Need info on how to tune system

[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

Hello all.

New here not too new to car audio.

I just installed a system - like finished just a few mins ago - in my Daily Driver 4 door Honda Accord

I had all this equipment laying around except for the head unit which I just pulled from my truck as I am selling the truck.

Anyway here is my setup

Pioneer Avic-Z2 head unit

MB Quart PAB 4100 - 4 channel amp

MQ Quart Reference Series 6.5 Components

Stock rear 6x9

JL Audio 10W3 in Sealed Box

For the install I ran some 2 Gauge to the trunk and also 2 gauge for a short ground as well

I used 2 pairs of Monster Cables RCAs (thick ones) (I ran them under the center console to the trunk)

I installed the front door panels using some 3/4" MDF

I used Fat Matt all over the doors

I mounted the tweeters on the sail panels

I mounted the crossovers between the door and the door panel (where it is dry)

Here is my question.

It sounds real good but the bass isn't right and the mid-bass isn't right either.

Right now I have the MB Quart amp just set to full range and am trying to tune using the head unit.

Do I start tuning by putting the head unit at no equalization and adjusting the amp or what should I do.

I have for the last 8 years or so had my systems professionally installed and have not adjusted them in a long long time. And back in the day when I did adjust my system I never had any quality stuff, it was mostly just home made ghetto style stuff.

Thank you

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[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

Also I have the JL Sub facing forward firing into the car through the ski port.

I would like to keep it this way if possible cause I toss a lot of stuff in the trunk and do not want to worry about hitting the cone.

 

[wickedwitt 10+ year member]

If the amp on your sub is set to Full Pass, it needs to be put on Low Pass. That will correct a considerable amount. If you have an amp on highs it needs to be set to High Pass. Tweak the cutoff frequencies via head unit and amps (if that's an option) and you will fix your sound.

 

[shake this 10+ year member]

I personally like to adjust the amps to get the sound I like and then fine tune with the HU/EQ. This way you can tweak it for different music as needed.

 

[supermaxx123 10+ year member]

speakers should be high passed at around 80hz or so. sub should be lowpassed 80hz or so. That should be the only tuning the need at the amp. I set my gains by ear, but I'm always on the low side, when setting gains, dont think it's a volume knob but more of a matching knob. used to match your pre out voltage to the amp.

 

[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

Ok

But on my Avic I have front, rear, and sub outputs.

I also have high pass and low pass crossover settings.

On the head unit I have set the front rcas to be high passed at 50 hz thinking the MB Quart Crossovers would handle it from there

On the head Unit I have the sub rcas low passed at 80 hz

I understand a lot of really NOOBs come here for advice but I am not one of them. I do understand a lot about audio both home and mobile.

I was seeking advice about how I should fine tune my system.

I just took the car out for a while and set the 2 channels I have bridged for the JL sub to low pass so I could adjust the bass eq.

Sadly I found that firing the sub into the rear corner of the trunk sounds the best.

This is not what I want. I want the box to take up as little space in the trunk as possible.

I think a different box is in my near future.

I will post some questions in the Box Building area.

What I was really wanting to know is if I should play with the adjustments on the amp or not.

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

youre just going to have to experiment. most say cross your mids and subs at around 80hz or so. then tweak your eq until it sounds best to your ears. and i would remove your rear dash stock speakers, it lets the bass vent into your cabin better and you dont need rears anyway.

heres how i positioned my sub in my Accord sedan...

 

[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

Do you keep your Ski Port / Armrest open?

I am really hoping perhaps I can run 2 - 10" subs (cause I own them already) and fire them forward into the cab.

In the trunk I throw firewood, bales of hay, feed for my animals, ect...

I really need the subs to fire forward if possible.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

if you fire subs forward, you want to make a baffle that seals the sides of the box to the car. if you don't, you get phase interference from the direct path combining with the path from the sub to the rear of the trunk and back to the sub. that cancellation occurs in audible bass frequencies and is why forward facing doesn't sound as loud. seal around the box and that phase interference goes away.

pics of your deadened doors? did you close off the large openings? do you have foam sealing the speaker against the door panel?

in general, pics of your system can help. tuning can only help a properly installed system. you can't EQ out phase interference.

also, since you're overlapping on the low end, try swapping the phase on the sub. this can be done electrically if the HU or amp have a 0 or 180deg setting. or manually by wiring the subs in reverse polarity. sometimes you get cancellation when the midbass are out of acoustical phase with the sub.

phase interference plagues most car audio systems. it's very difficult to get it right in a vehicle.

FYI, the MB Quart crossovers aren't providing a high pass for the woofer. just a low pass for the woofer and high pass for the tweeter.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

i had this behind my rear seat for a while - this sub was Aperiodic with a baffle sealing off the trunk

trunk of that setup (i could fit golf clubs or strollers)

with covers removed - you can see the aperiodic grill, the baffle had a hole cut out so it was just carpet behind the grill

and with a JL - both were centered in the ski hole

now i have a pair of 12's in a trunk baffle setup.

my build log can give you ideas for sealing and baffling the speakers and subs. (link in sig).

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

"Do you keep your Ski Port / Armrest open"

no and i get enough bass to shake my whole car

 

[bannock 10+ year member]

i had this behind my rear seat for a while - this sub was Aperiodic with a baffle sealing off the trunk

trunk of that setup (i could fit golf clubs or strollers)

with covers removed - you can see the aperiodic grill, the baffle had a hole cut out so it was just carpet behind the grill

and with a JL - both were centered in the ski hole

now i have a pair of 12's in a trunk baffle setup.

my build log can give you ideas for sealing and baffling the speakers and subs. (link in sig).

*****.....my set up looks so amature compaired to yours.....

 

[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

Wow thank you!

I think I understand what I need to do for my sub woofer.

However I think I am going to need someone to build the box for me as it looks beyond my skill set.

To answer the questions asked.

No I did not take any pictures of the install.

For sound deadening _ I pulled the factory plastic off and covered the whole doors in layers of Fatt Matt. I did not use any material except for the Fat Matt to cover the open areas of the door. Not the BEST way but much better than nothing at all.

I did not use foam to seal the front of the door speaker to the panels. Does it make a real difference? I could pull the panels and add some weatherstripping if you say it really makes a difference.

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

i had this behind my rear seat for a while - this sub was Aperiodic with a baffle sealing off the trunk

my build log can give you ideas for sealing and baffling the speakers and subs. (link in sig).

An Accord huh?

 

[chowdog 10+ year member]

can u set ur amp to lp only?