Linkin Park never sounded so bad

[JeepLiberty 10+ year member]

I have a HUGE problem, and I need any help at all. So far I've heard answers "Your speakers may not be in phase." For replies like this, PLEASE include HOW I am supposed to fix the issue. I am not the installer, nor do I know how to install stereo equipment at all. So along with possible solutions, can you also include how to implement them. ... Ok, now onto the story:

Here's what I have in my 2004 Jeep Liberty:

>>>Head-unit: Alpine CDA-9851

>>>>>>>> Bass: -5 (emphasis on 80Hz), Treble: +5 (emphasis on 10k Hz). I also have BBE set to 1. Balance and Fade are set to 0 (neutral position).

>>>6 Speakers: 6.5" Polk Momo (component system w/ tweeters in the front... regular in the back) All with dynamat.

>>>Bass Shakers: 2 Aura under-seat bass shakers, underneathe front seats

>>>Eclipse EA3532 5-channel Amplifier: powering Polk's and Aura's.

>>>>>>>> Gain for front and rear is set to about 40% open. High pass is set to approximately 120Hz, Low pass is set to approximately 80Hz. Gain to the Aura Bass shakers (sub output) is set to about 25% open. I also have 2 "through" switches. They can be switched left or right--- I have them switched to the right.

>>>Subwoofer: One 12" Kicker solo-baric L7 (2004 model), sealed enclosure. Powered by a Rockford Fostgate 500 Punch amp. Crossover set to 80Hz. "Punch" set to about 60% open.

Here's the problem. It can play fine and very crisp at moderate volume levels. But if I turn it up, such as when I drive with the windows down and need to overcome the wind noise, it sounds crappy, shaky, and very distorted. I usually listen to the volume at 16 with the windows up (the max volume on the alpine head unit is 35) and like to listen to it louder w/ the windows down. It can get up to 19 and still be ok. 20 is pushing your luck, and anything past 21 is where everything falls off a cliff and just sounds downright BAD!

I need help. What am I doing wrong here? I had this installed by a professional, so I assume it is wired up correctly. I have read that mid-range speakers don't need much power to perform, bearing this in mind, along with the fact that I've basically routed ALL BASS to the kicker, why do the Polk's sound so bad?? Could it be the Eclipse amp doesn't have enough juice? Could it be that something went wrong with my Polk's? (They were wrongfully hooked up to the amp for over a YEAR, during which time they were apparently playing MONO sound, not stereo sound. Courtesy of the bad installers at Tweeter in Rockville, MD). They were since fixed and wired correctly to play stereo sound, but I still am not happy with the way it sounds. Not at all. It can't play Linkin Park for a lick.

In my oldsmobile I had 4 Pioneer speakers, 2 tweeters, NO dynamat, Two 12" JL Audio W0 subwoofers-- Two seperate Alpine amps powering the whole thing, and an Aiwa head unit running the show. My Oldsmobile would put this jeep TO SHAME!!! If you compare the $1,700 I spent on the Jeep with the $500 I spent on the Oldsmobile, you'd think it would be the opposite. But like I said, I dont even enjoy driving anymore. Linkin Park never sounded so bad. Please help me.

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[JAZN 5,000+ posts]

Did you mess around with the bass/treble/BBE? Too much BBE can lead to a ton of distortion at high volumes, hell, even low volumes.

 

[analogkid]

come to long island ill fix it for ya. sounds like the gains are all way too high.

 

[Warbleed 10+ year member]

Well, first of all the -5 cut at 80Hz is probably not at all necessary. Turn the BBE off as well, and turn the treble boost to flat, unless you are certain that you need it. I honestly can't imagine you needing that much HF boost with the MOMOs...

Turn off any boost on all the amps.

 

[ToyTundra 10+ year member]

sounds like the gains are all way too high.

that's what i was thinking

 

[JeepLiberty 10+ year member]

I've tried turning the gain down. If I do that, when I turn the volume up I get to the max volume and it isn't loud enough.

Anyone think something is wrong with the amp? I am going into Tweeter sometime next week--- my plan is to hook up a brand new Alpine amp to the Polk's and see what happens.

If it works then I can get the $$$ difference back with my extended warranty. (Tweeter no longer carries eclipse, so I will just go for a comparable Alpine amp in its place)

Any other possible problems it could be?