Top Tips for Fine-Tuning of Your Stereo System

Your priority must be the working of your vehicle, whether it’s the AC or the sound system. If you have installed your car stereo system at a local shop then, you might not get an optimum sound system. Some people have different tastes when the balance of the car stereo system is concerned. 

The main factor that will attract all the customers is the adjustment that you can make with a car stereo system. But it is sad when your carefully installed system does not work the way you are expected to do. There are following ways for stereo system tuning so, that it will work to its maximum potential.

• Speaker phase

Speakers of your system must be installed in the phase that means that cones must be vibrating in and out simultaneously. If they are not, you could not have a bass response that will be responsible for the better sound production. It is crucial to access your speaker, even if it is professionally installed.

To check if a pair of speakers in your vehicles are in phase, then listen to bass music with your stereo balance control to one side. Now move the balance control to the center; you must hear more bass. If you do not listen then, your speakers are out of phase. Switch the positive and negative lead on a single speaker and repeat the process. If you hear more bass, leave it. You can use this process to access the front and back speakers separately.

Keep your subwoofer system on, reverse the wires of the sub, and listen for a change in the bass. Again, if it will produce more sound, leave it. Make sure that all the subs are installed in phase with each other.

• Setting your equalizer and tune your subwoofer

Stereo system tuning must be your first concern, and whenever, you are using EQ, make sure to make small adjustment when required. Begin with stereo’s equalizer set flat. All the tone controls at 0 and no EQ curve engaged. When a subwoofer is off, turn on your favourite music at a moderate level, then; gradually enhance the subwoofer output until you hit the sweet pot.  

If the bass sound is coming from behind you, lower the sub amp’s crossover point to delocalize the bass. If your amp has a non-adjustable crossover, then move the subwoofer. For example, when the subwoofer is firing toward the rear, turn it around so; it fires in the forward direction. When the sub is in its location, reassess your phase.

• Producing a soundstage across your dashboard 

Stereo system tuning must produce soundstage. It means that when you keep your eyes close, you must hear the instruments as they are directly in front of you, aligned from left to right. When your soundstage has arranged correctly, it is as if the band is playing music on your dashboard. It is difficult for some vehicles to produce a stable front sound stage. However, you need to do these steps to get the sound you want.

• You need to install bass blockers if your car has small front speakers. To produce louder and clearer sound by the speaker, they will filter out the low frequencies. If your receiver has built-in cross power ability, use a high-pass filter to eliminate low bass from the smaller speaker for better performance.
• If you have a subwoofer (or larger speaker in the back), utilize your receiver’s fader to move the music forward and to turn up the level to carry the bass back into play.
• If your front speakers are installed low indoors, it will negatively affect sound staging. Some receivers have front/back tone controls that increase the front image.
• Adjusting the bass

Good bass is not just for rap, heavy metal or reggae fanatics. If you love classical music, you will be surprised by the quality it brings to your music. A sub can create impact at the low listening level. Play music that have active, powerful bass parts, all the bass parts must produce an even volume level. If you listen bass notes dropping out or booming, examine your phase and try to use different crossover until it is tuned. You can utilize your receiver’s equalization control to make adjustments if your sub is optimized appropriately.

If you want to increase the system’s impact, improve the bass a little bit. It is useful to keep equalization to a minimum, pumping the bass control will ruin your system.

Steps to maximize your system’s working

Stereo system tuning will be beneficial only if your system is not producing any sound. After careful observation, if you notice any weakness in your system then, take these precautions for increasing your system’s potential

• If your system is dull, then, use tweeters to strengthen your front image and increase the liveliness of the system. Many receivers use signal processing to enhance the sound or equalization that can improve the performance of the sound system.
• If your sound systems seem too bright then, keep away the swiveling tweeters from the front speaker. If your systems have component tweeters, examine the crossover for output level switching.

Conclusion

Finally, when you have modified stereo system tuning, you will get to know whether you have made smart purchases. Always think about the future, when you are purchasing anything for your system. For example, if you are saving some amount for the receiver but it does not have quality features then, what’s the point of keeping that amount. So, be careful when you are adjusting your system and use these steps to tune your stereo system.