[berettafan]

Blaupunkt only ever had a premium name because of the cars they were OEM in. Nobody, at least back when i was into the crap, ever bought a Blaupunkt on purpose. Crutchfield would have you think otherwise but in my experience it wasn't the case.

Going back a ways (late '80s) but the fact was that MOST of what people were buying was crap. Alpine built a name on quality and, unfortunately, rappers (and as i recall they were factory in the high dollar italian cars). Alpines would actually put out what was put in whereas so many others would attempt to process the music into something that MIGHT sound a touch better on a ****ty set of kmart 6x9's. To my ear Clarion was the best at this. But when you put good equipment behind a better head unit (20yrs ago it was Alpine and Eclipse) you got an entirely different sound experience. Wasn't about wattage either. All about clean power.

Ah those were the days. Learned many an expensive lesson with crappy products that flooded the market.