Headunit Preout Distortion/Clipping

[HoneyBadgerRy]

I do know how to set the gains with a multi meter, or what clipping sounds like by ear, but is there anyway to KNOW not guess with a 75% rule or 80% rule or whatever, but actually know the maximum volume you can turn the head unit up to without a SMD DD-1?

You could look for clipping on an oscilloscope (if you had one), then turn it down, but the signal could still be distorting at 2%+ and not be clipping at any given volume level.

The only way I can think of to know where the head unit distorts would be to either buy/borrow a SMD DD-1, or if someone with the exact same head unit already tested it and told you. I know on here you guys prefer oscilloscopes and look down on the SMD, but I surely wouldn't see 1% distortion on a 1khz sine wave.

Click to read more...

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

I do know how to set the gains with a multi meter, or what clipping sounds like by ear, but is there anyway to KNOW not guess with a 75% rule or 80% rule or whatever, but actually know the maximum volume you can turn the head unit up to without a SMD DD-1?
You could look for clipping on an oscilloscope (if you had one), then turn it down, but the signal could still be distorting at 2%+ and not be clipping at any given volume level.

The only way I can think of to know where the head unit distorts would be to either buy/borrow a SMD DD-1, or if someone with the exact same head unit already tested it and told you. I know on here you guys prefer oscilloscopes and look down on the SMD, but I surely wouldn't see 1% distortion on a 1khz sine wave.

Is the setup in your Miata ?

 

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Is the setup in your Miata ?

The reason for the discussion is the setup that will be in my Miata, but as of right now, the setup in my miata is still the stock Blose.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

The reason for the discussion is the setup that will be in my Miata, but as of right now, the setup in my miata is still the stock Blose.

I’m in the process of redoing the stereo setup in my 96 Miata ..right now ..it should sound nice but it’s fairly simple ..I’m going with two 6.5 dvc subs in the rear deck and components up front powered by a Kicker 4ch ..I upgraded the old stereo to an Alpine double din media player

 

[HoneyBadgerRy]

I’m in the process of redoing the stereo setup in my 96 Miata ..right now ..it should sound nice but it’s fairly simple ..I’m going with two 6.5 dvc subs in the rear deck and components up front powered by a Kicker 4ch ..I upgraded the old stereo to an Alpine double din media player

I have a build thread started for my Miata, but the tldr of what I have already purchased is a Pioneer 2300nex, zapco st-4d, alpine type x components, noico sound deadening, fast rings, and still working on what to do with subs.

The limited room is these cars makes it difficult, but its what we get for driving miatas.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

I have a build thread started for my Miata, but the tldr of what I have already purchased is a Pioneer 2300nex, zapco st-4d, alpine type x components, noico sound deadening, fast rings, and still working on what to do with subs.
The limited room is these cars makes it difficult, but its what we get for driving miatas.

Mine was messed up for 5 or 6 years maybe longer and I just got it back running a couple of months ago ..it has 61,000 miles on it ..it turns out the computer had messed up ..and then the fun part getting all the crap straightened up from all the jake leg mechanics that have fooled with it over the past few years ..but it’s running like new again and I decided to freshen up the system ..I’m not going with anything real high end in it ..I pulled the back deck pan Monday and getting ready to mod it for the 6.5s ..I plan on deadening the doors ..floor and rear deck panels ..I hate how compact it is ..

 

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Mine was messed up for 5 or 6 years maybe longer and I just got it back running a couple of months ago ..it has 61,000 miles on it ..it turns out the computer had messed up ..and then the fun part getting all the crap straightened up from all the jake leg mechanics that have fooled with it over the past few years ..but it’s running like new again and I decided to freshen up the system ..I’m not going with anything real high end in it ..I pulled the back deck pan Monday and getting ready to mod it for the 6.5s ..I plan on deadening the doors ..floor and rear deck panels ..I hate how compact it is ..

I haven't really gotten to enjoy mine. I was under a month away from graduating my school and went home on leave for a few weeks, I saw the miata at a car lot, fell in love and bought it. Fast forward a few weeks I'm halfway across the country buying a stereo for it, fast forward a little more more and I ended up failing the last test and I get sent to a different school, this time its only a few months long. As soon as I get out of here I'll put in the front stage that I already bought, sometime between now and then I'll decide on what to do for the sub and buy that. In the two weeks I had that car I did get some use out of it though, drove it a good distance, hit some corners hard, drove through a blizzard and backed it into a ditch (really slowly no damage) so you could say I broke the ice.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

I haven't really gotten to enjoy mine. I was under a month away from graduating my school and went home on leave for a few weeks, I saw the miata at a car lot, fell in love and bought it. Fast forward a few weeks I'm halfway across the country buying a stereo for it, fast forward a little more more and I ended up failing the last test and I get sent to a different school, this time its only a few months long. As soon as I get out of here I'll put in the front stage that I already bought, sometime between now and then I'll decide on what to do for the sub and buy that. In the two weeks I had that car I did get some use out of it though, drove it a good distance, hit some corners hard, drove through a blizzard and backed it into a ditch (really slowly no damage) so you could say I broke the ice.

If you were down this way ..I have all kinds of test meters ..term lab ..clamp meters ...even a personalized SMD DD1 from Super Steve ..I’ve just started getting back into car audio lately ..I’ve been wrapped up in playing with my old cars over the past few years

 

[HoneyBadgerRy]

If you were down this way ..I have all kinds of test meters ..term lab ..clamp meters ...even a personalized SMD DD1 from Super Steve ..I’ve just started getting back into car audio lately ..I’ve been wrapped up in playing with my old cars over the past few years

Thanks, but unfortunately I'm not going to be anywhere near that area. Right now I'm in NC, but out of the places I can end up none of them would be local, hoping for either California or one of the Carolinas though.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

Thanks, but unfortunately I'm not going to be anywhere near that area. Right now I'm in NC, but out of the places I can end up none of them would be local, hoping for either California or one of the Carolinas though.

I’m usually pretty good at setting and tuning by ear then I’ll use other meters to fine tune in the system ..another item to consider since it is a convertible are some Aura pro bass shakers under the seats ..set up right they can really enhance your subs especially using smaller subs ..I have a set in my 73 Mustang convertible under the front seats ...I’m running a Memphis 5ch baby belle in it 50x2 on the Kicks 50x2 on the Aura and 500 to two JBL 8s in the trunk

 

[HoneyBadgerRy]

I’m usually pretty good at setting and tuning by ear then I’ll use other meters to fine tune in the system ..another item to consider since it is a convertible are some Aura pro bass shakers under the seats ..set up right they can really enhance your subs especially using smaller subs ..I have a set in my 73 Mustang convertible under the front seats ...I’m running a Memphis 5ch baby belle in it 50x2 on the Kicks 50x2 on the Aura and 500 to two JBIL 8s in the trunk

I'm not throwing that idea away, but that sounds so gimicky to me. I realize I'm not going to feel the base in a miata that I did with a 12" running 1000rms that I used to have, but I would think if I bought two JL Audio 8W7AE-3 and a Zapco Z-1KD I would be alot happier than to get a smaller amp, lesser subs, and find a way to get 50 rms *2 to power two shakers... But hey, why not both. (besides it just sounds like a stupid idea to me).

Edit: Not saying thats what I was going to get, I just did a quick google for two good looking 8" subs and a amp that would happily over power them.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

I'm not throwing that idea away, but that sounds so gimicky to me. I realize I'm not going to feel the base in a miata that I did with a 12" running 1000rms that I used to have, but I would think if I bought two JL Audio 8W7AE-3 and a Zapco Z-1KD I would be alot happier than to get a smaller amp, lesser subs, and find a way to get 50 rms *2 to power two shakers... But hey, why not both. (besides it just sounds like a stupid idea to me).
Edit: Not saying thats what I was going to get, I just did a quick google for two good looking 8" subs and a amp that would happily over power them.

I considered doing two 8s in the rear deck ..at first but I didn’t want to put that much time into it ..that’s the reason I went with 6.5 subs ..they’ll only be getting about 100 Watts each ..the doors will get 50x2 ..after I listen to it I’ll decide if I want to do anything else to it ..I’m probably going with Alpine marine speakers in the front doors ..

 

[HoneyBadgerRy]

I considered doing two 8s in the rear deck ..at first but I didn’t want to put that much time into it ..that’s the reason I went with 6.5 subs ..they’ll only be getting about 100 Watts each ..the doors will get 50x2 ..after I listen to it I’ll decide if I want to do anything else to it ..I’m probably going with Alpine marine speakers in the front doors ..

The fronts are getting 320 RMS each door, so to balance that I think I'm going to need some surface area.

IIRC its actually pretty easy to put two 6.5's in the back of the NA/NB, but on the NC its 100% custom either way, so there really are only 3 options I see that make sense as far as subwoofers behind the seats in the rear console area. #1 is a full custom two 8" sub boxes, #2 is a single custom 8" sub box, and #3 is stuffing prebuild subwoofer packages (be it a low profile subwoofer with a sealed box, or the pre amplified subwoofer) into each of the rear cubbies.

To make a decision on how much subwoofer I need I'm really going to have to listen to the system with the zapco and type X's installed. It should would be cheap and easy to get two powered subwoofers, but I see myself stuffing two 8"s into my car in the future. Is there a rule of thumb like if you spend X amount of dollars on your mids and highs spend X on your sub and amp? Those two JL's and the Zapco come up to about what I spent on everything else combined, and I would have to buy another amp wire kit, big three, and possibly need to get my alt rewound, I still need to get a stat for how many amps the stock system uses, then do that math on if my 120 amp alt can hold up to the test.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

The fronts are getting 320 RMS each door, so to balance that I think I'm going to need some surface area.
IIRC its actually pretty easy to put two 6.5's in the back of the NA/NB, but on the NC its 100% custom either way, so there really are only 3 options I see that make sense as far as subwoofers behind the seats in the rear console area. #1 is a full custom two 8" sub boxes, #2 is a single custom 8" sub box, and #3 is stuffing prebuild subwoofer packages (be it a low profile subwoofer with a sealed box, or the pre amplified subwoofer) into each of the rear cubbies.

To make a decision on how much subwoofer I need I'm really going to have to listen to the system with the zapco and type X's installed. It should would be cheap and easy to get two powered subwoofers, but I see myself stuffing two 8"s into my car in the future. Is there a rule of thumb like if you spend X amount of dollars on your mids and highs spend X on your sub and amp? Those two JL's and the Zapco come up to about what I spent on everything else combined, and I would have to buy another amp wire kit, big three, and possibly need to get my alt rewound, I still need to get a stat for how many amps the stock system uses, then do that math on if my 120 amp alt can hold up to the test.

One company makes a custom box for two 6.5s that drops into the rear that I’d love to get ..but I have too many car projects right now to spend that much on it ..I just bought 4 new 17 tires for my Konig Unknowns and I bought a new top for it ..that I should be installing soon.. ..I spent a few $100 on new speakers Amp and security ..the car has manual locks and windows but I’m also adding keyless entry alarm ...back up camera mirror with Bluetooth..the original mirror was a pain to remove ..

 

[HoneyBadgerRy]

So I did some research on my specific head unit, and it looks like on a flat eq the preouts start clipping on 38/40, so under my understanding you just set your maximum volume to 37 and then tune the amplifier to make the rated power using v=i/r. But the article mentioned that with a eq tune that the headunit clipped at volume 36 on 100hz, which made me think. When playing a test tone at 0db the head unit is going to work harder than it ever would in music, so it shouldn't be a problem that it clips at certain frequencies with a 0db test tone, but that also means that is theoretically could clip while playing music. Should you counter this by tuning the eq only by lowering certain frequencies, or is this something that you don't need to worry about.