Setting time correction by ear

[Greg200SE-R]

I recently got my hands on an Eclipse 8455 and all I have to say is... wow! I plan to use it in 3-way mode with a 5-channel amp running front components and a single sub. My question is about how to best set each channel's time correction by ear.

I know that setting time delay for each individual tweeter/midbass will be a daunting task. So, rather than play music and making the adjustments, I am wondering if the following setups may help to adjust delay more easily or more accurately:

1) using test tones or patterns instead of music, such as sine waves, white noise, some other synthesized waveform. Or, sounds such as repeating "clicks" for example. I assume that sounds with sharp transients would make time differences between drivers easeier to hear, and therefore easier to adjust.

2) Playing the above sounds while the midbass and tweeter are both playing full-range and NOT crossed over. Phase differences in the resulting overlapping freq. ranges can be more apparent - and easier to correct. Of course, music or white noise would be excluded due to possible tweeter damage... but test tones or waveforms could be limited to a bandwidth safe for both drivers, say around 2000 - 3000Hz. In theory it should be easier to correct delay while hearing the same sound from both drivers, right?

Sorry to make this so long, but I will be making adjustments myself without any test equipment other than what's on the head unit. Is there an accepted method that you pro's use to adjust time delay? any info would be eagerly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Greg/Hawaii

[zachzchw]

Free bump, Id like to see some opinions on this too.

[squeak9798]

Get a test disk, such as the IASCA test disk or A2K's test disks. They have tracks for these specific purposes; they'll have sounds or voices, and tell you specifically where it should be located. From there, "mess with stuff" till you get them located correctly

[xdavieexx]

hey greg. Where you able to get custom mode to work by downloading from e iserv and uploading the stuff into your HU? Read my thread and see if you can help me. Thanks

http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?t=97105

[Black_Jesus]

do a good install and you shouldnt need time correction lol

[Greg200SE-R]

do a good install and you shouldnt need time correction lol

Unless you are lucky enough to be driving in the center of the car... in a McLaren F1... then let me tell you time correction WILL improve your imaging. Haven't you played around with time delay on your Alpine?

I want nothing less than a fully active setup with every speaker in my car time-corrected. It is so affordable these days that every SQ enthusiast should consider it.

[Black_Jesus]

Unless you are lucky enough to be driving in the center of the car... in a McLaren F1... then let me tell you time correction WILL improve your imaging. Haven't you played around with time delay on your Alpine?

I want nothing less than a fully active setup with every speaker in my car time-corrected. It is so affordable these days that every SQ enthusiast should consider it.

yep ive played around with it on my deck. do i use it? nope...

[Bill3508]

I measured the distances first and got the correct difference setting and put that in my 9835. It sounds to much better. I tweaked it a little bit by ear until it sounded like everything was even. I don't see how you could not use it if its an adjustment on your hu. Otherwise your left side is always going to seem stronger.

Bill3508

[3.5Max6spd]

I dont use it. My tweets are at the widest ear level location in my car and i tend to lean a tad to the right when I drive, driving a manual- fortunetly I dont feel any speaker bias up front.

[Greg200SE-R]

I dont use it. My tweets are at the widest ear level location in my car and i tend to lean a tad to the right when I drive, driving a manual- fortunetly I dont feel any speaker bias up front.

Hey, you wrote u a nice review of the CD8455 a few months back. Thanks, it's because of you that I got this deck!

It'd be a shame not to use the features on the unit! Even in normal mode the listening position selector makes a nice difference in imaging.

If you don't wanna use the time delay for the left/right sides then at the very least you could delay all your satellites by the same amount (say, 3.0 - 4.0) to give your sub a slight "timing advance" for slightly more punchy bass (this is supposedly how Alpine's Bass Focus works).

Thanks again for the great review. I love my 8455.

[3.5Max6spd]

glad you like it

I'll play with the TA this weekend, my midbass up front is a bit overwhealming at times - lol never thought i'd say that hehe....see if i could play with their timing....