Improve SQ on upgraded system
Thread Starter
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Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 488
Likes: 1
From: MI
Improve SQ on upgraded system
Well after 1 year with my upgraded system I am now wanting better sound quality. Alot of it has to do with the crappy sound source I'm using so looking possible improvements
Setup:
OEM HU (premium 6-CD)
Maxxsonics MX-1 as LOC
Hertz 165's in very well deadened doors driven by now Cadence ZRS-C9
12" Stereo Integrity driven by Audison 1.400
Problem I have is with crappy MP3's, the sound is muddied. Some stations on Sirius have problems too with poor bandwidth. Most of the MP3's I have are at 128 - 192Hz bitrate. Here are (3) options I'm looking at:
1 - Obtain new music and record at higher bitrates. I've lost most of my CD's so this will not be a cheap adventure. Probably go with VBR.
2 - Change format from MP3 to AAC/other?
3 - Get a sound processor - not sure if I will go active though.
I'm not replacing the HU and realize this is a major damper. Living around the greater Detroit area has it's challenges. Has anybody put in a generic HU in behind the console, I need/want to keep OEM look.
Setup:
OEM HU (premium 6-CD)
Maxxsonics MX-1 as LOC
Hertz 165's in very well deadened doors driven by now Cadence ZRS-C9
12" Stereo Integrity driven by Audison 1.400
Problem I have is with crappy MP3's, the sound is muddied. Some stations on Sirius have problems too with poor bandwidth. Most of the MP3's I have are at 128 - 192Hz bitrate. Here are (3) options I'm looking at:
1 - Obtain new music and record at higher bitrates. I've lost most of my CD's so this will not be a cheap adventure. Probably go with VBR.
2 - Change format from MP3 to AAC/other?
3 - Get a sound processor - not sure if I will go active though.
I'm not replacing the HU and realize this is a major damper. Living around the greater Detroit area has it's challenges. Has anybody put in a generic HU in behind the console, I need/want to keep OEM look.
New music would definitely be a costly way to go because cd's aren't cheap and everything else is like $1 a song now. You could always just leave the stock headunit in place and get an aftermarket H/U and just mount it somewhere else like under the seat, etc. It wouldn't be the easiest thing to get to though but its an idea. Or go to a junkyard/ebay pick up a broken oem radio that's like yours, hack it apart so you can have somewhat of a faceplate and basically mount a better H/U in the factory spot and then just use the faceplate when you park so it still looks oem.
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 488
Likes: 1
From: MI
Well, spent the better part of the long weekend updating some of my favorite songs from 128Kb to 320Kb CB from Google Play. Some songs had to get from Amazon which all were 256Kb VBR.
Looks like gift cards for Christmas this year.
Well, the upgraded system just up moved another notch. Holy cow, there were some parts of songs I never heard before, much cleaner. The biggest difference I noticed was on fast hitting drums coming out of the sub. It was much crisper, cleaner and tight.
I adjusted a few gains and cut-offs and my ears are hurting. Can play louder. But, the one downside with the higher res music, I can notice some timing issues, especially with the sub being in the rear passenger corner. I'm still happy and would do it again, just shows there is always improvement.
FYI - I had to replace my original Cadence iA4 amp with a ZRS-C9. No difference in sound output that I could tell, exept both sub/front amps play louder. Seems like the whole setup is more efficient. Gave me the urge to then deaden the rear doors and another level on the front doors.
Looks like gift cards for Christmas this year.
Well, the upgraded system just up moved another notch. Holy cow, there were some parts of songs I never heard before, much cleaner. The biggest difference I noticed was on fast hitting drums coming out of the sub. It was much crisper, cleaner and tight.
I adjusted a few gains and cut-offs and my ears are hurting. Can play louder. But, the one downside with the higher res music, I can notice some timing issues, especially with the sub being in the rear passenger corner. I'm still happy and would do it again, just shows there is always improvement.
FYI - I had to replace my original Cadence iA4 amp with a ZRS-C9. No difference in sound output that I could tell, exept both sub/front amps play louder. Seems like the whole setup is more efficient. Gave me the urge to then deaden the rear doors and another level on the front doors.