[raj_5004]

Hey guys, we have purchased a mini bus & the body is being built in kerela. For the ICE, i was initially considering an entire JBL setup. it costed around 35k but one installer (specialist in bus installs) here in kerela recommends pioneer over JBL. he says JBL is great for cars but for buses, pioneer is better. is that true?

anyways, here is the quote i got from him-

pio Head unit - 5600
pio GMX 6400 amp - 8400
pio GMX 4002 amp - 5800
pio 460W 5 way ovals (2 pairs) - 7400
pio 160W round - 1100
JBL 1215T 1100W basstube - 4200
Speaker boxes (4 nos) - 2400
Ahuja cordless, echo & karoake - 5200
12V 500kWA Powertone Inverter - 3250
Wiring, Amp kit, RC cables & Fitting clamps - 6500
Philips DVD player - 3200
Samsung 22" LCD TV - 15000
Labour - 4000
Laser Show - 8500

Total - 81500/-

Please bear in mind that this setup is for a bus where SPL is more important than SQ. I am not too aware of pio speakers & amps.

Also, i dont want to invest in the latest & costliest products because these fitments wont give me any additional fare!

are the prices okay? any problems with the above combo? thanks in advance.

[DjNik]

There is certainly no reason for Pio to perform better than JBL, so you can surely go ahead with JBL.

Before anything else can be suggested could you give an insight on how big is the bus?

Lastly please avoid the bass tubes at all costs.Get JBL/Polk subs in custom ported enclosures, they will suit your purpose the best.

[DerAlte]

Looks like you will have a complete disco-on-wheels setup in your bus, @raj_5004!

A tube or ported sub is likely to be very boomy, more so in a bus interior. If you don't like it boomy (it can get very tiring), put a 15" sub in a sealed box.

Wiring seems to be on the higher side.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by DjNik

There is certainly no reason for Pio to perform better than JBL, so you can surely go ahead with JBL.

I am keen on installing JBL too, but are you sure a JBL would work fine in a bus? We have JBLs in our earlier buses & they are not good at all.

i have JBLs in my car & they are outstanding!

Before anything else can be suggested could you give an insight on how big is the bus?

its a 29 seater mini bus, what we call as ICV- Intermediate Commercial Vehicle.

Lastly please avoid the bass tubes at all costs.Get JBL/Polk subs in custom ported enclosures, they will suit your purpose the best.

A bus operator in kerela told me that ported boxes wont be of much use in a bus. for such a large cabin, basstubes should be preferred. is that true?

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Looks like you will have a complete disco-on-wheels setup in your bus, @raj_5004!

this is a stereo setup. if you can spend around 40k more, you can even get a DAB dolby digital surround sound with speakers below your seats & analog & digital control!

A tube or ported sub is likely to be very boomy, more so in a bus interior. If you don't like it boomy (it can get very tiring), put a 15" sub in a sealed box.

another reason for selecting a basstube is its installation. in kerela buses, basstubes are more of a show thingy! it is installed on the roof using brackets over the last row of seats. installing boxes mean you would compromise on head room.

Wiring seems to be on the higher side.

thanks. i will ask him to reduce that price.

[aravind2010]

@raj_5004
Will this bus be used as a mode of transport by people on a daily basis or would it be used like a cab(it will be booked and used by a group of people travelling).
if the first case people dont travel in a bus daily just because the bus has JBL speakers or PIO speakers.
If its the second option, then there might be a choice of equipment involved i guess.
BTW the MTC AC buses that i have seen in chennai have kenwood speakers and sony HUs!!

[raj_5004]

aravind, the bus will be used for contract carriages, that is, it will be used like a cab(it will be booked and used by a group of people travelling).

[montyguru]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

aravind, the bus will be used for contract carriages, that is, it will be used like a cab(it will be booked and used by a group of people travelling).

if it is for foreign tourists, or hi-end luxury, then i would recommend small LCD screens behind every seat and individual headphones to be plugged in for each.

[raj_5004]

No, its not for foreign tourists. For such customers, we are planning to buy a 17 seater tempo traveller which will be having a better setup.

Also, LCD screens behind each headrest will prove to be too costly. We wont get anything in return. All this is just a 'complimentary' addition for the customers & the customers wont pay anything for the TVs or music!

[scopriobharath]

Raj - What is Laser Show. It is catchy. Could you please provide more info on the same.

[raj_5004]

its a laser light emitting device which will blink with the music. absolutely unnecessary according to me, but it is in demand by customers in kerela!

[scopriobharath]

Dear Raj - Do you have any Pics / site that explains this. I could not find anything on the Net :-(

[raj_5004]

Sorry, no pics yet. i will post a pic/video once this is installed in my bus.

[frankmehta]

First things first mate. A brand cannot sound good or bad as a whole. They have some good products, and some really pathetic ones. That is the case with most companies these days.
I wouldn't recommend sticking to one brand just because it sounds good, and the other brand sounds bad.
JBL makes really good products, and their entry level products are great too. Speakers from JBL/Rockford Fosgate would be good VFM in a bus, where the
'dhinchak' variety of music/movies is enjoyed more than subtle, classy stuff ;-)

Pioneer makes decent robust head units, and so does Kenwood and Alpine. Look at all brands.

[raj_5004]

Thanks for the advice frank. i wont install expensive head units like alpine in a bus! i again contacted the installer today & he insists that pioneer speakers are better than the JBL ones. also, the most important part is service.

Now, bus speakers are normally played at very high volumes for 90% of its life. he says pioneers can withstand this abuse but not JBL. i am not sure whether he is saying this from experience or he just enjoys a better profit margin with pioneers.

one most important aspect for me is that this guy offers me 24x7, on the spot service. according to him, if any amp or speaker goes kaput, he will instantly replace it with a spare one till the original speaker gets repaired, but only valid for the pioneer. thats because he has a pioneer service centre near to his shop. but for the JBL, he cannot offer me this facility.

totally confused!

[raj_5004]

Thanks for the advice guys. We have finally got the bus (pics here) & the above system rocks (by bus standards)!

Some pics & videos of Laser show. Now i am not a big fan of this Laser show in a bus but its the most "demanded" things by customers now! Also, it looks crappy in the video but its nice in real.

YouTube - Las sh1.mp4

YouTube - Las Sh2