My equalizer confuses me...

[Sarthos 10+ year member]

So I have an Audiocontrol DQS running off my Eclipse CD 8051 Head unit. the instructions say on the equalizer to turn the stereo to 3/4 volume and adjust the input gain until the "input maximized" light flickers with the music. I have 8 volt pre-outs, and even turning the gain to the max doesn't make the light flicker a tiny bit. Is there a test tone or something that might work better for this? I'm only using 4 meter RCA cables, so that shouldn't be the problem, and I've set the input grounding to both balanced and unbalanced on the equalizer, still nothing. Turning the head unit up to full it finally starts flickering, but it should at really low levels, shouldn't it? Any thoughts?

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[adam71 5,000+ posts]

Well, I agree that an 8volt deck should send that light into flicker @ pretty low input levels. What I would do is set the input gain to about 1/4 the way up and listen to it. If it isn't distorted turn it up little by little until you hear some distortion and then back it off a little. It sounds like distortion sensing LED isn't functioning properly so I guess you'll just have to set it the old fashioned way. By ear.

 

[smgreen20 10+ year member]

I have an Eclipse CD8455 and the Audio Control DQS too. Music, as we all know, is dynamic so the UH wont send the 8V unless you use a 0 dB test tone. Don't forget to disconnect those speakers.

I set the volume on the HU to where I listen to it on a regular basis, around 72/80. For the input side of things on the DQS (I run 3 way active via the HU) front AKA: tweets, the white dot is pointed at 1:30. The Sub/center AKA: subs are maxed, and the rear AKA: Mids are at 3:00

On the output side of things on the DQS, Fronts (tweets) are at 12:30, sub/center (subs) are set at 3:00 and the rear (mids) are at 2:00.

Only the tweets and mids lights on the DQS start to flicker at full tilt, and the sub light not at all. NOTE: My sub amp NEEDS an 8 volt signal for optimum performance, Phoenix Gold ZPA0.5v2, and my mids/highs amp is a Phoenix Gold ZX450v2. The gains on both amps are dead flat.

Set your xover freq and slope to before you set the gains as it'll change the output. Though not by much, but enough.