What to do with other speakers while setting GAINS (playing test tone)

[Nevalite 10+ year member]

Hey,

I want to play a 50 Hz test tone at 75% of my HU's maximum and set the gains on the amp for my sub...

Problem is that if I play a 50Hz tone at 75% the other speakers in the car are going to be playing it and they probably cant handle it...

I can unplug my 6x9s because I have access to them but the 6.5s are in my door are I can't unplug them.

I thought of messing with the fade front back but that changes the strength of the signal and my gain wont be set properly...

So how can I get my 6.5s not to play the tone, they run straight from the HU, not from a amp.

Thanks

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[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

i've pondered this also, never had to worry about it tho as i have all my speakers amped. just unplug the rcas. good question i think

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Your 6x9's and 6.5's should have some form of xover (passive, active, 'bassblocker', etc) that will keep them from playing 50hz. I hope they do anyway. lol

How is your sub added into your system? Does the h/u have a subwoofer output, or are you scabbing off your front/rear outputs? If it has a sub out, you should be able to adjust the fader independant of the subwoofer.

 

[Nevalite 10+ year member]

The 6.5s and 6x9s run out of the HU as front left, front right, back left, back right speaker wires. The sub is connected to the RCA output (the amp filters it to 200Hz)

My thought was to take the HU off and simply unplug the other 4 speakers. I think that's what I'll do //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Nevalite 10+ year member]

And no they dont have any bassblockers on them, tho I'm thinking that the 6.5s probably wouldnt play 50Hz even if I allowed them to... I think I'll play it safe and unplug them from the HU.

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

What kind of headunit are you using?

 

[Nevalite 10+ year member]

NEXTAR!!!! Supastar! lol, it's a Canadian Tire brand of HU, the past owner got it installed, don't ask. Next pay check im getting a new one lol.

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

If you are going to keep your speakers on HU power, then I would suggest getting some bass blockers. your speakers won't be able to reproduce 50hz cleanly, but they sure will try. (Bad)

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

ok, since i had the same thoughts... my friend has a 4-dr blazer w/ a pioneer HU (dunno model). i was gonna set his gain w/ a DMM but i didn't want to run 50hz thru his stock door speakers. everything is off of the HU and the amp is off of the rear rcas i think. w/o pulling the radio (or speakers) to unplug the wires, how would i go about this?

 

[Nevalite 10+ year member]

Well I just finished setting mine, I unplugged the speakers off the HU and used the DMM and all that jazz, it sounds amazing and I can now bump without worrying that I'm going too loud //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

The only way to do it without unplugging your speakers would be to get bass blockers on all of them but that would require unplugging them anyways lol. Unless your HU had a feature to just not send the signal somewhere. I've never heard of that, all they usually do is reroute the signal left right front or back, but then ur boosting the signal... Basically just unplug them, it'll be worth the extra time.

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

why turn your deck up 75% of the way and set your amp gain to it if you never listen to your deck that loud

id disconnect your sub, turn up your deck the loudest youll ever listen to it and set your amp gain at THAT volume

 

[jblayz1 10+ year member]

this tutorial says to set all your amp gains using a 50hz test tone when setting with a DMM. is this correct?? why do some use 50hz for the sub and 1000hz for the highs? does it make a difference? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

http://www.resnet.trinity.edu/areynol1/gain.htm

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

this tutorial says to set all your amp gains using a 50hz test tone when setting with a DMM. is this correct?? why do some use 50hz for the sub and 1000hz for the highs? does it make a difference? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif
http://www.resnet.trinity.edu/areynol1/gain.htm

As he pointed out, it's possible for the DMM to lose accuracy as you stray from 50-60hz as this is the frequency range the DMM was designed to operate within.

Assuming the amplifier has decently flat frequency response it's measurement @ 50hz should be the same as that at 1khz......so there's no disadvantage to using a 50hz tone to set all of the gains w/ a DMM.

 

[tcguy85 10+ year member]

i use 50hz for the sub and 1khz for the comps when i set the gains. when i set the gain for the sub i just turned my crossovers on my head unit up as high as they would go to filter out the 50hz tone from getting to the interior speakers.

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

wish i would of saw this before. i blew my rear 6x9s today setting my gain on my sub amp. i forgot to unplug them but at least i removed the remote from my amp to my door speakers so i woulnt blow them too.