Unoffical empeg BBS

Quick Links: Empeg FAQ | RioCar.Org | Hijack | BigDisk Builder | jEmplode | emphatic
Repairs: Repairs

Topic Options
#230223 - 09/08/2004 10:27 Correct way to setup audio?
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
Hi guys.

Finally I finished my empeg install last night - looks great in the dash with a Darkstorm smoke lens and a black Anoface.

Just wondering on the correct procedure to setup the amp and the player. The volume seems really low and I've tried twiddling with the amp but I'm guessing. Is there a 'right' way to go about it for optimum sound and no distortion?

Also the blue wire on the PCATS tuner thats supposed to connect to antenna remote - do I need this? I forgot to connect it and don't really want to rip my dash apart again if I don't have to.

Cheers,

Phil

Top
#230224 - 09/08/2004 10:46 Re: Correct way to setup audio? [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
frog51
pooh-bah

Registered: 09/08/2000
Posts: 2091
Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland
well, the best idea seems to be to set up with the empeg at 0db (or lower if there is clipping) to give a decent signal to the amp.

Then just change the amp gain to suit.

Slight adjustments are likely to involve reducing the empeg gain a bit, bringing the amp up a bit, so that when you are on the motorway you can increase the volume.

I tend to have mine at -18db for city and -6db for motorway. I take it up to 0 on some noisy roads. I also have voladj set to medium. This means my amp sits at about 3.
_________________________
Rory
MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi
MkII, 240Gb in Mark Lord dock
MkII, 80Gb SSD in dock

Top
#230225 - 09/08/2004 10:54 Re: Correct way to setup audio? [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
Quote:
Is there a 'right' way to go about it for optimum sound and no distortion?


For a first stab, the correct way seems to be this:

Turn up the empeg to 0dB. Turn up the amp until it's as loud as you can stand or until it starts distorting.

Turn the empeg down to a comfortable listening volume.
_________________________
-- roger

Top
#230226 - 09/08/2004 11:04 Re: Correct way to setup audio? [Re: Roger]
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
Cheers guys

Top
#230227 - 09/08/2004 12:39 Re: Correct way to setup audio? [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
The antenna remote lead tells the car's antenna to go up and down. I'm guessing that your car's antenna doesn't do this. If you have no complaints with the how the antenna's working, then you don't need to do anything.

BTW, the empeg is the only car stereo I ever saw that did the right thing with the antenna. That is, raise it when the radio's on, otherwise keep it lowered. Every other car stereo I've ever had kept the antenna up even if I'd never moved the stereo's mode away from CD. This is no longer an issue for me, as I no longer have an antenna that goes up and down, but I really appreciated it doing the right thing. Good job guys.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

Top
#230228 - 09/08/2004 14:11 Re: Correct way to setup audio? [Re: wfaulk]
mtempsch
pooh-bah

Registered: 02/06/2000
Posts: 1996
Loc: Gothenburg, Sweden
the empeg is the only car stereo I ever saw that did the right thing with the antenna

Many newer aftermarket HUs come with 2 wires (which is what the empeg w/ tuner has): one that is remote turn on and is "active" all the time the HU is on and one that is power antenna and is "active" only while the HU is in "tuner mode", suitable for a motor antenna.
Lots of questions on car audio boards about why the amp only turns on while they listen to the radio but not while listening to CDs...

Now with RDS you might still want to run up the aerial (or give juice to an antenna amplifier - integrated into the antenna mount both on my VW Polo and new Pug 206) all the time, in order to get better reception for the tuner as it scans for, for instance, traffic announcements...
_________________________
/Michael

Top
#230229 - 09/08/2004 16:39 Re: Correct way to setup audio? [Re: mtempsch]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I can see that about RDS, but consider that it's effectively useless in the US and base my comments on that. But it's cool that new ones are doing the right thing.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk

Top