Hi all, just recently i have been upgrading my sound system in my XR for the past 6 months now. Ive nearly completly replaced everything except for the sub (which will be soon). But as it currently is ive got an Alpine media receiver (to use with my ipod). In the front i now have stealth factory fitted in the doors Alpine Type R 09' 6' splits. In the parcel shelf ive got the Alpine Type R Coax 6'5's and a new amplifier which is a monoblock soundstream amp. And sub is still the same. However i was thinking of gettin a type R sub.

So what does everyone think? Sounds like a good setup? Im gettin the head unit installed tommorrow so looking forward to testing it out. Its got some incredible functions on it.

Look forward to some feedback

Sounds good, although I would get a decent 4 channel to run the fronts and rears and run the sub only off the mono.

Better tuneability, more power etc.

The type R's in the ported Alpine Box sound awesome. I had some S's in the same box and even they were pretty mental!!! R's would be even better again.

Sounds like a great start all the same tho!!

Yeah, the head unit i have has pleantly of RCA preouts so i can have upto 3 amps, so a bit further down the track i will definately get a 4 channel. (most likely if/when i get my lpg system removed) im lacking a bit of space in my boot atmo.

Yeah i was thinking about buying one of those new Type R sub setups u can get in the boxes already, they look awesome.

Weird..... double post over an hour later......????

Last edited by philaddis on Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I just got the system up and running, and i must say HF! This new DMR is great! Sound is awesome and bass and hi freq are better than anything i would have expected it to turn out.

Its def brought out the best in my current eqiupment, i have to sound proof my doors and boot even more now.

Do you go to live music and face away from the stage? Why spend good money on rear speakers?

Type 'R's are incredibly average subs for the price, have a look around at what else is out there. What music are you into, how loud? Focal 33V2 is an incredibly musical SQ sub that still pumps out plenty of loud beats and will s**t all over the Type R you mentioned.

Ever noticed that the Big Day Out sounds like crap compared to a good auditorium sound?? Same principle. Rear speakers may only be for fill, but they do add to staging and overall sound quality!! Each to their own tho!!




Again... a personal choice... I always suggest listening to as many as you can and then buy the speaker that sounds best to you.

As far as rear speakers goes, my fronts are still alot better quality and superior (the rears are thier to deafen my passengers). They do have quite a good all round range on them thou, so it doesnt destroy the overall sound.

As for subs go, for the current equipment and my planned eqiupment goes a Type R sub is perfect for the setup im going for.

I listen to heavy metal/rock/ and some heavier stuff, but most of it is basically shredding type music! So in actual fact thiers no need for me to go beserk with extreme subs.

Big day out is slightly different, but the basics remain the same, big power, big sound right next to the main stage. I'm talking about your usual live venue, pub, club whatever, normally has speakers either side of a main stage. The music is reproduced in front of you, and that's how its intended to be enjoyed. I only have drivers in front of me in my car, and I have never ever had anything but praise for the way it is setup. In fact people comment on how the sound doesn't even come from anywhere near the speakers, but that's another thread entirely.

Another point to note, is that almost all musical recordings are recorded in stereo, and intended to be reproduced that way for maximum enjoyment. They do not assist in staging or imaging, instead dragging the sound toward the back of the car, and losing the illusion of singer being out on the bonnet in front of you - the same effect I achieve in my car with no speakers behind me. Its personal preference again, but 2 great speakers in front of you will always sound better than 4 average speakers around you.

At the end of the day, good sound is personal preference, but great sound is fairly well known formula.


Type R's are ok, can't knock them, they cater to a market. They are a mainstream product marketed at the mainstream. Problem is, like most things you can generally buy better product from dedicated manufacturers. Take morel for example, they only make speakers, that's what they are good at. They don't make amps or head units or anything so all of their business relies entirely on how well their product performs in their intended market. Alpine are a all in one solution, for the buyer who walks in off the street and wants good audio today. Morel are for the smart buyer, who wants the best they can afford at their pricepoint. Don't worry, Morel compete directly with Alpine in the speaker market, and completely dominate their opposition in Alpine.

So, as I was saying, Focal's range of subs have excellent musicality. Type R subs I have found are your typical 'one note special.' They don't go that loud (compared to something more efficient), and they don't sound that bad but there is better out there. I'm not saying that the Type R won't suit you, you might be the type of buyer that I outlined above, I used to be the same! But then I found out there is a hell of a lot of brands and products out there, and now I pretty much have stuff I had never heard of 5 years ago. And this gear s**t all over your typical mainstream stuff from Alpine, Pioneer etc. All I'm saying is go have a listen to what else is out there.

Focal are excellent fast punchy subs and suit the type of music you describe because they are fast. Type R's are slow in comparison.

Again also comes down to what sounds good at a price your willing to pay. I have no doubt that thier is better stuff than Alpine. Fact is Alpine IS probally the best stuff that i can buy (and get great discounts on) and i know ill be happy with it (ie my last head Unit) i had it for 8 years! Not once did it ever play up, skip or anything! It was in 3 different cars over that 8 years also, which just goes to show it was worth buying for $500 8 years ago lol.

And thats why i stick to what people call "mainstream".

I'm very happy with my Morel speakers, 2 ways in the front & splits in the rear. Sure they cost a bit more than average but the sound quality is awesome. I even use Morel speakers in the surround system at home. I have a mate who sells them (& other brands too) and also uses them in his DJ & band 16Kw front-of-house setup, and he only ever gets compliments about the the sound quality. Can't comment on subs as I only have shakers under the seats in the wagon. If you're spending big money on an audio system it pays to use an installer that can set it up properly and give you the results that you want.

Thats awesome to hear Mabe when/if i blow my current speakers ill check em out. But that would require me to drive further than i would normally to pay more All gud.

The convoluted point I was trying to make was that Morel (and loads of other more exotic brands) compete at Alpine Pricepoints! The bottom range Morels are the Tempo's and they are $335rrp, Type R's are around $300-$400 (not sure) which would make them terrific value. The Focal Sub that I'm talking about is around $450, whats a Type R 12" set you back? There are loads of other manufacturers out there that compete with the mainstream stuff at mainstream pricepoints, just that their ranges normally extend past the mainstream, and when you discover that stuff your wallet melts...

Yeah thats true, but agian living 70km away from any store that sells that stuff is another downfall. I can get Alpine gear fairly close to home and still get upto 30-40% off any ticket price. Which really when you think about it is an absolute bargain. All im gonna say is JB HIFI FTW!

Otherwise i would treck further into the city to where the really good stuff is sold these days.

I think you are pretty much totally disregarding the accoustics of the venue. I am yet to hear a really quality sound from any band playing in any pub anywhere. Even a big budget live concert can sound sh*t with poor accoustics. If your stereo sounds like a pub, which is how I read it, (especially if you've spent a lot of money on speakers) I feel terribly sorry for you!!

In a pub or other similar venue where there are lots of accoustically reflective surfaces and very few which absorb the sound. As a result (and don't forget the pub is on a budget and not really concerned with accoustics), they don't see the need to enhance the sound from the rear as the accoustics of the place generally take care of that for them to a small degree (whilst still generally sounding like crap). If the accoustics are ordinary, such as in a car (lots of cloth and cushion and all the reflective surfaces angle straight down into them too), then the sound needs to be supplemented in that regard.

Take an auditorium orchestral sound, which is widly regarded as the purest of musical sounds. At no time whilst listening to that will you get the impression that the orchestra are only sitting in front of you (or on your bonnet to make the point). The sound surrounds you, which is all down to high quality accoustic nature of the venue. They are designed like this for that very purpose.

I'm not saying you're wrong mate. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just don't think you are going to find too many people who agree with you, that's all.



That's where good tuning comes into play. If the system is poorly tuned, then yeah, you are going to wind up with poor sound. But a well tuned quality system with rear fill, is always going to sound fuller than one without. And who said that you have to skimp on the quality of any of your speakers?? It's personal preference at the end of the day. Some people prefer really bright fronts (say with a good quality titanium tweeter) and others may prefer the sound of something a bit softer (say a good quality domed tweeter). The dollars are not super important to me. Just because you are paying more for a set of speakers doesn't mean that ALL people are going to prefer them. It's horses for courses. Sadly for me, I have tastes that require more to be spent.



And let's not forget, there are two types of stereo. SPL and SQ. I think your 'well known formula' is correct for SPL systems, but for a quality SQ system, I think your formula is neglecting to carry the 1!!