New MMC6500's, mids seem too subdued, please help!

MortySnerd

I just got some new MMC6500's installed in my Toyota Camry. These are replacing the EX3560's I lost in an accident. The highs in these new speakers are incredible - clearer than anything I've ever heard, and I understand lyrics that sounded garbled before. I am very happy with this aspect of the speaker.

However, the mids seem overly subdued. The grunt from rock guitar riffs no longer jumps out at me, it takes a back seat to vocals, highs, and bass. Think of Enter Sandman. The guitar should be on the front stage, instead the bass and the highs are.

I've tried adjusting my head unit's EQ but haven't been able to get the results I'm looking for. On my old EX speakers, I just left it on TONE BYPASS and it sounded great. No other aspects of my system have changed. My only suspicion is maybe the crossovers didn't get connected or set correctly. My speakers were professionally installed at Tweeter though. These new speakers are the only new part of my system. Everything else is the exact same it was with my EX speakers.

System specs:
Clarion DXZ835MP
Rockford Fosgate Punch 300X (37.5 watts RMS for 4 channels @ 4 ohms)
Avionixx 800.2 powering my two Elemental Designs 12" subs in a sealed box

exalted512

i dont think you have enough power going to em...
other than that, id check the crossover settings on the amp/headunit, they might have them lower than normal or something...
-Cody

Wattsup

Do the tweeters sound overly "bright"? If so and the crossovers that come with the MM's have the ability to adjust the output of the tweeters up or down 3 dB. It maybe the crossovers are set at a setting other then "0" dB. It may also be the tweeters were wired out of phase. This may or may not have been done intentionally. It's a bit of a preference thing. Wiring the tweeters out of phase can alter the "blending" of the highs with the mids and bass. Sometimes it's subtle and sometimes it can be quite dramatic. Also, check to see where the crossovers cutoff slope is set at. If it's at 12dB set to 6dB. A bigger amp would most diffineately help.

MacLeod

I agree with Cody. That 37.5 is a little smallish for those speakers. 75-85 would be a lot better.

I would tend to think there isnt anything wrong with your speakers. You spoke of the detail. Generally a speaker can have great midbass or great detail. The more you have of one the more you lose of the other. Polk speakers are extremely detailed but I think they lack midbass.

Personally Id take the detail. You can always supplement with subwoofer setting or midbass speakers.

Also, once your speakers break in a little more Id wager theyd come off with a little more midbass.

Thom

As stated above, check the passive crossovers and see what the tweeter level is set at. It's most likely at 0, and if so you can go -3 or -6db which might make you happier. Where are the tweeters mounted?

Wattsup

Now that I've got the entire MMC6500's installed I noticed they don't begin showing their stuff until they start getting a fair amount of power. At the lower volume levels mine tend to have dip around 400 hz to 800 hz. It's not noticable at higher volumes though. Of course, my bias maybe a culmination of them not being broken in and my ear used to hearing the DX's. The DX's are able to produce freqs. lower than that of the MM's yet also have way more overhang. The MM's are close to sounding free of just about any overhang at all. Perhaps, the ear gets used to the harmonics generated from overhang and then when it's not there anymore our ears interpret this as the dip in mid tones instead of a lack of background sound. Of course, this is all just theory anyways.