Who can best tune car audio system? WS or yourself to intro

[Keithhiap]

Hi all,

 

Been trying to tune best sound from my ICE, but dont know why, my feeling is i still not able to fine tune it.

 

Sony Mex BT5100 (intending to change 2 din)

2 x Soundstream 2 ch & 4 ch (LW1.350 & pca4.400)

1 x Soundstream subwoofer (think is 12")

2 set front & rear component speaker (Helix dark blue & Xplod)

 

Just share how i have tried to tune.

 

1. set audio volume to 3/4

2. turn off all effects, EQ

3. set Balance & fade to front

4. on the 4 ch amp, adjust the gain, leaving auto HPF & LPF, adjust bass boost to increase the bass

5. set Balance & fade to rear

6. on the 4 ch amp, adjust the gain, leaving auto HPF & LPF, adjust bass boost to increase the bass, volume cannot cover the front speaker

7. set Balance & fade to front

8. on the 2 ch amp, adjust the gain, until the bass boost distorted

9. adjust the xover to make the bass shift to front

 

 

Why i say myself could not properly tune?

 

Because i use to turn the volume to 1/4, is already very loud, now i have to turn the volume to half, then i can hear it.

 

I am thinking is it because my 2 ch gain too few, thats why the my HU volume now have to turn to half then can hear it.

 

Any advice?

 

 

Thanks

 

 

[Ithunk]

i set my fader to the back

 

treble and bass +3 to +5

 

its loud enough for me lol

[Keithhiap]

To my understanding, we should not be using too much EQ on the HU.

 

Otherwise, having AMP defeats the purpose.

[Ithunk]

ya EQ have to manually adjust.....or u can set your own EQ....lol

 

anyway i do not thinker too much with the audio settings....

 

i jus set my fader bass treble....and EQ thats it....

Edited December 11, 2011 by Ithunk

[Theoldjaffa]

Hi all,

 

Been trying to tune best sound from my ICE, but dont know why, my feeling is i still not able to fine tune it.

 

Sony Mex BT5100 (intending to change 2 din)

2 x Soundstream 2 ch & 4 ch (LW1.350 & pca4.400)

1 x Soundstream subwoofer (think is 12")

2 set front & rear component speaker (Helix dark blue & Xplod)

 

Just share how i have tried to tune.

 

1. set audio volume to 3/4

2. turn off all effects, EQ

3. set Balance & fade to front

4. on the 4 ch amp, adjust the gain, leaving auto HPF & LPF, adjust bass boost to increase the bass

5. set Balance & fade to rear

6. on the 4 ch amp, adjust the gain, leaving auto HPF & LPF, adjust bass boost to increase the bass, volume cannot cover the front speaker

7. set Balance & fade to front

8. on the 2 ch amp, adjust the gain, until the bass boost distorted

9. adjust the xover to make the bass shift to front

 

 

Why i say myself could not properly tune?

 

Because i use to turn the volume to 1/4, is already very loud, now i have to turn the volume to half, then i can hear it.

 

I am thinking is it because my 2 ch gain too few, thats why the my HU volume now have to turn to half then can hear it.

 

Any advice?

 

 

Thanks

If the sound is not right no matter how you time it, it means the sound characteristics of the speaker is not up to your requirements.

 

Change your speakers and try ba.

 

you did your ice with Ted?

[Keithhiap]

Yeah, ICE 2 years already, set up by TED.

 

U know him?

 

Long time never find him cause once i visit him, wallet sure burn. lol.

 

 

 

Just now tried to tune again, then tiu, the 4 ch amp, ch1 & ch1 jack clip stuck with the audio cable. Now the 2 clips is off, just connect the cable nia.

 

 

I think is almost time to spend money on ICE liao lol.

 

Actually, still thinking whether should change P4350 from Ted.

 

[Mindbox33]

I still trust my ICE tuner.. Ken Ng fr DrAudio.net...

 

[Keithhiap]

No such domain anymore

[Theoldjaffa]

Yeah, ICE 2 years already, set up by TED.

 

U know him?

 

Long time never find him cause once i visit him, wallet sure burn. lol.

 

 

 

Just now tried to tune again, then tiu, the 4 ch amp, ch1 & ch1 jack clip stuck with the audio cable. Now the 2 clips is off, just connect the cable nia.

 

 

I think is almost time to spend money on ICE liao lol.

 

Actually, still thinking whether should change P4350 from Ted.

i know him. of all the installers i visited, i do not know of any other who'd recommending installing component speakers at the REAR of the car.

 

to me, its an absolute waste of money.

 

suggest u visit other shops like dimension audio, foon audio, hong guan, chuan sing or audioedge for a more informed decision.

[MG_Myvi]

So far my trusted installer is Ted. Depends on individual lah... I so far okay with them. Normally I tell him what I want and what is my budget...from there we will see what's best.

Edited December 12, 2011 by MG_Myvi

[Keithhiap]

My installer never suggest to install rear component.

 

Just that when I upgrade the front component, just shift the old front component to rear.

 

 

[Ivansyl]

My installer never suggest to install rear component.

 

Just that when I upgrade the front component, just shift the old front component to rear.

 

if u actually read up well enough, u will know that what theoldjaffa said is true. i myself dun claim to be a pro at ICE system but from what i learnt while thronging the caraudio forums in order to get my setup up and running, it is very hard to be able to setup a system with both front and rear speakers.

 

when i mean setup, it means tuning not only installation. it is very hard to be able to tune just the front components alone to have it to sound 'perfectly' in your car. adding a rear component would not only mess up ur tuning but also u have to consider many things.

 

for eg. the right mix of speakers (if ur front is good in clarity and back is good in bassy notes, will ur back sound eat up ur front's clarity?)

 

all the installers i went too, recommended me a system without a mention on rear speakers as though it is common knowledge that it is not needed, so i figured that it is really a consensus among the pros that it is not needed

[Keithhiap]

Passenger seat comes with build in speaker.

 

Therefore when i tune myself, i make sure rear audio does not cover the front, meaning i will tune the balance, front and rear.

 

I have check with my installer, he told me my setup is SPL (Sound pressure), i am thinking of wipe up the whole set and go for SQ (sound quality)

 

I read the forum is that kickers speaker is for SQ.

[Theoldjaffa]

So far my trusted installer is Ted. Depends on individual lah... I so far okay with them. Normally I tell him what I want and what is my budget...from there we will see what's best.

he is a very nice man, no doubt.

 

never oversell, never force sell.

 

just that i don't agree with his recommendations that's all :)

 

excerpt from http://forums.delphiforums.com/lancerforum...s?msg=42389.748 many years ago

if you still have delphiforums access, you can read on to see what my questions are and how he answered it.

Hi there..

 

Lets start on one step at a time...

 

I asume that you are driving a lancer and your stock HU is a Sony.

 

If you are still using the stock speakers, there are many steps you can take to improve the sound system..

 

This is what I would do for starters...

 

1. Replace front stock speakers with 6.5 inch component speakers that will comprise of a pair of tweeters, a pair of 6.5 inch mid/woofers and a pair of passive cross overs.

 

Budget $180 to $350 Brands - Lanzar, CDT, Rainbow, Soundstream, Helix, Orion, PPI.....

 

3. Replace rear stock speakers with the same as your front speakers.

 

This will give you the good ambience effect and you will hear a better balanced sound.

 

4. Replace the speaker cables as the car original audiocables are not designed for high fidelity and was good for delivering sufficient for stock speakers that is only 15 watts.

 

Your head unit is 52 watts x 4 which proper audio cables will enhance the efficiency of your sound system.

Cheers..!

 

Ted

 

[Theoldjaffa]

Passenger seat comes with build in speaker.

 

Therefore when i tune myself, i make sure rear audio does not cover the front, meaning i will tune the balance, front and rear.

 

I have check with my installer, he told me my setup is SPL (Sound pressure), i am thinking of wipe up the whole set and go for SQ (sound quality)

 

I read the forum is that kickers speaker is for SQ.

you are right. rear speakers are for rear fill. tune volume soft enough such that it cannot be heard from the driver seat, and loud enough so that the rear passengers can hear.

 

for rear fill, you don't need component speakers. you can save the money spent for rear components and use it to buy better front components or any order important things like soundproofer.

 

which forum did you read from, that Kicker speakers are for SQ?

 

suggest u read more from sgcaraudio.net or sgsoundsystem.com

 

or best don't read lah, save the money. ICE is nevernending poison. very hard to control.

[Theoldjaffa]

some more info. bold ones are from him, italic from me

 

hey Ted,

 

thanks for your detailed explanation on the importance of having rear speakers.

 

<<If you only have front stage and no rear stage in the car(no rear speakers), you will still have your front speakers sound

reflected off the rear windscreen but... the roof carpet, seat cushion and the rear speaker board would have dampened the

reflection which the rear stage would have been badly reduced?>>

 

<<I would tune the sound the front stage 100% Rear stage 90% and sub to fill in which one will play by ear. This way, I can

attain reasonable sound staging?>>

 

by saying the above, do u mean that having a rear stage with proper component speakers will greatly reduce the reflection of sound at the rear windscreen from the front speakers?

 

so can i say that having the rear stage at 90%, the sound will still be reflected off the front windscreen and conflict with the entire front stage?

 

<<That is why, after my 20 years in the industry, I still see Alpine,Pioneer,Sony etc producing head units that amplify at

equal power like 52 watts X 2 for the front and 52 watts x 2 for the rear.>>

 

up till the very point, you still have not answered my question. for sure it is common sense that its 52w X 2 for front and 52w x 2 for rear, but is this 52w an RMS value that you are saying?

 

[Keithhiap]

I want to access sgsoundsystem, but it seems like keep having busy server.

 

humm, i will access sgcaraudio.net tonight.

 

 

Now i have a problem, the amp jack, a piece of metal drop out liao, not 1 but 2 channels.

 

haiz.

 

[Jamesc]

I still trust my ICE tuner.. Ken Ng fr DrAudio.net...

He is a very good tuner.