Car Stereos: Stereo settings, sony xplod, rca jacks


Question
QUESTION: I have a Sony Xplod head that has the subout option on the rCA jacks.With the sub option selected,the subs still sound like a regular speaker.Do I need to set the LPF or something?

ANSWER: Hi David,

If the Sony deck has a LPF option, you can turn it on to cut the high frequencies out of the subs.  Alternately, you can switch on the low-pass filter on the amplifier (if equipped).  Either will work; you don't need to do both.

Different manufacturers' sub outputs work in different ways; in a Sony deck, using the sub output generally gives you a mono output, with a subwoofer level control feature, but not necessarily a low-pass filter.  Most amps include a low-pass filter, so it's not usually a problem.

Hope this helps!

Brian

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Okay,it does have the sub out,LPF and a HPF.The filters have Hz settings.The amp is an older Kenwood and I believe it has the dials that allow you to set the filter.Also,the stereo has a setting for phase reversing,what is that?I know nothing about amps and subs,as you can tell.

Answer
David,

Sorry it took so long to answer your follow-up question.

To be honest, you can really adjust these settings to whatever sounds best to you.  You won't damage the amp or the sub with the "wrong" settings; feel free to experiment if you want.

The deck's "HPF" will affect the front and rear speakers, not the sub.  Turning it on will cut the deep bass out of the speakers.  This is often a good idea; it lets you play the speakers louder, without distortion, as the subwoofer picks up the low bass.  The higher the Hz setting, the more bass will be cut out of the speakers.  

The "LPF" works with the subwoofer output.  Usually, you'll want the HPF and LPF settings to match, so that the subwoofer plays the low notes that are cut out of the front and rear speakers.  But if it sounds better to you with different settings, or even with the HPF turned off, then you can go ahead and leave it that way.  

The phase reversal setting switches the subwoofer polarity; it has the same effect as switching the (+) and (-) wire connections at the sub box.  This really won't change the sound of the subwoofer at all, but it might affect the way the sound interacts with the front and rear speakers.  Go ahead and try it both ways; see if the bass sounds tighter and less muddy in one setting vs. the other.  It's very possible that you won't hear much, or any, difference at all.

If you set a LPF setting on the head unit, then the crossover switch on the amplifier should be set for "full".

Remember, the filter settings and phase setting might affect the sound, but you won't damage anything with the wrong setting.  There aren't any Audio Settings Police who come and arrest you for doing it wrong, so just stick with what sounds best to you, and don't worry about the "right" settings.

Hope this helps!

Brian