Why is a car such a nice place to listen to music?

After finally finishing the installation of a new head unit and loudspeakers, including new wires, I have noticed that I listen a lot more to music now than in years. Sure, the components are very good, but there are no power amps or subwoofers (yet) so the overall sound isn’t earth-shattering or anything special. But the listening environment is, and the blood sweat and tears that went into the installation matters. And when you season it all with nostalgia, all the planets align for what is close to a perfect listening experience for me.

Cars, AcousticsRikard ÖqvistJanuary 23, 2025music, car audio, nostalgia, restoration, DIYComment

It must always get worse before it gets better

Christmas holidays was a perfect time to dive into my car audio project. But as always, I was too optimistic on the time it would take to install and rewire new speakers. I had taken the panels off inside the cabin to route the wires properly, so the car was not in a driveable state and this increasingly annoyed me as the days became weeks. Finally, I decided to just spit in my hands and wrap things up, no matter how long it would take. I didn’t finish until after 04:00 in the morning, having worked for seven hours straight without a break. Was it worth it?

CarsRikard ÖqvistJanuary 10, 2025car audio, project management, adhd, focus, diy Comments

Execution is never a waste of time

I was rather satisfied after my first car audio installation last week including a new head unit with new front and rear speakers. But the joy was short-lived. Now, I have pulled out all the speakers again, to start all over. Somewhat frustrating yes, but on the other hand, it is practically impossible to get something right on the first try. As soon as I was finished with the project, I had learned so much that a teardown and rebuild was the only rational thing to do.

CarsRikard ÖqvistJanuary 3, 2025diy, car audio, renovation, experienceComment

The car upgrade process has begun

When I was 18 with a fresh driver’s license, my top priority was to upgrade my car – a W124 200D – with a subwoofer. The only thing I cared about was to get maximum bass. I put a 12” closed box and power amp in the trunk and from what I remember, it worked quite well! Thinking back now, I do have some serious doubts regarding sound quality when matching terrible factory speakers from the 1980’s with a (then) modern powerful sub. But that was not important then. Bass was. Two and a half decades later, here I am, designing a car audio system for a W124 again. The circle is closed. But this time however, I intend to do it right.

DiaryRikard ÖqvistNovember 15, 2024car, driving, car audio, w124, DIYComment