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truck stereo imbalance troubleshooting


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kerrdog 
Member - Posts: 3
Member spacespace
Joined: January 18, 2015
Location: United States
Posted: January 18, 2015 at 10:26 AM / IP Logged  
Hello all! I just joined the site and this is my first post. I own a 1997 F-150 Lariat that I have been upgrading over time. Most recently, I installed an aftermarket sound system that includes four speaker components, two amps, and an 8-inch sub. I know very little about wiring and sound systems, so this has been a long and educational experience!
After much trouble, I thought I had finally completed the install. All four speakers and the sub were working beautifully and the sound quality was like crystal. However, when I tried it again the next day, my right side, front and back door speakers only had a third the volume as those on the left side. Also, the back right speaker had a lot of interference.
I rewired both speakers by running fresh wires from the amp to the doors. This fixed the clarity problem, but the volume problem remains. They still are only about as third as loud as their left side counterparts.
I tried switching the amp output wires, thinking that if I reversed the two sides, then I would get a mirrored situation with the right side being louder than the left. However, this did not make a difference and the right side remained quieter than the left.
This really has me scratching my head. I've checked all the wiring, run new wiring to replace new wiring I had already installed, switched the outputs, fiddled with the amp settings, turned off the sub, tested the wiring with a meter, and still can't find the problem. Does anyone have a suggestion to help me bring the right side speakers into balance with the ones on the left?
Also, if I can't fix this, will manually adjusting the balance with my receiver's balance control lead to problems down the road? Is it okay to run the sound system in this state?
If more information is needed, then please let me know and I will be happy to post it! I'm trying to complete the install by tomorrow because I have to drive back to college where I do not have access to my tools or family shop.
Thank you very much in advance! I've learned a lot through this installation but what I know now is still far outweighed by what I don't know!    truck stereo imbalance troubleshooting - Last Post -- posted image.
sparkie 
Platinum - Posts: 2,061
Platinum spacespace
Joined: November 06, 2003
Location: Canada
Posted: January 18, 2015 at 11:55 AM / IP Logged  
How are the 4 component speaker sets wired? Are they wired to a 4 channel amp? How are the inputs wired. You need to logically isolate where the problem is. Try switching the inputs to the amp (left to right) to see if the problem moves. Disconnect one set of affected speakers aone at a time at the amp to eliminate them as a problem.
sparky
kerrdog 
Member - Posts: 3
Member spacespace
Joined: January 18, 2015
Location: United States
Posted: January 18, 2015 at 1:30 PM / IP Logged  
They are wired to a 4-Channel, 300 Watt MTX amp. The amp itself can be found here on the Crutchfield site: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-bQhu3UyayVi/p_236TD754/MTX-TD75-4.html
The speakers are not bridged; each has its own channel. I used the receiver's balance/fade to isolate each individual speaker to determine its individual performance. I then reversed the two sides (L becomes R and R becomes L) two different ways. I tried reversing the RCA input jacks first, and then used the balance/fade to again isolate the speakers and note the effects. I then fixed the RCA input jacks to their original positions and reversed the two sides at speaker channels themselves. Again, R became L and L became R. I used the balance/fade to isolate the speakers and note any effects.
In the end, it did not seem to matter which channels the speakers were wired into. The right side remained quieter than the left.
I was able to isolate a problem with the back left speaker where it was extremely distorted. I re-wired it and went directly from the amp to the speaker, bypassing the headunit wiring harness entirely, and solving the issue with sound clearness. However, the right side remains stubbornly quieter than the left.
In short, the problem is half solved now. I just have to figure out how to boost the volume on the right side to make it equal the volume on the left side.
sparkie 
Platinum - Posts: 2,061
Platinum spacespace
Joined: November 06, 2003
Location: Canada
Posted: January 18, 2015 at 4:55 PM / IP Logged  
The speakers should only be connected to the amp outputs and not the headunit as well. If your speakers use a crossover and to separate the frequencies, you may have a problem with it or an individual component speaker. Make sure that no speaker connection is touching ground. The speakers must also be sealed into their mounts so make sure no air gaps exist when mounting them.
sparky
kerrdog 
Member - Posts: 3
Member spacespace
Joined: January 18, 2015
Location: United States
Posted: January 18, 2015 at 5:14 PM / IP Logged  
I bypassed the headunit entirely and went straight from the amp to the speakers in question without interruption. The speakers are sealed in the doors, and I am not using a crossover.
After a lot of finangling, I was able to get the balance to improve. Now, instead of requiring a +8 Balance on my receiver's settings, I only need to use a +3. I figure that a +3 is pretty subjective and could even be a result of my own hearing, so I think I'm going to call it quits at this. The truck sounds a lot better now. I got a family member to come out and listen, and he couldn't tell a difference between the two sides now, so I think the problem may be solved.
I will admit that I could not identify the problem. I simply re-wired and re-wired and checked and re-checked multiple times and even physically switched the location of two speakers. I also played around with the amp settings.
Thank you very much for your advice! I really appreciate it and will keep it in mind should I need to rework the system in the future.

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