Alright, we don't have anything like what I'm seeing on that site here in the States, and I must have some more details. Is this a "thing" in Norway, because I see an awful lot of party vans that are way over the top at that site, and I'm getting quite a thrill out of looking at so much junk.

I'm heading home for the night, but I'll take a closer look in the morning.

Happy gaming,

Boz

First: Note that those images in my prior post are not from my installations! Those are professional installs for demo cars from their respective manufacturers. I've got some pictures from my installs somewhere, but I'd have to scan them in (and find them).

Second: I assume you are basically picking from these two vans. If this is just a party wagon, it doesn't really matter what you're buying since you're just going to trash it anyway. If the stereo turns on and it's loud, that seems to fit the bill. Go purely on price and ease of use, and ignore everything else. This is not an audiophile ride, and shouldn't be evaluated as such: Does it work? Are you going to break it? Will it do everything you want it to? These are the more important questions now that I've got some more context. Some thoughts based on what little I can see:

• The XO drivers and PA speakers would probably be more useful if you can remove them from the vehicle, from a party perspective. The subs look like they're just sitting on top of the PAs, meaning you could theoretically take the subs and PAs out of the back and point them in whatever direction you needed while parked. So if you're at a beach/park/middle of the woods/random parking lot you can have an instant party. I cannot see how it's wired or the amplifiers they're using, so it's tough to tell beyond that it looks like it'd be great for an outside party and bass-heavy, but not much else. Consider throwing the XO drivers in a bandpass box (rather than a simple ported box) for more boom and a bit more safety for the speakers. Ignore the "2 * 2000W amplifiers" comment; wattage is the most misleading statement in car audio. If you can find out the make/model of the amp, and the amperage (you can just add the fuses installed on the amp itself), that'll give you a better idea of what kind of power they're putting out. Then again, you have no idea what the Sony van is using, and therefore no frame of reference, so it really doesn't matter in the end, anyway!
• The Sony installation looks cleaner and it's got a television, which is great from a party standpoint if most of the partying is going to happen inside the van, and the speakers facing out look like they'd make a reasonable PA system, to boot. That said, looking at the doors of the van you can see the indentation of the shape of the woofers in the carpeting of the door covers, meaning the speaker drivers are physically touching the doors when they are closed. If you plan on turning the woofers on while operating the vehicle with the doors closed, you risk damaging the woofers. This was a pretty big mistake during the installation, and a shame. Still, I like the Sony install better; it's a lot cleaner. I'd probably do something with the doors to keep them from touching the woofers, though.

All that said, either is fine for a party wagon, to be honest.

Or you can ask this guy if you can borrow his ride, since he's in Norway...somewhere!

If you get more information on the head unit, wiring, speakers used elsewhere in the vehicles, or more photos in general, I am happy to comment.

Good luck!

Boz

Look at it this way: You can either get an awesome pair of headphones for movies, video games, and music, or you can get a great headset designed specifically for reproducing spacial - not special, spacial - effects. You'll probably be happy either way, to be honest, but I personally would prefer a pair of quality headphones to one specific to gaming.

Regardless, be sure to purchase from a quality retailer so you have the option of returning or exchanging them if you're dissatisfied.

Good luck,

Boz

In addition to the Swans and Daytons mentioned above - which are excellent options - I would add the option of the M-Audio AV30 (~$100) or AV40 (~$200) depending on your budget, and the Audioengine 2s (~$200); this might be useful depending on your price and availability.

So what's the best budget 5.1? i.e. how cheap is the the cheapest 5.1 that you'd recommend... I take it you don't like Boston Acoustics (they have cheap everything) ... There's always that Onkyo with a receiver for 300 bucksMozelleple112

Boz

Mozelle:

Car Audio: My specialty! I'm a former MECP certified installer and used to compete in both db Drag Racing and USAC here in the Northeast. I hit in the mid-140db range in a custom dual-sub category installation (db Drag racing categorized by woofer surface area). I worked for a couple different installers back before I graduated college, and have worked with custom fiberglass enclosures among other advanced installation techniques.

First, I'm terribly concerned you're considering buying a van with a custom system already installed. I would advise against this; considering your preference for B&W and high-end headphones, you'll be sorely disappointed by the piercing highs, muddied bass, and terrible imaging that these installations would yield. Pro Audio cabinets have no place in the car audio world; after all, would you use a guitar speaker in your home theater?

If you're aiming for a van, pick up a quality, unmodified vehicle first. Then use your remaining budget for your audio system. If you spent $10,000 on the van and $5,000 on the sound system, you'll end up with a pretty impressive piece of mobile audio equipment.

First and foremost: Car Audio has more misinformation and misconceptions than with ANY other consumer product I have ever had experience. Brand misconceptions, measuring wattage, how much amperage and what gauge wire to use: It's amazing how tough it is to find accurate information.

That said, for the amount you are considering spending you should be able to afford:

• A quality installation from a reputable car audio installer (meaning MECP-certified with an extensive portfolio)
• Full sound-deadening for the cabinet
• New head unit, speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofer
• Decent support equipment, such as external capacitors for the amps
• Fiberglass enclosures matched to your vehicle

As far as what products to consider, you are going to want to stick with drivers designed for car audio. Home theater speakers are not designed to weather the environment of a car, including direct sunlight, drastic changes in heat and humidity, etc. There are dozens of reputable brands out there, and everyone has their preferences. I've used pretty much all of them from the bottom of the barrel to ultra high-end stuff from Focal.

The biggest problem people have is figuring out which products from a particular brand are the "good" speakers/amps versus the "value" brands. Rockford Fosgate has Punch and Power to distinguish between their low- and high-end. In no particular order, Alphasonik , Alpine, Audiobahn, Boston Acoustics, Cerwin Vega, Focal, Hifonics, Infinity, JBL, JL Audio, JVC, Kenwood, Kicker, Kole Audio, MTX, Orion, Pioneer, Polk Audio all have excellent products within their lineup (and some crap).

Alpine, JL Audio, and Kicker are far and away the most popular car audio brands out there from a sales standpoint. Focal and MB Quart are probably the highest-end speakers you'll get, though the aforementioned brands all have their upper-escelon stuff. Personally I use a combination of Alpine, Kicker, Infinity Kappa, and JVC Arsenal products with wiring from assorted manufacturers, though this is more the result of price and availability than ideal options. I'd be just as happy with Pioneer, JL Audio, Alphasonik, etc. depending on the model in their lineup.

So think about what it is you want to do, besides having a heavy emphasis on bass (since that's the easiest part), and let me know. Know that at a minimum you'll want an aftermarket head unit, front speakers, one or two amps, and a pair of subwoofers to achieve a quality listening experience and heavy bass. I'll be happy to help you assemble the products that would fit in the vehicle you select as well as audit local installers that would do an excellent job on your behalf. If local installers are an issue or you want to save a few bucks and DIY, a little woodworking, basic tools, and elbow grease (and a bunch of time) is all that's really needed to get a great car audio system installed.

Boz

...for use with a PS3. Until I started researching hdmi, I always thought the spec was essentially the same. Then I started reading about false certification and variances in speed. Then I became a little confused as to the amount of options. All I want is a nicely made cable, about 2 meters, that will be 100% compatible with the ps3.

Heirren

last ditch bump

BlackDevil99

Emblems have been awarded, the original post has been edited check and see who had "Flawless Victories"/ Synthia

Boz

As you open the case, pay attention to the following moving parts inside your PC:

• Case Fans
• PSU Fan
• CPU Fan
• Graphics Card Fan
• Hard Drive(s) (which can be VERY loud when dying)
• CD/DVD Drive

If it is a hard drive, be sure you back it up immediately to save your data before you inevitably have to replace it.

Good luck identifying the noise!

Boz

Right now about the best PC monitor you can get in each price range:

• ~$160 - ASUS VW224U 22-Inch Widescreen
• ~$200 - ASUS VW246H 24-Inch Widescreen
• ~$300 - ASUS VE276Q 27-Inch
• ~$480 - Dell UltraSharp U2410 24-inch (basically top of the line)

You just have to ask yourself: Is it worth it to you to spend the extra money to move up from one rung to another?

Good luck and happy gaming!

Boz