Does it make more sense to upgrade my HU or amp?

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

yeah my pioneer puts out clean output up to 62 out of 63. I got a lot of that rough bass back compared to having it at 45.

Its recommended that you turn the internal amp off to reduce the amount of noise that goes through the system. Try turning internal amp off and resetting the gains first at a higher volume level.

 

[TTBlues]

I just did some reading and found what you are saying about the signal being clean up to around 95%. I'll have to re-do my gains tomorrow and see how that changes things.

Edit: I typed this before I read your last post.

 

[TTBlues]

I just went out and tried things with the volume at 95%. With it that high, I don't even need to raise the gain on the door speaker channels. It's already at the threshold of pain.

As far as the sub, should I boost the signal on the HU or the amp? The HU has a sub output that goes up to +15 dB.

 

[TTBlues]

Turning the HU up more made a world of difference!! That was the veil I spoke of. I wasn't driving the signal enough to excite things.

As for the bass, I've read a bunch of tips and I understand that you want to put your sub level at the max before you set the gain, that way you can't bump it up later and clip the signal. However, this creates these problems:

1. In practice, I'm going to have the sub level up to its max if/when I am playing a song with the weakest bass info. So, I want to use that song for setting things and then turn the sub down on the HU for other mixes. But if I forget to turn it own before putting on a different song with loud bass, its going to overdrive the signal. And also, will turning it down after setting the gain affect the gain structure in a detrimental way? There is a great difference of sub info between the softest stuff I listen to and the loudest.

2. If I set the gain to a song with LOUD bass, I'm not going to have enough when I put on music with less bass or that was mastered lower. I won't be able to boost any more as its already maxed out.

 

[TTBlues]

BTW Jeffdachef,

I see in your sig. you are running 6x9's in the front stage, but you told me to stay away form oval speakers. Do you not like yours? Do you find they distort easier?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

BTW Jeffdachef,
I see in your sig. you are running 6x9's in the front stage, but you told me to stay away form oval speakers. Do you not like yours? Do you find they distort easier?

Yeah they **** as mids lol. But i have them for pure midbass only. I have 6.5s for midrange at the kick panel and a tweeter up by sail panels

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

You can always turn gains on amp a little higher and lower your sub level on songs with stronger bass and leave it up higher on songs with weaker bass.

 

[TTBlues]

That's kind of what I'm doing. With my amp gain where it's at, I have the sub level on the HU at +15 for the songs with weaker bass but I have to bring it down to +7 or +5 for the songs with stronger bass. It seems like a big margin, but I don't hear any clipping, just the sweet sound of panel buzz.

Thanks again for your help. I'm digging this HU.

 

[TTBlues]

Well, after a few days with this new HU, it too is also fatiguing my ears. Even more so than the old one. I'm not saying it's the HU, but something in this system that the HU is bringing out. At this point its probably the speakers distorting or the coloration of the amp. I'm going to put the old HU back in since I can tolerate it a little more and order the speakers. I'll swap HU's again when I treat the doors and gets the speakers installed.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

so is the highs or the midrange fatiguing you? is it the midrange hump at 2k-3k hz or is it the sibilance(treble harsh) at 6k hz? you can always try to attenuate the frequencies that hurt your ears. Also it sounds like something is being over driven. Might just be the stock components reaching their limit of sound output and they are distorting like you said. Might wanna just back it down.

 

[TTBlues]

It's weird. I can't pick out anything when I'm listening that sounds too loud/crisp. And yet after a few minutes my ears feel bothered and I keep turing the volume down until OFF. I work in Rec. studio, have 2 18" subs at home, listen on headphones at times during the day, go to a rehearsal space 5 nights a week wherein bands with walls full of half stacks are killing it, and nothing bothers my ears like this.

It's like a dog whistle effect. I don't hear anything. But I feel it. I tried to find something with an RTA, but there were no strange spikes. Yeah, a small hump around 2k (which is a fatiguing freq). but it wasn't drastic.

I can't really back things down. I don't have any gain turned up on the amp. I start with the volume on 29/32 and just end up backing down over 5 minutes until I turn it off. I'm going to get new components and then see. If it's still there I may try to find a local hobbyist to take a listen and help. Could be bad piece of gear too?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

very weird indeed Hopefully components would correct it.

In my case, at very loud levels, music gets fatiguing to me if my bass output is not loud enough to match it. I literally cannot stand just plain mids and highs if the bass is not strong enough.