Some things to try that would probably really help:
- Run the rears off the HU.
- Bridge the amp and power the fronts, but set the gains to deliver a clean 100-150w rms per side.
- Check and make sure the HP filters on the amp for the speakers are set around 80 Hz.
- Deaden your doors if you haven't already.
- Attenuate the tweeters by selecting a -3dB position on each of the passive crossovers (page 9 of the owner's manual).
- Make sure all amp gains have been set properly and while the HU's eq was set to flat/off.
- Thread Starter
- #5
If there wasn't a problem with the sound dampening with the old system, why would the new one require it? (I really would like to know, I am not being a smart a**!) I will check the high pass filter setting as soon as I get a chance. (I am at work right now - lovely swing shift.)
The sub actually sounds pretty good; how would the ported enclosure imporve the sound? I though the ported enclosure was used to make the sub louder, but as you can tell, I don't know very much about car audio.
I didn't install the system, as I don't have the knowledge to do so. I will probably go back to the audio shop that did the installation and ask them to adjust the sound to my liking - or so I hope. (If the problem was with the Eclipse amplifier, I could do the adjustments myself, since the controls are readily accessible, but I don't actually know where they installed the crossovers for the tweeters. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/redface.gif.62fdbfe1a101588a808c4cff71bcb942.gif )
Holly
Jep772
10+ year member
CarAudio.com Elite
read ALOT and form your own opinions cause you will get 20 different answers per Q
- Thread Starter
- #7
Hi DejaWiz - I took so long to write my last post that I didn't see yours until I submitted it. Please explain to me - a noob - why running the rear speakers off of the HU would be better than running them off of the Eclipse amp. I guess I thought the amp would provide more/cleaner power to the rears than the HU could. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif Is it because if the front speakers only are powered by the amp in the bridged configuration they will sound much better than when the power is "shared" by the rear speakers?
Just as did Etac, you recommend sound dampening/deadening the doors. I guess I better look into this!
I will check the amp gains and make sure the equalizer for the HU is set to flat.
Sigh. I wish I had a friend here in town that was into car audio so that I could learn from him/her how to set up this system properly in the first place. I think I would have enjoyed helping with the installation and the learning about the set up - I have the tools, just not the knowledge! - and I don't like being so totally ignorant!
Thank you all for your patience with me!
Holly
audioholic
5,000+ posts
not a moderator
He's recommending running more power to your fronts, adjusting your amp gains down to compensate if needed (and gaining your some 'headroom' in your amp), and then running the rears off the h/u. This is because the majority of the sound should come from in front of you, as a stereo recording was meant. For 'fidelity' the common thought these days is run the rears as 'rear fill', only filling in the dead space behind the listeners in the front seats, and possibly giving the rear passengers some direct sound. But the rears should not compete with the fronts for your attention. Fill and compliment, that is the rear speakers' job in a SQ set up.
It sounds to me, from your descriptions of the sound (bright, thin, etc) that your ears, and your sytem, require an equalizer. Im too lazy to look up your head to see if it has one built in. if it does, use it. If not, buy one. Id recommend buying a 9 band minimum, higher if you think your tastes require more fine tuning. brightness implies over-powering treble. It could also be a symptom of the tweeter type, is it a metal dome? Again Im being lazy.
The thin sound description, could be a lack of bass/midbass. This could be from sound deadening issues, could be from EQ'ing issues, could be raw driver symptoms. Impossible to diagnose via the internet.
To answer your question why the new speakers may require sound deadening above and beyond that of original, you are running alot more power to these drivers, they are moving more, etc. This extra inertia must be accounted for if full performance upgrades are to be realized. Sometimes this means just slapping on some mat, sometimes it means stiffening the panel or covering large factory gaps/holes, sometimes it means all these things. generally however, yes doing these things helps midbass specifically.
Lastly, many times it can actually be quite difficult matching 'SQ' to that of the previous factory system. Car makers dont just slap any old stereo in vehicles these days, they have engineers that design these systems. They mate small amps to highly sensitive speakers, speakers to compartment sizes and mounting locations, etc etc. Many times they do a pretty decent job. You may ask, why upgrade then? Well, you may also notice these fine sounding systems have a limit that all too often does not meet our desires. That's where after market equipment comes in, for that need for ... more. You can meet that factory performance level, and beat it (they actually tend to be midbass heavy, weak on everything else imo), you just have to be smart and realize its more than paying a few hundred bucks and slapping fancy speakers and amps in the vehicle.
You have friends here. We can help. Dont get discouraged.
Cheers.
It sounds to me, from your descriptions of the sound (bright, thin, etc) that your ears, and your sytem, require an equalizer. Im too lazy to look up your head to see if it has one built in. if it does, use it. If not, buy one. Id recommend buying a 9 band minimum, higher if you think your tastes require more fine tuning. brightness implies over-powering treble. It could also be a symptom of the tweeter type, is it a metal dome? Again Im being lazy.
The thin sound description, could be a lack of bass/midbass. This could be from sound deadening issues, could be from EQ'ing issues, could be raw driver symptoms. Impossible to diagnose via the internet.
To answer your question why the new speakers may require sound deadening above and beyond that of original, you are running alot more power to these drivers, they are moving more, etc. This extra inertia must be accounted for if full performance upgrades are to be realized. Sometimes this means just slapping on some mat, sometimes it means stiffening the panel or covering large factory gaps/holes, sometimes it means all these things. generally however, yes doing these things helps midbass specifically.
Lastly, many times it can actually be quite difficult matching 'SQ' to that of the previous factory system. Car makers dont just slap any old stereo in vehicles these days, they have engineers that design these systems. They mate small amps to highly sensitive speakers, speakers to compartment sizes and mounting locations, etc etc. Many times they do a pretty decent job. You may ask, why upgrade then? Well, you may also notice these fine sounding systems have a limit that all too often does not meet our desires. That's where after market equipment comes in, for that need for ... more. You can meet that factory performance level, and beat it (they actually tend to be midbass heavy, weak on everything else imo), you just have to be smart and realize its more than paying a few hundred bucks and slapping fancy speakers and amps in the vehicle.
You have friends here. We can help. Dont get discouraged.
Cheers.
That HU has a built-in 7 band EQ (I have that same HU), but before you start messing with it, check the settings on the crossovers, and the amp. As Deja said, set the tweeter attenuation on the xover to -3db, that will help tame the tweeters. Then to give it some more low end, check the high pass filter settings on the amp. It's probably set too high, filtering out too much bass. What is it currently set to?
And yes, sealing and deadening the doors will help as well, and you should definitely do it, but you should be able to make improvements even before doing that.
Let us know what you come up with!
And yes, sealing and deadening the doors will help as well, and you should definitely do it, but you should be able to make improvements even before doing that.
Let us know what you come up with!
Also, make sure the EQ is set to "user" mode, and not one of the predefined settings, like Rock, Jazz, Classical, etc.
- Thread Starter
- #12
My CRV is a 2002. I didn't do the installation - though I am now planning to correct it! - but the installer was going to place the new tweeters in the same place as the old ones, which is in the corners next to the windshield.
audioholic - thank you for your thoughtful explanation and your kind words. I am going to correct everything I can, and if I can't figure it out, I'll be back asking more questions! Also, according to the specs, the Polk db6501 speakers have "a silk/polymer composite dome tweeter." The HU does have an equalizer, not that I know how to set it up, but I will do some experimentation with it. There is a "user" setting which, presumably, can be adjusted as the end-user wishes.
jmanpc - I think I can figure out how to bridge the front speakers to the Eclipse amp. If I can't figure out how to rewire the rear speakers to the HU, I can at least disconnect them and then go back to the audio shop and (pay some more money) and have them wire the rear speakers to the JVC HU.
Everyone is agreeing about what needs to be done, and it sounds as if I will be happy with the end result. I really appreciate the help eveyone here has given me. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
Holly
- Thread Starter
- #13
Hi kross - I was answering the other posts while you were also posting. I did know about the user mode on the JVC, and I will see if this improves the sound. I will have to make the other suggested changes as well; wish they were all as easy as just changing the EQ settings!
Holly
I'll tell you one thing, holly - you were smart to add your name to your posts...if we thought you were just another stupid dude, you may have seen 28 four-word posts like:
"shop install ftl"
"lose the mtx, get a DD"
"search > you"
I'm being sarcastic. I don't mean that this forum is unfriendly...it's just that there's not too many gals around - and whether you knew that or not, well...it was a smart move.
"shop install ftl"
"lose the mtx, get a DD"
"search > you"
I'm being sarcastic. I don't mean that this forum is unfriendly...it's just that there's not too many gals around - and whether you knew that or not, well...it was a smart move.
Sounds like someone went to CC //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
But back on topic, agreed with Deja and Jman
You have decent equipment, just needs some tweeking
But back on topic, agreed with Deja and Jman
You have decent equipment, just needs some tweeking
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