luxury1

OK, the other thread was getting a little too negative so let's move forward in a positive manor and look at what we can do to better the HK system. I found the thread below* but have some general questions for any of you who might know:
1.) Amp: I have an Amp that I believe is pretty good. Would I need to replace the HK amp or can you have two Amp's?
2.) Warranty: Will making this modification void any warranties? If so, is there anyway around it short of not doing it?
3.) Sub: Can I have two 10" sub's running (one Mercedes equipped HK & one aftermarket Alpine)?
4.) What will eliminate the crackeling that I hear when the system is cranked up to max and near max? Will an Amp swap do the trick?
5.) Is there anything else I need to know/consider before having a sound shop perform this upgrade?
*
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...0&pagenumber=3

Thanks!

F1Fan

You bet this will void your warranty on your audio equipment. Sucks but you know how the dealer is. You add a speaker and they will claim that the aftermarket speaker is the cause of the crackling noise. But getting beyond this point...

What if you added a better amp and 10" sub to replace the stock sub in the back? It would make for a clean install since you could use the stock sub location while adding much more bass to your tunes.

As for stereo shops, I hope you've done your research in them. Hopefully the installer can show you examples to show the quality of his work.

luxury1

I have a Kicker KX 120.2 that I had powering my last car with the Alpine sub. Is this any better than the one powering the HK?

scorchie

I think you better take the deck apart and take a look at the location of the stock 280mm sub... and the way it is mounted... before you decide on putting anything there.

I believe the stock sub is the only speaker in the set that is not metal-coned. It's also the only one that has normal impedences (flashbacks of the Bose systems...).

-s-

ajm0824

Normal impedences. That 8 ohm business. They really don't want to work their amps.

scorchie

Well... normal for cars is 4 ohm... the sub is a dual-voice coil (4 ohm each) each driven by a separate channel in the amp (surprised they didn' combine it for 2 ohms).

Not driving the amps is serious business in a car that gets driven around. In the desert or other areas of high heat, it's pretty easy to kill electronics.

The rest of the speakers are 2 ohm (some are wired to 3 ohm in the non-HK setup).

Incidentally, there's a retrofit for an additional fan for the audio gateway, for those who live in warmer climates and who overdrive the amp. Killing the AGW is a pretty common thing these days, especially by those who think the car's stereo system is intended for listeners OUTSIDE the car.

-s-

CALBenzo

As mentioned in some other threads, KYEE put an aftermarket sub and dedicated amp which sounded nice when I heard it.

The HK system is nice, but lacks clarity at higher sonic levels. I certainly was not expecting good bass reproduction at higher levels. I haven't studied the specifications of the HK system, but the subwoofer amp and speaker itself are inadequate if you listen to music requiring thumping bass.

Having always upgraded the systems in my previous cars, I almost expected to do the same here.

mbfan67

just install this in my car. the sound is much better now. all the base and more when i want and where i want it. you be surprise with this sub.

CALBenzo

Interesting. Which sub is that, and how far does it hang down. So, is it pointing up? Will definitely have to check it out!

mbfan67

hey cal, nice talking to you again buddie. here check out this site. http://www.gspr.com/blau/odwp_flat_subwoofers.html. it don't even hang down that low. when you are standing and you open the trunk you can't hardly see it unless you bend you knees a bit than you could see it. hope that sounds right. been meaning to call you to check out your ride but been very busy with out.

Captain Obvious

If you think bass is the major problem with the system, you're either deaf, or you don't listen to real music.

The center channel shrill, nasal sounding upper midrange is the real culprit. It is outwardly bad, while the bass is primarily subtractive in its errors.

I would still recommend moving the balance to the rear of the car. I think you'll find the sound better overall, and there will be a bit more bass. The system sounds like garbage with the crosshair centered.

Audiophiles are a dying breed.

mbfan67

I don't think there is a problem with the bass. It's all preference. some people like more bass than others as for me i like my bass and i know my system have that extra bass when I want to listen to more bass and who are you to tell people that we have no taste in music or deaf? I think people listen to whatever they want because it's their taste of music not your's.

DWP

I would tend to agree with mbfan67, except that the people who favor ultra-mega-bass tend to be the same people who insist on sharing their taste in "music" with everyone within a one- or two-block radius of their car.

Captain Obvious

If you can't hear the problems with the front center speaker, you're deaf. You're certainly not an audiophile. Voices don't sound good.

Mercedes should be more interested in a flat frequency response (which they've missed anyway) and clear, detailed sound. If you want to go well beyond that with an extra 50db of booming bass, it should be up to you to go buy your own ghetto blasting trunk junk.

mbfan67

The setup that i have does not make the trunk rattle nor is it ghetto. My system sounds really nice and clean "from the inside" of my car. It's for me and only me not the guy or gal 2 blocks down. audiophila or not, it all sounds nice.

scorchie

I might be an audiophile, but I'm certainly realistic. Having a flat frequency response in a car is pretty much useless. Not to mention that the enclosed space is so small that reflections off the many surfaces near your ears will never result in a flat response at your ears if you move them a few centimeters.

Then, if you ever take your car from out of the garage and drive it, the background noise affects the sensitivity of your hearing at certain frequencies... so much for "audiophile".

Clear, detailed sound is a fine goal. But a flat frequency response is probably unachievable except in a car that never moves from a quiet garage.

-s-

BoSoxFan

I have to agree with mbfan 67 and scorchie. If you want audiophile music, then set up a reference system in your home where you can control speaker placement, listener position, and room acoustics. In a car, I'm willing to accept some compromises. I'll accept loudness compenation because I want to be able to hear soft passages over the road and wind noise but don't want to be blasted out of my seat during the loud passages. I like classical, symphonic music and listen to a lot of live, acoustic music and also play the piano so my ears know what the music should sound like. The piano, for example, covers almost the entire human hearing range and to me it sounds very natural on the HK system. With symphonic and choral music with a lot of dynamic range, I can hear all of the parts and it also sounds natural. I really can't ask for more from a car system.

luxury1

One of you audiophiles has to know the answer to my question, is the
Kicker KX 120.2 a better amp than the one powering the HK?

ajm0824

I've been reading this thread and all the while evaluating the HK in my e. I must say that it is not really a question of audiophile or not. The system is good, no question about that. However, I have heard, & expected better from a luxury option system.

About two thirds volume and above, the quality seems to diminish and begins to get very sloppy, particularly on the mid to low end. Granted the sub if configured as a free air and one shouldn't expect such accuracy. A think a bit more accuracy and control in the mid-bass (maybe the woofers) would contribute to a more overall solid feel to the sound.



Another thing is the I seem to be reaching top volume far sooner than on other systems I've had. Maybe there's a gain adjustment for that somewhere, but I suppose it was limited in the first place cause that's what the speakers can handle. I think this becomes more of a problem as you vary your sound sources. iPods, Mp3 CDs/DVDs, bad reception radio are all going to start off lower than if your source is a production quality, store bought CD or satellite radio.



Personally, I don't want a rattling ghetto trunk with sub bass, but I would have liked it to go a bit louder, when needed, and be completely accurate throughout.



Again, I'm not saying that it is outright horrible. Just that just about every other part of the car outright impressed me and this fell a bit short of expectations.

mbfan67

mbfan67

I did something today that really surprise me today with my setup. i put dyna mat all along the metal rear deck and sealed the surrounding of the sub and to my surprise it sounds like i have a box in my trunk. sounds really clean. i'm not trying to debate on this subject anymore. i am simply trying to share my experience to people that are instersted in getting more base out of there system without having to put a box in their trunck that will hog up the trunk. so i think we should get off this subject already. do what you want it's your car. do for yourself and nobody else.

luxury1

Forgive my ignorance but what is dyna mat, how did you do it and why did it help?

Barry45RPM

It is a sound insulating material sold in "blanket" form which sound shops cut & install for sound insulation.

ajm0824

Looks nice and clean. Can you give more detail about the install (if you did it yourself)

i.e any adaptors, simply remove old sub. Where did you get the line for the amp signal, etc...


Thanks.