Saturating Sound on Car Stereo

dalezjc · 08-10-2012, 18:32

I have my J3's EQ/Jet settings set perfectly for my earbuds, but I've started listening to my J3 in with Infiniti's car stereo and some of the FLAC songs are really saturating the speakers to the point that it sounds like a bad transistor radio. On the other hand, some of the FLACs sound absolutely wonderful.

Should I just find a middle ground that works for any type of output (speakers or earbuds)?

Thanks,
Dale

Adoby · 08-11-2012, 03:01

Is it the dynamics that cause problems or the frequency range? A separate eq setting for the car might handle the frequency problem. Not so easy with the dynamics.

In a car you most likely have a very limited dynamic range of sound.The noice floor is very high. So to hear the quiet parts you crank up the volume, and then the louder parts will clip.

You might try to compress the sound, to reduce the dynamic range. But that might take away too much? Or simply listen to music that has a more limited dynamic range.

ApocalypticDoom · 08-15-2012, 22:27

I would personally mess with the EQ and create another one especially for your car's needs

emichon · 09-12-2012, 13:09

I'm having the same issue. Have you found a good equalizer setting?

DSperber · 09-12-2012, 17:46

I don't use any BBE/EQ when playing my J3 through the AUX input in my MBZ (with Harman/Kardon system). I have 100% FLAC music I play in the car from the J3, and I simply put the J3 in "Normal" (aka flat). I also have the J3 volume set at 38-40, so that it feeds maximum signal level to the AUX input.

Then I have the car's audio system and own Harman/Kardon EQ and amp used to (a) adjust the tone control, and (b) control listening volume.

You don't want to have a source device present its own unique EQ (intended to make it sound good through your headphones, which are not the car's sound system) and then adjust the car's audio to "negatively compensate" so that it actually sounds good and decent in the car.

Rather, you should let the source device deliver line-level (essentially 39-40 on the J3's volume) and "flat" (i.e. "normal" on BBE/EQ), and control everything after that be controlled by the car's sound system.

In particular, if you have the treble up too high (either coming from the J3, or with the car's "treble" tone control) it will sound very harsh. FLAC is already highest-quality, and you'll hear that it's harsh in those high frequencies.

The sound system (speakers, amp, EQ) in my MBZ is wonderful, and I only have the bass/treble bumped just 1-2 notches above its own "neutral/flat" and it sounds terrific. The speakers arrayed across the dashboard (left, right and center) are very high quality and the sound stage sounds like a real high-fidelity performance.

==> set your J3 to "normal" with volume up at 38-40, and tweak tone/volume with your car's audio system until it sounds the way you want it to. Use a particular piece of music you're intimately familiar with, so that you can coax just the right adjustments out of your car's system to make it sound "perfect" for your tastes.

Enzyme · 09-29-2012, 22:06

you didnt mention how your connecting?!
bluetooth?
lineout?

my first check with bluetooth would be to disable any enhancements, the eq is fine to play with but the enhancements can really screw up the sound when transmitting over bt, ive had issues with a couple of bt devices not welcoming the adjustments.

....it started with a bose dock ><

for a quick adjustment of the line i'd just find a song that screws up and knock down the j3 volume until it stops, then up the volume using the car amp\system.

and listen to that guy^

08-10-2012, 18:32	#1
dalezjc Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 42	Saturating Sound on Car Stereo I have my J3's EQ/Jet settings set perfectly for my earbuds, but I've started listening to my J3 in with Infiniti's car stereo and some of the FLAC songs are really saturating the speakers to the point that it sounds like a bad transistor radio. On the other hand, some of the FLACs sound absolutely wonderful. Should I just find a middle ground that works for any type of output (speakers or earbuds)? Thanks, Dale

08-11-2012, 03:01	#2
Adoby 96GB J3 UE700 KPP Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Sweden, in the southern woods. Posts: 185	Is it the dynamics that cause problems or the frequency range? A separate eq setting for the car might handle the frequency problem. Not so easy with the dynamics. In a car you most likely have a very limited dynamic range of sound.The noice floor is very high. So to hear the quiet parts you crank up the volume, and then the louder parts will clip. You might try to compress the sound, to reduce the dynamic range. But that might take away too much? Or simply listen to music that has a more limited dynamic range. __________________ $if($or($in(%genre%,Classical),$in(%genre%,Baroque )),/Classical/,/Artists/)$firstalphachar($upper($if2(%albumartist%,%artist %)),#)/$if2(%albumartist%,%artist%)/$if(%date%,$left(%date%,4) ~ )%album%$if($gt(%totaldiscs%,1), %discnumber%)$if(%discsubtitle%, \(%discsubtitle%\))$if($eq(%_extension%,flac), FLAC,)/$num(%tracknumber%,2) ~ %artist% ~ %title%

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08-15-2012, 22:27	#3
ApocalypticDoom Call me 'Doom' Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Posts: 72	I would personally mess with the EQ and create another one especially for your car's needs

09-12-2012, 13:09	#4
emichon Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 1	I'm having the same issue. Have you found a good equalizer setting?

09-12-2012, 17:46	#5
DSperber Very Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Marina Del Rey, CA Posts: 1,006	I don't use any BBE/EQ when playing my J3 through the AUX input in my MBZ (with Harman/Kardon system). I have 100% FLAC music I play in the car from the J3, and I simply put the J3 in "Normal" (aka flat). I also have the J3 volume set at 38-40, so that it feeds maximum signal level to the AUX input. Then I have the car's audio system and own Harman/Kardon EQ and amp used to (a) adjust the tone control, and (b) control listening volume. You don't want to have a source device present its own unique EQ (intended to make it sound good through your headphones, which are not the car's sound system) and then adjust the car's audio to "negatively compensate" so that it actually sounds good and decent in the car. Rather, you should let the source device deliver line-level (essentially 39-40 on the J3's volume) and "flat" (i.e. "normal" on BBE/EQ), and control everything after that be controlled by the car's sound system. In particular, if you have the treble up too high (either coming from the J3, or with the car's "treble" tone control) it will sound very harsh. FLAC is already highest-quality, and you'll hear that it's harsh in those high frequencies. The sound system (speakers, amp, EQ) in my MBZ is wonderful, and I only have the bass/treble bumped just 1-2 notches above its own "neutral/flat" and it sounds terrific. The speakers arrayed across the dashboard (left, right and center) are very high quality and the sound stage sounds like a real high-fidelity performance. ==> set your J3 to "normal" with volume up at 38-40, and tweak tone/volume with your car's audio system until it sounds the way you want it to. Use a particular piece of music you're intimately familiar with, so that you can coax just the right adjustments out of your car's system to make it sound "perfect" for your tastes.

09-29-2012, 22:06	#6
Enzyme (A)rrogance (B)reeds (I)gnorance Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 975	you didnt mention how your connecting?! bluetooth? lineout? my first check with bluetooth would be to disable any enhancements, the eq is fine to play with but the enhancements can really screw up the sound when transmitting over bt, ive had issues with a couple of bt devices not welcoming the adjustments. ....it started with a bose dock >< for a quick adjustment of the line i'd just find a song that screws up and knock down the j3 volume until it stops, then up the volume using the car amp\system. and listen to that guy^