Component Speakers sound like crap

[blazed54 10+ year member]

Hi, I recently upgraded my front stage to MB quart QSD-216 2 way component speakers amped by a jl 300/2. I am a complete noob and bought components cause EVERYONE says they are the best type of speaker. All the stock stereo setups I've heard in any car is that ALL the speakers play highs like 2 way coaxial speakers. But for my components all the highs come only from the tweeters and the midbass has no highs only a really weak bass. Perhaps this is how it's supposed to be but it sounds horrible to me and having the highs come solely from the tweeters is murder to my ears and extremely harsh...

So, to get nice clean sound from all my speakers like stock but better would i need to replace the midbass with a 2way coaxial? or is it the crossover settings which need to be adjusted. Or, is there a better component speaker that has highs playing from the midbass as well.. I hope i explained it well enough that you understand my dilemma. ANY opinion is appreciated. THANK YOU

Btw, my rear speakers have also been disconnected because i've read that it'll ruin the front stage of such a small car like my 350Z.

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[DejaWiz 5,000+ posts]

What kind of amp are you using for the Quart's? How are the gain and pass filters set?

 

[myflow 10+ year member]

Did you try tweaking the highs on your head unit?

 

[CrazedCat 10+ year member]

We also need more info on the install. Where is each component mounted? Did you deaden the doors? etc.

 

[blazed54 10+ year member]

We also need more info on the install. Where is each component mounted? Did you deaden the doors? etc.

Both are installed in stock locations and the doors have not been deadened. I'm also running a e-2150 amp.

I don't have answers to the other questions cause I have to look in my car and it's almost 4 am here right now.. but main question is can i be able to hear clean, clear highs coming from my midbass driver when set up properly, or is that just not how these speakers work?

thx for the quick reply guys and not flaming me for my noobiness //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[mapolley07 10+ year member]

well you won't get highs coming from the midbass at all. a mid/midbass is just for playing mid-bass and middle frequencies, no highs. The tweets are responsible for your highs, and a sub is responsible for the lower bass. If you mount your tweets further from your ears they should not be as harsh

 

[blazed54 10+ year member]

Did you try tweaking the highs on your head unit?

Yes, I've lowered the treble for the tweeters so they're a little softer. and raised the settings for the midbass. But all i get from the midbass is a muddled sort of sound. sounds all right for hip hop and slow ballads, but anything with instruments like alternative and classical it's a just a muddled screechfest //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[blazed54 10+ year member]

well you won't get highs coming from the midbass at all. a mid/midbass is just for playing mid-bass and middle frequencies, no highs. The tweets are responsible for your highs, and a sub is responsible for the lower bass. If you mount your tweets further from your ears they should not be as harsh

IC if this is the case then perhaps I would personally be better off installing 2 way coaxial speakers in the door panels instead of the component set up? And if i do this then would the coaxial speakers benefit from my amp as well or would the HU power be enough?

Also could you explain why all cars stock speakers have high's coming from every single one and how changing to a single tweeter to provide highs would be an improvement (component)?

 

[bigbang 10+ year member]

If the crossovers have a tweeter adjustment to knock them down a couple DB's try that. This is used when the tweeter is aimed at your head and the midbass is aimed at your legs. This will make the loudness of the two equal when they reach your ears. The purpose of a seperate tweeter is that a full range driver can not effectively produce low and high frequencies at the same time. A large heavy cone can vibrate slowly for low frequencies easily, but has a hard time trying to vibrate quickly for high frequencies. It is accomplished, but not very well, its hard to produce two very opposite frequencies through the same cone. Just think of it, it has to vibrate slowly and quickly at the same time, try singing two notes at once. A cars stock speakers are normally full range drivers sometimes suplemented by seperate tweeters. I very rarely have seen coaxial speakers in cars, just usually full range speakers in the front and back, possibly with seperate tweeters in the front. A component set of high quality, such as your MB quarts have the potential to be ear piercing loud with an external amp, and with a sound deadened door the potential to deliver much more front stage bass than the stock speakers. And there is no reason they should sound bad, I think you just need to double check everything is wired correctly.

 

[Gary S 10+ year member]

If the tweeter level on the passive crossover is adjusted right, and the drivers are installed in GOOD locations, preferably the mid and tweet next to each other, the sound from both drivers should blend together.

 

[kross 10+ year member]

Leave the EQ on your headunit set to flat. Or bass/treble controls set to zero. For now. We should be able to improve the sound without resorting to messing with the EQ.

See page 13 of your manual for setting jumpers on your crossovers to lower the volume of the tweeters:

http://www.mbquart.com/all/downloads/einbauanleitungen/qsd_216.pdf

Try all of the settings, and see which sounds best.

Also, you say you're not getting any bass from the speakers. How do you have the highpass filter set on your amp? You can probably lower it some, to get more bass from the speakers. Do you have a subwoofer?

By the way, you said everything is mounted in stock locations. I don't know where the stock locations are for the mids and tweets in a 350Z. Where do you have them mounted, exactly?

 

[blazed54 10+ year member]

Leave the EQ on your headunit set to flat. Or bass/treble controls set to zero. For now. We should be able to improve the sound without resorting to messing with the EQ.
See page 13 of your manual for setting jumpers on your crossovers to lower the volume of the tweeters:

http://www.mbquart.com/all/downloads/einbauanleitungen/qsd_216.pdf

Try all of the settings, and see which sounds best.

Also, you say you're not getting any bass from the speakers. How do you have the highpass filter set on your amp? You can probably lower it some, to get more bass from the speakers. Do you have a subwoofer?

By the way, you said everything is mounted in stock locations. I don't know where the stock locations are for the mids and tweets in a 350Z. Where do you have them mounted, exactly?

The tweets are mounted in the sail panel of the door, right at the top of the door. and the mids are down on the bottom of the door. Would lowering the

tweeter db level on the crossover produce a different sound from merely lowering the treble on the deck? this is what i do not understand. Everywhere I've read it's been said that mb quarts have a harsh high.

I may just purchase a new component set with silk tweeters. Many people recommend rainbows or cdt audio which looks awesome and seems to have a much larger magnetic driver than the mb quarts... opinions //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[tbasile1 10+ year member]

The QSDs are amazing comps, try tweeking them first before you just get rid of them

 

[livinlegend 10+ year member]

The tweets are mounted in the sail panel of the door, right at the top of the door. and the mids are down on the bottom of the door. Would lowering the

tweeter db level on the crossover produce a different sound from merely lowering the treble on the deck?

Of course it would. You cannot install your setup incorrectly and then blame the speakers, listen to everyone.

 

[blazed54 10+ year member]

Thx for the help everyone, as per your advice i will take my car in to be tuned professionally. This task is beyond the skill of a novice person like me //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif. Shouldn't be that bad only $35 an hour and i can't see it taking longer than 1 hour.