Better audio quality in the MP3?

[DooMer_MP3]

Alright, I'm just curious here. I've got the stock MP3 audio setup (Z919 head unit). What could I do to make my stuff sound better at loud volumes? I don't know if its my settings, or more likely the headunit's amp giving up, but my mids-highs sound pretty droning at higher volumes. Kind of piercing. I'd like to do something to make these sound better. What would I need to replace/add? Add an amp? Different speakers? Both? I'm not looking to spend a lot (less than $200), because frankly, I don't give much of a s***, I just want to improve it .

Chris

 

[sndsgood]

i'm not sure how the systems are setup in the mazda's but if the fronts are playing full range and u have a sub. best thing to do for the least amount of money is to buy some small capaciters for the front speakers to keep the bass out of them.

 

[MisterT]

I would add an amp. They are Excelon series of the Kenwood line up so they can handle the extra juice. With HU power, you are going to distort much quicker versus having a clean amp. An inexpensive Alpine amp and the front speakers and keep the head unit's power to the rear would be a good improvement. The extra money could go in to an 8 gauge wire kit (depending on the size amp).

 

[servoeyes]

I don't think the speakers in the MP3 are actually eXcelons...there were some complaints to that effect. Even if they were, adding more power only increases the audibility of the flaws. That's why my MSP speakers are for sale...they sound good off HU power, but not great. Go listen to a bunch of other speakers and decide how much you want to spend. You could get a top-end set of coaxials for about 150$, or go for components. Coaxials will be easier to use off of the HU, but most component sets I would recommend getting an amp for.

If the Kenwoods are too harsh for you, go listen to JL TR and VR series, Boston Acoustics stuff, Alpine, and Eclipse. You can even get the TRs and VRs as components that'll sound good off of HU power but still have the capacity to handle 50-75W from and amp later on. These are really the brands that I like for your options.

Your best bet is to set a price range and go listen to everything that you can find, and listen to it loud. Kenwoods will generally sound barky. JLs are very smooth as are Eclipse and JL in my expereince. Alpine is nice as well, but I tend to think they are overpriced to some extent. Listen to infinity as well, but I don't really like their stuff. Even listen to Pio, but note that they are on a lower quality level than most of the above.

 

[1sty]

I thinkthe MP3 speakers actualy were excelons, I can't remember.
Not exactly relevent though at the moment.

Doomer, you have described a 2 part problem.
1. You don't seem to like the tonal quilty of the kenwoods (who would)
The best solution to this is to go to several stores and take some CDs with you. Listen to many speakers and by what your ears like the best.
2. You also describe getting distortion in the audiobefore ubtaining the volume level you want. The only way to cure this is to add an amplifier to the door speakers. Amp the front only with alot of power and I guarentee you'll be happy. Keep the rear speakers powered by the radio. A small 4 channel can often be bridged to give a reaqlly good amount of power to 2 speakers.


Giving your budget, I would change nothing. There are no speakers that are plesant to my ears for only 100/pair and certainly no amp with enough power to be worth buying. Now with $500 we can do some amazing things.

 

[servoeyes]

Wow...I totally missed your budget. 1sty's right...for 200$ you're kind of stuck to just replacing the speakers with something of better tonal quality. The brands that I suggested before will still work. I personally suggest listening to Boston Acoustics' FS and NX series of speakers, JL Audio's TR series, Alpine's Type R coaxials, and Eclipse's Coaxials. That'll keep you under 200$ and still give you room to upgrade a little when you have more money. But that's just me if I was in your situation.

 

[cthomp21]

Your best bet would be a modest 4ch amp along with some form of high-pass crossover (internal on the amp or some caps on the speakers) set to around 70Hz.

You'd be surprised what 50+ "real" watts on tap along with sending only frequencies the speaker is physically capable of producing can do. It should help give your mid-bass some good kick, and you should be able to use the tuning features on the head unit to turn down the brightness on the highs.

Might also want to try a pair of these Crystals for $46 for the front doors if you go the route of swapping speakers.

http://www.infinitecaraudio.com/cgi-bin/icastore.cgi?user_action=detail&catalogno=CXE570

 

[Poseur]

Don't those decks allow setting crossover points? I had an older version, but I used to always set my front and rear HP's to 80 and 120hz. This might be a tuning method you can use to improve things without spending any money.

If this isn't the case, or if that really doens't do the trick, I'm for the amp 'em route. Any respectable amp should have a highpass crossover anyway. and DO NOT amp the rears, just front. trust us on this. Assing power to rears only throws noise at the back of your head. The speakers are decent. Nothing spectacular, but if you give them more power they should be happy.

 

[servoeyes]

Don't those decks allow setting crossover points? I had an older version, but I used to always set my front and rear HP's to 80 and 120hz. This might be a tuning method you can use to improve things without spending any money.

If this isn't the case, or if that really doens't do the trick, I'm for the amp 'em route. Any respectable amp should have a highpass crossover anyway. and DO NOT amp the rears, just front. trust us on this. Assing power to rears only throws noise at the back of your head. The speakers are decent. Nothing spectacular, but if you give them more power they should be happy.

My Kenwood's weren't...they proved to be even more barky and harsh. If you have a tweeter in the sail panel (I'm not sure if they did in the MP3) then disconnect that...it'll help a little. But even with only 50W, the tonal flaws of the speaker became severly apparent...that is why I bought components.

 

[Micah]

I have two 50Wx4 Amps running in my car. Trust people who tell you that 50W from a real amp vs. 50-80W from a head deck is going to be night and day. Most people who get in my car ask me if I am running 800W, and are amazed when I tell them that the car is total 400W with only 200W going to the 2 12" subs in a sealed (dual enclosure with center wall) box.

Oh yeah, I need to upgrade my sig, I just purchased new subs. Giving the old subs in the box to a friend for $20. Not a bad deal for two 12" subs and enclosures.

I picked up 2 MTX 6124A for 89.99 each at Circuit City. They had a free Enclosure deal running so it worked out.

 

[MisterT]

If you go with just replacing the speakers, Infinity Reference I hear are good for using head unit power. It would be inexpensive too.

 

[DooMer_MP3]

Ok, thanks for the replies. So is tonal quality a function of the speaker? The amp? Both? "Tonal Quality" sounds like precisely what I am not happy with. I've always heard that using a REAL amp (something better than the crap in the HU) is like night and day. When my Z919 goes above 18 or so on the volume, thats when it begins to sound pretty harsh to me.

EDIT: Oh BTW, it looks like they ARE indeed Excelons.

Chris

 

[DooMer_MP3]

Also, when I move back to Milwaukee and live in the city, I won't want the non-detachable face of the Z919 (still irks me to this day). I've been looking at the Pioneer Premier DEH-P760MP a lot that goes on eBay for ~$220 new. Are these decent head units? Will I notice *any* change in quality? What about adding a small amp for the fronts as suggested to that?

Chris

 

[1sty]

So is tonal quality a function of the speaker? The amp? Both?

90% of it is the speakers.

Distortion is the amps issue.

The harness you are hearing is partialy the distortion in the system as you try to puch it when there is no power left to be used. Be sure to get loudness and any sound boosting circuits off before spending any money.

 

[1sty]

Also, when I move back to Milwaukee and live in the city, I won't want the non-detachable face of the Z919 (still irks me to this day). I've been looking at the Pioneer Premier DEH-P760MP a lot that goes on eBay for ~$220 new. Are these decent head units? Will I notice *any* change in quality? What about adding a small amp for the fronts as suggested to that?

Chris

The deck is fine alough I would not touch one off of ebay.

 

[sndsgood]

bass takes allot of power to generate. cut the bass out to the speakers and they will be able to take more volume. cutting the bass out of your front speakers means u can turn the volume up higher. cut the frequencies out of the speaker that are creating the problem and the problem goes away to a point, if you wanting tonal accuracy though u have to spend some money. i'd say the cheapest route would be to get a good quality headunit that has good built in power(ha ha) and one that has a built in eq and build in crossover, this may run u a bit more money but by doing this u can cut the bass out of the front speakers wich will improve the sound and by having a built in eq u can at least cut adjust the sound to your liking, for a 200$ budget your going to be hard pressed to get great accuracy though.

 

[DooMer_MP3]

Alright, I guess I'll have to save some more money then. But this is much less important to me than my ultimate plans of a turbo kit this summer . I'll probably get a new head unit soon though so I have detachable face, at least.

Chris

 

[Poseur]

if you're not planning on running an amp, since you're gonna get a new deck anyway, lookinto Alpine hu's. Many of them actually require amp wiring kits because they produce somuch power.

Apart from that, speakers are the next step. But most really clean speakers are gonna take alot more power to get anything out of.

 

[DooMer_MP3]

Yeah, I might have to check one out. Whats a decent head unit from Alpine? Keep in mind my original price for getting better quality was $200, so you know that I'm not a big spender.

To be honest, even though its completely lame, I like the fancy-schmancy graphics of the Pioneer, even though they're completely useless. I know Alpines don't have these because they focus on sound quality over bling bling. So whats a decent unit from Alpine that plays MP3?

Chris

 

[servoeyes]

Your current HU is probably going to put out as much if not more power than any Alpine you can pick up for 200$. The first alpine that I recommend is the 9813, which is on clearance now. That'll put out 20-27W RMS I believe...needs a slightly larger wiring kit for the power, too. It's on clearance because the new models are coming out...that being said...I still don't think you can find one for 200$.

There's not a ton of options for you...like I said, you can look into components and coaxials in your price range to find something that tonally will sound better and will offer you the ability to upgrade on down the road by adding and amp. Or...just save up now, suffer with what you've got for now, and buy it all in one shot. Remember...all you need to upgrade is the front speakers and an amp. For twice your budget of 200$ we could do some things...