Noise - Unabled ?
I have installed a high end audio system in my car. (sorry no brands please!). All components - head receivers, electronics crossovers, amplifiers, speakers and even signal and speaker cables came from world reputable companies. They cost me quite a lot. While I am very proud of the system, there is a faint alternator whine that could still be heard in a still engine running condition. I have tried all means to eliminate this but the problem persists. What is wrong ?

Perhaps, you should look at the cable too especially the signal cable. Expensive cables from reputable companies may still give the problem to us. Conventional shielded cables are no guarantee against noise. Try cables that are designed unshielded twisted pair. You may solve the problem once and for all.

Made in America - Better ?
I was ´advised´ by friends and car audio installers that products that are Made in America are better in sound quality and performance. Is it really? Most of car stereos are made in Asia.

It is really difficult to find products that are really truly Made in America these days. Consider products that are assembled in America, say an amplifier that has its heat sink, PC board, bottom and end plates and even colour gift box made in Korea and shipped to America for its final assembly and out to consumers as Made in America. What about products that are made in Asia? are they really inferior? Honestly, there are really no clear cut reputation fall on the quality of what they sell wherever they are made in.

I have a system set up in my car comprising of 2 prs EX 2560 Polk Audio component speakers, 2 pcs 12 W0-4 JL Audio subwoofers and EQ 5 Audiobank equilizer. I was fairly happy with the sound until ‘someone’ told me that the car exhibited poor up-front bass presence. What does it mean ? Can we cure this problem ?

Most often than not, all subwoofers are located in the trunk away from the front seats. The bass response of the subwoofers coupled with the in room resonance of the car and the road noise can become boomy and point source i.e. you can hear the separation of sound that is coming from your component speakers and the subwoofers. To quickest way to ´cure´ such problem would be to switch the polarity of the subwoofers relative to the component speakers to establish the polarity that gives the smoothest midbass and most convincing upfront bass before jumping into equalization or other signal processing. Due to the subwoofers and the component speakers are at different distances from our ears, the so-called correct polarity doesn´t necessarily result in the correct phase at the listening position.

Perhaps, it may sound stupid ! But if I spend more money buying more expensive car amplifiers or car speakers, will my car audio system really sound better ?

It is not stupid at all. The answer is – most of the time, the system will sound better. A $100.00 amplifier or speaker will sound better than a $30.00 unit. On the same note, a $500.00 amplifier or speaker will sound better than a $100.00 unit. So, we have a scale of good ? better ? and best ? The reason behind the above examples is that as we move up the price, we will benefit from higher quality construction, more exotic materials and better crossover components, magnets and voice coils. You will get better power handling through better design and more reliability. Words of caution, though, there are over-priced products that do not deserve such prices.

2 ohms or 4 ohms ? I intend to purchase a 2-channel amplifier to fire up my subwoofers. Shall I hook up the subwoofers in parallel (2 ohms) on a bridged mode or leave it in 4 ohms ?

It really depends on the type of subwoofers that you intend to use. While some amplifiers swear and claim that they deliver the full designed power in a 4-ohm or 2-ohm load, the former at least guarantees that you get the nominal specifications.

I want to upgrade my car audio system. I have approached a few installers and God forbids, I become more confused than ever. Please help – what to buy ? and where to buy ? I live in Singapore. DO NOT RECOMMEND YOURSELF !

eCarhifi.com does not need self-recommendation. It is the best place for you to get the best deal in 12-volt gears. Here are some tips :-
a. Set your own limit. How much damage do you want your system do to your pockets ?
b. Buy only products of reputable brands. Why ? Because when the shop does not take care its customer for the after sales service, you still have a recourse to approach the manufacturers. This is not fool proof though ! Big companies can go bankrupt too.
c. Buy from a reputable installer. Which one ? Talk to the distributors and friends. You should be able to short-list a few reasonable good installers.
d. Most expensive is not always the best. The cheapest is not always the worst. Old models may yet be the better products. The Cardinal’s guide in buying car audio system states that a combination of well known brands, reputable distributors and installers and lots of patience in finding out the ‘truth’ is the safest bet