Very disappointed, need opinions.

[Go Skate]

Hello, i recently upgraded my mids and highs. I didnt put a whole lot of money in it but still expected it to sound better than this. I have a kicker zx 550.2 powering a set of infinty reference 6832cf's. My HU is a JVC arsenal. I didnt expect a WHOLE lot from this setup i just wanted it to be able to keep up with my sub stage a bit better than the stock speakers did. Well, i cant seem to get them to sound good.. at all.

Its like I start to hear distortion before they even get louder than my stock speakers running off of HU power did. The amp is properly grounded, im using 4 gauge power and ground and 12 gauge speaker wire with a really nice set of RCA's, HPF on HU is set to 100 hz, all eq settings are flat, no bassboosts/loud feature. I have tried using the amps HPF without any success, polarity is correct, there sealed to the doors correctly, I have tried bypassing the HU by hooking my ipod directly to the amp and it sounded the same, When i set gains, i put HU volume 3/4th of the way up than turn up gain till i hear distortion, but the speakers start to distort and sound like ish before the gain is past quarter way up. i have tried everything.

I am very angry that i spent this money and its not even as loud as the stock speakers running off of HU power. and the sq is way worse. This is basically just a last ditch effort to try to get some ideas. Can anyone help me?

Click to read more...

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Either the head unit is distorting, the music is very poor quality and clipped badly, or the amp is defective and not operating like it should. I can only assume everything is set up correctly. The next thing I would do is get my test CD and my oscilloscope and start checking your RCA outputs and check the amplifier output.

 

[GLN305 10+ year member]

Is your polarity correct? Move the balance all the way to one side and see how it sounds, if it's better then polarity is your issue. The JVC Arsenals have decent pre-amp outputs and the Kicker amp is clean power. Only thing I am worried about are the Infinity speakers. I haven't heard many people have good luck with them, they don't seem to handle power well and when pushed they start to give up pretty fast.

 

[Go Skate]

Either the head unit is distorting, the music is very poor quality and clipped badly, or the amp is defective and not operating like it should. I can only assume everything is set up correctly. The next thing I would do is get my test CD and my oscilloscope and start checking your RCA outputs and check the amplifier output.

I buy my music from Itunes and than use an ipod with a usb cord to play music. I have also tried store bought cd's. I bought the HU brand new and the speaker brand new. The amp is used so thats really the only thing that could be malfunctioning. How could the HU be distorting? and i dont have acces to an oscilscope.. just a DMM.

 

[Go Skate]

Is your polarity correct? Move the balance all the way to one side and see how it sounds, if it's better then polarity is your issue. The JVC Arsenals have decent pre-amp outputs and the Kicker amp is clean power. Only thing I am worried about are the Infinity speakers. I haven't heard many people have good luck with them, they don't seem to handle power well and when pushed they start to give up pretty fast.

Well when i fade it from left to right the left speakers highs dont sound as crisp as the right side and has slightly less mid bass. The difference is pretty subtle tho. However i have checked polarity several times... its correct. Unless i should try reversing polarity or something?

 

[Go Skate]

Is your polarity correct? Move the balance all the way to one side and see how it sounds, if it's better then polarity is your issue. The JVC Arsenals have decent pre-amp outputs and the Kicker amp is clean power. Only thing I am worried about are the Infinity speakers. I haven't heard many people have good luck with them, they don't seem to handle power well and when pushed they start to give up pretty fast.

Well when i fade it from left to right the left speakers highs dont sound as crisp as the right side and has slightly less mid bass. The difference is pretty subtle tho. However i have checked polarity several times... its correct. Unless i should try reversing polarity or something?

 

[Jes 42 10+ year member]

Do you have another amp layin around you could throw in there and see how that sounds?

 

[Go Skate]

Do you have another amp layin around you could throw in there and see how that sounds?

nah... just my mono sub amp..

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

I'm definitely inclined to blame the amplifier more than anything else. A DMM won't tell you if the signal is distorted or clipping, which is why an oscilloscope is much more useful.

 

[Go Skate]

I'm definitely inclined to blame the amplifier more than anything else. A DMM won't tell you if the signal is distorted or clipping, which is why an oscilloscope is much more useful.

yea.. i just dont have the money to dish out on one. and i dont know anybody with one. Lets just say the amp works fine. In that case What could cause clipping?

 

[Go Skate]

I guess the only thing i can do is try a friends amp and see how that sounds.

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

i'd say try a cd, mp3's I found distort at a lot lower volumes when they are poor quality recordings

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

i'd say try a cd, mp3's I found distort at a lot lower volumes when they are poor quality recordings

i have

 

[stay_high 10+ year member]

This is go skate by the way. I forgot the password to this account so i made go skate. But obviously i remembered it... so here i am lol.

 

[Side Show 10+ year member]

did they get any louder befor you noticed some distortion?