Questions about upgrading stock audio

[djazmatic 10+ year member]

So.. I just bought a 2015 Ford fusion. I love the car but want to upgrade the audio. One of the things that irritates me is not being able to change the factory head unit as it controls most of the cars features. So.. I'm stuck with sticking to the factory unit and upgrading the rest. This is where I have a few questions.

I thought about going with something like the MS8, but read how it adds a delay which screws with the bluetooth calls. I use the bluetooth phone features often so that seems to be out of the question. Is there any DSPs that don't have this issue? or a easy fix/workaround? I know the MS8 released the "mute button echo fix"..but that just seems inconvenient to have to push answer, and then mute on the remote every time i want to take a call.

2nd option is just using a LOC which brings me to my second question.

I want a SQ setup. I plan on throwing in a Alpine PDX-V9 amp and Hybrid Audio Imagine 6.5s all around (sub still undecided). Since my head unit has no equalizer and processes all the audio for me, would going with higher end speakers be worth it in the end? I'd hate to get great speakers only to have the head unit downgrading the sound and making the upgraded speakers sound like any $50 ones would on a better head unit.

All of this is kind of new to me, so any help and guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

-Eric

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[CSCStang]

Check out jl cleansweep or dq61. If you want something simple there's the lc6i or even the lc2i. These will keep the bass that you lose with a factory hu.

 

[djazmatic 10+ year member]

Reading more.. It seems the imaging the time delay makes is what screws with the bluetooth. Would it be possible to disable the time delay and just use the DSP to clean up the audio, or would this defeat the purpose of the DSP?

As far as the AudoControl locs.. would those provide clean audio for everything? I've read mixed reviews about it making subs sound crappy cause of how it restores the bass. Not sure of the truth behind it but just want to make sure I'm going the best route I can.

 

[fasfocus00 5,000+ posts]

either Maestro or full DSP like RF360 or ArcPS8

 

[djazmatic 10+ year member]

Couldn't find any info on what the maestro is.. but would the RF360 screw with the bluetooth calls? It was my understanding its all DSPs that add delay, causing the bluetooth calls to screw up. and like I said earlier.. I don't really want to upgrade a feature just to lose another.

 

[djazmatic 10+ year member]

bump. trying to get this installed very soon..just want to make sure I get it all right the first time.

 

[djazmatic 10+ year member]

Couldn't find any info on what the maestro is.. but would the RF360 screw with the bluetooth calls? It was my understanding its all DSPs that add delay, causing the bluetooth calls to screw up. and like I said earlier.. I don't really want to upgrade a feature just to lose another.

anyone?

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

anyone?

adding delay to get a decent soundstage is an option with an aftermarket DSP, not a requirement you use that feature with all units. you want a processor that lets you manually adjust tuning features.

you are referring to the factory BT not having true noise cancelling but instead a calculated algorithm based on factory speaker locations and arrival times. changing arrival times can add weird noises to the calls or make your voice sound different to people on the other end.

an "SQ" sound system can be had without adding time delay and just using crossovers, equalization, and external amplification. then for critical listening sessions, you can turn on time delay to get a good sound stage.

which processor to buy should be evaluated on how you want to control it. some require a laptop, some have displays with presets. the MS8 will let you choose between two presets so you could have one without time delay and one with.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

you had another question on the quality of speakers. i've worked with HAT products before, including the Imagine series. they are good budget speakers, better than most in that price range. I like Hertz Hi-energy for what i consider budget SQ. speaker choice is important - but the acoustical treatments of the speaker locations/enclosure are vital. my build logs (links in sig) show what i do to doors to get speakers to sound good - at any price range.

 

[djazmatic 10+ year member]

adding delay to get a decent soundstage is an option with an aftermarket DSP, not a requirement you use that feature with all units. you want a processor that lets you manually adjust tuning features.
you are referring to the factory BT not having true noise cancelling but instead a calculated algorithm based on factory speaker locations and arrival times. changing arrival times can add weird noises to the calls or make your voice sound different to people on the other end.

an "SQ" sound system can be had without adding time delay and just using crossovers, equalization, and external amplification. then for critical listening sessions, you can turn on time delay to get a good sound stage.

which processor to buy should be evaluated on how you want to control it. some require a laptop, some have displays with presets. the MS8 will let you choose between two presets so you could have one without time delay and one with.

Ah. That definitely clears up a lot. I just assumed time delay was a "always on" kind of thing with DSPs. So, even with the time delay off, does the MS8 still make a dramatic difference in sound quality? Would I still be able to use the fading capabilities on the Stock head unit or would I need to do that via the MS8 once its installed?

Lastly, I read many stock head units do some cancellation on bass... Does the MS8 do anything to restore or fix this? (I read about some LOCs that help restore this signal..not really sure how good they work or sound though)

Thanks for your help. Greatly appreciate it.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

Ah. That definitely clears up a lot. I just assumed time delay was a "always on" kind of thing with DSPs. So, even with the time delay off, does the MS8 still make a dramatic difference in sound quality? Would I still be able to use the fading capabilities on the Stock head unit or would I need to do that via the MS8 once its installed?
Lastly, I read many stock head units do some cancellation on bass... Does the MS8 do anything to restore or fix this? (I read about some LOCs that help restore this signal..not really sure how good they work or sound though)

Thanks for your help. Greatly appreciate it.

yes, even without time alignment (delay) you can greatly improve the sound of the stock system by correcting for equalization. I would recommend a JL Audio Cleansweep instead of an MS-8 because the Cleansweep doesn't add time delay, it just corrects for any stock EQ and gives a good signal to external amplifiers. There are add-ons to the Cleansweep that can be customized for specific needs.

 

[djazmatic 10+ year member]

Does the Cleansweep correct the bass roll offs that stock units apparently have?

Also, I read with the cleansweep it recommends using the volume knob as the head unit volume changes can throw off the calibration. Is this true / have you experienced this? That was the only reason I stopped looking into the Cleansweep in the first place. But if that isn't the case, that definitely sounds like a better option.

Sorry for all the questions. All this Factory integrations stuff is pretty new to me and just want to make sure I choose the best option for my install.