Serious Clipping problem

[Sierra Nate]

I recently installed a Pioneer 4200NEX with a Pioneer GM-A6704 amp, with 4-Apline SPS-610 speakers in my 2009 Silverado. The amp is set up as 4 channel. Speakers are in each door (crew cab), 2 front, 2 rear. No sub at this time. I set the gain on front and back to "high" setting as instructed in the manual of the head unit, to match the 4 v output of the head unit.

Most music sources sound great! Not a lot of volume but enough to make it uncomfortable for my wife to listen to when in the cab with doors closed. When we camp on the beach we open all four doors and everyone can hear it. HD Radio sounds phenomenal! XM radio through the GM Onstar (piped through iDataLink) sounds good...as good as XM can sound anyway).

My problem is with my phone as a source, either through Bluetooth or through USB2 (its an android based Moto Z Force on Nougat). The worst offending song is Highly Suspect's, My Name is Human. The kick bass makes my speakers clip seriously bad. It sounds like the coil is pushing out of the magnet to make the cone pop. It sounds like it is destroying the speaker. But when I go back to HD Radio I can play bass popping Godsmack or anything similar and no clipping at all.

Speakers are rated 75w max rms, 230w peak

Amp is rated Max output (4 ohm) 170w per channel, continuous 60w x 4 at 4 ohm.

Amp manual wants speakers with Min 170w as a max input...whatever that means

Am I over driving these speakers? Or do I need a bigger amp? I've tried adjusting the gain, both directions. Turning the gain up helps but does not make the problem go away at higher volumes. Setting the gain to max setting causes the volume level to be so low it doesn't even sound like there's an amp.

It may well be a compression issues since it only happens on Bluetooth or USB 2 source. Is there a solution for that?

Do I need to install a sub and then low pass the four channels? If I do that I plan to buy a package unit that has speakers, in a box, built in amp. Any recommendations? (that means I have to pull the dash apart...erg)

I'm willing to replace any of the components except for the head unit. 1, I really like the Pioneer 4200 nex...and 2, I'm kind of sick of ripping apart the dash at this point. This was my first HighFi install and I learned a lot through the process...but kind of sick of that dash.

Any advice?

Nate

Click to read more...

 

[Mayhem]

Is that the only song where the popping noise happens?

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

Try using an auxiliary cord. Could be your phone's music processing over bluetooth and usb.

I know my Droid 4 had issues with processing music transmitted bluetooth. Never used it USB

 

[Sierra Nate]

Is that the only song where the popping noise happens?

Not the only song...just the worst offender. Anything with popping bass will cause the clipping.

 

[Sierra Nate]

Is that the only song where the popping noise happens?

I'll try that, but if that's the solution then it's a bit of a hassle as the Auxiliary input is under the face of the head unit. I have to open the face to reach it. Then I don't get the display to control the music. Why did Pioneer put the Aux Input there? Erg

I'm about to go run an errand and will try this and report the results later.

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

That does sound like a stupid design. There isn't another one on the back of the radio you could run a wire to?

 

[Mayhem]

Yeah idk what pioneer was thinking on that one...

My best guess is it's your phone. I don't have an android but on the iPhone there are equalizer settings that I had to change because it would distort at higher volumes. It was set to Jazz or Rock but it sounded bass boosted. Changed it to flat and it was crystal clear

 

[06gtmike 10+ year member]

Where are your crossover and eq settings at?

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

Where are your crossover and eq settings at?

yeah and gain setting?

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

Yeah idk what pioneer was thinking on that one...
My best guess is it's your phone. I don't have an android but on the iPhone there are equalizer settings that I had to change because it would distort at higher volumes. It was set to Jazz or Rock but it sounded bass boosted. Changed it to flat and it was crystal clear

Yeah, forgot about that. Might be a default audio setting of "bass enhancement" on his phone.

 

[Sierra Nate]

Yeah idk what pioneer was thinking on that one...
My best guess is it's your phone. I don't have an android but on the iPhone there are equalizer settings that I had to change because it would distort at higher volumes. It was set to Jazz or Rock but it sounded bass boosted. Changed it to flat and it was crystal clear

Yup...there it is. When connected to USB2 source I was defaulting to play through Google Play. In the settings, Equalizer was set to Extreme Bass. I set it to Off. Turned up the volume on My Name is Human as far as I could go and bear it and it was crystal clear. So simple! I'm so glad I posted here as I've been trying to figure this issue out for several weeks.

On Bluetooth though, the volume is much lower and the clipping is still there, just not as prominent as it was before. I'll have to goof around with the settings to see if I can solve that. BT is so much more convenient. But at least I now know it is not my equipment causing the problem.

 

[Sierra Nate]

Where are your crossover and eq settings at?

Not using crossover or high/low pass filters...all set to off or 0db. The speakers have built in cross over for the tweeters but not sure what they use. Gain is set to high (which supposedly equates to 4 v). EQ on the head unit...doesn't really matter where I set it...I have 6 different presets and two customs. I can eliminate bass and it still clips.

But as I said in last reply, after turning off the Bass Boost in the Play app I can use any of the EQ settings and it now sounds crystal clear through USB Source.

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

If you just have speakers on the amp, you should be using the high pass filter to reduce lower frequencies that would damage the speakers mechanically if you were going full tilt.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

If you just have speakers on the amp, you should be using the high pass filter to reduce lower frequencies that would damage the speakers mechanically if you were going full tilt.

this times a ******* million not sure why no one mentioned it first. whatever, go set your hpf on your amp for your doors at 60-100hz. would of saved your speakers from the bottoming out abuse you put them through lol never had that problem with bluetooth update your phone and headunit firmware and see what happens. headunit i installed recently had bt break when a new android update came out

 

[BOOMINGRANDPA 5,000+ posts]

Not using crossover or high/low pass filters...all set to off or 0db. The speakers have built in cross over for the tweeters but not sure what they use. Gain is set to high (which supposedly equates to 4 v). EQ on the head unit...doesn't really matter where I set it...I have 6 different presets and two customs. I can eliminate bass and it still clips.
But as I said in last reply, after turning off the Bass Boost in the Play app I can use any of the EQ settings and it now sounds crystal clear through USB Source.

turn on hp xover on amp set to 80hz (or on hu if it has one for speakers)