front coaxials distortion.

[andrewibk 10+ year member]

I just installed eclipse 3 way coaxs in the front, from factory speakers. It is powered by a cda 9885. They seem to distort at the same level the factorys did. Does this mean its the head unit, and not the speakers, and amping them would fix this ? thanks

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[katodevin 10+ year member]

absolutely. I can't think of a head unit that can fully drive a speaker to a loud listening level without starting to distort. An external amp is the only way for you to go.

 

[DejaWiz 5,000+ posts]

Yes, amp them. Most good amps have around 0.001% to 1% THD at their max RMS power. A typical HU will be around 5% or more. So, even going with a 2x30-50w rms amp will make a world of difference, but it's recommended you get an amp that will provide the power the comps want....usually 50-100% more of the factory rated RMS handling so you don't have to max the gain, strain the amp, and cause clipping.

 

[ashtrey1212 10+ year member]

I had the same problem with my speakers when I first got them. An average head unit can only output about 18 watts rms to each speaker, so if your speakers require more power than that, amping them is the best solution. After I installed a four channel amp to power the speakers the distortion completely went away. Just don't over power them or you'll notice the bass quality from your speakers will sound more like popping rather than bass.