Tuning a 3-way active system

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 9:55 pm

Hi everyone. I'm going to be recieving my other 2 Soundstream Reference 300 amps in the mail on Thursday and wanted to get the heads up on tuning the 3 Ref300 amps on my frontstage. I'm using the Clarion DRZ9255... Does anyone have any experience with the head unit for running 3-way active? The head unit has (high/mid-hi/mid-low) rca outs as well as sub outputs. The manual gives a little help but getting some real world advice would be a big help. I will have a Reference 300 on the CDT DRT-26A aluminum tweeters, one on the ES-4 midranges and one on the ES-6 midbass'. The ES-6 are in the doors and the ES-4 and DRT-26a tweeters are in the kickpanels. I've run active one time before and absolutely loved the results. I know that this head unit is known to be one of the best, especially for this application... I just don't know where to start after everything is wired up and installed. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Here's the manual

http://www.clarion.com/us/en/MungoBlobs ... 9255,0.pdf

Damo95 · Post by **Damo95** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:37 am

What i'd start with is working out the crossover points and slopes that'll work well for your front stage speakers... Were they part ofa passive 3 way set? If so, use those settings as a starting point, and work from there..

I'll be doing that when I fire up my morel 3 way front stage...

lashlee · Post by **lashlee** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:19 pm

Get ready for a long road!! When I went active I at least had the tuning down, for the most part. Like Damo95 stated, I played with crossover points and slopes but nearly a year later I was still tweaking! In short you will never stop, but at least the crossover points will protect the drivers unless you get a little too crazy.

I would get used to a given song then break it down by each set of drivers to see how the frequencies I was adjusting would effect each sound. And don't forget to write everything down!! It's just a blown fuse away from months of work disappearing!

csperl1 · Post by **csperl1** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:21 pm

This works for me. I have it printed out and keep it in my glovebox lol
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/pos ... music.html

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:22 pm

csperl1 wrote:This works for me. I have it printed out and keep it in my glovebox lol
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/pos ... music.html

This makes perfect sense, Thank you very much! I get my other 2 amps Thursday so tuning will begin the beginning of next week. I got my son this weekend so car audio will have to wait til Monday!

I bought 50' of Stinger HPM twisted speaker wire to replace the patched up crud I've been using. Im going to take my time. I'm not going to do anything fancy... just going to install everything correctly and the right way. I've wanted to go active for some time and if I'm going to do it I might as well take my time and do things right. Thanks for all the help everyone! I'll post pics once I'm done.

Post by **ttocs** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:42 pm

being the tweeker I am I have never been able to leave a system alone. I am always making small adjustments here and there as I feel I need. I always thought that was part of the fun personally? This is also why I feel it is important to try and make the system as tunable as you can from the drivers seat so that you can do it easily on the go. That was one of the reasons I put my eq in the rear seat delete.

csperl1 · Post by **csperl1** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 4:15 pm

ShockTherapy wrote:
csperl1 wrote:This works for me. I have it printed out and keep it in my glovebox lol
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/pos ... music.html
This makes perfect sense, Thank you very much! I get my other 2 amps Thursday so tuning will begin the beginning of next week. I got my son this weekend so car audio will have to wait til Monday!
I bought 50' of Stinger HPM twisted speaker wire to replace the patched up crud I've been using. Im going to take my time. I'm not going to do anything fancy... just going to install everything correctly and the right way. I've wanted to go active for some time and if I'm going to do it I might as well take my time and do things right. Thanks for all the help everyone! I'll post pics once I'm done.

I never used to address individual driver phase before I read this. My system images really well and the midbass is the best I have had in a car. Part of that is because of my Legatia's and part is due, no doubt, to the phasing.

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:03 am

Sucky news... The guy I bought two of my SS300 amps from sent me doa amps. one doesnt power up at all and the other has a blown right channel. FUCK! frustrating since I just spent hours installing them. I'm sending them back today... I opened up a paypal dispute anyway to cover my ass. I'm picking up a BNIB Reference 300 tomorrow for $200 cash which I feel is worth it since it's still in the plastic. Now I'm on the hunt for another clean Ref300. If anyone knows of a CLEAN one let me know. grrrr. no friggin tunes again!

csperl1 · Post by **csperl1** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:19 am

ShockTherapy wrote:Sucky news... The guy I bought two of my SS300 amps from sent me doa amps. one doesnt power up at all and the other has a blown right channel. FUCK! frustrating since I just spent hours installing them. I'm sending them back today... I opened up a paypal dispute anyway to cover my ass. I'm picking up a BNIB Reference 300 tomorrow for $200 cash which I feel is worth it since it's still in the plastic. Now I'm on the hunt for another clean Ref300. If anyone knows of a CLEAN one let me know. grrrr. no friggin tunes again!

Man that sucks. Where'd you get em'? Fleabay?

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:27 am

yep... dudes gonna refund my bread after he gets the amps but still... my shit is incapacitated. I need some tunage.

12voltjunky · Post by **12voltjunky** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 12:22 pm

sorry to hear that bro!
you must be bummed...
do you have a stand in option or a backup until you find another ss ref 300?

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:09 pm

12voltjunky wrote:sorry to hear that bro!
you must be bummed...
do you have a stand in option or a backup until you find another ss ref 300?

Yep... Sent the other amps back. Just picked up this BNIB Ref300 and I have another one that will be here Monday. It's all goodage. I paid 275 shipped for the 2 original amps that were blown... So it's actually working out to my advantage. I just picked up the BNIB one for 200 locally from a guy on Craigs list and I totally scored on a mint one for 75 shipped on craigs list! so the 275 I get back for the screwed up amps will make up for the 275 i just spent to replace them. And these are friggin cherry.

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:22 pm

This is how she'll be looking once I get the amps mounted. excuse the wires... this is mid-install. The 2 amps on the left were the friggin blown ones. I'll of course just switch them out with the new ones. and I'll clean things up and finish so it doesnt look like a tornado hit. The Ref300 amps go ok with the Genesis... I had the perfect amount of room for the genesis, 3 Ref300 amps and the Alumapro 15. Too bad the seat will hide my babies... but maybe that's a good thing for security.

Post by **stipud** » Sun Nov 07, 2010 7:45 pm

DAMN I am jealous. See, matching is way better! I'll pardon that Geneis on the end there just because it's a Genesis

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Sun Nov 07, 2010 8:24 pm

stipud wrote:DAMN I am jealous. See, matching is way better! I'll pardon that Geneis on the end there just because it's a Genesis

Thanks! I like the way it looks to! I have the BNIB replacement for one of the blown ones... I'll get the other mint one tomorrow. That Genesis is friggin sweet or I'd have 2 Reference 500 amps in it's place. one 500 on each IDQ would be a thing of beauty. I gotta tell ya... I tested the Genesis on the subs and I was VERY impressed. I was having a hard time finding an adequate upgrade to the Arc 2500CXL I had... This one is an upgrade. I'm going to finish things up tomorrow and Tuesday and will post pics. Won't be much different than the one above but cleaned up. Can't wait to start tweekin and getting things dialed in. I have high hopes on this one.

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Sun Nov 07, 2010 8:51 pm

Here's a another eye candy shot. Can't wait to get everything in so I can have tunes.

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Mon Nov 08, 2010 1:07 pm

THE BASTARD TRIED TO RIP ME OFF!

I contacted the seller and he agreed to refund my money once he recieved the amps back. After recieving the tracking number for the shipment he changed his tune! He claimed that I damaged them and fried them somehow, lol. friggin douchbag! I contacted Paypal and worked things out. They set it up so once the package is delivered I will recieve a refund directly from Paypal "no matter if he has the money in his Paypal account"... They will then go after his ass to recoup the funds. Nice Try asslicker!

Here is the email I sent him just a few moments ago...

I just wanted to let you know that ripping me off isn't that easy. I read your pathetic attempt to justify sending me broken amplifiers. At this point I realize that you planned this the entire time. As for me being qualified to install your broken amplfiers... I am an 01 Union trained Master Electrician with 15 years of experience in not only AC but DC electrical. I hold the highest License possible in the Electrical trade so don't even try going that route asshole! It's amazing how you act nice on the phone and say that you're going to refund my money then after you recieve the tracking number you change your tune. You are a thief and after Paypal refunds my full purchase price I will laugh since you will then have to deal with them for reimbursement of my refund. You weren't dealing with an idiot, I hope you realize that now.

P.S. Lickballs you fucking lowlife!

Was I too harsh? lol

csperl1 · Post by **csperl1** » Mon Nov 08, 2010 6:03 pm

No that was just right.

You box and amp rack look clean. I bet it will sound sweet once you get it all dialed in.

Post by **stipud** » Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:15 pm

I'm not sure boasting is the method you should take with people who might scam you... You will turn someone on the fence into a full blown scammer pretty quick. Why make things harder for yourself? Play nice, follow Paypal's rules.

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:02 pm

yeh, maybe you're right. He just blantantly tried to jack me... pissed me off a lil bit. I won't communicate any further with him. On another note I hooked up the new amps and Wow! I started dialing in the crossover points and my soundstage started coming alive. THEN my damn CDs started getting stuck in my head unt, this was an ongoing problem from the get go and I was avoiding getting it repaired. I looked up an authorized repair facility 35 miles away and I'm going to bite the bullet and get it fixed. It's a wonderful deck so fixing it isnt an option, it's a necessity. sucks though... I was just getting started on dialing things in. Friggin bumps in the road.

gridracer · Post by **gridracer** » Mon Nov 08, 2010 11:33 pm

I wouldn't have sent him an email like that until after you had received the paypal claim money and it's too late for him to do anything to get it back.

ShockTherapy · Post by **ShockTherapy** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:25 pm

Got my DRZ repaired today. I was going to send it off but was able to find a Clarion authorized repair facility (King Audio and Video Repair) in Redmond, WA that told me that theywould repair it while i wait. Nice! Turns out that a gear had worn out as well as the black plasic roller thingy inside that the discs slides into. with labor/parts/tax it costed me $163. Lame but oh well, it functions like new now and I didn't have to wait a few weeks without a head unit.