Hey DB,

I have been playing with my stereo, tuning it to sound more like I thought it should for the type of music I listen to. After studying the head units manual and learning how all the features work, I think I got it sounding pretty damn good. Tell me what you think about this "tune up"


Sub control set to: 50hz/+6 volume
HPF set to: 100hz (This is for the dash speakers that run off HU power, cutting out almost all bass to them)
L=3, M=4, H=6
Bass boost= 5

Ofcourse the componet set has their built in cross overs so the mids were only seeing mid and the tweets only seeing highs and neither got any bass what so ever.

This setup has given me crystal clear, shrieking highs and clean, hard, quick hitting bass that doesn't carry and vibrate everything...

My old tune had the sub at 80hz/0 volume, then I had the Bass boost on 2 and no HPF on the dash speakers. Switching the HZ on the sub down to 50 made all the difference. It allowed me to turn up the sub volume and bass and make it HIT hard with out all the vibration and long carrying bass. I basically tuned the mids/highs and dash speakers for MAX VOLUME without distortion by pull low freqs out, that cleaned it up a lot, then I turned the sub back on and BAM....it as like a different system.

DO you see anything wrong with running the system with the setup I have in it right now?

 

Well I would guess the car sound will fill in your 50-100hz range


Subs sound better cut lower.. to bad we don't have enuff room for a 6.5-9" speaker in the doors.


PapaJ

 

Also, Try turning down your mids.. You might find you like the non-boxy sound.


PapaJ

 

It looks like you have a really good handle on things as they are. I agree I would probably turn down the mids a little bit but that's me and I just like mid-bass a lot more than piercing highs.

Tuning is so subjective that you really can't have anyone else tell you how to do it. You need to find the sweet spot frequencies that really get you off, and fine tune from there.

To be honest, I constantly tune my stereos. Depending on music, or weather like windows up or windows down...I change it a lot. You probably will too, so use the pre-set functions available from most head unit manufacturers.

 

yeah the presets in the EQ all sound like a$$. There is the "Vocal" then the "BASS" then the "Theater" etc...they all suck. I use the "Custom" and set everything as mentioned. I do have the LOUD set to HI and that really helped in the mids and highs.

I really don't have any MID BASS at all. My speakers in the componets(5.25") have NO bass going to them at all. I think its how the cross overs are setup but there is absolutely no bass going to them. If I listen them with the sub turned off there is no other bass at all. The 5.25s merely provide the vocals, loud and clear but nothing else. The tweets are obviously all highs.

My dash 4x6s were playing full range running off of the HU but the problem was, when I would turn up the bass and lows in the HU to give more to the sub, the dash speakers would also get the signals which would blast them and make them sound like ***. Thats why I set the HPF on them to 100hz so at high volume levels I get just a tad "bass" through them but not enough to distort them, even with the volume control at 30 or above. I am really just using them as a mid and highs. With the HPF turned on, and the HU having a LPF for the sub, I can split the freqs to where I wanted them. This allowed me to turn up the bass/lows on the sub to make it hit hard and quick but not carry and vibrate. This is good for rock, classic rock etc...

I was mainly concerned with running the sub at that low of a freq with the bass and low turned up so high.


Also explain to me about mid bass? is it something I am missing eventhough my sub provides strong bass?

 

Have you ever ridden in a new GM car or truck that has the premium stereo, and it sounds good? Most of that bass comes from mid sized amped speakers tuned perfectly for that car. Good bass can be had from mid speakers, and I tend to tune my stereos to get bass from the mids. Not a lot, as it starts to distort the higher the volume gets. I allow some mid-range frequencies to get to the mids to put a little bass in the front.

Now, the issue comes in with the speaker size. I use 6.5" as often as I can in front. In your care you had to stick to 5.25" and there's your rub. The 5.25' speaker really cannot provide the mid-bass I was referring to because of it's size and Xmax value.

If it sounds good like it is to you, just play with it and change little things one at a time.

 

I have a 99TA with the Monsoon system, it has the 5" or 6" mid bass subs. They do have a lot of mid level bass for what they are. THat stereo sounds really good with a rich full sound. Problem is, the speakers blow easily if you turn on the bass more then 1/4 of the way up. I have blown both subs and they are $70 ea. LOL

DB How can I try to send some bass to my componets? I think it has to do with how the shopped wired up the cross overs to them. I mean they have NO bass whats over so it must be crossed over and out. Maybe its not worth messing with it but...


I know I just don't like the long, higher pitched bass that carries and vibrates...I don't want it to sound like a got a pair of 15" home speakers tucked in the trunk...LOL I wanted it to hit hard and quick. My latest tune up seems to sound like that but... I don't want to mess up the sub by banging it out that hard all the time. It hits really good though.

 

I wouldn't stress over it too much. The 5.25" is not really capable, and the crossover is going to limit whatever you put to it. Maybe lower the frequency a little bit, and see what that does.



Don't stress out over the sub either. It's designed to HIT, and that's what it's doing. Just make sure of two things. The amp is not over powering the sub meaning it's not gained too high, and that the sub is not distorting. If it sounds crisp and clear you're good to go. Also, maxing the volume will kill a sub so I hope you don't do that.

 

To be honest with you, I haven't even messed with the amp. There is like 4 ***** under a cover that screws on it. I looked at them but none of them were a "gain" **** so I don't know what its set at. After seeing how the shop tuned the levels in the HU, I am not confident they did anything right. WHere is a good ball park to set the gain?

As far as volume, I am not sure what maxxed out is but the most I have turned my volume up to on the HU is like "35", I am not sure what it goes to but I am sure its at least in the 40s. No way my ears could take it..lol

Are built in cross overs adjustable? like with a **** or something that has to be re-wired. I know the shop mounted my cross overs up in the bird cage and I really don't want to pull the kicks to F with it. Even with the sub at low freqs, it seems like it blends in well to me...its not like it just hits and has shrieking highs...the sub produces so much sound even at low freqs it fills in nicely... I am gonna mess with it today some.

Thanks for all your help bro, this stereo tuning is all new to me.

 

The gains are generally safe up to the 75%-80% range on most amps. You get much higher and the amp is working as hard as it can when you have full range going to the sub. This is worse for the amp than the sub, but if the signal distorts, the sub will get hurt.

Some crossovers are adjustable, but I do not believe yours are. The other thing to remember is you have a single amp running both the sub and the components right? That means the amp is using it's built in crossover to filter mids and highs from the sub and the lows from the components. This will also work against you and hinder a really complete tune.

Get it close to what you like, and just play with it. It sounds like the sub is right where you want it so barring checking the gain, I would leave that alone. Play with the head unit a little and see what you get.

 

I would not mess with the amp!

Gains are not volume controls. They are ment to be matched to the voltage out-put of your head unit.

Remember the world is eq'ed so mess with the eq's.

DB, Are you the guy with 4 drivers in this custom fiberglass dash?

 

Nope.

 

Yeah after playing with it this weekend, you definetly have to tune it for certain types of music. I found a decent average on the settings but I can make a few adjustments and really dial it in for certain music. I will be F'n with this thing from now on.

I do see what you meant about midbass though. On SOME songs, I have really good highs, good vocals and good lows but there is something missing, the blend between the vocals and the lows. Not on all music but I did notice it on some. If I switched the LPF on the sub to 63hz, it blends it in better on some songs but then on other songs its too much... I ended up leaving it at 50hz...


Anyway, thanks for the help!