How do i improve my stereo?

[The 2010 Sin]

Originally Posted by strauchpete

What didnt you like about the ZR, I mean personally I think the tweeter is very bright. But they are awesome speakers if you like your music really loud and clean.

I mean everyone has there personal opinion but any place in SQ competition you said you use JBL you would get laughed out of the place.

I think the tweeter is brassy and there isnt much mid that come from them they sound really thin and abrasive. ALSO.. how come the world champion for SQ 06 07 08 09 are all from JBL?

You should google my door and decklid speakers, the 660gti's you may think different.

Id love to come to your SQ competitions. Team JBL will be sponsoring me as a member very soon. :-)

[The 2010 Sin]

Team JBL Wins Big at USACi World Finals! Team JBL celebrated yet another incredible season, with team members earning top awards at every event they attended. At this years USACi World Finals, Team JBL took home 14 trophies, four of which were World Championship awards – an accomplishment unsurpassed by any other manufacturers team.
In fact, no other team has outperformed Team JBL since its 2004 inception. One of the teams primary goals is to serve as a tool that retailers around the country can use to increase sales. Electronic Lane Mobile sales manager Van Black says, "In these trying times, we need to take advantage of every opportunity we have. The success of Team JBL offers a huge edge over other brands."
Throughout the season, Team JBL members have opened up their cars and auditioned their systems for thousands of industry peers, car audio enthusiasts, and potential customers, establishing the JBL brand as the best. Vehicles with JBL products "have become the standard to which other competition vehicles are compared", says Chris Pate, 2007 and 2008 Expert World Champion.

[nalinc23]

Originally Posted by CamaroDreams07

Haha if this is a response for me, please show a brand bias I haven't. A clue what to buy

Well in the past I've had Infinity Kappas and they were too bright/harsh for me, Boston Acoustics PRO series (much better than the stockers) which were amazing IMO, and Memphis PRO components that were also amazing (all 6.5's in different cars given about 100 watts per channel). Thats all I can go off. I've also heard a set of middle-range Focals that sounded insane. You really cant go wrong with anything higher end Boston, Focal, JL, Memphis, Alpine, Image Dynamics, or MB Quart in my opinion.

[mrray13]

Originally Posted by strauchpete

What didnt you like about the ZR, I mean personally I think the tweeter is very bright. But they are awesome speakers if you like your music really loud and clean.

I mean everyone has there personal opinion but any place in SQ competition you said you use JBL you would get laughed out of the place.

The tweeter is very bright, overly bright. Remind me of Focals, only difference bieng is that Focal componets will at least give you some midrange. The JLs were weak there.

JBL get you laughed out of SQ? Seriously? Just because it says JL on it, doesn't make it the greatest. Boston, MB, Focal, HAT, Rainbow and the list goes on and on, can all compete with, and beat, JL in the SQ arena. Besides all that, SQ is more about the install/presentation then actual SQ. I mean without throwing the car on an RTA meter and seeing if it flatlines,which would be acousticly boring IMHO, the only thing measured in SQ is the spl output, the rest is pretty much subjective, based upon what the judges think is the best.

[Droid6]

I see everyone here recommend the cleansweep but so far no one has verified if you even need one for the stock deck. If the stock deck is putting out a flat frequency response then the cleansweep is a waste of money. I'm going to do a full test of the audio system with an o-scope as soon as I get my o-scope in the mail.

That being said, if the stock deck is putting out an acceptable signal then your options for upgrading on the cheap are pretty vast.

1. Replace stock speakers running them right off the factory deck. The stock speakers in the non-ba system are shit and reproduce very little low-end. Replacing them with just about any aftermarket speakers will be a huge upgrade (I recommend Pioneer A-series speakers for a good low cost replacement).
2. Replace stock speakers running them right off the factory deck, tap into the low level outputs of the deck to add RCA outs and add an amp/sub.
3. Tap into the low level outputs to add RCA outs, a 5-channel amp, new speakers and a sub.

[The 2010 Sin]

yes you need a cleansweep and a signal summing interface. Thats what i have and it makes 10000000 times cleaner signal than the crap those peripheral brands do. Someone posted they now have two volume controls now because of the JL. and I don't, maybe they need to have it properly set up so they can enjoy it.

Then in june you can pull your clean sweep and sigsum interface and replace it with the JBL MS-8 like me! :-)

[Droid6]

Originally Posted by The 2010 Sin

yes you need a cleansweep and a signal summing interface.

You tested the output of the factory deck?

[mrray13]

Originally Posted by Droid6

I see everyone here recommend the cleansweep but so far no one has verified if you even need one for the stock deck. If the stock deck is putting out a flat frequency response then the cleansweep is a waste of money. I'm going to do a full test of the audio system with an o-scope as soon as I get my o-scope in the mail.

That being said, if the stock deck is putting out an acceptable signal then your options for upgrading on the cheap are pretty vast.

1. Replace stock speakers running them right off the factory deck. The stock speakers in the non-ba system are shit and reproduce very little low-end. Replacing them with just about any aftermarket speakers will be a huge upgrade (I recommend Pioneer A-series speakers for a good low cost replacement).
2. Replace stock speakers running them right off the factory deck, tap into the low level outputs of the deck to add RCA outs and add an amp/sub.
3. Tap into the low level outputs to add RCA outs, a 5-channel amp, new speakers and a sub.

Speakers are only as good as the signal going to them. No factory deck, unless it's the BA version, will have low level outputs. Unless the factory, base model radio has a seperate amp, otherwise it's outputs will be highlevel.


One would be better off changing the deck compared to changing the speakers. A better signal will make the factory speakers sound 100 times better, compared to maybe better running the factory deck with aftermarket speakers.

The Cleansweep, the RF 3Sixty and the JBL thing 2010Sin is talking about, will definitely clean up the signal while allowing intergration of aftermarket power.

[Droid6]

Originally Posted by mrray13

No factory deck, unless it's the BA version, will have low level outputs.

The factory deck has low-level outputs for expansion to the BA amp which should be able to be tapped into to create low-level RCA outputs. Give me a week or so and I'll let everyone know what I find out about the factory setup. I'm in know way claiming that the factory deck is going to be high wattage (I'll see what is is when I get my o-scope) but if the signal coming out of the deck is in good shape (not EQ'd) then just replacing the factory speakers is definitely a good starting upgrade.

[FC_GIBB]

Originally Posted by TonyNo

Adding a sub to the base system is all that is needed, IMHO. Sounds great.

I'm w/ you man. a lil bass added to the stock stereo doesn't sound bad at all.

I installed a PAC (SOEM-T) line out converter w/ remote turn on for the amp. Pretty simple install, fast and easy. having the battery in the trunk makes running power a breeze!

it sounds good to me!

[mrray13]

Originally Posted by Droid6

The factory deck has low-level outputs for expansion to the BA amp which should be able to be tapped into to create low-level RCA outputs. Give me a week or so and I'll let everyone know what I find out about the factory setup. I'm in know way claiming that the factory deck is going to be high wattage (I'll see what is is when I get my o-scope) but if the signal coming out of the deck is in good shape (not EQ'd) then just replacing the factory speakers is definitely a good starting upgrade.

The only way the base deck will have low level outputs is if the base deck has a separate amplifier to power the speakers. I don't think that's the case, which means the base deck will have internal power and thus won't have low level outputs. When you rta it, I think you'll find distortion above 2/3 volume.

Here's an easy way to find out where distortion sets in, get a 1000 hz 0db tone and put it in your cd player, make sure eq is set to flat. Turn up the radio until you hear the tone change, you'll know when that is, and that will give you a really good idea where the radio distorts.

Of course that will change with eq settings, distortion setting in faster the more you eq to + db levels. So one can play with it with their favorite eq settings.

Just something you can play with until your o-scope gets in. I wish I still had mine, lol, but I thought I was done with car audio. I still have my power supply, clamp meters and big wire crimp tool. Gone are my o-scope, Term Lab db meter and several other related tools, lol.

[Droid6]

Originally Posted by mrray13

The only way the base deck will have low level outputs is if the base deck has a separate amplifier to power the speakers. I don't think that's the case

I'm assuming they use the same deck for the BA system so it should have some kind of low level output (at least I hope it does).

Originally Posted by mrray13

I still have my power supply, clamp meters and big wire crimp tool. Gone are my o-scope, Term Lab db meter and several other related tools, lol.

My wife thinks I'm an idiot for buying an o-scope to measure our car stereos but that's the only real fail-safe way to measure for clipping and uneven frequency response before the speakers. Luckily I still own my most of my testicles and do what I want most of the time. I may invest in an RTA spectrum analyzer next.

[mrray13]

Originally Posted by Droid6

I'm assuming they use the same deck for the BA system so it should have some kind of low level output (at least I hope it does).

That would be cool, but I have yet to run across anything like that in years of installing. Usually, while on the outside the look is the same, the premium decks are different on the inside compared to base units. Self powered compared to externally powered. I believe you will find that to be true in this case as well.

My wife thinks I'm an idiot for buying an o-scope to measure our car stereos but that's the only real fail-safe way to measure for clipping and uneven frequency response before the speakers. Luckily I still own my most of my testicles and do what I want most of the time. I may invest in an RTA spectrum analyzer next.

Never wanted an RTA, I was all about output, lol. O-scope definitely comes in handy setting amps/head units, as clipping can kill output as well, and kill equipment. I just got tired of dealing with so much crap and installing/uninstalling 300pd sub enclosure combos. Good luck in your endeavor!

[The 2010 Sin]

Car toys in tulsa and Gary Biggs did my system and they said the outputs from the factory are all jacked up, alot flatter than some systems but it needed to be flatlined bad! :-)