Please...need help
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=12732
Printed Date: May 09, 2024 at 4:50 PM
Topic: Please...need help
Posted By: doombious
Subject: Please...need help
Date Posted: April 25, 2003 at 11:22 AM
I have been trying forever to find why my system sounds so bad. I'm going to have some money next month to be able to buy 1 thing and I don't know which way to go. System specs are below. Here is my problem...It seems ever since I hooked up my sub amp I have had problems. The highs are horrible the more I turn up the gains on the sub amp. Now if I lower the gains just about all the way down on the coustic amp and match the AL amp it is ok but I can barely here the music even at full volume. I don't know if the AL amp is taking all the power and signal or if maybe my HU is not giving it a good signal. I'm matching the HU at about 4v gain on the amp. Now the AL amp only goes to 2.5v so I can't understand how I can match that? If I get a HU with 4v outs will I be able to match better or should I go with a new amp JBL bp600.1. Eventually I will be getting both but I want to go with whatever will help the best for now. Or maybe it is not either one...Please any ideas? 2002 Ford ZX2
Pioneer HU 1 2.2v out
200w 4ch Coustic Amp HPF
6.5 Graphite Blaupunkts front
5x7 Kove rear
600w American Legacy Amp LPF
2 10" 500w Pioneer subs
Replies:
Posted By: JellyNutz
Date Posted: April 25, 2003 at 10:00 PM
There could be a few things wrong, but the first thing I would do is check your crossover points. Roll your sub amp off around 80-120 and vice versa with your amp for your highs. Next, adjust the gain on your amp for your highs with your deck at 3/4 of maximum volume, then back off the gains just a hair to leave a little headroom. Next, bring the gain up on your sub amp to match your highs. It seems like your getting a nasty peak in your midbass area... make sure your not running your subs full range, and if your amp doesn't have an internal crossover, you need to get one..
-------------
Jesse
Joseph's Car Everything
Posted By: aaronluvsbazz
Date Posted: April 25, 2003 at 10:30 PM
I just got done replacing a pair of Blaupunkt 6x9's w/ factories in a Monte Carlo- The factories sound 100x better than the blaupunkts... Try this: listen to the bp's by themselves, (turn down the gain on the subs & fade out the Kove's), turn them up to your normal listening level, and see how much they distort... and then do the same to the Kove's. Whichever one distorts the most you should replace.
My personal favorite's Infinity Reference...Infinity makes high quality speakers, and the Reference series is the most affordable.
Your speakers could also distort if they aren't crossed over right. Low frequencies reduce an amp's headroom quite a bit. Hope this helps... Post on how it turns out.
Posted By: doombious
Date Posted: April 26, 2003 at 12:00 PM
I have already had the gains set right and the freq at that spot. I've probably had them at every spot imaginable. Both my amps have crossovers on them. The coustic is on hpf for the fronts and rears at around 150 freq at this last adjustment and the AL is on lpf at around 80-90 for the subs. I've done the listen to one set of speakers at a time thing too and when set right they are fine. It just all goes to pot when I try to incorporate the subs. The thing is when I get the gains set right on the coustic amp, I have to turn up the gains on the AL amp just about all the way and it is not enough. Its like I have no bass and the more I turn up the AL amp the worse my fronts and rears sound. With the gains down on the coustic the subs will blow the hair off my head. But then too, my volume level will be so low I can hardly enjoy it. Before I got the AL amp I had my fronts rears and subs all going to the coustic amp and it was much better. Its like some signal is not getting to the both of the amps evenly. Adjusting one affects the other.
Posted By: wrencher_25
Date Posted: April 27, 2003 at 2:56 AM
I'm really not to sure on this one, but just a shot...sometimes if your 6x9's or whatever you have in your trunk isn't sealed by a box or something like that the bass from the sub pressurises the trunk itself and can have a negative effect on the 6x9's. It makes a sound almost as if they are crapping out. The other option is to try and use passive xovers on your speakers...they are a sure way to hinder hi/low freq. to whatever you want to. Just ideas, throwin em on the table. ------------- Andrew Weitzel
MECP First Class Installer
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: April 27, 2003 at 8:04 AM
How are you driving you amps? you say you have only one low level output from your HU, so I'm guessing you have the high level signals from your Pioneer running tot he Coustic amp and the low level to your sub amp? Or are you trying to run both amps off the single low level out? Can you hear any ground loops (buzzing or engine whine in the speakers)? Have yo checked the ploarity of all six speakers?
Posted By: doombious
Date Posted: April 27, 2003 at 9:36 AM
I have the rca going to the coustic amp with Y connectors to the 2 inputs and then an rca from the coustic out to the AL in. No ground loop problem. Had the polarity checked. Last night I raised the freq on the coustic amp and it made a difference. Now I know I have had it there before and it sounded awful, but now it doesn't. That drives me nuts. What is the highest a freq can be set? I was always just going by 150 for the mids/highs on hpf because I thought it was the norm. I actually got my fronts sounding pretty good. Although now I can really tell how much I need a good comp set. I faded out the rear speakers too and that helped for imaging. But is it normal to have to turn up the freq even higher on the rears than the fronts?
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