DB6501 - extremely bright after new install.
musicmaster
Posts: 5
I picked up my 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT on Friday and put in all-new speakers this weekend to replace the stock paper cones that came with it. I'm using the stock head unit with no extra amp. Factory tweeters were just using a resister. Replaced with component sets for the front and coaxial sets for the back.
Although the sound is much cleaner than before, it seems like there is WAY too much treble in my music, something that becomes extremely apparent as I increase volume. I set the front crossovers sets to -3db for the tweeters and have to set the treble to -7 (out of +/- 10) on the head unit to sound halfway decent.
I purchased the following speakers.
Polk DB6501 and Polk DB651
Crutchfield says the speakers are rated for a minimum of 10w... not sure if my headunit outputs that or not. I'm not so wild about getting an external amp as that requires a lot of wiring. I'm not sure if I should return these and get something else
Although the sound is much cleaner than before, it seems like there is WAY too much treble in my music, something that becomes extremely apparent as I increase volume. I set the front crossovers sets to -3db for the tweeters and have to set the treble to -7 (out of +/- 10) on the head unit to sound halfway decent.
I purchased the following speakers.
Polk DB6501 and Polk DB651
Crutchfield says the speakers are rated for a minimum of 10w... not sure if my headunit outputs that or not. I'm not so wild about getting an external amp as that requires a lot of wiring. I'm not sure if I should return these and get something else
Post edited by musicmaster on
Comments
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It could be something with your headunit. I run 2 sets of db6501's and dont find them overly bright, but they are a bit agressive. Personally I dont mind it.
I run them off a dedicated amp (100+ watts x 2) and a non factory headunit though so YMMV.
I would say if you dont like them, either get a new headunit, or switch them with others as you may just not like their sound at all. Your headunit should be able to put out 10 watts easy I would hope."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
EndersShadow wrote: »It could be something with your headunit. I run 2 sets of db6501's and dont find them overly bright, but they are a bit agressive. Personally I dont mind it.
I run them off a dedicated amp (100+ watts x 2) and a non factory headunit though so YMMV.
I would say if you dont like them, either get a new headunit, or switch them with others as you may just not like their sound at all. Your headunit should be able to put out 10 watts easy I would hope.
New headunit isn't really an option as the factory one integrates extremely well with the rest of the car (voice commands, bluetooth, steering controls, car settings etc)
I plan on getting the Kenwood slim subwoofer in the coming months to fit under the driver's seat. -
Gonna be hard to fix without some EQ'ing. Its the problem you'll face with entry level speakers and and factory sound systems - they don't sound their best out of the box.
Bi-amping would be an easy way to fix the tweeter level but the biggest problem is not just the tweeter being too loud but the crossover point is too low and you're getting upper midrange thru your tweeters which can be pretty harsh.
You can buy a 4 channel amp and use it with your factory head unit or you could look into building your own passive crossover.
You can also flip the phase of your tweeters. This wont lower the level but can make them blend better with the midrange which will clean up the sound a little. Give that a try first and see what of does.polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
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Gonna be hard to fix without some EQ'ing. Its the problem you'll face with entry level speakers and and factory sound systems - they don't sound their best out of the box.
Bi-amping would be an easy way to fix the tweeter level but the biggest problem is not just the tweeter being too loud but the crossover point is too low and you're getting upper midrange thru your tweeters which can be pretty harsh.
You can buy a 4 channel amp and use it with your factory head unit or you could look into building your own passive crossover.
You can also flip the phase of your tweeters. This wont lower the level but can make them blend better with the midrange which will clean up the sound a little. Give that a try first and see what of does.
The only two reasons why I haven't really been wild about putting in an amp is: tearing up my car for wiring. It's a brand new model for 2013, so there aren't any guides yet. Also, It's a small carthat I will use for camping etc, so I need all the room I can get. Having an amp in the trunk isn't an option. Maybe can I put it where the factory amp would be if I got the nav system? -
musicmaster wrote: »The only two reasons why I haven't really been wild about putting in an amp is: tearing up my car for wiring. It's a brand new model for 2013, so there aren't any guides yet. Also, It's a small carthat I will use for camping etc, so I need all the room I can get. Having an amp in the trunk isn't an option. Maybe can I put it where the factory amp would be if I got the nav system?
Many 2 channel amps (and even some 4 channel ones) are small, you might even be able to place it beneath the driver or passengers seat. Polk makes some decent amps that are very inexpensively priced and would drive your speakers quite well. In addition they constantly have refurbished ones on their ebay site (link here) that are factory direct and have a warranty. So you can save some cash as well.
It is possible to find a good balance between installing an amp and not losing tons of trunk space. I have 2 somewhat large amps in my Jetta and didnt lose much space at all. The sub box on the other hand made me lose a bunch of space lol. Just make sure you give the amp some breathing room or come up with a cooling solution such as putting a small computer fan to blow air over it."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
I had the same problem when I replaced the speakers in my Prius c with db6501/db651... I ended up disconnecting the tweeters on the db6501s since you can't adjust the db651s this helped to balance out the sound also turning down the mids helps a bit too vs the highs if you can
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musicmaster wrote: »
New headunit isn't really an option as the factory one integrates extremely well with the rest of the car (voice commands, bluetooth, steering controls, car settings etc)
No argument there, with me anyway. Since factory radios don't have low level outputs, you need an LOC or line out converter that converts high level speaker to low level amp outputs. Don't skimp on LOC's.
When retaining factory radio, best course is use highest efficiency speakers you can. IIRC your Polks are rated at 92dB so that is good.
I used an Audio Control LC7i to add a 5 channel amp to my 'Bu. It has adjustable output. I first check with scope at what volume level the head unit clips, then stay below that volume level. With head unit set at max volume before clipping, I adjust LOC to below where it clips. It has LED that lights up when your output is clipping so if you don't have a scope, use the LED. Very nice unit.
I'm using Focal component and coaxial door speakers, JL Audio sub in trunk. My Focals are rated at 92dB, but they really sound better with amp, at both low and high level listening. Car has low road noise on expressway so I don't have to crank it up to enjoy it.
One thing about factory radios is the chimes are usually sent to speakers, or at least driver seat speaker. If you use a really high wattage amp, the tones can be loud. My turn signal dinger sounds like it is on high with factory radio though set to low. My amp is 40WPC.
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Head Unit most likely Eq'ed to make up for stock speakers lacking treble.
So at the zero position of treble, there is really still a substantial boost of the upper sounds.
