Do Equalizers help? Are they worth it?

[Theride 10+ year member]

I have one. It does help. Maybe if you haven't bought an head unit just yet just get one that is built in to the radio.

But I have an external one and it helps to fine tune my sound and I use it a lot. It could be because my HU is old and it doesnt bring the best/sharp sound quality i like.

I am not sure if this is an installer error but whenever i turn my car on or off, i get this loud/pop feedback through my speakers. But without the EQ i dont.

The brand you are looking to get is the brand i have.

 

[djjdnap 10+ year member]

isn't it a HU that automatically adjust the EQ i forget the brand, but remember someone was mad because it was difficult to set the EQ manually unless you bought some extra unit to go to it.

 

[PaulD 10+ year member]

An EQ is really a must for a good sounding car system but if it is used improperly it will just make things worse.

 

[eharri3 10+ year member]

I love my 16 band graphic, took me about an hour to get it right once everything else was set up. There were 3-4 frequencies boosted by 1 or 2 db and 3 or 4 frequencies cut by one but just the small tweaks made a big difference. The most common tendency is over-equalization to overcompensate for equipment or install deficiencies. This just puts you closer to a clipped signal and often causes you to trade one frequency response problem for another.

First lesson in EQ: Someone at some point will advise you all you need to do is make the graph a big smiley face by boosting the lows and highs. Ignore them.

 

[tv559 10+ year member]

Im getting a Zapco Eq today cause I need one. I have a stock HU. I want my stuff to sound clean..

 

[cleansoundzz 10+ year member]

My Audiocontrol 3.1 is excellent. It has a para bass adjustment between 40-80hz, gain control for bass, sub control volume, volume button and 3 simple band adjustments for bass, mid bass and treble. Excellent and made in the USA.

 

[boogeyman 10+ year member]

If you know how to properly use and adjust an EQ they are a must have....If you dont know how to use an EQ they are a must not have unless you are willing to learn how to listen and properly adjust.

 

[Vortec Stroker 10+ year member]

If you know how to properly use and adjust an EQ they are a must have....If you dont know how to use an EQ they are a must not have unless you are willing to learn how to listen and properly adjust.

I agree, many do not know the basics of frequency response and what frequencies create what sounds. This plays a big role depending on what equipment you have, and if that equipment naturally peaks at certain frequencies i.e comp sets, 6x9's, subs. Unless you want to do some major research, and alot of listening it will just create more problems than solutions.

 

[supermaxx123 10+ year member]

I just got an audiocontrol DQX. I would say it's worth it!

I dont use a headunit so when i run speakers, i have to stick with what i had and only adjust via low-pass high-pass and passive tweeter adjusments. With this thing it's almost crazy how much better it sounds. It worked for me very well and i wouldn't mind spending another hundred or 2 for another unit.

I used it more to calm down the tweeter and raise mid a little, helped blend with the sub better and I hear no distortion even at max volume, my ipod barely puts out 1volt but the DQX helps raise that. you turn down the gain on your amps so yout get no hissing at 0 volume. I get very very little hissing and it has to be dead quite to be able to hear, thats due to having to turn the dqx gains all the way up(again, ipod puts out weak power).

I would suggest you try one and see if you like it, i know i did.

I have used a cheap pyle eq(LOL @ me) and i didnt like that one bit. SO dont go cheap on it either.

 

[cebbeler7 10+ year member]

ok but does the eqs having like 7 volt outputs, will that help with the power?

Most stock head units put out like maybe .5 Volts. usually aftermarket headunits put out from 3-5. You have to remember that adding 7 volts along with whatever you have on your head unit (lets say 3 for arguments sake) will give you 10 Volts preout. Thats crazy good. My old head unit pushed out 5 Volts and it sounded great with all my set up. But I also had all the settings on my amps exactly the way I wanted them. The EQ on my head unit was on 0 for treble, mid, and bass. In my opinion an equalizer would be a waste of money unless you have meters and know exactly how you want it to sound and are going to sound competitions. The only good thing I see coming out of an external equalizer is the 7 volt add on. So my final opinion is to invest in a line driver. These puppies can bump up your voltage 9-13 volts. That will make your speakers/subs sound cleaner since the gain on your amps can be turned down which gets rid of alot of distortion. Hope I helped

 

[bk227865]

First lesson in EQ: Someone at some point will advise you all you need to do is make the graph a big smiley face by boosting the lows and highs. Ignore them.

welll... on standard car equipment wich usualy lacks most in low and high frequency a smily face wil get you a long way if not overdone.

there are lots of ways to set the smile up though:

you can boost the edges , wich probably will get you distortion.

or you can dip the centerpart, but they you pay in sound volume and start to hear background noise if you want to cranck it up.

you can have you smile start near the center , or near the edges , slant it , use a combination of all of the above .....

but anyway im no expert, just ignore me and dont use a //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/veryhappy.gif.fec4fed33b4a1279cf10bdd45a039dae.gif

 

[smgreen20 10+ year member]

You have to remember that adding 7 volts along with whatever you have on your head unit (lets say 3 for arguments sake) will give you 10 Volts preout.

NO NO NO!!! Voltages DO NOT add up. If your eq can put out 7v, that's all it can put out period. It could take 9v in but can still only put out 7v. The EQ's internal line driver is only robust enough to put out the voltage it's designed for. I can't think of an analogy right now, but it doesn't work that wasy.

When EQing, always cut the stronger freqs first, then boost the weaker ones last. That's the basics. Then you can get into crossover points/slopes and speaker phase that will all make a difference too. Bottom line is it's what sounds good to you. Yes they can be helpful, but they can do damage as well.

I have a 10 band parametric eq built in my HU (Eclipse CD8455) and another 196 (total) with my Audio Control DQS. Tuning is a nightmare for me at times, but I'll be finished soon.

Having a higher output voltage is a good thing. It'll help to overcome system noise that might be introduced into the signal path.

To hook up the 746, just run 1 RCA, at full range from the HU, into the EQ. The eq also has a built in xover so you can then just run front, rear and sub out from there.

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

It's too much to get into IMO unless you want absolutely perfect SQ.

You'd be surprised how much smoother stuff can sound if you just spend 5 minutes with the Focal Tools disc and go through the frequencies, cutting the stuff that's too harsh. It's amazing how easy it is compared to just using your ear and trying to cut where you think you need to(this does take a long time). I literally spent hours trying to get Robert Plant and Rebbecca Pigeon's voice to sound right and not too harsh, and I just couldn't. Popped in the Tools disc and started at 63hz and spent about a second on each track, listening for continuity from one to the next, and bam, found exactly what I needed to cut(6 different frequencies in all, but only 2 where I thought I needed it).

Very, very easy to do if you have the right tools.

 

[undeadxsunshine 10+ year member]

i think you're talking about the alpine imprint thing

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

i think you're talking about the alpine imprint thing

Who is?