# NEwbie needs help ..too low of voltage on RCAs ?



## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

I just had a really nice system installed in my car. 

I have kenwood dnx9960 HU, ID 6.5 comps in door and 5.25" 2 way in back area. and a ID IDQ10v3 in a custom sub enclosure and amp rack.
I have a Diamond audio D5 600.4 for speakers and D5 300.2 bridged for the sub.

This should sound really good right... Kinda.... I have no real mid or bass at low volume and still not so good at higher volumes. My main issue is the lack of punch from the 6.5" door speakers, sub isn't hitting too hard either.

The Kenwood has tons of crossovers and slopes aval in the hu, but nothing seems to help much. 

We measured the voltage from the HU on the rca wire in the back before it plugs into a amp and I get a really low #... less than 1 volt at volume 25 of 35. I was playing a cd that had all kinds of tones in it. The installer was getting only 0.13 to 0.2xx volts. This is with all crossovers set to pass-through.

Isn't that way to low for a HU that puts out 5v. I makes sense to me that this is my problem and why the gains have to be turned up to get any decent volume. The 600.4 gain is up to about 75%.... I've used a 300.4 and didn't need 50% of that to power my last system. 

What is the best way to verify that the RCA output is too low ? 

The installer was using a pretty nice meter, but I know nothing about them. He was touching the outside and the center pin to get the readings. Is there a better way to check this ?


I want my system to rock and not have to turn it up to 25 to get decent sound. 

All the rcas had low voltage.

the RCA wire is a stinger 6 channel series 3 I believe.

thx alot for any help... anyone here from Phx Az area ?


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## tinctorus (Oct 5, 2009)

You sure he had the meter set on AC voltage and not DC???


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## Ranny (May 8, 2010)

what are your gains set at? When I set my gains I like to hook my voltmeter to the speaker terminals turn my volume to a little louder than what I consider my loud listening volume and check the peak voltage. Set it so the volts are 1/4 of the watts for your rms on each speaker. 1/4 is a good starting number and gives you a little room to go up with out damaging you speaker. You can figure the exact output but you would have to test the amps you car is putting out. Watts = Amps x Volts.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

depending on which ID 65 you bought you may be stuck...the XS-65 do not produce much mid bass punch and need to be crossed at 80hz or above.

what does your installer tell you?


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

The fronts are CTX65cs .....

the gains are at about 75%.... which would be too much for the speaker if I were getting the correct output. I could go 100% and still not be destroying the speakers with the system the way it is. 

Is there a setting somewhere in the Kenwood that can turn up the HUs 5v rca outputs ? I cant find anything. Also can I do a complete reset to factory settings on this HU ? The re-set button is like restarting a computer, all prior main settings stay the same.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

Crank your HU as loud as it will go without sounding distorted and then set the gains on your amplifiers [ do the front speakers first and then level match the sub amp } if you can crank the HU to 100% it will lower your gain ratio.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

We set the gains with the volume at 25-27 out of 35 max. I still have a much lower performace out of the speakers than I expected. I thought the ID speakers would have good mids and bass. And i have used a D5 amp before on another car and the mid and bass was really good even with a cheaper speaker. It seems the speakers are driven by as much power as the stock HU would give. 

Can someone give me instructions on how to measure the volts myself... I just bought a cheap meter to try and see if I can do this. I'm not too sure on where to set the meter before touching the wires.... I have not read the instructions yet either. I should be reading 2-3 volts at least when the HU is cranked up to 25-30 !! right ?

I was told by another member to use a 50hz sine tone to check the voltage.

thx guys


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

...forget the multi meter for now and try setting your gains by ear....it is much more effective.

How to Set Your Gains


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

The gains have been set at least 3 times now, but the sound is not what it should be. I've had 3 diff. audio guys listen to it and 2 set the gains... I feel I have a HU that isn't putting out 5v like it should be. 

I now have the gains at 75% instead of 100 to protect my amps from over working. 

I just want to verify my installers findings before i pay another installer (and seller of the HU to me ) since he might be replacing the HU under warrenty.

Are the stinger 3 series wires decent ?


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## aznaznazn (Jan 27, 2010)

Try setting your amp to full mode and your hu crossed at 80hz. when i had both crossed at 80 hz i had very little mid bass as well until i changed it.


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## SoundChaser (Apr 3, 2009)

If you have your heart set on checking the output voltage of your head unit, do the following.

1-	play a test tone, but make sure it was recorded at 0dB. 1k Hz is good.
2-	Max out the volume on the head unit
3-	Put meter on AC volts, probe the center conductor and the outside shield. (doesn’t matter which probe goes where) 

First test at the head unit, then insert rca cable and measure at the end of the cable. Voltage should read the same. Note, the signal may or may not be clipping with volume maxed. You can perform the same test with ¾ volume.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

ZWOW6 said:


> The gains have been set at least 3 times now, but the sound is not what it should be. I've had 3 diff. audio guys listen to it and 2 set the gains... I feel I have a HU that isn't *putting out 5v* like it should be.


*It will put out maximum voltage with the volume turned to maximum setting [ all the way to the right *]

Midbass will be optimal when your door has the holes sealed up as best as you can manage , if the speakers are mounted in the doors.


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## nineball (Jan 17, 2008)

ZWOW6 said:


> The gains have been set at least 3 times now, but the sound is not what it should be. I've had 3 diff. audio guys listen to it and 2 set the gains... I feel I have a HU that isn't putting out 5v like it should be.
> 
> *I now have the gains at 75% instead of 100 to protect my amps from over working. *



you amp can produce it's full potential of sound with the gain set to 0%. the gain is used to match the input signal your amp is receiving, it is not a volume knob. turning it to 75% does not mean it is "safe".


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

So If I have to turn my gains up higher (or max them out ) does that mean that the idea of the HU putting out a weak signal may be correct ? I thought since I have a 5v hu that i would need less gain to get good strong performance out of the amps. 

My theory is if I have a 3v rca signal into the amp the amp then take that signal and amplifies it. If I put a 0.1v signal in then the amp must work harder to get that signal amplified up .... right ? At 0.1 volt the signal my be too weak for the amp to do much with it. 

I think my amp is only seeing 0.1-0.2v at the rca's and therefore isn't producing the fulliest sound it can. 

Has anyone ever tested the signal voltage at thier rca's ? What have you guys seen ? My installer says he's done it on his HU and sees reading in the range of 3-8 volts not 0.1xx like mine read.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

thx everyone for thier post. 

I might be overthinking this but when you have alot of $$ in a install , you expect it to sound good.

I'll look over the crossovers... thx for that suggestion


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

Nope, the amp doesn't have to work any harder. The gain control simply calibrates what the amp is expecting to receive with what the HU can provide. It's just a front end to the actual amp.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

Since money isn't an issue . . . get an Alpine [ best one you can afford /with TA, EQ, x-overs ] and then just crank it to max volume


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

Money is a issue, since I did spend more than I expected...who doesn't.... 

I'll have the seller of the HU check it out and see what he thinks. His shop is 45-60 minutes across town and since i only get 1 day off in the next 10 days , its hard to get there. I have 3x the $$ in this sytem over my last one. 

I've been told by the last 2 people who heard it to call Kenwood. I'll go to the guy who sold it first then Kenwood. 

I guess I'm wondering why no one thinks 100mv is normanl for a 5v HU... I know the voltage output of the HU is not linear, but at 75% volume I feel I should have more than that. Does the amp need more than that ? maybe not ?

You guys know alot more than me about this stuff...thx again for the comments This is the place to ask dumb questions...so if you come in here its probally not a good idea to be getting mad at someone.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

So I had another expert look at it. He couldn't really get more bass or mid out of it either. He found something in the HU settings and reset it, it helped alittle. 

I have heard the difference between a amp'd system and a non-amp'd system and the amp'd system had a much cleaner, brighter , robust sound to it. My system doesn't have that. I barely hear drum peddles in the songs I like. My wifes Acura TSX has better response than my Vette. I've used the same type amp in my last Z06 vette. I know the increase in sound it made. 

I have looked into phasing too, 

Is it possible the HU isn't getting enough power ? I heard the hu can pull 10amps is that correct ? 

Anyone here ever install a new HU into a C6 vette ? Maybe the wiring harness is installed wrong. I know the installer had something wrong when I first picked up the car and I had to take it back to him, He said he had a mono signal run to the amp, how that is possible I don't know since the only signal that should be going to the amp it through the rca's.... how could he mess that up ? 

How can I re-set the factory setting on the Kenwood HU ? I mean all the way like it was just out of the box...not just the re-set button ?

thx guys


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

Heres what I got today when i measured the rca's ... I was using a basic 7 function reader. I used a 55hz test tone because my meters paper work said it works between 45-450hz. It also only reads down to 0.1v under that it will display 0.0v.

I measured my subs rcas and the main rca's 

volume 10 less than 0.1v... it reads 0.0
volume 20 less than 0.1v reads 0.0
volume 25 0.1 volt (my installer also measure 0.1xx at this volume) Kenwood said is was low but somewhat "normal" ???
volume 30 0.6 volt
volume 32 1.3 to 1.4 volts
volume 33/34 2.4-2.7 volts
max volume is 35... I read it might clip at 35 so I went up to 34 when measuring.

my amp specs say it wants 0.2v to 5 v inputs ... so I don't get that much unless the unit is waaay up.

What do you guys think about these numbers ?

thx


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

The spec on the amp refers to the range of the gain knob. In theory, if you turned the gain all the way up, you'd only need a signal of 0.2v to make it reach maximum level.

If you paid for this install, why don't you bring it back to the installer?


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

I've had the car back to the installer and he can't explain the low voltage...he called Kenwood and they tried to make him believe that although low,the numer he saw was somewhat normal....BS 

He hasn't seen the newer numbers yet, he measured the voltage at 0.1xx at volume 25 ... I should have him call again with the full set of numbers, and see what they say.


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

I tend to agree with Kenwood on this. There's nothing wrong with those voltage readings. The bigger issue is why does the install sound like crap? 

Is this a professional installer? Does he have a shop? Are there other people who work in this shop?


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

maybe you could tell me what he might have messed up ? I used someone who has been doing this for 15 yrs. He has is own business and used to work for another well known shop in my area. He might not know C6 vettes well and maybe he did hook up something wrong ??? What could that be ? I bought the os2bose, that is supposed to help retain my onstar, eventhough I'm not using the bose amp anylonger. 

If there is a easy fix in the wiring of the system I'd gladly take it back to him to fix it or to whomever could help. 

Does anyone know if the Image dynamic speakers (CTX65cs) have a short coming and don't sound good ? Maybe they require more power ? Maybe the car itself has poor accustics ? 
I'm looking for answers.... I wake up at 4am each morning thinking about this ! 

thx guys


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

It can be any number of things. Most likely, he just did a substandard install. If you paid him for the work, you should demand that he figure out why it doesn't sound good.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

I just wrote him a email

I just wish I could figure out what sub-standard would be.... You hook up wires..... I could have done the install but wanted a custom sub enclosure and amp rack built... I just didn't know about taking my car apart , and I work alot and didn't have the time to do this myself.... 

If there are certain wires that could be mis-installed and still have everything seem to work, maybe he did mess up ? I've read that the PAC harness can be a problem when used on the vettes, and PAC knows if the issues... maybe the harness got messed up during the install , The bose amp on the vette seems to have trouble at times with the pac harness , maybe when My Hu was connected to the Bose amp for 2-3 days..it (the harness) got messed up ?

I still don't know why less than 100mv is normal on a HU of this quality ?


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

Seems to me that the doors werent sealed and deadened in the install process so there is your lack of midbass area. Also earlier it was stated that that component set was not known for good midbass either... something to think about.

As for the headunit voltages. If you are having such an issue then just start turning it up to 30-32.. there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Get the # 25 out of your head dude. Its okay to turn it up past that. Usually qaulity headunits don't even clip at max volume, especially if the eq settings and boost are all flat. I have had my cheapo kenwood $80 headunit turn up to 35 and not clip.

So turn your amp gains all the way down ( to the higher voltage side) then play some music you listen to and turn it up to 30. Then adjust your gains so it is as loud as you will play it. OR you can have it at 28 and have a bit of headroom for those quiet songs. Then rock out. Your new 25 Is now 30. Problem solved. If your system still sounds like crap, ask the installer if he sealed your doors or not and go from there.


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

ZWOW6 said:


> I just wrote him a email
> 
> I just wish I could figure out what sub-standard would be.... You hook up wires..... I could have done the install but wanted a custom sub enclosure and amp rack built... I just didn't know about taking my car apart , and I work alot and didn't have the time to do this myself....


I'm sorry you feel that way. Installation is not just hooking up wires. It includes proper mechanical construction, design, and tuning. Your system sounds bad because he probably failed at one of those things.

Whatever, dude. It's your money.



> I still don't know why less than 100mv is normal on a HU of this quality ?


You said you were getting a few volts at max output.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

Having a HU with low pre-out voltage is not a big deal, as long as the amp's built quality is upto certain level(say like JL Audio's have balanced differential inputs) and good shielded RCAs. As when using such low voltage pre-out, you need to turn the gain more which will result to picking up noise sometimes. What I can say is, HU with 2V is minimum that you must have, 4V is good and 6.5V(older Pioneer HUs) is a bonus. Considering most(not all) accepts pre-in voltage of 0.2-5V
I will recheck the crossover settings and all the connections. Sometimes this is the silly mistake made.


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## Horsemanwill (Jun 1, 2008)

not sure where it's been said that the id speakers lack midbass but i can certainly say that's not true. if you REALLY think the HU is the main problem have your installer try a different hu. if one is not available just connect a portable cd player directly into your front amps. if your using the passives crossover that should plenty of filter.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

miniSQ said:


> depending on which ID 65 you bought you may be stuck...the XS-65 do not produce much mid bass punch and need to be crossed at 80hz or above.
> 
> what does your installer tell you?





Horsemanwill said:


> not sure where it's been said that the id speakers lack midbass but i can certainly say that's not true.


He has the ctx-65cs set though so nvm.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

Whats nvm mean ?

I know that my system needs tuning, but I'm afaid it might not help the speakers too much. With all the setting in the kenwood hu I shoulod be able to find something that improves the bass responce of the ID's.... I was told the arent as effeciant b/c they have large magnets, but the ID company disagrees. Who has heard the ID's ? Maybe there is a air leak problem ? Do you guys think I'm under powering the ID's ? I was told that could be a issue.... ID disagreed . I thought that 75rms should be enough. I need to get someone over to hlk up thier HU to my amps and see how it sounds... I'll measure thier voltage too if I get a chance.

thx guys .... I know there is art to setting up and calibrating a system for max sound... I never had to have that done before.... seems good products should provide good sound...and great sound if tuned correctly


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

Try getting things to sound good at moderate volumes first. Then, if they start distorting at higher volumes, you know it's an efficiency/power/power handling problem.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

ZWOW6 said:


> Whats nvm mean ?


Nevermind.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

So do or don't the ID CTX65cs have decent mids and bass ?

??

thx


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

ZWOW6 said:


> So do or don't the ID CTX65cs have decent mids and bass ?
> 
> ??
> 
> thx


I couldn't tell you. I have had no experience with them but a few others have said that they do.. so I'm not sure.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

. I totally agree with this statement..... I tell my wife not to assume based on what she reads. 

I'm frustrated.... I have alot going on and I don't need my car to be a problem right now. Yet everytime I drive it I realize it is a problem. If I had the time and tools to take my car apart (ie doors) I'd investigate if they are sealed and maybe move the tweeter down closer to the mid/bass speaker...it sits about 6" higher than maybe it should be. and it's recessed into the door panel further than optimum. It's the design of the vette.

My sub box may be too small also. How much can polyfil help ? Is there a easy way to measure the volume.. I have packing peanuts, I could fill the box, take out the peanuts and put them In a box that I know the measurements of and get a decent volume right ? 

When I get a chance I'll crank up the gain and see what happens... I have heard it maxed out and still had no real mids and bass... I now have the crossovers on the HU set , and have more bass, but still without the snap I would expect. 

thx to all for the replys


"things are not as they appear in relative real life, you can't infer what someone intends by the tone, as there is no tone in text, just your interpretation. "


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

Go to your installer and ask how your door panels come off. It either has clips or hooks. Ask him to show you roughly where they are all at and then if they are hooks then it just slides off after you take a few screws out. But if it is clips, then you need to go get an inexpensive tool call a panel popper. You can get em at pep boys, shucks, autozone...

like this:
PDR PAINTLESS DENT REAPAIR REMOVAL CLIP/PANEL POPPER : eBay Motors (item 190153880786 end time Jul-03-10 08:15:45 PDT)


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## CraigE (Jun 10, 2008)

There are push pins mounted on the sides and bottom of the door card. The card has 4 clips (flat hooks) on top that are mounted to the door card and hang over the top rail of the door.
You start prying at the bottom (there is actually an indent to get the tool in) and work your way up each side. With the bottom of the door card about 6" from the door you lift up on the card starting from the front.
Make sure the windows are down, it's a lot easier.
To reinstall, line up upper most pins at each side and hook the clips over the rail one at a time,starting from the rear keeping the bottom of the card 4"-6" from the door. Getting the clips to slide up and over the rail is the hard part and you will need to finesse it.
Check that all pins are aligned with the holes and push them in starting at the top.
Hope that helps,


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

thx for the instructions

Craig E... do you have a basic multi meter ? If so would you be willing to check your rca voltage going into a amp ? I checked mine with a 55hz tone and a basic meter on my kenwood dnx9960.... I get really low readings and think that could be a issue in my system. I downloaded the 55hz tone , and checked my volts right before the rca goes into the amp. It was real simple..it might not be the best way to do this ,but if someone else did the same thing, then I'd have something to compare to... your 9140 is the same 5v output as my 9960.

thx guys again


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

Heres what I got the other day when i measured the rca's ... I was using a basic 7 function reader. I used a 55hz test tone because my meters paper work said it works between 45-450hz. It also only reads down to 0.1v under that it will display 0.0v.

I measured my subs rcas and the main rca's 

volume 10 less than 0.1v... it reads 0.0
volume 20 less than 0.1v reads 0.0
volume 25 0.1 volt
volume 30 0.6 volt
volume 32 1.3 to 1.4 volts
volume 33/34 2.4-2.7 volts

my amp specs say it wants 0.2v to 5 v inputs ... so I don't get that much unless the unit is waaay up.

Can someone else repeat this on thier RCA's ? 

I was told today by a company that sells car and home audio supplies that he has measured more voltage than what i got on a 2-3v HU. FWIW ..his company sells supplies to people who build thier own speakers ...he sells meters etc, so I thought he might know something about measuring the voltage etc.


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

I don't know where you got the idea that HU voltage is your issue. Seriously, dude, you're barking up the wrong tree here. Your readings are perfectly fine and your amp can accommodate low voltages even if they weren't.


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## SublimeZ (Jan 28, 2008)

If this were my issue, I'd pm pentavolvo on the corvette forum...


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## CraigE (Jun 10, 2008)

I agree with Mark. I'm not sure about your DMM, but with the voltage you're listing, it should still not be a problem.
I checked my preouts two days ago to accommodate the MS-8s 2.8 max volts, with both a Wavetek CDM 600 multimeter and my oscilloscope using 50hz and 1000hz (0 db) test tones. HU dsp bypassed and balance and fade centered. This is front L & R only, full range. That is all I'm using to the ext. processor.
If you have not bypassed the HU dsp and have xovers set and are checking fronts or rears you should see reduced voltage with a 55hz test tone.
I suspect this may be why your readings are low.
My readings. 
31/35 = 2.72 v
32/35 = 3.36 v


A few things I've found. (In no particular order). 
1- The doors need to be deadened. There is zero in stock form.
2- A good processor with TA and LR EQ is needed to get any imaging. This is even more important if your midbass and tweeter are not right next to each other. The HU you have has limited TA ,front to rear and a single 13 band EQ. Not knocking the HU but it's processing is more for a mini van so the kids can watch movies in the back. Otherwise it has great features.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

I think my settings (crossovers and eq.) at the time were pass through and flat.

I didn't have a DSP on either. 

I have some deading in the doors.

I wonder what you would get at volume 25 ? I get 0.1xx volts, it seems low to me...it might be normal...... I just don't see the logic if the HU can't put out 200mv at low volumes. 

NIce looking vette sublimeZ...thats what I had before my 07 Z06. It sounded better with my $100 2 ways in front and back than this system.


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

ZWOW6 said:


> I just don't see the logic if the HU can't put out 200mv at low volumes.


This is what volume is! Reduce the volume and it reduces the voltage. That's how volume controls work.

They're also designed not to be linear. That's why you see it jump up more quickly at high volume settings.

VOLTAGE IS NOT THE PROBLEM. The longer you insist that it is, the longer it will take you to find the real problem.


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## CraigE (Jun 10, 2008)

1- Are you using all of the HU preouts (RCAs) ?

2- Which one(s) did you check the voltage at ?

3- What are you using for a HP x-oxer to keep your front midbass from playing to low. The HU or amp Xovers, or both ?

4- Please check the attenuation button (ATT) on the front of the HU.If it is activated, the unit will play at about half volume. It's different than mute.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

I assume the installer is using all the RCA on the HU...4 for the main amp and 2 for the sub amp.

I check the voltage on the sub rca's and 2 of the 4 channels .

I think I have the amps crossover bypassed, I have also at times by-passed the HU crossover with gaining anything. The Id ctx65cs are componets so it has a crossover to protect it. 

No the att button is on. 

If I don't have a voltage problem then why does the amps gains have to be turned up to almost max ? 

Do you guys have your Gains set at 80% or maxed out ? I have had mine both ways and still had/have a issue. I didn't set it there, I've had installers, not mine set it there b/c they feel it was nessary giving the sound output the HU was giving. Most installers I have talked to said if I had a good signal to the amp then the gains wouldn't need to be set so high........ maybe they are all wrong ? I know the out put isn't linear... If I where saying I expect to see xxx at xxx I'd be wrong. I will try to find another Hu and hook up to it and see how it does.... I don't have access to another 5v HU.. I will try a 2-3v one probally.. iF it out performs mine...does that validate my theory ? 

also I was told I can hook up a ipod using a 3.5mm jack into the ipod to rca out directly to my amp and see if that produces better sound. Anyone one heard of this ? Could it harm anything ? I don't know how strong a signal the ipod would give ? 

If I didn't have a sub I'd have almost no mid bass. 

ZWOW6


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong... I just need ideas on things to check..... I'm not a dumb Axx.... I want to find out what could be the issue before I change out speakers or other things and paying more $$$ for things I may or may not need.


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

ZWOW6 said:


> I assume the installer is using all the RCA on the HU...4 for the main amp and 2 for the sub amp.
> 
> I check the voltage on the sub rca's and 2 of the 4 channels .
> 
> ...


I dunno. Depends on the amp and speakers too. I've only got 1v outputs AND my source is filtered, so it's really less than 1v, but my gains are only about 30% up on my mids/tweet amp and 50% up on my sub amp. EDIT: Actually, I just checked the manual, and the nominal voltage is 0.3v. 

There's no problem with having your gains at 80%. That's why they make them with such a wide range. 100% is fine too. So is 1%. The problem only comes when your signal is too hot or too low for the amplifier's range. But if you're at 80%, then you're fine.

You complained that you didn't have enough bass and midbass. My guess, without actually having access to it in person, is that one of the following things are wrong:

1) It's tuned improperly.
2) The speakers and amplification are inadequate for your needs.
3) It's tuned improperly.
4) The sub box is too small.
5) It's tuned improperly.
6) The doors are leaky or not well damped, or the baffle is wimpy
7) It's tuned improperly.

At this point, I think your best bet might be to bring it to one of the installers that is giving you advice and ask him to listen to it. See if he can make it sound good, and ask them IN ADVANCE how much it would cost. Then go beat the **** out of the guy who you already paid to install it.

And yes, you can test it with an ipod hooked directly to the amp's inputs, assuming you're not using the HU to do the filtering. If it sounds significantly different, download the manual for your head unit and check EVERY tone adjustment and filter setting listed in the manual... including "loudness" buttons, treble, and bass controls.


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## CraigE (Jun 10, 2008)

ZWOW6 said:


> No the att button is on.
> 
> 
> ZWOW6


If the ATT is on, it means it means it is attenuated.


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## aphexacid (Oct 24, 2009)

My friend has those ID's in a ford focus, without any deadening. they rock hardcore. But he's running a JL 300/4 bridged on them.

sweet spot for all my older excelons i've used through the years was 28. able to be cranked to 32 without clipping.


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

Sorry I meant it is not on ...

One guy I talked to , and believe knows his stuff, wants $400 labor to go through my system and tune it, move the tweets down, adjusted everything.. He also wants my to buy jl tweets to put on the corners of the dash. I'd be in for a $600 dollar bill with him... I think he makes sense about stuff, but he wanted to bridge my 4 chan to run only the fronts and the backs off the HU... I don't think the HU has the power the ID wants... 75rms sould be enough for a front 6.5s right ? 

what do you guys think ? 

Anyone here live in Phx area ?


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## ZWOW6 (May 23, 2010)

Well another issue has come up as of Friday or Saturday. I now have no sub output and very little rear speaker output on the usb and radio. I have "normal" sound on a cd but not on the usb or radio...Ipod is out of car right now. I have seen the sub stop on the cd too, and I checked the amp and all was good. 

So now I have more of a leg to stand on with Kenwood on getting another HU. 

anyone here have such a issue before ?


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