Originally posted by trendkillah
Actually, what is the worst imaginable listening environment, yet, it's where most people listen to their music? Yup! Cars! This is exactly why listening to your product in a car is a very good test. If it sounds good behind the wheel, you've probably done a pretty good job.

It's not the listening environment that is the problem. It's the frequency response on car stereos, the lowest frequency they produce is 60hz. That's still to high for your low end. You can run into the problem of having a low-end rumble. Bad because lower frequencies require more power to produce so you may have too much there and since the car stereo won't pick it up you will think it's ok. Then when you put it on a regular stereo you end up with your higher frequency pushed back (sometimes behind) because of that extreme low-end. Then all of a sudden you have lost that transparent sound of your recording. Car stereo's also have a problem with higher frequencies, I'm not sure exactly where they cut off, but they definitely don't reach anywhere near 20khz. Bad because that where the "room-sense" sound is (15khz-20khz). Room sense is the frequencies where you can here the acoustics of the room the band recorded in. So you won't be able to balance the room-sense acoustics with the acoustic of the room your stereo is in. Your right in the fact if you listen and judge on an ok stereo system, and it turns out awesome. It will sound better on a better stereo or better acoustically fit room. Same applies if you can get it to sound good on a regular stereo you can be sure it will sound good on a car stereo. I'd check on a home stereo first, a car stereo should be one of your last options.