Time alignment or NO time alignment

[nelpastel]

How important is it to run the time alignment feature in a car audio set up? Can't you get a more enjoyable audio experience from a simple stereo sound? By the last I mean all front and rear speakers playing without time alignment. That way you hear the music coming from all directions. That's a different audio experience from a system that is time aligned, where you hear the music as if coming from a spot in front of you, you know, the front stage effect. I asked because I already have my 4 channel amplifer powering my front tweeters and midranges in a full active, time aligned system, but my rear speakers are out of the game. But maybe it is worth to invest in an additional 2 channel amp. to bring back my rears in a traditional way (without time alignment). Is it worth a try, or I better stay with my front stage ?

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[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

Time aligned front stage with no rear speakers.

 

[marc2112 10+ year member]

Depends if you care about sound imaging or just want plain loud music.

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

I never really cared for TA in any of my vehicles to be honest. I like all my speakers to be amplified and also working and to get that surround affect so to speak. I like the entire cabin with music. Thats me.. TA may be best if you never have a passenger / or passengers riding . Try both and see whats best to your liking/enjoyment. Everyone has different opinions from theyre experiences.

 

[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

Time alignment doesn't have any effect on balancing or fading. Time alignment is intended to make the sound from all speakers reach the listener at the same time. However, it has to be dialed in to a single listening point, so it will amplify any misalignment for the other people in the vehicle.

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

i love my time align. gear below...

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I never noticed much difference with time alignment. I think many people with loud stereos aren't going to notice much. If you're going for a more true SQ build and want to hear the location of certain instruments and voices then maybe. Also depends on how you're going to do it, because time alignment for the driver messes up the time alignment for everyone else in the car.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I always ran only front speakers so it never made that much of a difference. I run my audio setups like I'm at a concert, all my mids and highs are in front of me.

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

It sounds weird to me now to not use T/A. At home I sit right in the middle of my front stage be it at my computer or my home theater so no time alignment needed. Left and right get to me at the same time. In the car, I agree with the above statement, if you ride alone most or all of the time then time align it to your seat. If not, make more than one T/A preset, one for your seat, one for all seats.

My opinion is if you go to a concert, the band plays on a stage in front of you, the best seats are front row center. So to me it just makes sense to put them in front of me and center the sound as best I can. Nothing wrong with not time aligning it though if you want to use all speaker positions the vehicle came with.

One of the best sounding car stereos I owned was not time aligned. It had a single Kicker 5 channel amp, 2 Kicker comp 10's and 4 components sets (Kenwood Excelon - with neo magnets) with a Clarion Pro Audio DXZ715 head unit. I think T/A would have elevated it even higher though.

 

[2023 LTZ]

I know this thread is old but I’m going to weigh in about my opinion of ta. I personally am very pleased w my jvc kwv960bt, it has alignment and several other staging features. I understand that each feature sort of deadens some aspect of the sound but slight manipulation enables me to dial it in to a personal level I feel is best. I can broaden front and rear stages. Choose the size of the vehicle, it has some filter which somehow is supposed to highlight sound that’s overpowered by road noise yet the impala is a pretty quiet ride. To my ears it’s definitely noticeable. I do ride almost exclusively alone. My middle daughter likes to go for a bass ride when she comes. I’m not sure if she appreciates it like I do. I have these very bright focals eqd low on the highs to somewhat even out that inherent bright quality. The fronts play down to 55hz and the rears begin at 60hz. They are crossed using the hu and safety set on the 4ch just in case.
Unfortunately I’m very biased bc I have no experience w other audio systems.
Essentially the widening of the stage sets ta to a prescribed level which truly gives that depth or broadness. In contrast I can and did just manually adjust the alignment by ft from each speaker. Adjusting it til I noticed a difference or maybe an improvement. It sounded very wrong when playing other types of musica.
To summarize I very much like the ta feature of this jvc. It makes me curious about a dsp but an endless decision making process isn’t what I want.
For now I’m as pleased as I can be.
It’ll be my intent to get to an audio enthusiast car show but not much up my way.

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

Time alignment fixes phase issues. Without it you have no other way of fixing the inherent phase issues you get from having an uneven seating position in relation to the speakers.

Time alignment between the subs and mids can make or break midbass response and can cause crossover points to be harsh or unpleasant

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

that ^

 

[SlugButter]

I didn’t think time alignment was a big deal for years, then I tried it myself and messed it up and continued to believe it didn’t make much difference. Then an expert I befriended called me a moron in no uncertain terms and came over and did my time alignment and some EQ adjusting for me. It matters. I listen to a lot of blues, classic rock, metal, rap, etc. Doesn’t matter what music it is, they all sounded better.

 

[mat3833 10+ year member]

The difference between a good install with time alignment and a good install without time alignment is not very big. The overall effect on your system isn't that large, but it can make certain songs sound amazing. I like using certain tracks to see how well my sound stage is tracking with and without time alignment.

Matt

 

[HardofWhoring]

Yes you want time alignment. If you're questioning having it because of a front stage, then why?
(Vinyl) records to me always sound like you are in the room where the music is being played.
A CD or digital audio is more about wanting the music played clearly in your space. (if that makes sense).

If you are recording tracks straight off records, and want to recreate that sound coming through, where the sound is being effected by the original recording room, then go ahead and try to duplicate a stage.

For everyone else (which is nearly everybody), then it doesn't make sense. A sound stage in your home is there because, the show is a two dimensional image. They are trying to not only have you see and feel it as a three dimensional space, but when you add improved audio you continue to improve the attempt to make it all seem three dimensional. If its at its best, you may even feel like you are immersed right into the story.

When you are in you car, there is no picture that goes along with the music. There is no visual focal point that the sound is secondary to. The sound IS the point. WE ARE the primary focal point. We are creating the sound around us, not around the tv broadcast where we start with a tv, and then try to improve on the feeling, by improving the audio. A car's audio is not to trying to make us feel like we are sitting next to the artist in the recording studio, it's trying to engulf us in sound so we can enjoy the music in OUR space.

Time alignment wouldn't even be a good way to try to recreate a multi stage effect.