I just installed a 4 channel amp in my truck. I have the front speakers hooked up to the A channel and the rear speakers hooked up to the B channel. After installation I used the fader to check the sound in the front and rear. The front speakers are much clearer and louder while the rear speakers have a lot of bass and sound quieter and deeper. Any suggestions of what this problem might be? I checked the speaker wires and they seem to be in the right polarity. Thanks
Replies (26)
Swez on 07/17/2003 21:44:53
You say A & B channels... I assume you mean "A" = front (L&R) "B" = (L&R) for rear?
If that is how you did the install, either the polarity between the rear and front channels are off or the rear speakers are just not cutting it. Not well matched or worse yet... stock rears.
Can you ellaborate on the install and speakers used? It may be a simple adjustment in the amp crossovers and gains or a big difference in speaker efficiency between front and rear speakers.
If the rear speakers are stock, may only be a single cone (no tweeter) midbass only.... say more please. If the front speakers are two way coaxials or Components and the rears are stock... that may be the crux of your issues.
Swez
Swez on 07/18/2003 19:41:36
So... what's the verdict on this case? Have you figured it out yet or waiting for the weekend to dig into same?
Swez
ryanben on 07/19/2003 12:10:42
Sorry, was busy this weekend. OK here it goes.......
The front speakers are stock 6 x 9 and the rears are pioneer 6 x 9 with a rotating center cone. The fronts sound awesome for being stock but the rears sounds horrible. The way the speakers are set up on the amp are as follows: 2 front speakers attached to A channel with RCA cables running from A channel on amp to FRONT hookup on back of the radio. 2 rear speakers attached to B channel with RCA cables running from B channel on amp to REAR hookup on back of the radio. Both A and B channel on the amp are set to HPF with a frequency of 100.
I am also getting poor sound from my Bass tube. I have it hooked up to a separate amp with RCA cables running from INPUT on amp to the SUBWOOFER connection on the back of the radio. The amp is set to low pass frequency and the speaker wire is set up on the amp terminals for mono. Does it matter which way the RCA cables go into the SUBWOOFER plug on the back of the radio. They are both black and aren't color coded.
Swez on 07/19/2003 16:47:20
OK, we are getting closer to a diagnosis and perhaps a remedy.
The rears speakers are 2-way coaxials, but the fronts are stock, but sound pretty good right?
Now, "the rear speakers sound horrible" is a bit vague. Do you mean...
1. Poor bass response?
2. Distortion at any volume level?
3. Mechanical problems such as rattles or buzzes?
4. Does anything change when the Bass tube is turned off?
Have you tried fading signal only to the rear speakers and go back and listen to them only? If they sound fine all by them selves, but lousy when front speakers are added, your rear speakers could be out of phase with the front ones. Changing polarity of wiring (at the amp) for rears only, may solve that.
Also, on your bass tube, same possible issue here... subs may be out of phase with rear speakers. A little tweaking here may help, if you still have poor bass response after changing polarity of rear speakers, then we have to dig deeper into the situation.
Finally, if your rear speakers do not have shields over them and you have moderate to strong bass waves in the trunk, may have to isolate the rear speakers from sub wave energy. Subs can make the rear spearkers break up badly if the rear speakers do not have shields on them. Nothing fancy or expensive, will do the trick here.
There are shields available from online sources or make your own using "tupperware" type plastic enclosures.
Comments?
Swez
ttocs on 07/19/2003 23:59:31
what kind of head unit? Alot of new decks have crossovers built in and you may have it on lowpass?
ryanben on 07/20/2003 00:24:58
I have isolated the rears and the volume is much lower than the fronts. They have alot of bass with virtually no treble. Could it be my RCA cables? I am using home cables with the black cord and red and white inputs.
By the way I have a Sony M800 receiver.
Swez on 07/20/2003 11:24:20
Probably has more to do with your xover setting to rear speakers, These are intended for full range aplications and if the HU or amp crossovers are set improperly... this too would cause lack of highs from the rear speakers.
Check you HP filtering in HU and amp for the back speakers. The HP filter should be set to ~100 Hz and up to the 6x9's in back. If the amp only has LP filtering (common in many 4 channel amps) have to run the rears as full range and not filtered by amp or HU per- se.
Does you 4 channel amp have a HP filter in the rear channels?
Swez
PS Welcome back ttocks! Ho was your vacation?
ryanben on 07/20/2003 13:54:47
My amp does have HPF in the B channel, which is where my rears are hooked up to. How do I know if the HU crossovers are set improperly? Where would I check? Also same question for the amp crossovers. Would the problem have anything to do with the type of RCA cables I am running?
Swez on 07/20/2003 15:45:50
Cabling is probably not the key issue here unless it is very cheap or has been damaged. When cables are really a problem... they usually allow engine noise in and have poor signal quality and high noise in the system. For now, it is not likely your cabling is at fault.... more of a set up problem here I believe.
Your HU does have both HP & LP crossovers and a 7 band EQ and preset EQ selections too. Pretty complex little HU here. In rder to fully understand these functions and a proper set up, get out the manual and review the features and how to get the most out of them.
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-cmL1gLg87x7/ProdView.asp?s=0&cc=01&c=3&g=300&I=158CDXM800
I assume this is what you have now ?
Basically, you'll want to focus on the 4 channel amp setting first. Disable the HU crossover funtions and allow the crossovers in the amp to do this job for now. On the front channels (A; L&R) set the HP filter to ~80 Hz. Do the same on the rear channel HP filter. Turn off the subwoofer for now as this can be added after you get a good mix of mids/highs.
Once you have mids and highs coming from each set, (Front & rear) then adjusting the amp gain controls on A & B channels for proper balance is next. Most like more front speaker loudness and rears are just a "fill in the gaps" type thing. However, everyone is different and you may like more rear stage fill than you have now. Adjusting the rear gain louder (or dropping the front gains a tad) will accomplish that goal.
Once you have this phase of the install working properly, then access the EQ presets and see what sounds best to you on the menu of choices. If you really cant get the mix you want from the presets, then try the manual 7 band EQ feature.
NOTE: When using EQ, it is most useful to boost signals to each band by no more than +3 to +6dB. Better to reduce the bands that are too loud, then to over boost weaker bands with too much EQ.
Once you get the mids and highs close to where you want them, then it's time to add the subwoofer into the mix. Bring it up slowly until you have a nice balance between mids/highs and subs.
OK, that should cover all the basics. The rest will come from reading the HU and amp manuals and some "intelligent experimentation".
If you need additional help, check back with the forum and we'll try to help you out. But just remember, the more you learn on your own , the better you will understand your gears strengths and weaknesses.
Let us know how you make out OK?
Swez
ryanben on 07/20/2003 17:32:46
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate all the help. I have a couple of questions though.........This is probably a really stupid question but here it is.......I'm assuming the crossovers are the switches for HPF and LPF. My head unit has options in the menu for HPF and LPF. I'm assuming these are the crossovers for the HU that I should turn off, right? Please correct me if I am wrong.
Second, I want to replace my fronts with new 6 x 9. Any suggestions on 2, 3, or 4 way speaker. Is there a real difference between the three and are there any brands you recommend or ones to stay away from. My rears are 3 way Pioneers with a rotating center horn. Thanks again................
Swez on 07/20/2003 20:55:46
No not a stupid question at all! There is no such thing as as stupid question in this field.
Yes, do disable the HU crossover functions for now. The amp has this covered and are usually adequate to the task. You'll want to use a HP filter for front and rear channels of amp for crossover functions. HPF should be set to ~80 HZ for Front and rear speakers. The sub will handle everything below ~80 Hz.
As for upgrdrading the front channel speakers, 3-way is good enough. If you desire better performance, a set of Comps are the way to go. (Sepearate tweeter, midbass and crossovers) are the best SQ you can get for front stage drivers.
Otherwise a 3-4-way version coaxial will be better than stock. But for maximum clarity, Components are superior.... if you want to spend the $$.
Of you have a budget and power figure im mind, where are you in
this one?
Say more...
Swez
ryanben on 07/21/2003 09:45:38
OK heres the latest..........I switched the RCA cables on the amp by unplugging the A channel (Power to fronts) and plugging it into the B channel (Power for rears) I took the RCA cables from the B chhannel and plugged them into the A channel. Now the rear speakers sound much clearer and not so muffled. The only disadvantage is that now my fader is backwards. I tried your method and switched off the HPF and LPF on the HU, but it had no effect. Any suggestions as to why my rears sound better now? Thanks
Swez on 07/21/2003 17:23:00
That comfirms that your crossovers are not set properly on this amp. If you disable the HU crossovers correctly, then adjusting the B channel HP crossover on amp, is the next step.
Have a look in the outer shell of the amp that has the crossover and gain functions are located. Make sure any switches and dials on B channel, are set up the same way on A channel. That should correct this issue and then you can swap your RCA's back to original and get the fader function working properly again.
Swez
ttocs on 07/22/2003 11:22:54
I disagree swez. The problem was fixed when he switched the cables, that points further up the line towards the head unit. Does your deck have a crossover built in? Check it out....
Swez on 07/22/2003 21:55:28
ttocs,
We've covered that aspect already. (read the history)
He has disable the HU crossovers and it had no effect. Once he swapped channels from the HU to amp, the rears were much better. This leads me to the conclusion that the HU crossovers are out of the equation and the 4 channel amp HP/gain settings are not matched.
Could be wrong here... if the information being passed is not accurate from the reader... but you may be right in the long term.... but as of the now the amp settings seem to be the likely source of this guys issues.
Comments from Ryanben? How are you coming along with this issue?
Swez
PS Welcome back to the real world ttocs! How was your vacation?
ttocs on 07/22/2003 23:17:27
I was assuming the front speakers sounded like the rears did before. If that is the case then try switching the rca's at the back of the deck. That would point to or rule out the cables..
ttocs on 07/22/2003 23:19:08
didn't see the last line there swez. My 10 day vacation turned into a 4 doctor, 3 hospital tour. Now I need a vacation........
Swez on 07/23/2003 07:49:13
Whats that all about ttocs? You get sick or have an injury? "Montezuma Revenge" ? Yeah, you do need a vacation from your vacation huh?
As for his amp/speaker woes, the fronts are stock 6x9's for now. He added coaxial 6x9's in rear and had better sound to front channel speakers then to rears.
Suggested he diable the HU crossovers for now and focus on amp HP crossovers and gains for F&R channels. It could be a poor set of cables on one side of the amp. But when he switched amp outs, the rear spearkers sounded much better off Channel A and front speakers sounded muddy off channel B.
This leads me to think the HP filters off Channels A & B are not matched and perhaps the gains are a bit off too... but a bad RCA cable is not ruled out.... just wanting to focus his attention on getting the amp filters and gains matched for now.
If that does not improve the overall performance of F&R speakers, then either bas set of RCA's on 1 channel off HU or amp problems.
Hey... your the Master Installer here... I'm just a dumb ol' audiophile with an Audio Engineering background. What you suggest, makes good sense to rule out a bad cable set. GRIN
Swez
ttocs on 07/23/2003 17:59:33
if you switch them at the deck, and get the same results as when you switched them at the amp, you can rule out the cable. It is always possible to tap a screw through the cables while putting the trim back down. I think it happens to everyone once.
I would certainly never call you dumb or anything of the like. I konw we have a mutual respect for our areas of specialty. I might call you an old fart, but not a dumb one......
I got a wicked intestinal virus on the 3rd day. I had a couple of good mornings, but ended up under a doctors care, or in the hospital where available for 8 days, and lost 20 lbs. I could not even hold water down.....
It is good to be back, although work is tiring me out. I am use to laying around all day now............
Swez on 07/23/2003 19:45:34
See your point... a simple trim screw can be easily overlooked as a root cause and no, have not had that experience (yet).... but have heard you mention this one more than once.
Old fart huh??? Well Young buck... OK, cannot argue that one as the facts are clear. SMILE
Sorry to hear about your ruined vacation... man, not much worse than being a zillion miles from home and get real sick or injured. It's an awful way to spend a vacation. Probably still feeeling weak from all the weight loss, dehydration etc. Hope you get back to your normal cranky self very soon.
Hummm... Old fart, young cranky dude... what a pair we look like to this crowd huh? Glad your back on the boards again. CLAP
Swez
ryanben on 07/26/2003 09:59:58
OK........I checked the setting on the amp and everything seems to be alright. I have A and B channel set to HPF with a frequency of 80, but I still have the same issue. Could it be a faulty amp? I'm to the point where I'm thinkin of just running all four speakers off of channel A. Would this change the sound much? Also it could be a bad RCA cable since I am using your standard generic audio/video type.
Swez on 07/27/2003 21:49:45
Is possible that you have a defective set of RCA cables for channel B. Could be a trim screw puncturing one set of cables (rears) but it could also be an amp problem.
Ther eis a test you can perform to rule that out...
1. Disconnect all RCA's to amp
2. Connect a Walkman to input of Ch A and listen (patch cable needed)
3. Connect the walkman to channel B
4. If there is a notable difference in output and clarity between each channel and speakers... We a problem Houston!
Could be the amp, crossover/gain settings speakers are not well matched or poor RCA wires.
What you want... are yourbest speakers in the front stage, the stock speakers can be move to rear or drop the stockers and upgrade to 2/3-way coaxials in front, to match the front speakers.
NOTE Some rear channel filters are reversed so that all you get is midbass/midrange to rears. Knowing the crossover setting functions on the rear channel may be the key here. Get out your amp manual and have a close review of this aspect of the amp. If only a LP filter here... a new strategy is needed.
Swez
ryanben on 07/30/2003 11:17:48
OK here is the latest.................I swirched the RCA cables around on the back of the HU and tested the speakers. It seems that whatever is plugged into the B channel of the amp sounds muffled. This leads me to believe that the amp has a bad channel since I tried both sets of inputs on the HU. I went ahead and wired all 4 speakers to A channel on the amp and they sound 10 times better. I may not be getting the full potential out of the amp now but I really don't want to go out buy another one. Any other comments or suggestions..............can I get that bad channel fixed or is it cheaper to replace the whole thing? Thanks
Swez on 07/30/2003 14:57:22
Well done... this indicateds that channel A is fine and yes, you can run all 4 speakers from Channel A (L&R) if the amp is 2 ohms stable when bridged. Just losing the fade feature here.
If the amp is not 2 ohms stable in 2 channel bridged mode, you do run the risk of over heating the amp and damage to same.
Figure about $50.00 labor plus parts for a minor repair job by a qualified tech.
You could have something as simple as a dirty HP/LP filter switch and gain pots. (on Channel B) You may be able to fix that your self with electrical contact spray or WD-40 lube. Just work the switch on channel B, back & forth several times rapidly after a shot if cleaning lube. That may do the trick or may be deeper than this.
How old is the amp anyway and what brand is it?
Swez
ryanben on 07/31/2003 10:28:00
The amps a kenwood 500 watt. It's only a year old so I'm kinda surprised the B channel went out.
Swez on 07/31/2003 13:03:59
Is it covered by extended warrantee? If yes, that's your best remedy or have it reapired by an authorized Kenwood dealer.
Swez
Replies (26)
Swez on 07/17/2003 21:44:53
You say A & B channels... I assume you mean "A" = front (L&R) "B" = (L&R) for rear?
If that is how you did the install, either the polarity between the rear and front channels are off or the rear speakers are just not cutting it. Not well matched or worse yet... stock rears.
Can you ellaborate on the install and speakers used? It may be a simple adjustment in the amp crossovers and gains or a big difference in speaker efficiency between front and rear speakers.
If the rear speakers are stock, may only be a single cone (no tweeter) midbass only.... say more please. If the front speakers are two way coaxials or Components and the rears are stock... that may be the crux of your issues.
Swez
Swez on 07/18/2003 19:41:36
So... what's the verdict on this case? Have you figured it out yet or waiting for the weekend to dig into same?
Swez
ryanben on 07/19/2003 12:10:42
Sorry, was busy this weekend. OK here it goes.......
The front speakers are stock 6 x 9 and the rears are pioneer 6 x 9 with a rotating center cone. The fronts sound awesome for being stock but the rears sounds horrible. The way the speakers are set up on the amp are as follows: 2 front speakers attached to A channel with RCA cables running from A channel on amp to FRONT hookup on back of the radio. 2 rear speakers attached to B channel with RCA cables running from B channel on amp to REAR hookup on back of the radio. Both A and B channel on the amp are set to HPF with a frequency of 100.
I am also getting poor sound from my Bass tube. I have it hooked up to a separate amp with RCA cables running from INPUT on amp to the SUBWOOFER connection on the back of the radio. The amp is set to low pass frequency and the speaker wire is set up on the amp terminals for mono. Does it matter which way the RCA cables go into the SUBWOOFER plug on the back of the radio. They are both black and aren't color coded.
Swez on 07/19/2003 16:47:20
OK, we are getting closer to a diagnosis and perhaps a remedy.
The rears speakers are 2-way coaxials, but the fronts are stock, but sound pretty good right?
Now, "the rear speakers sound horrible" is a bit vague. Do you mean...
1. Poor bass response?
2. Distortion at any volume level?
3. Mechanical problems such as rattles or buzzes?
4. Does anything change when the Bass tube is turned off?
Have you tried fading signal only to the rear speakers and go back and listen to them only? If they sound fine all by them selves, but lousy when front speakers are added, your rear speakers could be out of phase with the front ones. Changing polarity of wiring (at the amp) for rears only, may solve that.
Also, on your bass tube, same possible issue here... subs may be out of phase with rear speakers. A little tweaking here may help, if you still have poor bass response after changing polarity of rear speakers, then we have to dig deeper into the situation.
Finally, if your rear speakers do not have shields over them and you have moderate to strong bass waves in the trunk, may have to isolate the rear speakers from sub wave energy. Subs can make the rear spearkers break up badly if the rear speakers do not have shields on them. Nothing fancy or expensive, will do the trick here.
There are shields available from online sources or make your own using "tupperware" type plastic enclosures.
Comments?
Swez
ttocs on 07/19/2003 23:59:31
what kind of head unit? Alot of new decks have crossovers built in and you may have it on lowpass?
ryanben on 07/20/2003 00:24:58
I have isolated the rears and the volume is much lower than the fronts. They have alot of bass with virtually no treble. Could it be my RCA cables? I am using home cables with the black cord and red and white inputs.
By the way I have a Sony M800 receiver.
Swez on 07/20/2003 11:24:20
Probably has more to do with your xover setting to rear speakers, These are intended for full range aplications and if the HU or amp crossovers are set improperly... this too would cause lack of highs from the rear speakers.
Check you HP filtering in HU and amp for the back speakers. The HP filter should be set to ~100 Hz and up to the 6x9's in back. If the amp only has LP filtering (common in many 4 channel amps) have to run the rears as full range and not filtered by amp or HU per- se.
Does you 4 channel amp have a HP filter in the rear channels?
Swez
PS Welcome back ttocks! Ho was your vacation?
ryanben on 07/20/2003 13:54:47
My amp does have HPF in the B channel, which is where my rears are hooked up to. How do I know if the HU crossovers are set improperly? Where would I check? Also same question for the amp crossovers. Would the problem have anything to do with the type of RCA cables I am running?
Swez on 07/20/2003 15:45:50
Cabling is probably not the key issue here unless it is very cheap or has been damaged. When cables are really a problem... they usually allow engine noise in and have poor signal quality and high noise in the system. For now, it is not likely your cabling is at fault.... more of a set up problem here I believe.
Your HU does have both HP & LP crossovers and a 7 band EQ and preset EQ selections too. Pretty complex little HU here. In rder to fully understand these functions and a proper set up, get out the manual and review the features and how to get the most out of them.
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-cmL1gLg87x7/ProdView.asp?s=0&cc=01&c=3&g=300&I=158CDXM800
I assume this is what you have now ?
Basically, you'll want to focus on the 4 channel amp setting first. Disable the HU crossover funtions and allow the crossovers in the amp to do this job for now. On the front channels (A; L&R) set the HP filter to ~80 Hz. Do the same on the rear channel HP filter. Turn off the subwoofer for now as this can be added after you get a good mix of mids/highs.
Once you have mids and highs coming from each set, (Front & rear) then adjusting the amp gain controls on A & B channels for proper balance is next. Most like more front speaker loudness and rears are just a "fill in the gaps" type thing. However, everyone is different and you may like more rear stage fill than you have now. Adjusting the rear gain louder (or dropping the front gains a tad) will accomplish that goal.
Once you have this phase of the install working properly, then access the EQ presets and see what sounds best to you on the menu of choices. If you really cant get the mix you want from the presets, then try the manual 7 band EQ feature.
NOTE: When using EQ, it is most useful to boost signals to each band by no more than +3 to +6dB. Better to reduce the bands that are too loud, then to over boost weaker bands with too much EQ.
Once you get the mids and highs close to where you want them, then it's time to add the subwoofer into the mix. Bring it up slowly until you have a nice balance between mids/highs and subs.
OK, that should cover all the basics. The rest will come from reading the HU and amp manuals and some "intelligent experimentation".
If you need additional help, check back with the forum and we'll try to help you out. But just remember, the more you learn on your own , the better you will understand your gears strengths and weaknesses.
Let us know how you make out OK?
Swez
ryanben on 07/20/2003 17:32:46
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate all the help. I have a couple of questions though.........This is probably a really stupid question but here it is.......I'm assuming the crossovers are the switches for HPF and LPF. My head unit has options in the menu for HPF and LPF. I'm assuming these are the crossovers for the HU that I should turn off, right? Please correct me if I am wrong.
Second, I want to replace my fronts with new 6 x 9. Any suggestions on 2, 3, or 4 way speaker. Is there a real difference between the three and are there any brands you recommend or ones to stay away from. My rears are 3 way Pioneers with a rotating center horn. Thanks again................
Swez on 07/20/2003 20:55:46
No not a stupid question at all! There is no such thing as as stupid question in this field.
Yes, do disable the HU crossover functions for now. The amp has this covered and are usually adequate to the task. You'll want to use a HP filter for front and rear channels of amp for crossover functions. HPF should be set to ~80 HZ for Front and rear speakers. The sub will handle everything below ~80 Hz.
As for upgrdrading the front channel speakers, 3-way is good enough. If you desire better performance, a set of Comps are the way to go. (Sepearate tweeter, midbass and crossovers) are the best SQ you can get for front stage drivers.
Otherwise a 3-4-way version coaxial will be better than stock. But for maximum clarity, Components are superior.... if you want to spend the $$.
Of you have a budget and power figure im mind, where are you in
this one?
Say more...
Swez
ryanben on 07/21/2003 09:45:38
OK heres the latest..........I switched the RCA cables on the amp by unplugging the A channel (Power to fronts) and plugging it into the B channel (Power for rears) I took the RCA cables from the B chhannel and plugged them into the A channel. Now the rear speakers sound much clearer and not so muffled. The only disadvantage is that now my fader is backwards. I tried your method and switched off the HPF and LPF on the HU, but it had no effect. Any suggestions as to why my rears sound better now? Thanks
Swez on 07/21/2003 17:23:00
That comfirms that your crossovers are not set properly on this amp. If you disable the HU crossovers correctly, then adjusting the B channel HP crossover on amp, is the next step.
Have a look in the outer shell of the amp that has the crossover and gain functions are located. Make sure any switches and dials on B channel, are set up the same way on A channel. That should correct this issue and then you can swap your RCA's back to original and get the fader function working properly again.
Swez
ttocs on 07/22/2003 11:22:54
I disagree swez. The problem was fixed when he switched the cables, that points further up the line towards the head unit. Does your deck have a crossover built in? Check it out....
Swez on 07/22/2003 21:55:28
ttocs,
We've covered that aspect already. (read the history)
He has disable the HU crossovers and it had no effect. Once he swapped channels from the HU to amp, the rears were much better. This leads me to the conclusion that the HU crossovers are out of the equation and the 4 channel amp HP/gain settings are not matched.
Could be wrong here... if the information being passed is not accurate from the reader... but you may be right in the long term.... but as of the now the amp settings seem to be the likely source of this guys issues.
Comments from Ryanben? How are you coming along with this issue?
Swez
PS Welcome back to the real world ttocs! How was your vacation?
ttocs on 07/22/2003 23:17:27
I was assuming the front speakers sounded like the rears did before. If that is the case then try switching the rca's at the back of the deck. That would point to or rule out the cables..
ttocs on 07/22/2003 23:19:08
didn't see the last line there swez. My 10 day vacation turned into a 4 doctor, 3 hospital tour. Now I need a vacation........
Swez on 07/23/2003 07:49:13
Whats that all about ttocs? You get sick or have an injury? "Montezuma Revenge" ? Yeah, you do need a vacation from your vacation huh?
As for his amp/speaker woes, the fronts are stock 6x9's for now. He added coaxial 6x9's in rear and had better sound to front channel speakers then to rears.
Suggested he diable the HU crossovers for now and focus on amp HP crossovers and gains for F&R channels. It could be a poor set of cables on one side of the amp. But when he switched amp outs, the rear spearkers sounded much better off Channel A and front speakers sounded muddy off channel B.
This leads me to think the HP filters off Channels A & B are not matched and perhaps the gains are a bit off too... but a bad RCA cable is not ruled out.... just wanting to focus his attention on getting the amp filters and gains matched for now.
If that does not improve the overall performance of F&R speakers, then either bas set of RCA's on 1 channel off HU or amp problems.
Hey... your the Master Installer here... I'm just a dumb ol' audiophile with an Audio Engineering background. What you suggest, makes good sense to rule out a bad cable set. GRIN
Swez
ttocs on 07/23/2003 17:59:33
if you switch them at the deck, and get the same results as when you switched them at the amp, you can rule out the cable. It is always possible to tap a screw through the cables while putting the trim back down. I think it happens to everyone once.
I would certainly never call you dumb or anything of the like. I konw we have a mutual respect for our areas of specialty. I might call you an old fart, but not a dumb one......
I got a wicked intestinal virus on the 3rd day. I had a couple of good mornings, but ended up under a doctors care, or in the hospital where available for 8 days, and lost 20 lbs. I could not even hold water down.....
It is good to be back, although work is tiring me out. I am use to laying around all day now............
Swez on 07/23/2003 19:45:34
See your point... a simple trim screw can be easily overlooked as a root cause and no, have not had that experience (yet).... but have heard you mention this one more than once.
Old fart huh??? Well Young buck... OK, cannot argue that one as the facts are clear. SMILE
Sorry to hear about your ruined vacation... man, not much worse than being a zillion miles from home and get real sick or injured. It's an awful way to spend a vacation. Probably still feeeling weak from all the weight loss, dehydration etc. Hope you get back to your normal cranky self very soon.
Hummm... Old fart, young cranky dude... what a pair we look like to this crowd huh? Glad your back on the boards again. CLAP
Swez
ryanben on 07/26/2003 09:59:58
OK........I checked the setting on the amp and everything seems to be alright. I have A and B channel set to HPF with a frequency of 80, but I still have the same issue. Could it be a faulty amp? I'm to the point where I'm thinkin of just running all four speakers off of channel A. Would this change the sound much? Also it could be a bad RCA cable since I am using your standard generic audio/video type.
Swez on 07/27/2003 21:49:45
Is possible that you have a defective set of RCA cables for channel B. Could be a trim screw puncturing one set of cables (rears) but it could also be an amp problem.
Ther eis a test you can perform to rule that out...
1. Disconnect all RCA's to amp
2. Connect a Walkman to input of Ch A and listen (patch cable needed)
3. Connect the walkman to channel B
4. If there is a notable difference in output and clarity between each channel and speakers... We a problem Houston!
Could be the amp, crossover/gain settings speakers are not well matched or poor RCA wires.
What you want... are yourbest speakers in the front stage, the stock speakers can be move to rear or drop the stockers and upgrade to 2/3-way coaxials in front, to match the front speakers.
NOTE Some rear channel filters are reversed so that all you get is midbass/midrange to rears. Knowing the crossover setting functions on the rear channel may be the key here. Get out your amp manual and have a close review of this aspect of the amp. If only a LP filter here... a new strategy is needed.
Swez
ryanben on 07/30/2003 11:17:48
OK here is the latest.................I swirched the RCA cables around on the back of the HU and tested the speakers. It seems that whatever is plugged into the B channel of the amp sounds muffled. This leads me to believe that the amp has a bad channel since I tried both sets of inputs on the HU. I went ahead and wired all 4 speakers to A channel on the amp and they sound 10 times better. I may not be getting the full potential out of the amp now but I really don't want to go out buy another one. Any other comments or suggestions..............can I get that bad channel fixed or is it cheaper to replace the whole thing? Thanks
Swez on 07/30/2003 14:57:22
Well done... this indicateds that channel A is fine and yes, you can run all 4 speakers from Channel A (L&R) if the amp is 2 ohms stable when bridged. Just losing the fade feature here.
If the amp is not 2 ohms stable in 2 channel bridged mode, you do run the risk of over heating the amp and damage to same.
Figure about $50.00 labor plus parts for a minor repair job by a qualified tech.
You could have something as simple as a dirty HP/LP filter switch and gain pots. (on Channel B) You may be able to fix that your self with electrical contact spray or WD-40 lube. Just work the switch on channel B, back & forth several times rapidly after a shot if cleaning lube. That may do the trick or may be deeper than this.
How old is the amp anyway and what brand is it?
Swez
ryanben on 07/31/2003 10:28:00
The amps a kenwood 500 watt. It's only a year old so I'm kinda surprised the B channel went out.
Swez on 07/31/2003 13:03:59
Is it covered by extended warrantee? If yes, that's your best remedy or have it reapired by an authorized Kenwood dealer.
Swez
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