EQ Setup help...

[LennDawg]

i have a Pioneer Avic-N1, and i was wondering if anybody can help me setup the custom equilizer mode... in the EQ Menu it has a tab for Low, Mid, and High and in each one you can change the level, the frequency and the q factor... i want to know what will sound the best, i like a lot of vocal and a little bass... i guess what im trying to get at here is that im confused on whether or not to have the certain settins on 1wide, 2wide, 1narrow, or 2 narrow... i also dont know where to put the frequency levels at... can anybody help me to get this to sound how i want it to? also what does the HPf setting do? and SLA?

[aznboi3644]

Leave all the settings flat at zero....listen to it for a few days and see how it sounds.

[Willy D]

I second the thought of leaving EQ flat.....

I know it is tempting to wanna boost things and EQ......Years ago I thought that NO stereo system was complete without a graphic EQ....Hell my first half dozen car stereo set-ups were using powerbooster/EQ units......When I bought my home audio stuff after getting married one of the first things I bought was a graphic EQ.....

One day driving down the road in my car, I was tweaking my EQ. Then as I got on the highway had to crank up the stereo (windows down...summer time)....I found that almost every freq that I had boosted, I was grabbing and bringing down cause it was sounding harsh...I messed with the EQ again and it did not seem to get me a sound I wanted.....I got frustrated and just hit the EQ defeat button......WOW!!! The sound was better, cleaner, clearer and fuller with the EQ off..I kept the EQ in place (it was one of those tiny Kenwood 5 band) because it had a sub out that had level control, and it high-passed the other speakers.....From that point on, I got rid of all EQ that I was using and started to run my stuff flat (home and in the car)....

If you have a good HU, good amps and good speakers, you should be able to get good sounds without EQ or very little....Your vehicle may have problem areas with some freq. and if speaker locations are locked in place (most are unless you customize) you may have to tweak EQ slightly, but I still suggest trying EQ flat or very little boost......

my two cents...

Willy

[The Viking]

HA HA!!!!!!!

That reminds me of a time years ago, an audio salesman tried to tell me that by adding an EQ, my amps would put out more power..............


I actually like EQ's to a point. Used properly, they can really make a system perform well, using minimal boost, and cuts, one can tweak in the sound. I have an old 300 PRQ, 3 band eq....40 Hz, 200Hz and 15 KHz.........i love it. Addresses the real problem areas of the car for the most part.

But , all in all, EQ's are a band aid should not be used as a cure all for what aills your system. The issues should be handled at the root cause of the problem first and foremost.

[LennDawg]

thanks for the responses guys...

[Ranger SVO]

There is so much adjustment on that radio its unreal. The frequency is the point that is actually adjusted. Your mid adjust should be selectable from 200-500-1K and 2K. For vocals I would select 500 or 1K.

Next you should have an EQ curve or Q adjustment. Narrow means that only a small portion of the frequencies around what you have selected will be effected. Wide means that a greater portion around the selected center frequency is effected. Typically most vocals range from 800 to 1.5K so I would initially select 2W.

Next you should have a Sound Focus EQ. SFEQ. Try the FRT1-H or the FRT2-H settings.

When you turn on SFEQ any low pass or high pass settings will shut off, they will need to be reset if necessary

From these initial points make ajustments for you taste, make only one adjustment at a time, listen for a while then make another. One at a time

[LennDawg]

thanks alot Ranger, thats the answers i was looking for... however, i do not have a SFEQ... i have the frequencies and the Q factors, i also have LOUDNESS, HPF, and SLA... its obvious what loudness does, can you explain the HPF... SLA seems just like the loudness setting because it makes the music louder...

[Ranger SVO]

SLA is for adjusting source levels, for now leave it alone, if you are not using a subwoofer leave HPF turned off. Its a high Pass Filter and it prevents low frequencies from reaching your speakers. If your car is equipped with small speakers then you might turn it on, on its lowest setting. You should have 50-80 and 125 available. Select 50 only if your speakers are breaking up at whatever volume you listen at. If everything sounds OK then leave it off

Are you sure? I thought that you had both SFEQ and EQ-EX available. I'm really old and forgetfull so I could be wrong.

[LennDawg]

nope, no SFEQ... i have the N1, maybe you are thinking of the N2 or N3? i dont know... thanks alot for clearing all that up for me tho, its really appreciated