EQ benefits and speakers

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shagdrum

Copper - Posts: 68

Joined: January 31, 2006

Location: United States

Posted: November 19, 2006 at 9:49 PM / IP Logged

I have a 1996 Lincoln Mark VIII that originally came with the higher end (JBL) sound system; It had components in the rear (separate tweeter placement in front stage). I am replacing it with the following:

Eclipse CD8052 (8 volt preout)

2 kicker solobaric S10d (old school round solo's)

Eclipse XA4000 amp for the mids/highs and XA1000 amp for the subs

currently in the car:

Infinity 6810 CS Reference series components in the front

Kenwood KFC-6808C three ways in the rear

Questions:

1: I have a friend recommending I get an Audiocontrol DQXS for the car. He says it will improve SQ a great deal. Do separate EQ's make that much of a difference in actual SQ or just help when it comes to numbers for competitions? If I were to go with an EQ, Would this be the one to go with? Since the HU is and 8 volt preout and it seems the EQ only goes to 5 volt, will the amplifier only see 5 volt? Is that a big difference? Don't know much about aux EQ's, but I am a musician and know good sound when I hear it.

2: What should I get for speakers (not subs). The ones I have now sound alright, but I recently aquired some Magnepan SMGa's (for those of u familiar with home audio, u will know what I am talking about) and never heard such clean, clear and full mids and highs! I want that sound (or as close as I can get) in my car. What r consider the best speakers for cars and what r the characteristics of the sound they put out?

Any input would be appriciated.

dwarren

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Joined: December 03, 2004

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Posted: November 19, 2006 at 10:27 PM / IP Logged

The eq business is great for tweaking, particularly if you use speed. Bad joke. Any way, the eq, particularly in your situation would be used at the very last stages of your system. They are there to make very fine adjustments, so if your speakers are setup and installed correctly, an eq will let you go just a bit further in getting the sound you want, however if the speakers are installed improperly, or just plain out suck and have poor imaging you really won't gain much from an eq.

Personally I would spend the money on better compnents up front, rather than an eq.

Generally when one incorporates an eq, an RTA is brought in to fully utilize the eq.

Audio Conrol makes entry level products that are good, but limited. I have an eql sitting around collecting dust. I had it installed for a while, but reallly didn't find it to be that great.

Doesn't your Eclipse have a built in EQ??

Just like you mentioned those home speakers sounding great to you, go audition some car speakers and choose the ones that sound best to you. Rear speakers should not be as important to you as the front stage, as most SQ cars don't utilize rear fill. I like it for over all volume and passengers, rear speakers are kind of a preference thing.

shagdrum

Copper - Posts: 68

Joined: January 31, 2006

Location: United States

Posted: November 19, 2006 at 11:32 PM / IP Logged

So...EQ's don't add that much in even the best situations? I was kinda wondering if they r mainly for competition (get the RTA numbers right, better score on SQ), and not of much use for SQ in an everday driver. That's what it sounds like u r sayin. As to speakers...what brands r reccommended to check out? I know it it a pretty subjective field, but there r I'm sure some brands I can rule out (like Pyle). What r generally considered the top brands? What r the unique sound characterestics most see in them? Thanks for the rely(s).

dwarren

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Posted: November 19, 2006 at 11:47 PM / IP Logged

There comes a point of diminishing returns, so you must weigh the benefits and costs of adding things, like an eq. They are effective in smoothing out certain spikes or dips in some frequeny ragnes. They can solve some issues, often in component speaker setups, the tweeter is far away from the mid, so some eq'ing can help fix this problem. Again, I believe you have a built in eq in your deck. It may not have as many bands as the AC piece, but it is a start.

As for rear fill, stick to the better known brands, alpine, pio, infinty, arc, diamond, etc.

haemphyst

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Posted: November 20, 2006 at 9:00 AM / IP Logged

If you don't choose proper components, and install, power and cross(over) them correctly (and I am referring to placement as well), no EQ will help you - ever.

Maggies are nice, (not my personal first choice in electrostats, but nice to be sure...) and my personal opinion is never go with an off-the-shelf component system, you can buy individual drivers, from respectable companies, and (as stated earlier) with appropriate install procedures, you will be able to come very close to your Magnepans. I have Wisdom Audio 52" Planars in my home, so I, too, know what I like in reproduction capabilities. (And Tom Bohlender, of Bohlender-Graebner fame is a personal friend of mine.)

Here is my system, and here is the door install. 3 way system in the doors, and the mids are FANTASTICALLY smooth... Adire 7's, Vifa 4's, and JL (silk dome) tweeters. With (approximately) 400 watts per door, this is THE best system I have ever heard in any of my cars - and I've done MANY. All active crossovers, dedicated amplifiers, and discrete wiring per driver. Off-the-shelf can't touch this!

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

DYohn

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Posted: November 20, 2006 at 10:18 AM / IP Logged

I definitely respect Dave's (haemphyst) opinion and really look forward to hearing his car one day, but I must disagree that off-the-shelf component sets cannot sound good. I am very pleased by the sound of the Eclipse comps currently in my car, and with the Seas Lotus Reference set in my wife's car. I have also been very impressed by the sound from Morel, Phoenix Gold Titanium Elite (also made by Morel BTW), Boston Acoustics Pro and Z series, the Dynaudio Esotec, some Rainbow and some Diamond component sets. Check them out and trust your ears.

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haemphyst

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Posted: November 20, 2006 at 11:51 AM / IP Logged

DYohn wrote:

~snip~

but I must disagree that off-the-shelf component sets cannot sound good.

~snip~

Never said that an off-the shelf couldn't sound good... EQ benefits and speakers -- posted image.

Here's what I said: <grin>

haemphyst wrote:

~snip~

and my personal opinion is never go with an off-the-shelf component system, you can buy individual drivers, from respectable companies, and (as stated earlier) with appropriate install procedures, you will be able to come very close to your Magnepans.

~snip~

DYohn is absolutely right, as per usual, but perhaps I might have qualified my statement a bit further. (And maybe not used the word "never".) Again, this is my opinion, but for the same or less money, usually, you can build your two way or three way system, and taylor it to your ear, much easier than you can with an off-the-shelf system. This does assume active crossovers, and dedicated amplification. If not familiar with building a crossover, then you will probably be best served buying an off-the-shelf system.

DYohn named some very respectable products in his list, and excellent systems in their own rights, I would probably be pretty happy to own any of them, honestly. The benefit to a box set, is the crossovers are built specifically for the system, offering the best sound the system can offer.

The best I can say is (and I heard this somewhere... some smarty audio guy said it): "Check them out and trust your ears." Good advice. It's really going in YOUR car, where YOU have to listen to it... Make certain it's something you can enjoy, and it's value is up to your standards.

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

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EQ benefits and speakers

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