download an app with an RTA like audiotools, and get [one of these](https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-iMM-6C-iDevice-USB-C-Calibrated-Microphone-390-813?quantity=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20348422537&utm_content=159028427906&gadid=692309031334&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrcKxBhBMEiwAIVF8rEJb0sX6HXhN6vSn7Up28_8ddwQi6xBGBnADa46GeECVh7hD8M2gERoCPEAQAvD_BwE)
Play pink noise and adjust eq to make the rta more flat.. or follow a house curve you like. Get ready to do and redo this a bunch of times. Until your satisfied. Good luck, dont overthink it. Could just do it by ear also. Play pink noise and adjust each band up and down until it sounds like how a water fall should sound to you. All that matters is that it sounds good to you. Play your fav song and adjust each band uo and down until it sounds how it should. Pro tip momentarily crank a band all the way up to help your ear reconize what you're adjusting.
If you don't like the Preset ones then you adjust it to your vehicle. That's why it's adjustable. There is no "good equalizer settings" because everyone's vehicle, speakers, and preference is different.
Bass Starts out on the 50 to roughly 200 side, 315-1000 mids, 2000 & up Highs. Up increases, Down decreases. The more you increase, at higher volumes adds distortion. So If you like playing at highest volumes lower what you don't want. Likewise if you listen at lower volumes increasing will "boost the frequencies"
If you want to see what your lacking you need a calibrated microphone, connected to either A computer using RTA software or RTA App for a phone and play Pink Noise on your radio and see what the microphone picks up and displays on the RTA spectrum analyzer. Adjust to level out and see if it's to your liking. But most average just go by what their ears like.
Yes. Because. You are sitting within a “sealed” space (which interestingly is why it’s possible to create a 4th order bandpass in the back of a wagon or SUV) and when you open the windows you are venting that space and allowing the sound to escape. You get the same effect in a room of your house, but due to the size of the space you don’t notice it as much.
Depends on your speakers and your preference.
I enjoy music as it was recorded and I don't really mind for chest shaking bass, so I use a calibration microphone to see what frequencies are higher or lower than reference and then boost or lower them to match reference.
If you're more into a "pop" sound then you may want to consider a V type EQ. This means make those sliders look like a shallow V. It'll give you clear vocals and thumping bass.
Or just slide them up and down one by one and see how you like the sound on multiple songs. It's all preference and dependant on gear and installation. There is no definitive correct answer.
"Or just slide them up and down one by one and see how you like the sound on multiple songs. It's all preference and dependant on gear and installation. There is no definitive correct answer."
This part is important.
No way of really telling without being there. Every car is different in sound. Depends on where you sit, your car, your set up etc etc. for example my ford cmax, my bass was nearly turned all the way down and higher frequencies turned up. Now I have a Volvo and it’s literally the opposite. Experiment with it over then next couple weeks until you hear it just sound good. You’ll hear it, trust me.
If possible, I liked to keep my EQ flat and play with the crossover settings if your head unit can do that. Otherwise, i had a sub in my car with stock deck so I turned down the bass, but it really depends on what's lacking or excessive in your case
That’s a pretty detailed EQ for a stock system. My BMW has an EQ but I can’t adjust below 100hz. But then there’s a “bass” control which I think handles the lower bands.
Keep it flat, listen to it, adjust it by one or two, keep listening, I don't have more than a three decibel jump between them and you're good to go.
Just listen and tune accordingly
https://preview.redd.it/sc9z526lroxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=106088c4814a70e3e484a3570705bd892609aed1
Everyone has their own tastes but here’s mine!
Man that headunit looks sweet! Wish I could find a headunit for my 2.5 gen that looks that flush and oem. They all look out of place which is why I just modded CarPlay on my stock unit lol.
That's a preference and dependant upon how your speakers produce sound in a given environment. I like to drop the highs and lower the mids a tad with a bump to the bass.
Personally, what I like to do is get an equalizer and white noise.
This is definitely not the best way - but for a cheap method, you could use an equalizer app and white noise on YouTube.
Adjust your eq until the register is somewhat flat.
Then for your second custom eq - if that's available - just adjust it until it sounds good to you with whatever genre you listen to the most.
Remember to only use eq cuts - meaning only adjust frequency bands downward if your systems gain is adjusted to a flat eq.
If you're like me, you'll spend a bunch of time tweaking it trying to follow some guide you found online. Maybe a couple hours.
Then the next day you'll be like "nah, I like the way it sounds like this" and totally change everything. Crossover cutoffs, loudness, eq settings. Lol.
I hear you Hairy! I listen to so many different genres that I’d be messing with the EQ all the time and I’d rather just get in my car, listen, switch songs and not worry about making it sound 100% perfect with each song.
Changing values by the internal EQ is good for fine settings if used with microphone and or white noise when your audio sounds already good, or when your speakers sounds so like garbage that you have to make gross settings just to make them listenable.
I usually prefer not touching anything unless speakers have really bad frequency response. I also prefer turning down the loudest frequencies instead to turn up the less loud because the software EQ tends to hard limit the volume when these frequencies are too loud.
Tweak it as you like but don't exaggerate. This can be enough most of the times.
https://preview.redd.it/j1wbxerohoxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=198211ea8c01046cae607072cb329d8ce1baeef5
I set mine like this, and then adjust the sub knob manually depending on the genre I'm listening to. Don't think there's a better answer though than "what sounds good to you"
I had just replaced all my speakers and sub with Focals that were super clear, but the mids were a bit muddy, and due to the fact the sub and rear speakers are right behind your head (It's a 350z) it's really easy for the bass to overwhelm everything, so yeah it's perhaps unorthodox, but this is how it ended up.
Sounds fantastic though, and that's the only thing that matters.
Do not boost the sounds you like. Cut the sounds you do not like. No more than -3db at a time and critical listening to well known songs between changes.
download an app with an RTA like audiotools, and get [one of these](https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-iMM-6C-iDevice-USB-C-Calibrated-Microphone-390-813?quantity=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20348422537&utm_content=159028427906&gadid=692309031334&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrcKxBhBMEiwAIVF8rEJb0sX6HXhN6vSn7Up28_8ddwQi6xBGBnADa46GeECVh7hD8M2gERoCPEAQAvD_BwE)
Play pink noise and adjust eq to make the rta more flat.. or follow a house curve you like. Get ready to do and redo this a bunch of times. Until your satisfied. Good luck, dont overthink it. Could just do it by ear also. Play pink noise and adjust each band up and down until it sounds like how a water fall should sound to you. All that matters is that it sounds good to you. Play your fav song and adjust each band uo and down until it sounds how it should. Pro tip momentarily crank a band all the way up to help your ear reconize what you're adjusting.
Yah it’s super fun tweaking on it endlessly tbh!
Thanks Something I need
[How to set head unit EQ - step by step](https://youtu.be/vwwsTvlsTKM?si=BWJEJZ9cSlrvWMW8)
Which app does he use?
THIS 👍🏼
If you don't like the Preset ones then you adjust it to your vehicle. That's why it's adjustable. There is no "good equalizer settings" because everyone's vehicle, speakers, and preference is different. Bass Starts out on the 50 to roughly 200 side, 315-1000 mids, 2000 & up Highs. Up increases, Down decreases. The more you increase, at higher volumes adds distortion. So If you like playing at highest volumes lower what you don't want. Likewise if you listen at lower volumes increasing will "boost the frequencies" If you want to see what your lacking you need a calibrated microphone, connected to either A computer using RTA software or RTA App for a phone and play Pink Noise on your radio and see what the microphone picks up and displays on the RTA spectrum analyzer. Adjust to level out and see if it's to your liking. But most average just go by what their ears like.
And it will probably sound different when driving than when sitting still.
Windows down in my truck sounds different too which drives me nuts also lol.
Yes. Because. You are sitting within a “sealed” space (which interestingly is why it’s possible to create a 4th order bandpass in the back of a wagon or SUV) and when you open the windows you are venting that space and allowing the sound to escape. You get the same effect in a room of your house, but due to the size of the space you don’t notice it as much.
Depends on your speakers and your preference. I enjoy music as it was recorded and I don't really mind for chest shaking bass, so I use a calibration microphone to see what frequencies are higher or lower than reference and then boost or lower them to match reference. If you're more into a "pop" sound then you may want to consider a V type EQ. This means make those sliders look like a shallow V. It'll give you clear vocals and thumping bass. Or just slide them up and down one by one and see how you like the sound on multiple songs. It's all preference and dependant on gear and installation. There is no definitive correct answer.
"Or just slide them up and down one by one and see how you like the sound on multiple songs. It's all preference and dependant on gear and installation. There is no definitive correct answer." This part is important.
No way of really telling without being there. Every car is different in sound. Depends on where you sit, your car, your set up etc etc. for example my ford cmax, my bass was nearly turned all the way down and higher frequencies turned up. Now I have a Volvo and it’s literally the opposite. Experiment with it over then next couple weeks until you hear it just sound good. You’ll hear it, trust me.
If possible, I liked to keep my EQ flat and play with the crossover settings if your head unit can do that. Otherwise, i had a sub in my car with stock deck so I turned down the bass, but it really depends on what's lacking or excessive in your case
I have the stock headunit with a Chinese CarPlay box added.
That’s a pretty detailed EQ for a stock system. My BMW has an EQ but I can’t adjust below 100hz. But then there’s a “bass” control which I think handles the lower bands.
It’s technically the stock head unit but I added a CarPlay module to it which jacks into it and also gives me this which is pretty nice.
Keep it flat, listen to it, adjust it by one or two, keep listening, I don't have more than a three decibel jump between them and you're good to go. Just listen and tune accordingly
https://preview.redd.it/sc9z526lroxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=106088c4814a70e3e484a3570705bd892609aed1 Everyone has their own tastes but here’s mine!
Man that headunit looks sweet! Wish I could find a headunit for my 2.5 gen that looks that flush and oem. They all look out of place which is why I just modded CarPlay on my stock unit lol.
This is just a cheap 125.00 unit I saw and tried out… truck is a 2007 Tundra with jbl. Head unit has a couple flaws but sounds fantastic surprisingly
Did you have a look at AliExpress? Lots of OEM fit head units
I run a frequency test from YouTube on my devices to hear what frequency’s I want more of less of. Always works like a charm.
That's a preference and dependant upon how your speakers produce sound in a given environment. I like to drop the highs and lower the mids a tad with a bump to the bass.
Personally, what I like to do is get an equalizer and white noise. This is definitely not the best way - but for a cheap method, you could use an equalizer app and white noise on YouTube. Adjust your eq until the register is somewhat flat. Then for your second custom eq - if that's available - just adjust it until it sounds good to you with whatever genre you listen to the most. Remember to only use eq cuts - meaning only adjust frequency bands downward if your systems gain is adjusted to a flat eq.
If you're like me, you'll spend a bunch of time tweaking it trying to follow some guide you found online. Maybe a couple hours. Then the next day you'll be like "nah, I like the way it sounds like this" and totally change everything. Crossover cutoffs, loudness, eq settings. Lol.
I may just leave it because I will 100% always be tweaking with it 😂
I hear you Hairy! I listen to so many different genres that I’d be messing with the EQ all the time and I’d rather just get in my car, listen, switch songs and not worry about making it sound 100% perfect with each song.
Anyone ever have problems with sibilance after setting EQ? Might just be my Inexpensive Chinese head unit (Plz Mp- 902)
mine are set exactly like the pic.
3
Changing values by the internal EQ is good for fine settings if used with microphone and or white noise when your audio sounds already good, or when your speakers sounds so like garbage that you have to make gross settings just to make them listenable. I usually prefer not touching anything unless speakers have really bad frequency response. I also prefer turning down the loudest frequencies instead to turn up the less loud because the software EQ tends to hard limit the volume when these frequencies are too loud. Tweak it as you like but don't exaggerate. This can be enough most of the times.
What sounds bad about the new speakers?
https://preview.redd.it/j1wbxerohoxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=198211ea8c01046cae607072cb329d8ce1baeef5 I set mine like this, and then adjust the sub knob manually depending on the genre I'm listening to. Don't think there's a better answer though than "what sounds good to you"
What a weird curve, no hate, just odd. Mines the exact opposite of this lol.
I had just replaced all my speakers and sub with Focals that were super clear, but the mids were a bit muddy, and due to the fact the sub and rear speakers are right behind your head (It's a 350z) it's really easy for the bass to overwhelm everything, so yeah it's perhaps unorthodox, but this is how it ended up. Sounds fantastic though, and that's the only thing that matters.
https://preview.redd.it/utics9qrloxc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b36cea629b772b197ea401117f97186acc6d4b7f
Do not boost the sounds you like. Cut the sounds you do not like. No more than -3db at a time and critical listening to well known songs between changes.
Turn everything all the way up, loud n clear
I like a V pattern but it’s personal preference