Printer Friendly Forum Posts - What is wrong with Audiobahn?

Down here in Texas, alot of guys have Audiobahn Systems in their ride, including me. I want to redo my system because it is about 4 years old, but now I don't know what to get because i've heard people dogg the product; especially in this forum. What does anyone recommend? Are Cadence any good?

how much are you looking to spend? there are tons of brands out there, and any of them could be a good match for you. Audiobahn is dogged cuz of their inability to be a SQ speaker, but for the most part they do pretty well in spl.

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1990 Honda Civic HB:
Clarion DXZ545MP H.U.
2- 6.5" Power Acoustik interiors
Diamond Audio 600.1 amp
Diamond Audio 15" M6MKII
Pyramid PB881X 4 CH. Amp

Audiobahn spends more time on the chromeing, and fancy details to make there stuff look good, rather than spending time on actual performance of the products. Just like sony....they make tv's, home stereo, phones, walkmans, ...whell, , basically everything electronic.....which leaves them what? 1 day of designing per product.....

Definately look into some more mainstream products, , it will only cost a little more, but you will be much much happyer/

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2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.

Keep your Audiobahn wires...they"re good.

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Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

Audiobahn and its sister companies (I think there about six of them) are the brainchild of a marketing company. They created the line and hype around it and sold lots of it. Their product is off the shelf (selected from manufacture's catalogs) and dressed to their requirments. The idea is if you have enough bling you can sell anything. Stuff works. Like most pop stars, if it looks good who cares about performance.

I agree with AplineGuy here. Any time a company spends time and money on something like chrome finish and puts it in a fairly low-priced product I have to wonder. That said, I have seen some good editorial reviews of some of their subs.

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New Project: 2003 Pathfinder

My opinion is Audiobahn amps are worth the money. They have some flash to them, but they've been solid performers.

Unfortunately I can't say the same for their subs. As everyone else has mentioned, their subs are designed more for flash than for performance and SQ. A lot of Audiobahn's hype on their subs is for inverted mounting (hence the extra flash on their baskets).

Unfortunately you don't gain anything from inverted mounting, and unless you know what you're doing with it (inverted mounting) you can damage your equipment in a heartbeat. So that leaves people spending too much money on a sub where 1) 9 times out of 10 you'll never see the detail they put into the basket design and 2) still not achieving the performance that could have been obtained by overall better quality subs for around the same price.

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Squirrel
"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"
If its too loud, then you're too old
Donate to the12volt.com

Audiobahn has a rep for stealing designs and slapping the chrome and their name on it.

www.adireaudio.com could tell you all day that adire is a great audio maker and is a great product.

www.edesignaudio.com Another inexpensive high quality audio maker. There older flat cone sub is being sold at 65$ a pop- thats cheap.

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Could someone give me product names of good sq subs? What are Audiobahns 6 sister companies? Can 8" subs move the ground? I wanna put 4 of them in a 99 Malibu.

Ok, i think that some people are influenced way to easy. The audiobahn line is good. They couldnt get good just with marketing. Grant it their low line subs are crap, but what brand doenst make cheap low line pieces of crap? I ran 2 12" pro piston compression subs with audiobahn intake amps and never had a problem other than it was too loud for the neighbors. They hit hard and the amps preform outstanding. I think that the pro piston compression subs are right up there in line with the w6 subs of JL. This is speaking from experience with both subs in teh same car. I felt that the 2 JLs didnt hit as hard OR CLEAR as the audiobahns. say what you may, but audiobahn is a good brand.

https://www.audiooutfitter.com/cgi-bin/store/AWP312T.html

Look at that sub. There is no flame. No additional flash, and that thing pounds like there is no tomorrow. For everyone out there who is totally against auiobahn, just be openminded and take another look at their products. I used to be against them too because of all the crap i read, but then i went out and actually heard some of their stuff with an open mind, and now im hooked.

Audiobahn is gear for the masses. If you want boom and sizzle great. Dude they hit!!, they pound!!, yata yata. Look at the posts for Audiobahn. The newbies are raving about them and the installers and pro's are laughing and shaking their heads. Listen to what you are buying. Compare with other brands. Companies such as Adire and Crossfire make products that sound fantastic and are made from real parts.

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audiocableguy wrote:

and are made from real parts.

Oh so audiobahn uses fake material to make subs? Yeah in my post i said they hit, but they were also clear. they were a well rounded sub in my opinion, but i guess everyone has their own, and i doubt i can changer their opinions, but honestly, take a serious look at them and not just read what was written in other posts. I install audiobahn all the time, not because they are crap but because they are good for what you need. I am by no mean saying they are the best, but people are putting them down the the Xplod category.

They are made in china and are made from off of the shelf parts (unlike JL or Adire Audio). I see chrome posted_image

. Everyone has their own experiences with them, but the majority that i have heard or seen are bad. They might be have the boomtizzlest looks, but I don't feel the same about their sound. So no offense or anything (If you like the sound and find them reliable go with them, its your choice) , but I would really pick a different brand. And I see no reason not to when most of their middle of the line products, cost about the same as or more then better products from different brands.

"real parts" I was referring to amplifier construction.
My point is there are other brands available that might last a little longer, sound a little better and still be affordable compared with the audiobahn brand.

So many buyers get caught in the name game that they get ripped off. The same goes for the highend buyer name dropping and blowing cash. Very surprized how effective a hot chick in a thong can be selling audio gear. The Xplod category is pretty bad.

i heard setups with audiobahn that kids have droped upto 5grand on and ive also had systems worth about 1grand beat them.......i just don't see y people should spend the money for the audiobahn name..

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Quad L Handyman services

It's the name - people think they are getting German products and therefor "quality" - and the "flame" design. Good marketing. Audiobahn products are overpriced for their sub-par quality and none of their products that I have tested (subs, amps, full-range speaker systems) meet any of their own listed specs. But like the man said, if you want them, if you like the sound, or if you just like the bling, then go for it. It's your money.

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In your replies everyone keeps saying "other brands" are better. What are the "other brands"?

JL Audio, Adire Audio, Eclipse, Xtant, Boston Acoustics, MB Quart, Focal, Memphis, Rockford Fosgate, Alpine, Pioneer, Mcintosh... the list goes on. These are all excellent brands.

I don't think anyone can argue that Eclipse subs are some of the best ones out there. I've also heard of Diamond being excellent (although expensive as hell!).

I still run Rockford Punch HX2's until I can afford my Eclipse Titaniums :D

As for amps I hear that Xtant and Zapco are hard to beat.

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Squirrel
"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"
If its too loud, then you're too old
Donate to the12volt.com

Crossfire, Adire, Zapco, X-tant, Alpine, ADS, Diamond Audio, JBL, Treo Eng. These are all very reputable brands that offer excellant SQ, build quality and customer support.

I see audiobahn in the same light as I see Lightning audio and Boss audio, and Planet Audio. I have never been impressed with any of it. I have used equipment made by all of them and none of them came any where close to my expectations. I didnt have high expectations either just expected them to preform as well as some of the other products I can buy at the same price point and they never did. I find their amps are made of sub par material and seems like I can go down to the local parts store and buy most of the pieces I need to make the same amp off their shelf. And the subs, well I find they sound like garbage when compared to similar priced products in a line like MTX or JL or even Alpine and Pioneer. I have been doing this professionally as a installer for 4 1/2 years now, and have another 3 1/2 years as a ametur which isnt a ton of time but have probally delt with more variety of brands than most people with my level of experience so I like to think my word counts for something. You can jump down my throat for saying what I say but if you havent actaully taken apart the amps or really tested the sub woofers than I think you should and you may change your mind.

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

I believe diamond audio is priced just about the same as eclipse is in most aspects.

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Quad L Handyman services

If I remember correctly Lightening Audio is a subsideary (sp?) of Rockford. I haven't used their subs or amps, but I am running a few of their accessories (an ANL inline and a distro block) and have not had any problems.

Of course we're talking about subs and amps, not accessories though. But I have also heard ill words about their sub and amp line, I just haven't heard the products for myself.

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Squirrel
"No more Cpt. Kirk chit chat"
If its too loud, then you're too old
Donate to the12volt.com

Lightning Audio shares no technology with rockford. The Line is owned buy Rockford, I believe, but the amps and subs and what not are a completly different animal not even made in the same country little lone the same factory

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer