Car Stereos: 2005 Acura TL Amp Tuning, acura tl, 2005 acura tl

Question
So I recently put in one 12" subwoofer and amplifier in my 2005 Acura TL. I kept everything stock and used an LOC to tap into the factory subwoofer wire. The bass I'm getting is kind of muddy and boomy, so I decided to try to tune it again. My question is what do I tune first and how do I correctly tune the LOC. It has one knob on it that I'm guessing controls the volume, but I dont know how high is too high. On my amp I have Gain (Min-Max) an LP filter (32-320 Hz) and Dynamic Bass Optimization the has HP filter (20-80 Hz) and Bass Boost (Min-max). My biggest problem is the LOC, but any other help would be greatly appreciated.

-Brian

Answer
Hi Brian,

The knob on the LOC is probably an output level control; and in most cases, you'd want to leave it set as high as possible.  Generally, car audio system designers prefer a high level on the source signal, so that you can reduce the gain control on the amplifier.  When tuning the amp, you'd want to start with the gain setting at the lowest point.

The low-pass filter on the amplifier is usually best set around 60-80Hz.  The goal is to let the subwoofer pick up the low frequencies that the front and rear speakers can't play.  If the stock subwoofer is still connected, you might consider disconnecting it, and leaving the after-market sub as the only deep bass speaker in the vehicle.  Another thing to try is reversing the (+) and (-) connections at the after-market sub.  Often you'll perceive a "muddy" sound if the new sub isn't blending well with the stock speakers; changing the polarity of the subwoofer can change the way the stock and after-market speakers work together.  

I'd start with the gain and bass boost settings at the lowest level, and the LOC dial at the highest.  If the bass is too loud for you in this configuration, then you can turn down the LOC output; but otherwise you're best off leaving it maxed and adjust the amplifier's gain control up until you reach the desired output level.  If the system sounds good to you at this point, you don't need to adjust anything else; but if you want to try for a bit more deep bass "punch", set the bass control frequency around 40Hz, and adjust the bass boost up a bit.  (I should mention, you'll want to make sure the factory bass setting is flat before you start adjusting the subwoofer amp).  

Hope this helps!

Brian