Car Audio question. If the sound breaks at high volume...

[MustangSVT]

anyone with car audio knowledge would probably know the answer for this. so thanx in advance

I have an alpine cd player in my car with 2 oem speakers at front and 2 alpine speakers in the back.

At loud volumes, the sound starts to break out. (volume goes to 20s and it starts to break above 16)

by "breaking out", I mean the bass is all distorted and such.

What would be the cause of this??

1)Cd player not outputting enough watts
2)Speakers are not good enough
3)not enough power from the battery?
4) other.

thanx!

 

[woowoo]

2

 

[bmacd]

more than likely, poor quality paper cone OEM speakers. Could also be a low quality signal. Try adding some new speakers and an amplifier.

-=bmacd=-

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: woowoo
2

I second that, unless the amp is clipping.

 

[Sluggo]

If you are just running a high powered head unit, chances are you are pushing it so hard that the internal amp is clipping.

I would assume that if it goes to 20, you are getting distorion above about 10-12, and really overheating the internal amp at 16.

The OEM speakers arent helping anything either, but pushing your head unit that high is giving you lots of distortion on all the speakers, the OEM ones are just breaking up faster than the other ones.

 

[MustangSVT]

Originally posted by: Sluggo
If you are just running a high powered head unit, chances are you are pushing it so hard that the internal amp is clipping.

I would assume that if it goes to 20, you are getting distorion above about 10-12, and really overheating the internal amp at 16.

The OEM speakers arent helping anything either, but pushing your head unit that high is giving you lots of distortion on all the speakers, the OEM ones are just breaking up faster than the other ones.

eh?.. so how can I fix the problem? add an amplifier?
and @ 16 volume, its not that loud... not like those "gangbanger" bass thumping session...
its just loud enough for me to be able to enjoy the music in highway with windows down. And I uaually listen to rock , classic rock.. etc. ^^*

 

[Bassyhead]

i would guess the speakers

 

[Shawn]

you didn't state whether the alpine speakers are clipping too. if they sound ok then it's your oem speakers. if they don't then it could be the head unit. my mb quarts used to sound bad at high volumes when i had them powered by a crappy entry level Panasonic. Now that I got a nice Pioneer and an amp for them I can crank them as loud as I want and they are crystal clear.

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: MustangSVT

Originally posted by: Sluggo
If you are just running a high powered head unit, chances are you are pushing it so hard that the internal amp is clipping.

I would assume that if it goes to 20, you are getting distorion above about 10-12, and really overheating the internal amp at 16.

The OEM speakers arent helping anything either, but pushing your head unit that high is giving you lots of distortion on all the speakers, the OEM ones are just breaking up faster than the other ones.

eh?.. so how can I fix the problem? add an amplifier?
and @ 16 volume, its not that loud... not like those "gangbanger" bass thumping session...
its just loud enough for me to be able to enjoy the music in highway with windows down. And I uaually listen to rock , classic rock.. etc. ^^*

I did my stereo with a high powered 35x4 head unit doing the regular (4 4x6 door speakers) speakers and a 200 watt amp and a 10" sub in a box. The amp & sub doing most of the work to produce the bass (which is where the majority of the power goes in making music) allows the head unit to run cooler and spend its power running mids and highs, which is much less stress on the head unit's small amp.

It certainly wont wake the dead like some of the stuff you hear out there, but that combination does great at giving me plenty of volume in my Expedition, which has a large interior volume. On occasion I have to take my sub box out, and without that, the volume is pitiful, and the whole setup sounds like ass. A small amp and a sub in the trunk wil do wonders for your system.

 

[Doodoo]

I'd say 2 with a little bit o 1.

 

[boomdart]

Check your CD Player's EQ. Turn the bass down. Your CD Player outputs 18w RMS @ .5THD to each speaker. (Assuming its a newer model alpine)

1) Check wiring, make sure nothing is reversed
2) Replace wires with lower gauge wire
3) Check mounting, make sure they are tightly screwed in place with no vibration
4) Check EQ (Vocal - best setting for clarity/volume)
5) Replace OEM speakers
5a) Magnet is in bad condition
5b) Surround is damaged
5c) Cone has "popped" off
5c.a) Check OEM speakers. Sometimes the center dome will simply "pop off" and you can glue them back on with silicone.

Know this, your speakers will not damage if you hear them "distort." However, if you ever hear the speakers start to "clip" you should immedietally turn the volume down. Clipping means just that, the sound will cut off and cut back on, usually accompanied by a chirp noise during the clipping.

Ofcourse, your alpine speakers can also be subject to suckage, but I doubt that in this case. But also know that your cd player will *not* output clean sound at max volume, no matter how good your speakers are.

 

[spidey07]

most likely actually the amp.

as others have said flaten everything out. no bass, no treble, no loudness, no nothing. straight music.

then try again.

Even the crappiest of speakers can handle more power than what a head unit alone can put out (15 watts, MAX)

 

[bonkers325]

get a new car

 

[boomdart]

In reply to what someone else suggested...Adding a new amplifier would be the best thing you could do, supplying clean power is very important. Stock speakers come to life with a good amplifier, and aftermarket speakers usually don't sound their best until they are seperatelly amplified.

p.m. me if you think you might be in the market for new car audio stuff, i'll help ya out.

 

[MustangSVT]

Originally posted by: bonkers325
get a new car

hehehe ^^*

thanx!

I found myself a decent JBC amplifier, Ill try your recommandations and see what happens.
Also, it never "clip"s, just distortion at loud volume.

thanx for detailed steps boomdart

 

[Gurck]

I'm thinking 2, and can't that distortion wreck the speakers? (not that it's any great loss..)

 

[WobbleWobble]

Does your Alpine deck have the MX Expander? Try turning that down a level.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: MustangSVT

Originally posted by: bonkers325
get a new car

hehehe ^^*

thanx!

I found myself a decent JBC amplifier, Ill try your recommandations and see what happens.
Also, it never "clip"s, just distortion at loud volume.

thanx for detailed steps boomdart

fyi - that distortion you hear is clipping.

 

[prvteye2003]

I'd say the speakers. small speakers (and especially small oem speakers) aren't made to reproduce bass. More than likely, you're trying to get too much bass out of those speakers. Adding an amplifier I believe won't help either, as you will just have to 'tune' them at a higher frequency to cut out the bass. You can do that by turning the bass down from your hu. But, aftermarket speakers will handle bass better than those oem speakers. Just keep in mind my opening statement. They are NOT made to reproduce bass frequencies.