Upgrade / Sidegrade from Hertz MLK 165

[Hoptologist]

You could get a new HU and possibly a new amp to allow you to go active. That'd allow you to tone down the tweeter entirely rather than just EQing it down. The harshness of the tweeters is the main reason I went active in my Jeep. The passive crossovers, even at their lowest setting, passed too much power onto the tweeters.

Active is the way to go if the op is willing to be patient to set it, an HU with a good HP LP crossover or a 3 way may be better. The amp used can make a difference in the sound too. I would start with the HU, then spend $600 plus if that does not help. [:-)

Haha you silly guys made me think I was going crazy for a sec. I knew I posted this in the opening post, but had to double check after your replies. (You did read my opening post right?) :P

"I used to run them passive, but ever since going active on my Audison LRX 5.1k, they just sound a little too- I don't know how to put it- sometimes I feel like I'm about to get a headache- from extended listening, so fatiguing I guess? Whereas I didn't notice it as much when running passive."

[quackhead]

MSW | Car Audio Stereo, Car Subwoofers, Car Amplifiers and Speakers
Hybrid 2-way « Morel

[shutmdown]

Active is the way to go if the op is willing to be patient to set it, an HU with a good HP LP crossover or a 3 way may be better. The amp used can make a difference in the sound too. I would start with the HU, then spend $600 plus if that does not help. [:-)

OP is running active, I think at this point he needs to play with his EQ setting and he has 7 bands which is actually pretty decent. If he wants to make fine adjustments he's going to need a bit.1 to go with that audison or a EQ with more bands. Having a better HU really wont be doing much cause all you can do is set the bandpass point and the high pass and the slope at which he wants to cut off...

[Alrojoca]

Post 14 confused me, I guess I will stick to what I said on post 13, a better sound processor or EQ. What the OP needs is one of these:
Audison Full DA presentazione - YouTube!

[ejschultz]

I read the original post yesterday morning, as I was waking up. When I first get out of bed, I take a leak, then sit at the computer and read forums while eating a bowl of mini wheats to help cook up a healthy poop. I shouldn't post the next morning while I'm doing the same thing without re-reading the op; I forgot you were active already. Sorry bout that.

[Hoptologist]

OP is running active, I think at this point he needs to play with his EQ setting and he has 7 bands which is actually pretty decent. If he wants to make fine adjustments he's going to need a bit.1 to go with that audison or a EQ with more bands. Having a better HU really wont be doing much cause all you can do is set the bandpass point and the high pass and the slope at which he wants to cut off...

AFAIK my deck only has 5 bands of EQ, unless I'm having a quarter-age moment.

Post 14 confused me, I guess I will stick to what I said on post 13, a better sound processor or EQ. What the OP needs is one of these:
Audison Full DA presentazione - YouTube!

Wow, finally, all digital until the amp, I love it, I want it. How much will one of these Full DA capable amps cost? When will this whole thing really get momentum in the car audio world?

I read the original post yesterday morning, as I was waking up. When I first get out of bed, I take a leak, then sit at the computer and read forums while eating a bowl of mini wheats to help cook up a healthy poop. I shouldn't post the next morning while I'm doing the same thing without re-reading the op; I forgot you were active already. Sorry bout that.

Haha, no worries

[shutmdown]

AFAIK my deck only has 5 bands of EQ, unless I'm having a quarter-age moment.

According to post 5 you mentioned 7. I think most decks have 5 parametric and 7 graphic bands.

[Hoptologist]

According to post 5 you mentioned 7. I think most decks have 5 parametric and 7 graphic bands.

You're right, it is 7, I should probably start getting more sleep. I've been foruming way to much lately. This is only part of it, you'd think I was crazy if I told you how long I've been on avsforums and Amazon reading reviews etc, in my quest to find the perfect TV for me. Just returned a LG 55LM7600 tonight because I couldn't get over the edge-bleed at night.

I really want to improve my sound, I just can't pinpoint what exactly is bothering me. Since going active, I feel like my soundstage is larger, but I also feel like some songs sound too tin-like, or metal-like, or 'hot' or edgey, or low quality. Some songs sound great as 'flat' on my EQ, others make me want to skip them or turn the volume down, and that's when I try to start fiddling with the EQ to try to find the problem. Usually turning the 2k or 5k down helps.

I'd love to just magically teleport in some Morels, Dynaudios, Hybrid Audios, or Rainbows to see the immediate differences, but unfortunately that's not how it works.

I'm really considering a BitTen D or BitOne to see how that helps. Also researching improvements at the source (e.g. head units with optical -> BitOne). I only use my iPod. Most of my songs are ALAC lossless. I like my current deck because I can connect it via USB, bypass my iPod's DAC, see the songs display on my headunit, yet still navigate using my iPod. Sometimes I just wanna go Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[shadow]

Like what was said about the Chile peppers, Could be the quality of the recordings themselves...
Some recordings sound like azz And the better the system the more those recordings will be exposed...
You might try get'n some known SQ recordings. Then see if you have the sound annoyances you are experiencing...

[ejschultz]

Like what was said about the Chile peppers, Could be the quality of the recordings themselves...
Some recordings sound like azz And the better the system the more those recordings will be exposed...
You might try get'n some known SQ recordings. Then see if you have the sound annoyances you are experiencing...

Read my post about their albums. The Chili Peppers have some decent recordings and some terrible recordings. It depends on which albums you play.

[Alrojoca]

I agree, some recordings you can't make them sound the way you want, no matter what you do. Some good recordings sound great on almost any system. You would need one of those digital sound processors, or an HU like the pr99s that has 32 bands of eq per channel

Here is another link for the audison Dsp one and 10, they are going for under $430 for the bit 10 and under $700 for the bit 1, the remote may be the only difference. I'm sure a local dealer can offer a similar deal and get a better warranty.

http://www.audison.eu/index.php?page=productLine&id=5

[shadow]

Right and???

Read my post about their albums. The Chili Peppers have some decent recordings and some terrible recordings. It depends on which albums you play.

[keep_hope_alive]

Hands down, if the MLK-165 are not the smoothest, most natural speaker system, your install needs attention.

They are capable of so much midbass, you can run them without a sub. But the install is key. They are revealing, and like reference monitors.

This is how to install them:
http://forum.sounddomain.com/ubbthre...page/0/fpart/1
We have $600 in vehicle treatments and over 100 hours in install.

The tweeters can be silly smooth, if you install them correctly.

The problems you are having are not the speakers, and any drop in replacements can have the same issues. Share pics of the install, speaker mounting, etc.

You can spend a grand on new speakers, and they won't help Poorly mixed music sound better.

You can buy speakers with more midrange distortion (most do) and maybe that would help your perception.

[audiobaun]

I have the ML1600 ML700 and ML280
Smooth ....
PS. If ya want laid back check out Morel...

I can sit back and listen to your system all day long man..sounds amazing!Jelly isnt the word

[keep_hope_alive]

I agree Morel can give you what you want for tonality.