hertz, and the new Audison Voce speakers. The Mille was incredible but almost double the price which is overkill for me in my TT (I'm just a newbie when it comes to listening). The upper end Hertz were also excellent but didn't have the sound I liked (a bit too "bassy" for me). I'm lucky the Voce has just come out as I really enjoyed their sounds - sounds very live! I liked it more than the more expensive speakers - but that's just my take on it. So, with MS's expertise and my listening experience here is the 6 channel Audison componenets I'm having installed mid-October (turning off the rear speaks):

Voce AV 1.1 Tweeters
Voce AV 3.0 Midrange
Voce 6.5 Woofer
LRx 4.5 amplifier
Bit One

The idea is to keep my car as "stock" looking as possible so Bit One DRC will be placed in the glove box and the amplifier will be hidden under a stock looking custom built box (covered with matching carpet) on the back deck behind the rear seats. I'm impressed with the amplifiers ability to read and adjust for different levels of heat - since I drive in -40C to +40C.

I will give you an update when it's installed along with some photos. How come it took me so long to "get" how interesting music can be?

Hope everybody had a good "summer".
K.