NowThatsDamp
Junior Member
Hi! I'm just getting new into car audio, and I've just now started wrapping my head around it all, HU's, Amps, Crossover, clipping, distortion, ect... This is all in a project to get my NA Miata auto sounding kick ass. I'm all about that SQL, not really SPL. (I'm pretty sure I've figured out that SQL = Sound Quality and SPL = Sound Power, is that right?)
Current set up:
HU - Pioneer DEH-2000mp
Amp - none
Front: Polk db651
Headrest Speakers: Harmony Audio HA-R35
Anyway, I figured that the best way to learn how to do things properly is to start by making the most out of what I have now! But that being said, I do have some random questions that came up in the process. So here goes:
1.) I play music off my phone through an AUX cord out of my HU. I started by re-ripping all my music from CD's to FLAC files, and wow not playing 128mp3 files anymore made a huge difference! Anyway, I noticed that the volume on my phone is much quieter than when I play the same CD, even after I adjusted the SLA setting. (In fact, I noticed that turning up the SLA on the AUX input didn't make the max volume louder, it just made it so that max volume was at ~50 and turning the volume from 50 up to 62 just doesn't do anything anymore). I'm planning on upgrading to a DEH-80prs, will I not have this problem with a nicer head unit?
2.) Extension of question 1... I also noticed that the CD seemed to sound a little bit clearer than the same FLAC file from my phone, even adjusted for volume. Is this because of a crappy DAC in my phone (It's a pretty generic android), or because of a crappy headunit? Will this get fixed with the DEH-80PRS?
3.) Since I'm upgrading one thing at a time, when I get the 80PRS, I'll be using the built in amp for a little while. Can I expect this amp to be a little bit more powerful than the one built into the 2000mp? On paper the answer is no, both HU's say 14w RMS 4-channel, but I have a hard time believing the amp in the $300 HU wouldn't at least produce less distortion than the one in the $60 HU from 2006
4.) The NA Miata came with speakers in the headrest, when I start replacing speakers and getting an amp in the future, should I bother with these, or just not use them? I can't put speakers anywhere else in the interior besides the 6.5" door panels, because keeping the interior of the car looking 100% pure stock is really important to me. (I know it's superficial, but it matters a lot to me. I'll probably be putting the sub under/behind a seat when the time comes so that you can't see it unless you look really hard, but I still have some thinking to do there). I'm worried that speakers in the headrest will ruin the sound stage, but on the other hand cars with 4 doors have rear speakers so... are they fine? From an SQL perspective, headrest speakers yes or no?
That's probably all for now lol.
Current set up:
HU - Pioneer DEH-2000mp
Amp - none
Front: Polk db651
Headrest Speakers: Harmony Audio HA-R35
Anyway, I figured that the best way to learn how to do things properly is to start by making the most out of what I have now! But that being said, I do have some random questions that came up in the process. So here goes:
1.) I play music off my phone through an AUX cord out of my HU. I started by re-ripping all my music from CD's to FLAC files, and wow not playing 128mp3 files anymore made a huge difference! Anyway, I noticed that the volume on my phone is much quieter than when I play the same CD, even after I adjusted the SLA setting. (In fact, I noticed that turning up the SLA on the AUX input didn't make the max volume louder, it just made it so that max volume was at ~50 and turning the volume from 50 up to 62 just doesn't do anything anymore). I'm planning on upgrading to a DEH-80prs, will I not have this problem with a nicer head unit?
2.) Extension of question 1... I also noticed that the CD seemed to sound a little bit clearer than the same FLAC file from my phone, even adjusted for volume. Is this because of a crappy DAC in my phone (It's a pretty generic android), or because of a crappy headunit? Will this get fixed with the DEH-80PRS?
3.) Since I'm upgrading one thing at a time, when I get the 80PRS, I'll be using the built in amp for a little while. Can I expect this amp to be a little bit more powerful than the one built into the 2000mp? On paper the answer is no, both HU's say 14w RMS 4-channel, but I have a hard time believing the amp in the $300 HU wouldn't at least produce less distortion than the one in the $60 HU from 2006
4.) The NA Miata came with speakers in the headrest, when I start replacing speakers and getting an amp in the future, should I bother with these, or just not use them? I can't put speakers anywhere else in the interior besides the 6.5" door panels, because keeping the interior of the car looking 100% pure stock is really important to me. (I know it's superficial, but it matters a lot to me. I'll probably be putting the sub under/behind a seat when the time comes so that you can't see it unless you look really hard, but I still have some thinking to do there). I'm worried that speakers in the headrest will ruin the sound stage, but on the other hand cars with 4 doors have rear speakers so... are they fine? From an SQL perspective, headrest speakers yes or no?
That's probably all for now lol.
