Questions about graphic EQ's

[BrooklynMW]

Hey Audio nuts.

I love my sound system. Got all the original premium speakers, in the back and the door tweeters. Recently installed a nice Kenwood head unit. Not the greatest head unit, I'm sure, but a nice price, and does the job for me. Here's my problem though:

Everythings nice, I get a nice bass response, and some decent hi end. But when I'm driving at high speeds, or simply would enjoy a little more volume out of my speakers, I get a nice heavy shrill at about 1-2k, which then causes my ears to bleed, and forces me to listen to my engine instead of music.

I haven't done a frequency test, but I'm an audio engineer, and I mix records for a living, so I'm pretty sure it's between 1-2k

So a nice graphic EQ should solve the problem. Here are some questions I have:

-Can anyone recommend a decent graphic EQ?

-I know nothing about car audio. Is it possible to hook something like that up in between your head unit and your speakers?

-Do they sit somewhere on the dash or center console

-Asthetics are important to me, and I wouldn't like to compromise the original beauty of the dash and console. So nothing behemothly large, or with too many flashing lights. Does anybody have any photos of their dash with an add on Graphic EQ, so I can get some ideas of what it may look like?


Thanks!

[th3blue]

come on, how are you involved with anything audio for a profession and thinking the solution to what you want is an equalizer? equalizers change the character of the sound, they're not a volume knob.

If you don't have distortion you can turn the volume up. If you have distortion you need to figure out the cause and solve that. More people cause distortion by underpowering than by overpowering so changes are you need an amp or a better amp if you already have one. (I don't care how much power the amp in your head unit claims to have, it's not much/enough) The next logical thing would be to upgrade to better speakers.

[BrooklynMW]

come on, how are you involved with anything audio for a profession and thinking the solution to what you want is an equalizer? equalizers change the character of the sound, they're not a volume knob.

If you don't have distortion you can turn the volume up. If you have distortion you need to figure out the cause and solve that. More people cause distortion by underpowering than by overpowering so changes are you need an amp or a better amp if you already have one. (I don't care how much power the amp in your head unit claims to have, it's not much/enough) The next logical thing would be to upgrade to better speakers.

No no no. You missunderstand me. There is no distortion. Trust me, I know what distortion sounds like. I never turn the level up loud enough to create distortion, and the speakers are healthy. The loudest I'll turn it up is about 6-8 % of it's maximum volume. After that, I begin to compromise my career.

I think what the problem is, is the sound system is fighting with the noise of the car at high speeds. (The fact that I need to replace my muffler, and that there is probably some sound deadening missing behind the dash is another thread entirely.)

So some of the hi end, and most of the low end is being drowned out by the car. And what I'm left with is a handsome shrill around 1-2k. It's really not THAT bad. But I don't want to boost the bass, or hi end, for fear that I would indeed distort the speakers. Really what I need is to dip 1-2k slightly, and a graphic EQ will solve the problem.

I know it's not a volume knob, and I know it changes the character of the sound. But if you know what you're doing with an EQ, as I do, because I use them every day, you know how to manipulate it without compromising the integrity of the artist's sonic vision.

That being said, I'm still open to suggestions.

[StereoInstaller1]

Would you rather fix the issue? I can make a suggestion or three to help, but the biggest issue you have is the crappy 20 year old electrolytic caps used as crossovers in the stock PS speakers.

Even if you added a .01 Mfd Mylar cap your highs would sweeten considerably, and that "shrill" should be 80% gone...for about $3, total.

[BrooklynMW]

Would you rather fix the issue? I can make a suggestion or three to help, but the biggest issue you have is the crappy 20 year old electrolytic caps used as crossovers in the stock PS speakers.

Even if you added a .01 Mfd Mylar cap your highs would sweeten considerably, and that "shrill" should be 80% gone...for about $3, total.

Yes! Now we're talkin! Alright I'm all ears, walk me through it. Whaddo I do?

[StereoInstaller1]

First off, find those caps. Local is unlikely, even in New York. Madisound, Circle Sound, Parts Express, all of those guys sell "Non-Polarised Electrolysed Mylar Capacitors" and just grab either 4) 3.3mfd or 4) .01 mfd caps.

This, BTW, is a crappy crossover. 6db/oct is the worst power handling, the least protection, basically, the crappiest crossover you can get. BMW did a shit job of building shit crossovers, too.

Once you remove the stock speaker, either replace the stock cap with the 3.3mfd OR simply parallel the .01 cap over the top of the existing cap. This will increase power handling drastically, but also will remove 99% of "hysteresis distortion" in which the capacitor (the primary component of all high pass filters) nears or reaches its voltage capacity...which is shocking low in basic electrolytic caps, and deteriorates with time.

Another option is to build more significant crossovers, but efficiency drop very quickly as you increase orders of crossovers, so unless you plan on adding an amp, you might wanna stick with 6db/oct (AKA "First Order").

Conversely, if you want your car to actually sound GOOD, find a few hundred bucks and PM me.

Luke

[reelizmpro]

I've actually done this before on a friends car and the stock tweeters performed very well. They sounded very crisp.

[StereoInstaller1]

I've actually done this before on a friends car and the stock tweeters performed very well. They sounded very crisp.

Old School FTMFW!

[Schnitzer318is]

First off, find those caps. Local is unlikely, even in New York. Madisound, Circle Sound, Parts Express, all of those guys sell "Non-Polarised Electrolysed Mylar Capacitors" and just grab either 4) 3.3mfd or 4) .01 mfd caps.

This, BTW, is a crappy crossover. 6db/oct is the worst power handling, the least protection, basically, the crappiest crossover you can get. BMW did a shit job of building shit crossovers, too.

Once you remove the stock speaker, either replace the stock cap with the 3.3mfd OR simply parallel the .01 cap over the top of the existing cap. This will increase power handling drastically, but also will remove 99% of "hysteresis distortion" in which the capacitor (the primary component of all high pass filters) nears or reaches its voltage capacity...which is shocking low in basic electrolytic caps, and deteriorates with time.

Another option is to build more significant crossovers, but efficiency drop very quickly as you increase orders of crossovers, so unless you plan on adding an amp, you might wanna stick with 6db/oct (AKA "First Order").

Conversely, if you want your car to actually sound GOOD, find a few hundred bucks and PM me.

Luke

See, this is why I read every thread you post in Luke. I have quite a bit of experience installing (only experience, no schooling), and I learn more technical info from your posts than all the years of installing. :up:

[BrooklynMW]

Cool, thanks guys. This is definitely on my short list of improvements.