System tuning advice required.

[b34tBoX 0]

HU: Alpine 9885 (4V)

Front speakers: CDT CL-62 (160RMS)

Rear speakers: CDT 69X (100RMS)

Subwoofer: Fi 12"

Here's how I have them wired.

Front speakers are amplified, rear speakers are running off the head unit.

The rear speakers start to distort at around 25/35 HU volume. Why?

Ideally I would have preferred to have my HU @ ~30/35 for PEAK listening levels.

But as of now, since the rears distort so early I have my front speakers and sub tuned to peak at around 22/35.

Most of the audio is definitely coming from the front and the rears are doing a good job imagining, but I find that I could get much more out of my system if the rears weren't limiting me so much.

What are my options to get more power from my HU and into the amps?

Coles notes:

Front speakers amplified, rear speakers off HU. Rear speakers distort @ 25/35 therefore the rest of system is tuned to max listening levels @ 22/35. Sounds good, but would like more output from HU.

[jcarter1885 995]

I would say either adjust the settings on your headunit but your speakers are going to distort from hu power once turned up to a certain volume. I would just get an amp for those speakers also if you want to keep them in there unless you can change the settings on your head unit.

[b34tBoX 0]

Is it the HU's pre-amp that is giving out prematurely as the volume raises?

I don't want much more audio coming from the rear so I would assume that by adding a small amp then it would allow me to raise the HU volume and therefore I'd obviously back down the other two amps, ya?

Edited December 5, 2009 by b34tBoX

[///M5 2,833]

Fade forward and then I'd be the rears don't distort as early.

[b34tBoX 0]

Fade forward and then I'd be the rears don't distort as early.

Would I lose any sound quality by doing this?

When I tried that, something felt out of balanced, or missing..Imagination?

Edited December 5, 2009 by b34tBoX

[jcarter1885 995]

Which rca jack do you have the subs rca plugged into on the back of the headunit?

[///M5 2,833]

If the 9885 has a sub output it shouldn't.

[b34tBoX 0]

If the 9885 has a sub output it shouldn't.

Yeah, it does have a subwoofer line-out.

I edited my post.

So by fading forwards it's just basically lowering the level of the rear?

[///M5 2,833]

That is all that it should do.

*I have no experience with the 9885, the manual will confirm

[b34tBoX 0]

That is all that it should do.

*I have no experience with the 9885, the manual will confirm

Manual doesn't say anything specific about fade.

Found this on another website:

"Even with just 18W per channel (referring to the 9885), the db6500's (Polk Audio @ 100RMS) component speakers operate well although I'll probably get an amp soon because it starts to distort at around 22 (out of 35) on the volume."

That sounds about similar to me, I'm definitely going to try the fade again.

Thanks guys.

[///M5 2,833]

The manual should state whether the sub output fades...

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

Fade forward and then I'd be the rears don't distort as early.

Would I lose any sound quality by doing this?

When I tried that, something felt out of balanced, or missing..Imagination?

IMO, Fading to the front should help your SQ. You want the image in front of you and the rear to be there but just barely audible.

It's not rear sound stage.

[///M5 2,833]

Fade forward and then I'd be the rears don't distort as early.

Would I lose any sound quality by doing this?

When I tried that, something felt out of balanced, or missing..Imagination?

IMO, Fading to the front should help your SQ. You want the image in front of you and the rear to be there but just barely audible.

It's not rear sound stage.

In that regard my favorite set of rears is one that isn't there at all. No rears at all FTMFW!

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

Fade forward and then I'd be the rears don't distort as early.

Would I lose any sound quality by doing this?

When I tried that, something felt out of balanced, or missing..Imagination?

IMO, Fading to the front should help your SQ. You want the image in front of you and the rear to be there but just barely audible.

It's not rear sound stage.

In that regard my favorite set of rears is one that isn't there at all. No rears at all FTMFW!

True, but I drive a Yukon XL. People in the back appreciate me being able to fade something other than 2 15" woofers their way. I keep it faded to the front riding solo.

[///M5 2,833]

Fade forward and then I'd be the rears don't distort as early.

Would I lose any sound quality by doing this?

When I tried that, something felt out of balanced, or missing..Imagination?

IMO, Fading to the front should help your SQ. You want the image in front of you and the rear to be there but just barely audible.

It's not rear sound stage.

In that regard my favorite set of rears is one that isn't there at all. No rears at all FTMFW!

True, but I drive a Yukon XL. People in the back appreciate me being able to fade something other than 2 15" woofers their way. I keep it faded to the front riding solo.

Only because your front stage doesn't integrate right with your sub. Size of vehicle doesn't matter, but not having enough front stage does. Your other option would be to just turn your sub down, which for SQ (your comment above) will be better for sure.

[b34tBoX 0]

The manual should state whether the sub output fades...

It literally does not give any description for subwoofer level, balance or fader.

[lithium 358]

just test it out, play a sound, tone or music, and fade back and forth while listening to the sub's output.

[KU40 173]

First you have to figure out why the speakers are distorting. My bets are it's either the head unit amplifier clipping or the speakers bottoming out because they don't have a highpass crossover on them. If it's the head unit clipping, there's nothing you can do about it other than get an external amplifier for the rears or else set the gains for your front and sub amps to put out their desired power with the head unit volume lower by turning up the gain. If it's bass that's distorting them, you can get some simple bass blockers to help that out.

[b34tBoX 0]

First you have to figure out why the speakers are distorting. My bets are it's either the head unit amplifier clipping or the speakers bottoming out because they don't have a highpass crossover on them. If it's the head unit clipping, there's nothing you can do about it other than get an external amplifier for the rears or else set the gains for your front and sub amps to put out their desired power with the head unit volume lower by turning up the gain. If it's bass that's distorting them, you can get some simple bass blockers to help that out.

I set the HPF to 80 or 120Hz for front and rear speakers through HU.

The idea of fading to the front seems like the most logical solution to this issue without having to add another amplifier but I might just pick up a tiny 75x2 amp just in case.

Besides, a triple stack amp rack is more impressive than double.