Cant get SQ out of these comps help!

[stay_high 10+ year member]

i have these comps powered by a kicker zx550.2.

Image Dynamics CTX-6.5cs (CTX 65 CS) 6.5" CTX Component Speakers

I just cant get any SQ out of them. Stock stereos have way better SQ. When i turn the volume high its like you cant even understand the words. I have double checked polarities and crossover/amp wiring and everything is fine. I have the mids sealed to the doors and the mid bass response actually sounds good. Tweeter are mounter slightly off-axis in the door panels. 14 gauge speaker wire ran wire ran all around except to the tweets because there was already thin 18 gauge attached to them. I have played with EQ and amp setting to no avail. Any tips? Im not an audiophile or anything but these just sound bad. Every mds/highs setup i have had sounds bad lol. I have also tried running them off a different amp, different RCA's, different grounds, and different wiring. I have a JVC arsenal HU. I know these speakers and amp isnt the best but it still is decent and i feel like i should be getting better SQ than a stock stereo setup. considering moving the tweets somewhere on axis. But yea any tips on what i should try?

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[Falcons 5,000+ posts]

Do you have an equalizer?

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

Do you have an equalizer?

No im using the crossovers that came with the component set.

 

[pro-rabbit 5,000+ posts]

Sounds like you may be running into clipping some where. Perhaps the head unit settings?

Could you post up what everything is set at on the head unit and amplifier?

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

Sounds like you may be running into clipping some where. Perhaps the head unit settings?
Could you post up what everything is set at on the head unit and amplifier?

You know it does sort of sound like its clipping but i figured it coudnt be. HU EQ settings (bass, treble, mid) are all flat. No loud or bass boosts settings are on. HPF is on low (100hz)Everything is normal on the HU. Amp gain is between quarter and half way up. no LPF/HPF and no bass boosts or anything like that.

 

[Falcons 5,000+ posts]

Are you using the crossover on the hu and on the amp? That could be your problem

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

and im not like maxing out HU volume either. They start sounding bad at like 25/50.

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

Are you using the crossover on the hu and on the amp? That could be your problem

Crossover as in LPF and HPF? No. Im only using the HU HPF. its set to off on the amp.

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

Crossover as in LPF and HPF? No. Im only using the HU HPF. its set to off on the amp.

try turning the high pass on (on the amp) and set the xover point to 100-125hz and then attenuate the tweeters using the xover that came with them under the cover there should be settings(look for a setting that reads 0db/-3db/-6db set it to -6db this will help with harshness from the tweeters) after that adjust the eq as needed and it should sound good.

 

[thevic24 5,000+ posts]

One other thing you could try is wiring your tweeters out of phase with the woofers/mid bass's.

You say the mid range is good, sometimes wiring the tweeters out of phase can make the imaging better.

How far apart are the mid bass and tweeters from each other?

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

One other thing you could try is wiring your tweeters out of phase with the woofers/mid bass's.
You say the mid range is good, sometimes wiring the tweeters out of phase can make the imaging better.

How far apart are the mid bass and tweeters from each other?

There not even a foot apart. But you guys the problem is definitely not just bad EQ/crossover settings. I mean when i turn the volume up anywhere close to loud it almost sounds like clipping. Like terrible terrible sound quality where its hard to understand lyrics. and the tweets are not harsh at all so im not going to mess with that. Im seriously at a loss for words i have no clue what it could be. I have tried different RCA's different speaker wire, different everything. Is it possible my HU is like sending out a clipped signal or something?? Or the RCA jacks are messed up?

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

Bought the HU and comps brand new and the kicker amp used.

 

[CHEMMINS 10+ year member]

check the resistance on them....sounds like ya fried em.

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

check the resistance on them....sounds like ya fried em.

On the components? Nah there fine they sound great at real low levels. I just put them in last night have only played them for a bit while messing with settings and trying to get it right. Been driving around with them at really low volume levels all day but that didnt hurt anything.. There not blown

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

On the components? Nah there fine they sound great at real low levels. I just put them in last night have only played them for a bit while messing with settings and trying to get it right. Been driving around with them at really low volume levels all day but that didnt hurt anything.. There not blown

have you even tried to use the amps xovers instead of the hu's I know my hu's settings aren't on a steep enough slope and don't allow me to turn it up at all but sound awesome low, IDK just a thought.