Hi,
I have done the following installation in my car. Pl give your inputs on how to improve it.
My car is a Tata Indigo (car pic link http://indigo.tatamotors.com/website/indexnew.htm)
I have installed a Sony CDX-F5500X CD MP3 player on the dash. The specifications are
- 52W x 4 High Power
- Dual Preamp Outputs (Rear Sub Selectable)
- Signal to noise ratio 120dB
- Frequency Response 10-20000 Hz
- Speaker Impedance 4-8 ohms
Apart form this unit I have bought JBL Amplifier, 3 way speakers (at the rear), component series (front door & dash), And a JBL sub-woofer in the trunk. The specifications for each of the above item is as follows:
The Amplifier - JBL CS50.4 (4 Channel)
- 4x67 W RMS at 4 ohms and 1% THD + N
- Signal to noise ratio 86dBA
- 2x162 W RMS at 4 ohms
- Effective dampning factor 6.395 at 4 ohms
- Frequency response 10Hz - 27kHz (-3dB)
- Location - below front passenger seat
The SubWoofer - JBL GT4-12
- Enclosure - sealed (45 lts approx)
- Location - in trunk facing the trunk opening
- 1000 W Peak
- 250 W RMS
- Sensitivity 93dB
- Frequency response - 23Hz - 450Hz
- Impedence 4 ohms
Component System - JBL GTO506c
- Location - Woofer at front door panel, Tweeter on dashboard
- Type - 130mm Two way component system
- Speaker Impedence 4 ohms
- Power Handling - 55W RMS, 165 W Peak
- Sensitivity 89dB
- Frequency Response 70Hz - 21kHz
Rear Speakers - JBL GTO 936e
- Mounted on rear board
- 3 way speaker
- 300 W Peak, 100 W RMS
- Sensitivity - 91dB
- Frequency response 50Hz - 21kHz
Connections from Amplifier:
- 2 Channels dedicated to Subwoofer
- 1 Channel shared between both rear speakers
- 1 Channel shared between the front component system
I usually drive alone for about 2-3 hours a day hence would like the system to be optimized for the driver location.
I am happy with the system but my entire knowledge on the car audio system is based on a 1 week research. I would appreciate if you could give me your comments on the system, how to improve it, any mistakes that i have made in selecting the equipment and installing it.
Thanks
Chintan
Replies (12)
uochronos on 09/13/2004 05:29:09
seems like a sound system. my theory has always been if its not broke dont fix it. car stereo is 20% know how, 20% equipment and 60% your own tastes in sound. if you like the way it sounds why change it?
there are plenty of things you can add and better equipment to buy. but there well always be better equipment. my wife has about 300$ worth of equipment in her car including the HU and she loves it. i personaly wouldnt like it because its not to my own personaly taste.
i have also sat in cars that had 6000$ worth of stuff and i didnt like the sound.
if you have specific things you find lacking in this system please tell us and we can help from there but just looking at this system nothing is wrong with it unless you dont like the sound it produces.
only thing i would suggest is instead of having tweeters on dash and midrange on the door mount the tweeter withing 6inches of the midrange it well sound a bit better blended usualy. i changed mine from the dash to the door and i absolutly loved the change,
alright hope this helps
Chronos
swez on 09/13/2004 08:43:51
The only thing I can see here is lack of stereo separation up front.
It appears that both front speakers are one channel (MONO left?) and the rear speakers are one channel. (MONO right?) If I read you correctly, there is stereo separation, but it's front to rear... not left to right. May I suggest a slight modification?
1. One amp channel to power left front speakers
2. One amp channel to power right front speakers
3. Run the rear speakers off your HU amp channels (rear HU channels)
This method will give you front & rear balance back and fade control as well. By adjusting the gains for front speakers via amp controls, you can blend the front and rear speakers as you like them. Many like the rears, but just as a fill. The front speakers are dominate and the rear speakers just fill in the gaps for ambient audio content in the rear compartment.
Finally, where are your amp crossovers set on the amp? (full range & sub)
Swez
PS Welcome to CK... good work first time out in all.
crdhanak on 09/14/2004 00:03:34
Thanks Chronos & Swez,
I cant wait to make the changes that you have suggested. Unfortunately that will have to wait till this weekend as I am travelling.
Regarding the amp settings..this is what i remember
The fullrange is set at Mode - Flat
The subwoofer is set at Mode - LP
I will have to check the input level, bass boost & frequency settings..hopefully will get back with that info by tomorrow.
Thanks again
Chintan
swez on 09/15/2004 00:23:34
Most of us use 80 - 100 Hz as the HPF setting for full range speakers. The LPF for the subs should be set to same settings... 80 - 100 Hz.
There is a section in our DIY articles that tells how to set up your system:
http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?t3
This process applies to subs as well as full range speakers.
Swez
crdhanak on 09/17/2004 00:28:33
Hi Swez,
I do not understand many things in the amplifier settings & hence I am giving all the details of setting options in the amplifier below:
(all the settings are identical for Front & Rear)
1. Input level (6V & 250mV are the two options given)
2. Bass Boost (0db & 6db are to two options given)
3. X Over has two settings below it
3.a. Frequency (32Hz to 320Hz) - Is this the one in your recommendation??
3.b. Mode (switch for HP/Flat/LP)
Also I have observed that my Amplifier gets overheated in about 90 min. It is located below the front passenger seat. How can I prevent the overheating? Can I shift it to the leg space of the front passanger seat so that the AC blast will come on it??
Thanks
Chintan
uochronos on 09/17/2004 00:58:39
i think you may be misunderstanding some of your setting options.. for instance its not 6volt or 250mv its 6volt to 250mv and anything inbetween. it just does not list all the ones inb etween. you need this setting to be set to the same as your HU's RCA voltage or your risk clipping and damge and amp over heating.
same with bass boost its 0-6db not 0 and 6 db.
for subs you want the crossover set to LP and around 80hx
and for full range speakers you want it set to HP and around 80hz,
as for amp over heating you can buy fans for amps the means you suggest well work but well get mighty cold during the winter hehe.
it may be good to move the amp if its the area overheating it. however if its another reason such as wrong input setting overheating it then that needs to be fixed. having your amp over heat over and over is bad.
hope this helps
Chronos
PS
if i misunderstood your understanding of the settings i didnt mean any disrespect.
crdhanak on 09/17/2004 03:31:59
Hi Chronos,
Thanks for your reply. Point taken about the settings being range and not two options alone.
....but more questions on the settings...
1. How do I get the RCA settings of my HU (Sony CDX-F5500X - Not mentioned in the manual)
2. The HU has a setting called LPF offering three options - What is this? What is the best setting for it?? - It is mentioned that it is the "low pass filter" and the cutoff frequency is adjustable to 78Hz, 125Hz or OFF.
Thanks for your inputs.
Chintan
uochronos on 09/17/2004 03:44:45
if your amp has a crossovber then your HU's crossover sould be turned off.
sony is known for not listing stuff for there HU's you can try and email or call them and see if they well tell you what each set of RCA's is rated at. otherwise i dont know.
Chronos
swez on 09/17/2004 08:56:29
This HU has a 2 volt output. Set amp gains at 2 volts and try that for a time. If you hear lots of distortion when you dial up the volume control on HU, move the gain settings closer to the 3-4 volt range until the distortion goes away. This assumes you set the HU volume control at ~75% of max and all tone controls are set to flat. (No boost or cuts)
As Chronos mentioned, set the LPF on HU to defeat mode and let the amp filters do the work for you. On the amp section that powers the full range speakers, set your HPF (amp) at 80-100 Hz. This blocks low bass frequencies to smaller speakers.
For your sub amp settings, use the LPF and set same. (80-100 Hz.) This will feed the sub only bass.
As for cooling, the amp location mentiioned is a difficult one for air flow. Moving it to a better loacation or adding a fan can help. As long as the amp does not go into thermal protection mode... it is safe but getting a bit warm. That is normal at high output, for extended periods of time.
Swez
crdhanak on 09/20/2004 00:45:08
Hi,
I tried the following recommendations this weekend
As Choronos suggested, I took the tweeters to the front door next to the mid-range speakers.
As Swez suggested on 13th
1. One amp channel to power left front speakers
2. One amp channel to power right front speakers
3. Run the rear speakers off your HU amp channels (rear HU channels)
Its ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. I am getting a much better sound stage. Another unexpected advantage is that the Subwoofer is sounding much better (I had to reduce sub volume compared to before!!).
Checked & changed the Amplifier settings as suggested by Swez & Chronos
1. HP for speakers - 80-100 Hz
2. LP for Subwoofer - 80-100 Hz
Have not checked the voltage settings as suggested by Swez in the last mail Will do that latest by next weekend (thats the only time I get to tweek around). But overall sound is 100% better. THANKS Swez & Chronos.
Two more questions..:
1. I have heard that loose filling of the subwoofer with poly-fill will make bass tighter & accurate. Is that true? How loose should the fiber be packed in the subwoofer enclosure?
2. My sub (in a ported box) is in the trunk (back to back with the rear seat - facing the trunk opening) - Is this the best position or is there improvement possible?
Thanks a lot guys.....
P0werLifter on 09/20/2004 01:15:27
Good Glad to hear their suggestions worked good for you =)
As far as your questions...Using Polyfill will enchance your bass response. it does this by fooling the subwoofer into thinking its in a bigger box and also at the same time slowing down the soundwaves giving the dampening effect for that tighter bass you looking for.
As far as the how much,,,i usually use 1lb per cubic foot but im not positive..Swez or chronos will have more input on that.
As for the second question. Sub Placement varies with each vehicle but for best response in most cars where the subwoofers in the trunk...face it towards the Back of the car (subs facing the trunk lid) like you have it right now will net the best SPL Bass Boomy...if your looking for Punchy bass you can try facing them towards the seats..Just experiment around and find what works best in your vehicle.
-Jason
swez on 09/20/2004 09:22:48
Good work! Things are clicking away pretty well now huh?
Polyfill does help as PL mentioned. In this case, a single 12" woofer will need 16 oz of fill, evenly distributed inside the box. Use a staple gun to tack it into place. Use only a few staples per panel to secure the fill.
As for woofer placement, there is room for experimentation here. Can try several locations if you wish. Most cars and SUV's do sound best when sub is facing the rear bumper.
Happy listening,
Swez
I have done the following installation in my car. Pl give your inputs on how to improve it.
My car is a Tata Indigo (car pic link http://indigo.tatamotors.com/website/indexnew.htm)
I have installed a Sony CDX-F5500X CD MP3 player on the dash. The specifications are
- 52W x 4 High Power
- Dual Preamp Outputs (Rear Sub Selectable)
- Signal to noise ratio 120dB
- Frequency Response 10-20000 Hz
- Speaker Impedance 4-8 ohms
Apart form this unit I have bought JBL Amplifier, 3 way speakers (at the rear), component series (front door & dash), And a JBL sub-woofer in the trunk. The specifications for each of the above item is as follows:
The Amplifier - JBL CS50.4 (4 Channel)
- 4x67 W RMS at 4 ohms and 1% THD + N
- Signal to noise ratio 86dBA
- 2x162 W RMS at 4 ohms
- Effective dampning factor 6.395 at 4 ohms
- Frequency response 10Hz - 27kHz (-3dB)
- Location - below front passenger seat
The SubWoofer - JBL GT4-12
- Enclosure - sealed (45 lts approx)
- Location - in trunk facing the trunk opening
- 1000 W Peak
- 250 W RMS
- Sensitivity 93dB
- Frequency response - 23Hz - 450Hz
- Impedence 4 ohms
Component System - JBL GTO506c
- Location - Woofer at front door panel, Tweeter on dashboard
- Type - 130mm Two way component system
- Speaker Impedence 4 ohms
- Power Handling - 55W RMS, 165 W Peak
- Sensitivity 89dB
- Frequency Response 70Hz - 21kHz
Rear Speakers - JBL GTO 936e
- Mounted on rear board
- 3 way speaker
- 300 W Peak, 100 W RMS
- Sensitivity - 91dB
- Frequency response 50Hz - 21kHz
Connections from Amplifier:
- 2 Channels dedicated to Subwoofer
- 1 Channel shared between both rear speakers
- 1 Channel shared between the front component system
I usually drive alone for about 2-3 hours a day hence would like the system to be optimized for the driver location.
I am happy with the system but my entire knowledge on the car audio system is based on a 1 week research. I would appreciate if you could give me your comments on the system, how to improve it, any mistakes that i have made in selecting the equipment and installing it.
Thanks
Chintan
Replies (12)
uochronos on 09/13/2004 05:29:09
seems like a sound system. my theory has always been if its not broke dont fix it. car stereo is 20% know how, 20% equipment and 60% your own tastes in sound. if you like the way it sounds why change it?
there are plenty of things you can add and better equipment to buy. but there well always be better equipment. my wife has about 300$ worth of equipment in her car including the HU and she loves it. i personaly wouldnt like it because its not to my own personaly taste.
i have also sat in cars that had 6000$ worth of stuff and i didnt like the sound.
if you have specific things you find lacking in this system please tell us and we can help from there but just looking at this system nothing is wrong with it unless you dont like the sound it produces.
only thing i would suggest is instead of having tweeters on dash and midrange on the door mount the tweeter withing 6inches of the midrange it well sound a bit better blended usualy. i changed mine from the dash to the door and i absolutly loved the change,
alright hope this helps
Chronos
swez on 09/13/2004 08:43:51
The only thing I can see here is lack of stereo separation up front.
It appears that both front speakers are one channel (MONO left?) and the rear speakers are one channel. (MONO right?) If I read you correctly, there is stereo separation, but it's front to rear... not left to right. May I suggest a slight modification?
1. One amp channel to power left front speakers
2. One amp channel to power right front speakers
3. Run the rear speakers off your HU amp channels (rear HU channels)
This method will give you front & rear balance back and fade control as well. By adjusting the gains for front speakers via amp controls, you can blend the front and rear speakers as you like them. Many like the rears, but just as a fill. The front speakers are dominate and the rear speakers just fill in the gaps for ambient audio content in the rear compartment.
Finally, where are your amp crossovers set on the amp? (full range & sub)
Swez
PS Welcome to CK... good work first time out in all.
crdhanak on 09/14/2004 00:03:34
Thanks Chronos & Swez,
I cant wait to make the changes that you have suggested. Unfortunately that will have to wait till this weekend as I am travelling.
Regarding the amp settings..this is what i remember
The fullrange is set at Mode - Flat
The subwoofer is set at Mode - LP
I will have to check the input level, bass boost & frequency settings..hopefully will get back with that info by tomorrow.
Thanks again
Chintan
swez on 09/15/2004 00:23:34
Most of us use 80 - 100 Hz as the HPF setting for full range speakers. The LPF for the subs should be set to same settings... 80 - 100 Hz.
There is a section in our DIY articles that tells how to set up your system:
http://www.clubknowledge.com/Car_Audio_FAQ/?t3
This process applies to subs as well as full range speakers.
Swez
crdhanak on 09/17/2004 00:28:33
Hi Swez,
I do not understand many things in the amplifier settings & hence I am giving all the details of setting options in the amplifier below:
(all the settings are identical for Front & Rear)
1. Input level (6V & 250mV are the two options given)
2. Bass Boost (0db & 6db are to two options given)
3. X Over has two settings below it
3.a. Frequency (32Hz to 320Hz) - Is this the one in your recommendation??
3.b. Mode (switch for HP/Flat/LP)
Also I have observed that my Amplifier gets overheated in about 90 min. It is located below the front passenger seat. How can I prevent the overheating? Can I shift it to the leg space of the front passanger seat so that the AC blast will come on it??
Thanks
Chintan
uochronos on 09/17/2004 00:58:39
i think you may be misunderstanding some of your setting options.. for instance its not 6volt or 250mv its 6volt to 250mv and anything inbetween. it just does not list all the ones inb etween. you need this setting to be set to the same as your HU's RCA voltage or your risk clipping and damge and amp over heating.
same with bass boost its 0-6db not 0 and 6 db.
for subs you want the crossover set to LP and around 80hx
and for full range speakers you want it set to HP and around 80hz,
as for amp over heating you can buy fans for amps the means you suggest well work but well get mighty cold during the winter hehe.
it may be good to move the amp if its the area overheating it. however if its another reason such as wrong input setting overheating it then that needs to be fixed. having your amp over heat over and over is bad.
hope this helps
Chronos
PS
if i misunderstood your understanding of the settings i didnt mean any disrespect.
crdhanak on 09/17/2004 03:31:59
Hi Chronos,
Thanks for your reply. Point taken about the settings being range and not two options alone.
....but more questions on the settings...
1. How do I get the RCA settings of my HU (Sony CDX-F5500X - Not mentioned in the manual)
2. The HU has a setting called LPF offering three options - What is this? What is the best setting for it?? - It is mentioned that it is the "low pass filter" and the cutoff frequency is adjustable to 78Hz, 125Hz or OFF.
Thanks for your inputs.
Chintan
uochronos on 09/17/2004 03:44:45
if your amp has a crossovber then your HU's crossover sould be turned off.
sony is known for not listing stuff for there HU's you can try and email or call them and see if they well tell you what each set of RCA's is rated at. otherwise i dont know.
Chronos
swez on 09/17/2004 08:56:29
This HU has a 2 volt output. Set amp gains at 2 volts and try that for a time. If you hear lots of distortion when you dial up the volume control on HU, move the gain settings closer to the 3-4 volt range until the distortion goes away. This assumes you set the HU volume control at ~75% of max and all tone controls are set to flat. (No boost or cuts)
As Chronos mentioned, set the LPF on HU to defeat mode and let the amp filters do the work for you. On the amp section that powers the full range speakers, set your HPF (amp) at 80-100 Hz. This blocks low bass frequencies to smaller speakers.
For your sub amp settings, use the LPF and set same. (80-100 Hz.) This will feed the sub only bass.
As for cooling, the amp location mentiioned is a difficult one for air flow. Moving it to a better loacation or adding a fan can help. As long as the amp does not go into thermal protection mode... it is safe but getting a bit warm. That is normal at high output, for extended periods of time.
Swez
crdhanak on 09/20/2004 00:45:08
Hi,
I tried the following recommendations this weekend
As Choronos suggested, I took the tweeters to the front door next to the mid-range speakers.
As Swez suggested on 13th
1. One amp channel to power left front speakers
2. One amp channel to power right front speakers
3. Run the rear speakers off your HU amp channels (rear HU channels)
Its ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. I am getting a much better sound stage. Another unexpected advantage is that the Subwoofer is sounding much better (I had to reduce sub volume compared to before!!).
Checked & changed the Amplifier settings as suggested by Swez & Chronos
1. HP for speakers - 80-100 Hz
2. LP for Subwoofer - 80-100 Hz
Have not checked the voltage settings as suggested by Swez in the last mail Will do that latest by next weekend (thats the only time I get to tweek around). But overall sound is 100% better. THANKS Swez & Chronos.
Two more questions..:
1. I have heard that loose filling of the subwoofer with poly-fill will make bass tighter & accurate. Is that true? How loose should the fiber be packed in the subwoofer enclosure?
2. My sub (in a ported box) is in the trunk (back to back with the rear seat - facing the trunk opening) - Is this the best position or is there improvement possible?
Thanks a lot guys.....
P0werLifter on 09/20/2004 01:15:27
Good Glad to hear their suggestions worked good for you =)
As far as your questions...Using Polyfill will enchance your bass response. it does this by fooling the subwoofer into thinking its in a bigger box and also at the same time slowing down the soundwaves giving the dampening effect for that tighter bass you looking for.
As far as the how much,,,i usually use 1lb per cubic foot but im not positive..Swez or chronos will have more input on that.
As for the second question. Sub Placement varies with each vehicle but for best response in most cars where the subwoofers in the trunk...face it towards the Back of the car (subs facing the trunk lid) like you have it right now will net the best SPL Bass Boomy...if your looking for Punchy bass you can try facing them towards the seats..Just experiment around and find what works best in your vehicle.
-Jason
swez on 09/20/2004 09:22:48
Good work! Things are clicking away pretty well now huh?
Polyfill does help as PL mentioned. In this case, a single 12" woofer will need 16 oz of fill, evenly distributed inside the box. Use a staple gun to tack it into place. Use only a few staples per panel to secure the fill.
As for woofer placement, there is room for experimentation here. Can try several locations if you wish. Most cars and SUV's do sound best when sub is facing the rear bumper.
Happy listening,
Swez
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