Considering going active would like advice.

[altoncustomtech 773]

There is a start.  What don't you like about like about the passive results?

 

ie, it is always better to go about something relatively as it is much easier to define how to deal with the concern.  Exactly why I tell everyone to not jump in head first and buy what you think is your final set of drivers right away.  EVERY install you will learn something and want something to change.  This is the audio disease that we all have otherwise we wouldn't be here which means research to find the "best" solution right away will never lead you there.  Better to invest in things you can resell, but are improving the concerns you have right now than to go straight to the holy grail since like in real life it doesn't exist.

 

Fantastic bit of advice and information right here.  As with anything, it would be great to only have to do it once, but if it were that easy the hobby wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

[SS Teacher 177]

There is a start.  What don't you like about like about the passive results?

 

ie, it is always better to go about something relatively as it is much easier to define how to deal with the concern.  Exactly why I tell everyone to not jump in head first and buy what you think is your final set of drivers right away.  EVERY install you will learn something and want something to change.  This is the audio disease that we all have otherwise we wouldn't be here which means research to find the "best" solution right away will never lead you there.  Better to invest in things you can resell, but are improving the concerns you have right now than to go straight to the holy grail since like in real life it doesn't exist.

The best way to describe it was the sound stage was too low.  I was satisfied with the JBL power series components, but I greatly preferred the Boston Acoustics Rally series components in my truck from 1995, I had the tweeters mounted much higher in the door, but I had the top of the line Alpine DSP EQ- the unit itself was under the seat and it came with a DIN sized control unit, I was very happy with that, but this was the first install where I used the factory HU and I just don't like it.  The mids are muddy and flat, the Audio Control EQ has helped a lot, but it just isn't that crystal clear, bright, but not harsh sound I've enjoyed in the past.  My Scion Xb's base Pioneer HU with 25X4 bazooka amp and bazooka coaxles sounds much better to me and those are seriously inferior products.  With the 80PRS I'm going to power and EQ and X-over my current speakers, I'm a little nervous, but I'm going to try it myself this summer.

[///M5 2,833]

What do you mean by the stage is too low?

What about the Rally series in your truck did you prefer (not the physical mounting, but the sound)?

What do you mean by "muddy" and "flat"?

How did the AC EQ help? ie, what did you do setting wise to get ride of or resolve what?

What about it is harsh?

How is the bazooka stuff sounding "better"?

Nailing down these sort of details will really help determine the best fix.

 

Difficulty is now.  My definition of muddy, flat, better etc are different than yours.  Putting it into a subjective response of what it does to a song that makes you not like it would help a ton.  Just don't use trite terminology to describe, but instead use specifics.

[SS Teacher 177]

When I close my eyes I want to feel that I'm sitting in the audience and the stage is elevated and in front of me.  The truck install with high tweeters made me feel closer to that.  With the tweeters low, mounted next to the woofer in the Challenger, it sounded like the music was a little lower than me, when I placed the tweeters in the dash, firing up and reflecting off the glass it "lifted the sound stage", but the 20mm metal tweeters can get really harsh and produce fatigue.

 

The Scion Xb is really open and it has 6 1/2"s in the doors and 3 1/2"s in the dash, its brighter and produces a better balance between the mids and highs.  The stock HU has 3 simple processor options- hear, feel, and something else, I don't remember, but the feel setting was much "brighter" in my opinion.  It's probably just a simple graphic or parametric EQ, but huge difference from the Challenger's stock HU which just has bass, treble, and mid adjustments- all of which did little to help.

 

When I run CDs or my iPhone in the Challenger it sounds so much different than when I run the radio.  The radio is terrible compared and I still enjoy radio so upgrading to the Pioneer will hopefully sound much better.  Satellite radio sounds like tinny ass, radio is meh.., Digital content is best in terms of clarity and not that "muddy or flat".  Too much mid maybe?

 

I'm heading home now, I'll pick a few songs and listen to them several times and describe some of the instruments.  Music is indeed subjective and a little difficult to describe.  Thanks //M5.

 

The Audio Control was installed at a local shop, no boost only cuts to several of the high frequencies.