I graduated with my MECP advanced certification from Installer Institute in Daytona Beach FL a year out of high school way back in 2004 and of course it was 18 months of doing and learning more of my love for audio and a total blast being 3000 miles from my home in CA on my own and young and I got to experience FL spring break with all my buds from the school. Anyway what u said about the audible frequency range for humans especially the midrange and why NOT to boost them too high is one of the first things we learned at Installer institute and it's so true that it's the exact opposite of how most people would think of boosting the mids of dropping them. That brought back some great memories of one of the first things we learned at that school and the amazing instructors who were the coolest and so knowledgeable. I can say that audio components (or any type of technology for thar matter) was a hell of alot different back in 2004 compared to the stuff we got today class D was a new thing back then and meant only for subs now we got full range high power class D amps built into head units that can rock better than some external amps and these days we got super high power high efficiency amps that can power an entire system with just one and some are so small they can be mounted behind the dash totally out of sight. In 2004 that would be like science fiction. Anyway good video and great call on that advice on how to set midrange frequencies as soon as I heard that it brought me way back to Installer Institute and one of the best times in my young life 😊
Don't do this method. You'll distort and harm your speaker more easily. Get a rta (sound analyzer) and then cut down the volume for the louder frequencies. You can get more volume and a better eq preset.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, was into car audio decades ago, life took a detour but im getting back into it. I have never heard from anyone the info you just laid down, though I'm sure, i see, a lot has changed since the late 90's. Awesome video bro, I apreciate you!
DUDE! I have been binge watching car audio videos for a few weeks and this is probably the most helpful video to date. No one is really talking about this topic. Just saw the oscilloscope video also I'm about to tune my system with that. Thanks for the info!!!
@@NextLevelCarAudio , Amazing instructions and information on this video. Bro, do you happened to know a good iOS EQ app that you can recommend? Thanks so much !
Wow it changed my system completely! I’m just a super novice. Your videos are easy to understand. You do a great job at riding the line of explaining for noobys and also making it easy to understand the technical jargon. Great job
good stuff. I tried this today and sounds much cleaner. Thanks! your channel desirve more credit. Also Like the fact that you didnt waste that 25 dollar sub :P no need to destroy stuff
I'm using the standard equalizer on Android. I already adjusted it before watching this video. I wanted to watch this video to see if I was on the right track and I clearly am. You said that it should have a 😃 pattern and that it sounds better with that pattern - I heavily agree on that. My eq settings are: 63+8db, 125+6db, 250+4db, 500+2db, 1k+0db, 2k+2db, 4k+4db, 8k+6db, 16k+8db I prefer doing this evenly because the sound does not sound off when I use even numbers. I'm also using the built in Dolby atmos and the UHQ upscaler.
Got it working. And tuned with your directions.my amp and subs work amazing,great sound no clipping. Got it set to the max without distortion and it sounds great thank you so much for all of you help and videos. I'll record how it all looks and sounds when I can and I'll send the link.
Most times I start flat on my eq settings then work on lows and highs 1st. I always leave my mids last. Most ppl that I know do install tend to do the mids last
It makes sense to adjust your mids last since they're the frequencies we hear the most of its the frequency that can also cause the most hearing fatigue which can cause you to hear things that aren't there and as a result, make inaccurate adjustments to your system eq.
Thanks for this!! I’ve been trying to tune my head unit for almost 3 YEARS! It’s sounds great now! Even got rid of that static that use to be in the background
Thanks man, I thought I set my EQ good until I did the smile setting you taught and WOW what a difference. I’ve been listening to my music terribly these last few months lol
Bro, thank you for this explanation. I just had subs forever and recently put in amp'd door speakers. 3k watts on subs and 1.5k on 4way put 2 alternators in 2 batteries etc. Was getting static and popping and sound cutting out. Played around on my own and worked crossovers and that really helped but I wasn't sure about the EQ. I was playing some sinewaves to test but this 5 mins saved me probably hours of screwing around with the EQ. Having the understanding of the way our ears pick up sound makes the idea of tuning the EQ make so much sense now.
@@NextLevelCarAudio, I’m 49 years old… I remember back in the day, like early mid 90’s doing the smile face to almost everything I listen to:) Thanks so much brother !
This is information is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’ve been struggling to understand how an EQ works can’t wait to play around with the settings now.
This has changed my life I was keeping my eq on my deck flat and had to get my volume up to 23/30 with my gain maxed 😢out to get really kicking base! Now I get more base at 16/30 volume with my base know half way up!!!! blew my fucking mind!!!!! (30 is my stereos top volume)
I think you did a good job overall. Even though I'm not quite a beginner I think that alot of bassheads only focus on spl vs sq. For us to understand this better we'd have to understand what gain and gain overlap is and how compression and music production affects our systems
Did these settings on my pioneer ,bass hit twice and went into protect mode , have 600 watt alpine on 1 12” scar , what do you recommend for the amp settings ? I have the gain almost off btw
GREAT INFORMATION! Thank you for putting this video up. This was a lot of help and I can hear the difference after making this adjustments. You got a new subscriber.
@@gates762x6 the smile is just a rough start, like he said, you tune from there to your liking or sound. For me I stay pretty flat since I have amplified door speakers and a sub. My EQ is more of a small smirk now highs/lows barely above flat.
Just came across this video. And let me tell you. My shit sounds amazing and actually full now. Whenever I’d buy or try to do “research” nobody would really explain and say oh it’s just preference. But the smiley face way and then going off preference after is 👌🏽 I appreciate the help.
Alright so , i do have the smiley face but since i have stock location (Infinity Reference) speakers , my thought was that since i have a 1200w sub amp , then i will have the eq from 500hz and bellow to be flat 0 db since i dont want the door speakers to do bass when thats what the sub is for ... so idk ... tho if i amplify later (i plan to do) the door speakers i can set a low pass and do the full smiley face.
Your reasoning is sound, you might lose some rear fill between the sub and doors tho. Like you said, I’d upgrade and amplify tho. That way you can set filters on each channel and go to town on it EQ. Word of caution, don’t adjust the lower frequencies on EQ up after setting gain on your subwoofer amp. Or it will likely clip
Sorry if this is too long. I appreciate your videos!! Keep up the great work helping us audio enthusiasts. I was wondering your thoughts on tuning the eq with Pink Noise and Sound Spectrum Analyzer. It almost looks like a sine wave instead of a smiley face. I have 13 band eq Pioneer AVH-210EX. Having a -3db slope higher at the low end and lower at the high end, I noticed everything is loud but not ear-piercing. I am running 4-6.5 Kicker CS with Kenwood KAC-8401. Also going to have a Kicker 8 in hideaway for the low end. Would I adjust the eq before the gains of each amp? If so, where should I have the gains at when tuning the eq or does it matter what volume it is for using Pink Noise? Thank you for your time!
Sorry for late eply, gains should be set to match preamp voltage coming from heading for cleanest signal to set your EQ. Definitely set all your EQ adjustments first then dial in your gain afterwards. Otherwise you will likely clip. Pink noise is great as long as it is quality pink noise. I’ve just never personally tuned with it, but know people that do swear by it.
@NextLevelCarAudio Thank you for your informative videos! My sub and amp are coming in today and I've been going through your content for adjusting my gain/EQ to get the most out of my new system. I've not had subs in my car for ~4 years, so I'm super pumped to get my car bumpin again! Got a subscribe outta me
Im running an atoto a6 pro with stock speakers. in an 08 Tahoe.. with boss. I paid the money to have the right harness put in to keep door chime and all that... But when I do the happy face 2 days later i always go back to a sad face.. any suggestions? running 1200 watt to cheaps 12's.... plan to box in the rear later just not there yet lol
I wish that I could talk to u on the phone cuz I have a 2014 Chevrolet spark ls and I have a unique situation 2 15s that are in a ported box the car has 4inch front speakers that I upgraded to ds¹8 and 4x9 in the back I'm running 0 gage wire for positive and negative 1.6k amp zmy 15s are 2000 watts a piece I want to get the most out of my system not sure what to do
What if I got one of the old school aftermarket radios. I don’t have a graphic design like that but I do have the options. So there is no way to tell if I have a smiley face
Yes, I’m assuming you have the knobs? Just turn them up accordingly and you’ll be good to go. For example if you have (bass/mid/treble) knobs. Turn bass up, mid half way and treble up.
I have a soundstream 2500.1 amp and 2 12 inch kenwood subs with a kenwood ddx376bts headunit. Can you tell me how to set the amp and headunit for optimum performance?
As far as amplifier, this should help out: ua-cam.com/video/ChhbQfpV8wk/v-deo.html As far as you head unit, smiley face EQ for most dynamic sound, loudness on off or low, subwoofer level to your liking. The most important setting is your gain on the amp and should be the last thing you set. I have several videos on how to do it properly
I have a small hatchback. Renault Kwid. How can I get a full sound in a small car space and not compromise my 300ltr boot space. I carry my instruments and music gear in there so need all the space possible.
A good set of components (6.5’s and tweeters) hooked up to a small 2 channel amp, and a powered subwoofer enclosure that you can tuck away in the corner of your hatch and in some cases even fit under your seat. That’s what I’d do
@@NextLevelCarAudio thanks for getting back to me... I did check the woofers that slide under a seat... They aren't helpful sound wise... I work at a studio, won't ever get that quality of sound but the under seat one's aren't feasible. The amp idea with the 6.5s makes good sense. Will try that out
I have a question I'm hoping someone here can help me with. If setting my head unit to where I like it the most is what I should do, then why when setting the maximum volume to avoid distortion, and setting amplifier gains, do I need to have the EQ on my factory or aftermarket head unit flat and level? Especially when I don't want to listen to it like that. IE I have a factory radio, I installed aftermarket subs with an amplifier through a line output converter. I keep the base and the mids on my factory radio at zero, but I like trebel full tilt on 5.
Keeping your EQ flat when finding your head units distortion level is mainly for the TRUE distortion level at a flat EQ. For your PERSONAL listening, you’d set your EQ to your liking, THEN turn it up to find the distortion level, and that would be your max listening volume with your current EQ settings. That’s why in his other video he said to tune your EQ before you find distortion. Because your distortion point will be different depending on your EQ.
Setting your gain should be the last thing you do in your system after you dial in everything how you typically listen to it. That way you don’t inadvertently clip your signal when dialing in your eq settings
I always set up my headunit first then tune my amp. I use the smiley face eq for better output. The speaker level and the subwoofer level on the headunit, i max out to get the full volts to my bass and voice amp. But before I tune my amps I find the clipping point of my headunit with the setting I put. After I find the clipping point I use a 40 hz 0db test tone for the bass amp and 1khz 0db test tone for my voice amp. I use a multimeter and lemme tell you my shit can be heard down the block bumping.
setting the sub level maxed out on your head unit usually isn’t recommended by any audio guy who’s about to tune their subs, but hey, if it works for you then send it lmao
Well shit the bed I’ve been doing mine flat for many years with a external EQE kenwood rare Model with smile face and after watching yoir VID on bang on point 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
hey very helpful advice also how did you install a control level knob for high , mids, and lows because I was told u couldn’t do that? Also, could you point me to a video if it is one because I am kinda new to this as well.
I've got a random question... I've got a stinger 10 farad capacitor, just for a lil something extra. And I've got runs of dual 2/0 going to it. And of course its fused. With batteries, you've got to run a fuse between the battery and the amp, but do you need to use a fuse from the capacitor to the amp?
According to MECP standards, any power wire needs to be fused 18” from ANY source of power (Alt, battery, cap). So, if your power wire from cap to amp is under 18” then no. If over 18”, you don’t necessarily have to (Most people don’t) but to play it safe by the book then yes. Especially if it passes through or near metal.
@@NextLevelCarAudio that's what I was thinking, if the cap were to put out a surge of power mistakenly, I could have a problem. so ok, thanks for clearing that up for me!
Great video, very informative. But I have a question, when I'm listening via Bluetooth my rear speakers don't play. Can anyone help with this? Head unit is a kenwood
Hi new sub here, I A little bit of what I have here a pioneer 4200nex head unit with time aliment crossover built in unit source level adj on a skv2 2500.1 for two 10's skar evl in a ported tuned box that I built tuned to 32hz my high & mids are pioneer z series components in the front coax in the rear doors on a pioneer gm-d8604 by the way all this is in a suburban that I use for traveling with the family, now I ordered the smd dd1 in witch I find very expensive but every shop here in Miami says I tune by ear so unless I go back to Tampa where my guy is in clear water whom by the way has a video on my install all pioneer system in a suburban check it out on UA-cam by 5 star stero now the problem im having is my highs & mids amp is clipping @ 26 volume I'm use to 29-30 volume before I changed the sub amp to the skar & thats all I did please advise thank you for these videos very much appreciated.
Hmmm... I would say buy a cheap o-scope so you can actually visually see what your sound waves are doing and when/where they are clipping. Nothing against the SMD gear.... but it does not let you actually see the sine wave. Check out my video here: ua-cam.com/video/hQOPP-l3AMo/v-deo.html
@@NextLevelCarAudio yeah I saw your video on that tool but I really don't understand those tools with the graphic like that makes me feel like I need to goto tech school or engineering a light for us simple folks is more easy-to-use but I'm definitely going to set one of my programble eq to your smiley face if thats cool
@@NextLevelCarAudio before I saw your video I had already ordered the smd dd1 now I'm confused a bit you set the gains with sub all the way up eq up not flat do I do the same thing with the dd1 what should I do send it back wait another week or so till this tool comes in I'm lost need help I've been months build this new set up I really want to here it @ its full potential again appreciated any feed back .
If using a 0-scope, you want everything adjusted to how your are actually going to listen to it (max unclipped volume, sub level, bass Eq, etc) then you set your gain to the sine wave up to point of clip. Done. DD1 has different parameters and requirements... but does it in its own way to give you the same result. Just need to follow the procedures for that device.
So since we have the same HU I jave JVC/Kenwood. I have to ask what Hz settings do you use? For example my sub lpf is 40hz. My tweeter are 4khz. My front woofers are at 70hz while my rear deck midranges are at 80hz. Any tips? All cabin speakers are powered by a 4 channel amp.
I just installed an Axxess integration DSP into my car with 31 bands of EQ powered by a JL Audio XD600/6v2. Going to try to use this advise to clear up the sound. That big EQ gives me anxiety 🫨
hi! hoping to get a respond, even tho this vid is 2 years old, my car is a mercedes benz e class and ive upgraded the sound system quite a bit, so my car comes standard with 1 inch tweeters that i managed to blow, so i replaced them with some bigger aftermarket ones, ive also installed 3x10 inch subwoofers wich i fine tuned to play sharp and not particulary deep. but now im wondering, im kind of a metalhead so i tried tuning the eq on my head unit to hear the guitar better, wich ended up having to boost the middle sound ranges (mostly 300 to 800hz) , while this helped a lot with the guitar sound it also raised the volume of all the vocals aswell wich can be extremely loud sometimes and ruin the flow of the music when i have to turn down the volume. my current headunit settings are: loudness = low, boost to middle ranges, significantly reduced the frequencies from 3400hz to 10 000hz due to the new tweeters are so loud that the ''S'' sound cuts into my ears. ive also cut off my speakers at 80hz.
Great video... I'm having some trouble with tuning my car audio equalizer. I have a clarion eqs 755 equalizer, an alpine iva d310 stereo which also has an eq. I'm using the poweramp app which also has an eq. Any recommendations ? Thanks for your time
When setting the gain, do i have to max my level settings? So for example, for the door speakers i can switch from -20 til +10. So when setting the gain, do i have to put in on +10? And from there setting the gain?
Hey man maybe you help after installing a after market headunit (kenwood) with after market rear and front speakers , no subs no amps, my soeakers sound terrible worst than before, coukdnt even turn up without distortion, so i got a 4 channel amp to power those speakers and my front speakers are so quiet compared to the rear, its bad enoughy i have to turn the head unit volume damm near to 30 just to get some loadness cant harley hear anything at 15, but why is my front speakers so low
I have a factory head unit and a equalizer on my Spotify. Should I use the equalizer on my Spotify? Or should I just raise the bass and treble on my head unit and get the same result?
AGREED WITH ALL OF THIS BUT PRACTICE SUBTRACTIVE EQ AND FINDING THOSE NASTY FREQUENCY'S BY SWEEPING AROUND PEAK LEVELS THEN DROP THAT LEVEL UNTIL IT BLENDS WELL OR TO YOUR LIKING THEN USE YOUR GAINS TO GET THE LEVEL YOU WANT
My truck does not have an eq setting so I do it on my phone since that what I play through. So with that, what should I set the bass, trebel and mids on my truck to?
It will greatly depend on your alternator output capability and condition of your current battery. Safe to say under 1,000 watts you should be okay, any more than that you really need to start thinking about electrical. Big 3 a must. After 2,000 watts definitely a Quality under hood AGM, after 2,500-ish watts eventually a supplemental rear battery and after 3,000, alternator upgrade should be in the works.
Very awesome video, and every single video on your channel. i got a question tho. Do you think you could do a video on how to set up the crossover from the head unit for the front, mids and subwoofers? or what do you think? do you recommend using it or not? Thank you.
how did you connect gain knobs to your mid and high amps?? do some specific mid and high amps have that terminal to plug a knob into like alot of bass amps do?
Clutch dude. Put a new head unit in and the bass was super muddy and clipping all of a sudden but I couldn't seem to fix it. I used your U method and was able to work off that to get it back to normal. Sounds as good as it ever did.
The guy who sold me my unit obviously does not know is own merchandise. I complained about my driver door rattling and he adjusted the low freqs so low my gain controller does no good. I adjusted the EQ back up and I got my base back. Thanks for the tips on loudness.
Apologies for asking such a noob question. But, would i still need to adjust the crossover at the amp after setting the "smiley" on my HU? I'm guessing, yes? Thanks for the informative vid.
Yes, The EQ just boosts or attenuates specific frequency bands and is not a HP or LP filter like it is on the amp. So yes I would for sure adjust the dials on your amp as well for the specific cutoff frequencies you are looking for. Be it HP or LP
I graduated with my MECP advanced certification from Installer Institute in Daytona Beach FL a year out of high school way back in 2004 and of course it was 18 months of doing and learning more of my love for audio and a total blast being 3000 miles from my home in CA on my own and young and I got to experience FL spring break with all my buds from the school. Anyway what u said about the audible frequency range for humans especially the midrange and why NOT to boost them too high is one of the first things we learned at Installer institute and it's so true that it's the exact opposite of how most people would think of boosting the mids of dropping them. That brought back some great memories of one of the first things we learned at that school and the amazing instructors who were the coolest and so knowledgeable. I can say that audio components (or any type of technology for thar matter) was a hell of alot different back in 2004 compared to the stuff we got today class D was a new thing back then and meant only for subs now we got full range high power class D amps built into head units that can rock better than some external amps and these days we got super high power high efficiency amps that can power an entire system with just one and some are so small they can be mounted behind the dash totally out of sight. In 2004 that would be like science fiction. Anyway good video and great call on that advice on how to set midrange frequencies as soon as I heard that it brought me way back to Installer Institute and one of the best times in my young life 😊
The smile for me is too much treble so I lower the high Hz range down a bit and make a smirk.
Same but opposite
I cant tell if this is a joke or not lol
Don't do this method. You'll distort and harm your speaker more easily. Get a rta (sound analyzer) and then cut down the volume for the louder frequencies. You can get more volume and a better eq preset.
😏 like that?
@@krypto95🤦🏼
Thank you, thank you, thank you, was into car audio decades ago, life took a detour but im getting back into it. I have never heard from anyone the info you just laid down, though I'm sure, i see, a lot has changed since the late 90's. Awesome video bro, I apreciate you!
Thanks for the Feedback! Welcome back to The car Audio world!
Wow! I bumped into your video not knowing that I had been doing the right EQ setting all my life. Thanks for this.
DUDE! I have been binge watching car audio videos for a few weeks and this is probably the most helpful video to date. No one is really talking about this topic. Just saw the oscilloscope video also I'm about to tune my system with that. Thanks for the info!!!
Sure thing man! Let me know if you have any questions. Take care ;)
The one you are showing sounds amazing, but ive seen alot of ppl do the v shaped equalizer
Thank you for the info, my system now has life, it literally sounds like a perfect symphony!!
Awesome! Good to hear
@@NextLevelCarAudio , Amazing instructions and information on this video. Bro, do you happened to know a good iOS EQ app that you can recommend?
Thanks so much !
Thanks man. I don’t unfortunately... I don’t use them. Thanks for the support!
@@NextLevelCarAudio do my bass need to be all the way up on my head unit when tuning my amp?
If that’s where you intend on keeping it, yes. If not, put it at the max point you plan on adjusting it to
thanks for the smiley face tip, car is sounding great now!
Hell yeah! Awesome!
Wow it changed my system completely! I’m just a super novice. Your videos are easy to understand. You do a great job at riding the line of explaining for noobys and also making it easy to understand the technical jargon. Great job
Thanks :)
Jus got a new unit and the sound was terrible this video helped a lot 😂👍🏾
good stuff. I tried this today and sounds much cleaner. Thanks! your channel desirve more credit. Also Like the fact that you didnt waste that 25 dollar sub :P no need to destroy stuff
Thanks. Appreciate the feedback!
I'm using the standard equalizer on Android. I already adjusted it before watching this video. I wanted to watch this video to see if I was on the right track and I clearly am. You said that it should have a 😃 pattern and that it sounds better with that pattern - I heavily agree on that. My eq settings are:
63+8db, 125+6db, 250+4db, 500+2db, 1k+0db, 2k+2db, 4k+4db, 8k+6db, 16k+8db
I prefer doing this evenly because the sound does not sound off when I use even numbers. I'm also using the built in Dolby atmos and the UHQ upscaler.
Nice man! Thanks for the feedback
did you only set those settings? and leave the freqs before and in between 0?
This is the explanation I've been looking for. Thanks brother.
You bet
Great video brother. I love your hard work and stereo system. I hope you have a great life. 👍🙏
Thanks bro 10 years hooking up and tuning my own car audio. Best thing I ever heard so far. Keep it up 👍
Thanks man 😎
Absolutely Grateful for your tips. I am struggling to tune my dsp by myself now I know little. My dsp pattern looks like Himalayas! 😂
😝 😆 that’s funny
This helped alot man. I was looking at my radio equalizer like "uuuuhhhh". It looks very similar to yours too. 👍👌
Very well explained. Very technical and to the point. Thanks !
Thanks!
Got it working.
And tuned with your directions.my amp and subs work amazing,great sound no clipping. Got it set to the max without distortion and it sounds great thank you so much for all of you help and videos.
I'll record how it all looks and sounds when I can and I'll send the link.
Cool man. Awesome! 😎
I guess I’m the only person that’s used this method and it actually make my system sound like dog shit lmao
Most times I start flat on my eq settings then work on lows and highs 1st. I always leave my mids last. Most ppl that I know do install tend to do the mids last
It makes sense to adjust your mids last since they're the frequencies we hear the most of its the frequency that can also cause the most hearing fatigue which can cause you to hear things that aren't there and as a result, make inaccurate adjustments to your system eq.
I love your videos .. Always super helpful. Thanks brother!
Awesome, thanks!
“Let’s get loud “ ,put that on a shirt and sell it to me for 15 dollars
😆 good idea!
Thank for the recommendations my new Kenwood radio sound super in my 2020 Tacoma
Awesome!
Your videos have helped me out so much! I can’t thank you enough! Very much appreciated!
Anytime! Thanks for the support!
The best benefit of loudness is for when you have people in the car and can't turn up the volume. It gives you a nice boost for the lower bass .
i call it the STFU setting
Thanks for this!! I’ve been trying to tune my head unit for almost 3 YEARS! It’s sounds great now! Even got rid of that static that use to be in the background
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback. Glad it worked out!
Good to see you again
Thanks ;)
Thanks man, I thought I set my EQ good until I did the smile setting you taught and WOW what a difference. I’ve been listening to my music terribly these last few months lol
Thanks for the feedback! Awesome!
Me too lol
How I set my settings with a pre amp and a sound processor installed?
Old skool rap and beats with also R&B music
Bro, thank you for this explanation. I just had subs forever and recently put in amp'd door speakers. 3k watts on subs and 1.5k on 4way put 2 alternators in 2 batteries etc. Was getting static and popping and sound cutting out. Played around on my own and worked crossovers and that really helped but I wasn't sure about the EQ. I was playing some sinewaves to test but this 5 mins saved me probably hours of screwing around with the EQ. Having the understanding of the way our ears pick up sound makes the idea of tuning the EQ make so much sense now.
Awesome! Glad it helped
If you're playing music through your phone, should you use the same eq setting in the phone or just leave them flat?
Set the phones EQ to flat
Thank you sir this really helped me man I've been trying to adjust my system too many times now this has helped my sound thank you.
Awesome!
@@NextLevelCarAudio, I’m 49 years old… I remember back in the day, like early mid 90’s doing the smile face to almost everything I listen to:) Thanks so much brother !
Hell yeah
Learned a lot. Thanks
Man this video literally answered all the questions I had. I don’t comment much but this helped me out a ton
Thanks for the feedback :)
This is information is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’ve been struggling to understand how an EQ works can’t wait to play around with the settings now.
This channel is underrated. Excellent video man. Very straightfwd!!
Thanks!
Yes it is this guy is awesome
This has changed my life I was keeping my eq on my deck flat and had to get my volume up to 23/30 with my gain maxed 😢out to get really kicking base! Now I get more base at 16/30 volume with my base know half way up!!!! blew my fucking mind!!!!!
(30 is my stereos top volume)
Thank you so much you help me a lot with how to adjusted for gaming Thank you ❤️
Sure thing! Glad it helped :)
Thank you going to try this
👍usually have it set flat
Give is a go, you will hear your music brighten up 10 fold. especially if you have an aftermarket setup.
I think you did a good job overall. Even though I'm not quite a beginner I think that alot of bassheads only focus on spl vs sq. For us to understand this better we'd have to understand what gain and gain overlap is and how compression and music production affects our systems
Yes! Thanks for the feedback!
Did these settings on my pioneer ,bass hit twice and went into protect mode , have 600 watt alpine on 1 12” scar , what do you recommend for the amp settings ? I have the gain almost off btw
Are you using bass boost? If so turn that off. I never use it. If that’s not it, let me know
GREAT INFORMATION!
Thank you for putting this video up. This was a lot of help and I can hear the difference after making this adjustments. You got a new subscriber.
Thanks! Appreciate the support!
Great now bring everything down to 0 or below so you don't blow the speaker 😂
Yeah bro seriously. Copied his and sounded like shit, moved the smiley face down to the bottom half and sounds amazing
@@gates762x6 the smile is just a rough start, like he said, you tune from there to your liking or sound. For me I stay pretty flat since I have amplified door speakers and a sub. My EQ is more of a small smirk now highs/lows barely above flat.
Just came across this video. And let me tell you. My shit sounds amazing and actually full now. Whenever I’d buy or try to do “research” nobody would really explain and say oh it’s just preference. But the smiley face way and then going off preference after is 👌🏽
I appreciate the help.
Thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated
Alright so , i do have the smiley face but since i have stock location (Infinity Reference) speakers , my thought was that since i have a 1200w sub amp , then i will have the eq from 500hz and bellow to be flat 0 db since i dont want the door speakers to do bass when thats what the sub is for ... so idk ... tho if i amplify later (i plan to do) the door speakers i can set a low pass and do the full smiley face.
Your reasoning is sound, you might lose some rear fill between the sub and doors tho. Like you said, I’d upgrade and amplify tho. That way you can set filters on each channel and go to town on it EQ. Word of caution, don’t adjust the lower frequencies on EQ up after setting gain on your subwoofer amp. Or it will likely clip
@@NextLevelCarAudio got it! Thanks
Sorry if this is too long. I appreciate your videos!! Keep up the great work helping us audio enthusiasts. I was wondering your thoughts on tuning the eq with Pink Noise and Sound Spectrum Analyzer. It almost looks like a sine wave instead of a smiley face. I have 13 band eq Pioneer AVH-210EX. Having a -3db slope higher at the low end and lower at the high end, I noticed everything is loud but not ear-piercing. I am running 4-6.5 Kicker CS with Kenwood KAC-8401. Also going to have a Kicker 8 in hideaway for the low end. Would I adjust the eq before the gains of each amp? If so, where should I have the gains at when tuning the eq or does it matter what volume it is for using Pink Noise? Thank you for your time!
Sorry for late eply, gains should be set to match preamp voltage coming from heading for cleanest signal to set your EQ. Definitely set all your EQ adjustments first then dial in your gain afterwards. Otherwise you will likely clip. Pink noise is great as long as it is quality pink noise. I’ve just never personally tuned with it, but know people that do swear by it.
@NextLevelCarAudio Thank you for your informative videos! My sub and amp are coming in today and I've been going through your content for adjusting my gain/EQ to get the most out of my new system. I've not had subs in my car for ~4 years, so I'm super pumped to get my car bumpin again! Got a subscribe outta me
Awesome man! Thank you for the support! Welcome back into the car Audio game!
Im running an atoto a6 pro with stock speakers. in an 08 Tahoe.. with boss. I paid the money to have the right harness put in to keep door chime and all that... But when I do the happy face 2 days later i always go back to a sad face.. any suggestions? running 1200 watt to cheaps 12's.... plan to box in the rear later just not there yet lol
Hmmm… what I’d do is get an external EQ or DSP and set things up that way. Changing your head unit to flat.
Great information. You explained everything clearly and made it understandable. Great job.
Thanks!
Do I set eq on headunit and pre amp equalizer ? Or would I just use the pre amp eq and leave headunit eq at flat ?
Set on one out the other. Not both. Then yes, leave the other flat! 👌
I just realized I got the same kenwood deck...how do you adjust the clock?
Flat eq for me with my titanium dome tweeters will make it sound chirpy, flat eq for anyone else emphasizes midrange
I have kenwood dnx9990hd on my Matrix stock speakers.. So [Loudness]✔️👍
Thanks Brother...I appreciate this video!
Sure thing! Thanks for the support
I wish that I could talk to u on the phone cuz I have a 2014 Chevrolet spark ls and I have a unique situation 2 15s that are in a ported box the car has 4inch front speakers that I upgraded to ds¹8 and 4x9 in the back I'm running 0 gage wire for positive and negative 1.6k amp zmy 15s are 2000 watts a piece I want to get the most out of my system not sure what to do
You can chat with me on Instagram. I’m there @ nextlevel_caraudio
Bro this video just flipped decades of reality for me
lol.
What if I got one of the old school aftermarket radios. I don’t have a graphic design like that but I do have the options. So there is no way to tell if I have a smiley face
Yes, I’m assuming you have the knobs? Just turn them up accordingly and you’ll be good to go. For example if you have (bass/mid/treble) knobs. Turn bass up, mid half way and treble up.
I have a soundstream 2500.1 amp and 2 12 inch kenwood subs with a kenwood ddx376bts headunit. Can you tell me how to set the amp and headunit for optimum performance?
As far as amplifier, this should help out:
ua-cam.com/video/ChhbQfpV8wk/v-deo.html
As far as you head unit, smiley face EQ for most dynamic sound, loudness on off or low, subwoofer level to your liking. The most important setting is your gain on the amp and should be the last thing you set. I have several videos on how to do it properly
I have a small hatchback. Renault Kwid. How can I get a full sound in a small car space and not compromise my 300ltr boot space. I carry my instruments and music gear in there so need all the space possible.
A good set of components (6.5’s and tweeters) hooked up to a small 2 channel amp, and a powered subwoofer enclosure that you can tuck away in the corner of your hatch and in some cases even fit under your seat. That’s what I’d do
@@NextLevelCarAudio thanks for getting back to me... I did check the woofers that slide under a seat... They aren't helpful sound wise... I work at a studio, won't ever get that quality of sound but the under seat one's aren't feasible.
The amp idea with the 6.5s makes good sense. Will try that out
Why does my infotainment screen work sometimes as far as audio then sometimes it skips?
I have a question I'm hoping someone here can help me with. If setting my head unit to where I like it the most is what I should do, then why when setting the maximum volume to avoid distortion, and setting amplifier gains, do I need to have the EQ on my factory or aftermarket head unit flat and level? Especially when I don't want to listen to it like that. IE I have a factory radio, I installed aftermarket subs with an amplifier through a line output converter. I keep the base and the mids on my factory radio at zero, but I like trebel full tilt on 5.
Keeping your EQ flat when finding your head units distortion level is mainly for the TRUE distortion level at a flat EQ. For your PERSONAL listening, you’d set your EQ to your liking, THEN turn it up to find the distortion level, and that would be your max listening volume with your current EQ settings. That’s why in his other video he said to tune your EQ before you find distortion. Because your distortion point will be different depending on your EQ.
Do you adjust the eq after you set if flat to adjust amp gain or before?
Setting your gain should be the last thing you do in your system after you dial in everything how you typically listen to it. That way you don’t inadvertently clip your signal when dialing in your eq settings
I have an jvc anybody knows whats the volume link eq should be on or off???
I always set up my headunit first then tune my amp. I use the smiley face eq for better output. The speaker level and the subwoofer level on the headunit, i max out to get the full volts to my bass and voice amp. But before I tune my amps I find the clipping point of my headunit with the setting I put. After I find the clipping point I use a 40 hz 0db test tone for the bass amp and 1khz 0db test tone for my voice amp. I use a multimeter and lemme tell you my shit can be heard down the block bumping.
setting the sub level maxed out on your head unit usually isn’t recommended by any audio guy who’s about to tune their subs, but hey, if it works for you then send it lmao
Well shit the bed I’ve been doing mine flat for many years with a external EQE kenwood rare
Model with smile face and after watching yoir VID on bang on point 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Hell yeah!
hey very helpful advice also how did you install a control level knob for high , mids, and lows because I was told u couldn’t do that? Also, could you point me to a video if it is one because I am kinda new to this as well.
Just run it inline with your RCA’s. You can add a level knob to any amp that uses rca inputs. Look into the PAC-LC1 for cheapest most reliable option
I've got a random question... I've got a stinger 10 farad capacitor, just for a lil something extra. And I've got runs of dual 2/0 going to it. And of course its fused. With batteries, you've got to run a fuse between the battery and the amp, but do you need to use a fuse from the capacitor to the amp?
According to MECP standards, any power wire needs to be fused 18” from ANY source of power (Alt, battery, cap). So, if your power wire from cap to amp is under 18” then no. If over 18”, you don’t necessarily have to (Most people don’t) but to play it safe by the book then yes. Especially if it passes through or near metal.
@@NextLevelCarAudio that's what I was thinking, if the cap were to put out a surge of power mistakenly, I could have a problem. so ok, thanks for clearing that up for me!
Sure thing man
Best EQ settings 5band
Great video, very informative. But I have a question, when I'm listening via Bluetooth my rear speakers don't play. Can anyone help with this? Head unit is a kenwood
If you can’t adjust that in your head units settings, I’m not sure...
Question about subwoofer level and source level.. is it better to tun these at 0 or is it ok to turn them up and will they introduce distortion?
I turn mines up to give better preamp signal into the amp, then adjust gain accordingly so not to clip
Do you use any of Kenwood's car setting options, if so what would you recommend for a single cab sliverado?
I don’t because I’m mostly in it for spl not sq. But there are some great features if your unit has a onboard DSP
Hi new sub here, I A little bit of what I have here a pioneer 4200nex head unit with time aliment crossover built in unit source level adj on a skv2 2500.1 for two 10's skar evl in a ported tuned box that I built tuned to 32hz my high & mids are pioneer z series components in the front coax in the rear doors on a pioneer gm-d8604 by the way all this is in a suburban that I use for traveling with the family, now I ordered the smd dd1 in witch I find very expensive but every shop here in Miami says I tune by ear so unless I go back to Tampa where my guy is in clear water whom by the way has a video on my install all pioneer system in a suburban check it out on UA-cam by 5 star stero now the problem im having is my highs & mids amp is clipping @ 26 volume I'm use to 29-30 volume before I changed the sub amp to the skar & thats all I did please advise thank you for these videos very much appreciated.
Hmmm... I would say buy a cheap o-scope so you can actually visually see what your sound waves are doing and when/where they are clipping. Nothing against the SMD gear.... but it does not let you actually see the sine wave. Check out my video here:
ua-cam.com/video/hQOPP-l3AMo/v-deo.html
@@NextLevelCarAudio yeah I saw your video on that tool but I really don't understand those tools with the graphic like that makes me feel like I need to goto tech school or engineering a light for us simple folks is more easy-to-use but I'm definitely going to set one of my programble eq to your smiley face if thats cool
Hell yeah man.
@@NextLevelCarAudio before I saw your video I had already ordered the smd dd1 now I'm confused a bit you set the gains with sub all the way up eq up not flat do I do the same thing with the dd1 what should I do send it back wait another week or so till this tool comes in I'm lost need help I've been months build this new set up I really want to here it @ its full potential again appreciated any feed back .
If using a 0-scope, you want everything adjusted to how your are actually going to listen to it (max unclipped volume, sub level, bass Eq, etc) then you set your gain to the sine wave up to point of clip. Done. DD1 has different parameters and requirements... but does it in its own way to give you the same result. Just need to follow the procedures for that device.
So since we have the same HU I jave JVC/Kenwood. I have to ask what Hz settings do you use? For example my sub lpf is 40hz. My tweeter are 4khz. My front woofers are at 70hz while my rear deck midranges are at 80hz. Any tips? All cabin speakers are powered by a 4 channel amp.
I just installed an Axxess integration DSP into my car with 31 bands of EQ powered by a JL Audio XD600/6v2. Going to try to use this advise to clear up the sound. That big EQ gives me anxiety 🫨
Great vid. Can someone point me in right direction of how go get knobs installed on mids and tweeters? I already have for my subwoofer. Thanks
Get some inline rca controllers like the PAC-LC1 run then inline with your mid/high amps and you good to go
BRO I JUST BOUGHT A V6 CAMARO AND THIS IS FUCKING BEAUTIFUL !!!! GOT RID OF THE STATIC AND THIS IS AMAZING !!!! ❤️
hi! hoping to get a respond, even tho this vid is 2 years old, my car is a mercedes benz e class and ive upgraded the sound system quite a bit, so my car comes standard with 1 inch tweeters that i managed to blow, so i replaced them with some bigger aftermarket ones, ive also installed 3x10 inch subwoofers wich i fine tuned to play sharp and not particulary deep. but now im wondering, im kind of a metalhead so i tried tuning the eq on my head unit to hear the guitar better, wich ended up having to boost the middle sound ranges (mostly 300 to 800hz) , while this helped a lot with the guitar sound it also raised the volume of all the vocals aswell wich can be extremely loud sometimes and ruin the flow of the music when i have to turn down the volume. my current headunit settings are: loudness = low, boost to middle ranges, significantly reduced the frequencies from 3400hz to 10 000hz due to the new tweeters are so loud that the ''S'' sound cuts into my ears. ive also cut off my speakers at 80hz.
Thank you so much! My sound system sounds so much louder and cleaner now 👌🏽 best eq settings!
Thanks for the feedback!
Great video... I'm having some trouble with tuning my car audio equalizer. I have a clarion eqs 755 equalizer, an alpine iva d310 stereo which also has an eq. I'm using the poweramp app which also has an eq. Any recommendations ? Thanks for your time
When setting the gain, do i have to max my level settings? So for example, for the door speakers i can switch from -20 til +10. So when setting the gain, do i have to put in on +10? And from there setting the gain?
Thanks Bro! Great Video! I have been wondering how to do this. Finally I understand. 👌
Hey man maybe you help after installing a after market headunit (kenwood) with after market rear and front speakers , no subs no amps, my soeakers sound terrible worst than before, coukdnt even turn up without distortion, so i got a 4 channel amp to power those speakers and my front speakers are so quiet compared to the rear, its bad enoughy i have to turn the head unit volume damm near to 30 just to get some loadness cant harley hear anything at 15, but why is my front speakers so low
I have a factory head unit and a equalizer on my Spotify. Should I use the equalizer on my Spotify? Or should I just raise the bass and treble on my head unit and get the same result?
Nvm I set my Spotify equalizer to what I wanted and flattened the hu and then set my gain with the o scope and it sounds so much better and cleaner
This video helped a lot! Thanks man 🙏
I have a question. Say your touch screen is messed up. How do you set the settings without the touch screen?
change your head unit lol
AGREED WITH ALL OF THIS BUT PRACTICE SUBTRACTIVE EQ AND FINDING THOSE NASTY FREQUENCY'S BY SWEEPING AROUND PEAK LEVELS THEN DROP THAT LEVEL UNTIL IT BLENDS WELL OR TO YOUR LIKING THEN USE YOUR GAINS TO GET THE LEVEL YOU WANT
Tks from BRAZIL bro! I have a Sony WH-XB900N headphone. Should I use these same EQ settings? The happy face? Lol
For the brightest sounding output, yes. It will give you the most dynamic sound ;)
@@NextLevelCarAudio thank you!!! 😍
Sure thing!
So you adjust head unit AND preamp equalizer to smiley face?
you should use only one or the other
My truck does not have an eq setting so I do it on my phone since that what I play through. So with that, what should I set the bass, trebel and mids on my truck to?
Ive got a question, how much watts can i push a system on stock electrical? Just until i get enough for big 3. Thanks
It will greatly depend on your alternator output capability and condition of your current battery. Safe to say under 1,000 watts you should be okay, any more than that you really need to start thinking about electrical. Big 3 a must. After 2,000 watts definitely a Quality under hood AGM, after 2,500-ish watts eventually a supplemental rear battery and after 3,000, alternator upgrade should be in the works.
Just to be clear you should set up your eq to perfect and then start messing with the gain on your amp for mids?
Yes sir, gain should be the very last thing you touch
@@NextLevelCarAudio ok thank you btw your vids helped a lot so I subscribed
Thanks for the support!
Very awesome video, and every single video on your channel. i got a question tho. Do you think you could do a video on how to set up the crossover from the head unit for the front, mids and subwoofers? or what do you think? do you recommend using it or not? Thank you.
Thanks for the feedback! I can cover that in one of my upcoming videos. If you got a quality head unit then yes, no problem at all to use them ;)
how did you connect gain knobs to your mid and high amps?? do some specific mid and high amps have that terminal to plug a knob into like alot of bass amps do?
Clutch dude. Put a new head unit in and the bass was super muddy and clipping all of a sudden but I couldn't seem to fix it. I used your U method and was able to work off that to get it back to normal. Sounds as good as it ever did.
Best 5band eq setting pioneer headunit
The guy who sold me my unit obviously does not know is own merchandise. I complained about my driver door rattling and he adjusted the low freqs so low my gain controller does no good. I adjusted the EQ back up and I got my base back. Thanks for the tips on loudness.
Fr bro I'm really diggin your channel it's good I think you're gonna blow up! It'll be you Parker dachille and budget bust or gems
Thanks man! Appreciate it
ONG this us probably the most useful guide I've seem on this! Thank u so much man!
You bet :)
Apologies for asking such a noob question. But, would i still need to adjust the crossover at the amp after setting the "smiley" on my HU? I'm guessing, yes?
Thanks for the informative vid.
Yes, The EQ just boosts or attenuates specific frequency bands and is not a HP or LP filter like it is on the amp. So yes I would for sure adjust the dials on your amp as well for the specific cutoff frequencies you are looking for. Be it HP or LP