I have the JL 500/5 and I'm wondering how everyone else is tuning their system. Do you guys just go buy sound, or do you really use the test tone method that is described in the amp manual? If you are using the tones, where do you get them?

Also, currently I dont have a sub hooked up (on order, should be here tomorrow), and my system sounds better with the front and rear crossovers turned off. Is this normal? When I switch to HP for the front and rear the sound just doesnt have the 'depth' that it should. Is this because I dont have a sub hooked up? It just seems that that I'm getting the most out of the Polk components up front and Pioneer 3-ways in the rear without using the amp crossover. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

http://www.subwoofertools.com/forum/setgain.asp

You system isn't going to sound the same when you first install it as it will in a week. So just get the gains set and don't bother tweaking too much. The speakers need a little break in time.

I set the crossovers by ear. Using music and test tones from my palm pilot. When the speaker started to distort I raised the hp filter. Once I figured that the door speakers played best with the filter around 60hz I set my subs lp filter to 70hz. The only thing I tweak now is the EQ from time to time and the bass boost levels.

With the crossovers off it will sound better since you don't have a sub installed. The door speakers are playing those low freqs that the sub is suppose to play. If you crank the volume with the EQ flat you'll start to distort the door speakers that's where the crossovers come in to prevent the lows from going to the doors. But like I said give it a week or so to break in it'll sound better then.

 

I called JL's tech support to inquire about the test tones and they referred me to www.autosound2000.com. They said I need disc #104:

http://www.davidnavone.com/detail.aspx?ID=122

Is there a cheaper way to get these tones? Free download?

 

Here you can download some test tones and other things.
http://realmofexcursion.com/
Click on 'Downloads' when it loads and there will be quite a few things for you to choose from.

Always use the voltmete/test tone method...this way ensures you are not clipping anything and running the risk of killing your speakers and/or amp. Unless you have an Oscope and know how to use it...then you will know exactley when your amp is clipping.

For the crossovers...you just need to play around till you find what you like. My comps HP is set on 63 Hz with a 24db slope, and my subs LP is set on 80 Hz with an 18db slope. Be carefull not to set your speakers HP to low, or you might run into some problems when you crank it up. If your subs LP is set to high you will get muddy sound an voices coming from your sub if its real high.

As Impact said, since you dont have a sub, you have no lows unless you have your HP filter set very low, or off. Once you get the sub in, turn your HP on and let the subs play the lows.

 

Click the link I posted there are test tones there and a easy way to set the amps using a multimeter. Then you just burn the wav file to a CD and they will play as a regular CD.

 

Thanks for the links. I downloaded/burned the 50Hz and 1KHz test tones this evening. I'm going to play with it tomorrow when the sub comes in. Just to confirm; I should turn the all the bass and treble and BEE processing off on the HU when I set the gains? Will this not cause clipping when I adjust those settings back up after the gains are set?

 

Set them to flat - 0 - zero. Along with your EQ and turn off any dolby processing, bass boost, DSP, ect.,ect.,ect., You're wanting as close to a pure unaltered sound as possible coming through the head unit. This also applies to the amps, let the signal come through full range with 0 bass boost. I suggest unpluging the stages you are not setting at the time so you can listen for distortion as well.

If you want to get serious about tuning the system get a O-Scope or have a shop with a O-scope set it up. I bought a Velleman HPS10 and tuned my system that way.