Car stereo REW results.

So the system comprises of the following, all running from the factory dodge 8.4" uconnect head unit via Idatalink AR module, harness (to bypass factory Alpine amp) and an idatlink extension harness to reach new amp location in the trunk.

Amplifier: KENWOOD EXCELON XR600-6DSP,
Dash and doors: KENWOOD EXCELON KFC-XP6903C
Rear fill: Kenwood KFC-P710PS (without tweeters)
Sub: JBL BassPro SL2 (under passenger seat)

Crossover setting for dash speakers:

https://i.postimg.cc/j2spYKZF/20240311-134822.jpg

REW measurements (all taken with Dayton Audio Ummr-6 with appropriate calibration file loaded)

Both dash speakers
https://i.postimg.cc/8Pz2ypFF/Dash-L-and-R-No-EQ.jpg

Left dash:

https://i.postimg.cc/T3yZ6tJf/Left-Dash-No-EQ.jpg

Right dash:

https://i.postimg.cc/pXcg4w8s/Right-Dash-No-EQ.jpg


My question is now what? With no EQ, it sounds not so good. Load AF to be sure, but not near as good as same speakers on factory Alpine amp. I can get it to sound decent with some eq adjustments, but still not as good as before the Kenwood DSP amp.

why so high on the high pass for the dash? had to look these speakers up, they appear to be 6x9s....those should handle down to 80 or 100 easily...

but why does the kenwood sound shitty is the real question...what EQ settings "correct" it?

The dash and doors are a "component " set. 6x9 mid bass in doors, 3.5" coax in dash.
I had bought them on recommendations from Challenger specific forums to replace the stock "alpine" speakers. They zcsounded really good on the stock 276 6channel Alpine amp, but the rears way overpowered the doors and dash. If I ran fader forward enough to balance all speakers, then the sound quality went way down.

I was in a car stereo store to get some small spade connectors to try and swap polarity on rear speakers when I saw the zmp and AR module on sale for $118. When they were new (the amp is discontinued) they would have cost around $500-600. I figured what the hell and bought it. Then I had to buy the harness and extension harness, then solder in speaker wire extensions. All in, I'm at around $1000 in parts. All labor done by myself, natch. Not bad for 6 channels at 75w rms, plus a 200w 8" sub. Its probably bit more than twice as loud as factory amp, but doesn't sound quite as good. Right now, REW shows average at 98db (at my head) with peaks around 105db. Thats with head unit volume at 80%. Once I quit messing with trying to match any house curves, and just play around with graphic and parametric eq, I can get the whole system to sound pretty good.
I messed with it for a few hours this morning and sound quality is way better, but now my staging is fubar. Most upper mid to high seems to come from drivers dash speaker. I'll mess with it more Thursday. If yore really interested, I'll post up more individual speaker graphs, but they'd be with 1/3 smoothing. I don't have any more raw data graphs.

I'm seriously considering plugging the factory amp back in and doing a full 6 speaker graphs to see what is added or missing with the DSP amp.

Looks very technical and complicated. Hopefully you can find a balance between the sound quality and staging so you have the perfect sound!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KevinD

I'm seriously considering plugging the factory amp back in and doing a full 6 speaker graphs to see what is added or missing with the DSP amp.

---

Ah, ok. Component set makes sense.

That's ridiculous that the stock Alpine sounds better - but this idea is good to try out to isolate if its that amp. Maybe that's why it was such a steal :lol:

I figured out the staging. I had all but left dash gains set at -10db. I had done that when I was recording individual spesker graphs, as the app doesn't have mute functions. I eventually had to just have one spesker at a time wired up, and forgot to put gains back to 0db. Oops, lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FBD

Ah, ok. Component set makes sense.

That's ridiculous that the stock Alpine sounds better - but this idea is good to try out to isolate if its that amp. Maybe that's why it was such a steal :lol:

---

I'm very sure its how I have the settings in crossovers, time delay, eq. I think I will plug factory amp back in and recordable speakers. That'll give me a starting "house curve". Remember, I've never messed with dsp before.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KevinD

I figured out the staging. I had all but left dash gains set at -10db. I had done that when I was recording individual spesker graphs, as the app doesn't have mute functions. I eventually had to just have one spesker at a time wired up, and forgot to put gains back to 0db. Oops, lol

---

aw, now that's a pain in the ass!

I'm so confused. Set all eq at 0, Went back to individual spesker sweeps and adjusted PEQ to tame and smooth some spikes. Not much i can do with dips being as the car interior is narrower than some of the frequencies the dips show. Got all curves relatively flat with 1/3 smoothing (am told thats a close approximation to how our ears work). Hooked all speakers back up and played a few genres i usually intense too. Sounded like ass. Put all EQ back to the way I like it, and its better. Still missing something. Dunno what it is. Haven't hooked the speakers back to factory amp yet to graph that response. Maybe the speakers just aren't working well with the 75wrms amp. Lowest rating on speakers us the dash. KW rates them at 50wrms, 100 peak. All others are 100wrms or more.
Frustrated to say the least.

is it just the 3.5s that are giving you shit here? I would not expect that a 75 would necessarily be an issue.....until you're pushing that 75w amp past 50w at those 3.5s :lol:

could you describe that ruckus? I mean, what's the qualitative aspects of "sounding like ass" :lol: