architect55

Has anyone found their optimal "sound" settings for the audio. I am still messing with the settings but don't feel I have it down yet. Any recommendations? Thanks.

rets

Didn't someone experiment on his car and post the results? Anyone remembers?

Thanks.

tibidip

I'm having the same problem. I have to admit that unless it's a DVD A playing I'm not entirely impressed with the sound quality of the stereo. Maybe I haven't found the "optimal" settings.

GaleForce

I keep the bass and woofer up all the way, and treble close to it.

HURRICANETJ

i have my woofer full blast....center channel full blast......treble almost full blast........bass little lower than the treble.....sounds good to me

TheNip73

You've got to be kidding. The bass all the way up? The treble all the way up?

Seriously, the system sounds great with everything at 0. Bass, woofer, center channel, treble... all of them dead smack in the center. If you have the settings maxed out you like some seriously distorted sound. BUT, to each their own.

My vote is everything flat so I can hear the midrange and enjoy the entire sound spectrum with a semi-uniform response.

ibeplato

i've noticed that no matter what setting I try on the subwoofer, it appears to make absolutely no difference. I've also noticed that some poorly mixed CD's sound terrible, while some better engineered ones sound almost as good as a DVD-A.

Try Dave Matthews' "Under the table and dreaming" on CD and you'll get a great example of how a CD can sound in this car.

What I'd love to see in future models would be pre-sets for music types - e.g. "speech" "classical" "rock" etc. as other systems have. Also would love for it to be able to pull the song/disk names and display them on the audio screen.

JetJock

You guys have no clue what correct sound is supposed to be. Doing the full bass and trebel route just makes the system sound like "hi-fi", makes the bass thump, and the high frequency's crackle and stand out, but it's far from correct sound. Most people try to mimic the crappy disco sound they are used to hearing. Try going to a high-end audio shop and listen to a correctly balanced sound system. There is bass and treble but nothing is out of balance. The sound will be smooth and silky, with very true balance between the spectrum, but you won't hear thumpy bass and sparkeling high frequency's. Each to his own, but honestly, the sound really shouldn't be set that way.

alv1

Count me in the flat group. A sound designer spent a lot of time getting the system balanced. Could it be better? Yes, but it is balanced at 0 settings. I don't understand the desire for bass at the expense of other parts of the spectra. Ihave and excellent sub in the home theater but balance it so it plays correctly.

Stewie

I agree. The subwoofer settings are very very fine. You can hardly tell the difference.
Its also true that some CD's sound better than others and you can tell the difference in this car more than usual.

When I got the car the radio was set to full SW, full bass and almost full treble. I started with everything at zero and have tweaked this and that slightly trying to find the right settings for me.

I would, however, rather have someone take a weedwacker to the underside of my scrotum than listen to any Dave Matthews CD

SidS1045

Yes, I have a recommendation. I adjust audio for a living (among other things). The ONLY "correct" settings are whatever settings sound good to you. You'll be dissatisfied with anything else.

If you're going to experiment with different settings, don't make snap judgments. Adjust ONE parameter, and then live with it for a few hours, and see if it's comfortable. Once you've got that one where you want it, adjust another one...and so on.

No matter who else rides with you, you're the one who has to live with those settings all the time, so make sure the system sounds good to you.

Tripp11

Rets - It was "GotJazz" (but I can't seem to remember exactly how his user name was spelled) who posted the lengthy and informative thread on improving the ELS sound system by playing with the settings. The old thread address is below but is no longer valid:

http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...threadid=67912

Perhaps someone else with a bit more A-TL research ability could find it. I printed it off a long time ago but it's quite a bit to retype.

Sherlock

I have managed to get the system to sound better with some refinement, turning a few things down and what not. But it still is lacking the crisp trebel. I don't like the cymbals and snares to be blaring, but I like bells and dings to be very present and very clear. The TL just aint doin that.

I finally got 2 new amps in my Accord to replace my blown one and WOW.. so nice to hear that car again. I like the Balance in the TL, it's rich and sounds well rounded, but sometimes I just need the 550 watts in the Accord and the brilliant trebel that my Polk DX series provide. That and the PrinceAlbert tingling of the JL sub.. *swoon*

kazuaki

Well said. You can adjust settings all day long (or leave them flat) in an attempt to get the flattest response possible, but this is not necessarily the "correct" setting. Let's not forget that the primary purpose for the audio system in the TL is to provide entertainment and enjoyment to the driver. If GaleForce likes the bass and sub all the way up, then that is the "correct" setting for him.

SidS1045's tuning method is the best bet. Make small adjustments and live with them for awhile. Be sure to make your adjustments with a few different CD/DVD's as every one is mixed differently. And more than anything, try to enjoy it instead of worrying if it's correct.

TBone2004

I have found this to be an unworthwhile goal. Depending on what type of music I have in at the time - can require different settings. FM, XM or CD all sound different. Then actual CD's have total different sound needs - especially old stuff compared to new hip-hop type heavy bass stuff. Dunno, I have left most at zero or so, just cause any rap or hip hop stuff rattles my deck too much.

rets

I found it now, please try this... http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67912

Tripp11

You the man!! This should help out with some of those audio related questions regarding settings. GotJazz was always helpful and informative with his posts.

Thanks, rets!

architect55

Thanks Ret: The recommendations from GotJazz provide a great starting point for exploring adjustments to the sound system.

I also agree with others that everyone has their own individual tastes and settings but it can be helpful to try out settings that others have found in an attempt to enhance the capabilities of the system.

Thanks again.

spidey07

Exactly. All flat here.

TLGator

Exactly. The question "What are the optimal settings" is the wrong question. The whole point of having adjustable settings is not to seek a single combination that works best for everything, but rather to be able to adjust the settings based on the source. Flat is a decent compromise, but many excellent recordings do not sound best flat. And no freaking way does EVERYTHING sound best with the pitch adjustments all the way up - unless you only listen to one type of music and you like that music that way. Anyone whose tastes are broad enough has to either learn to make some adjustments on the fly, or pick one group of settings that will be a compromise and therefore suboptimal. Personally, I like making adjustments on the fly. It takes all of about ten seconds and makes for a much more rewarding listening experience.

Rock Dog

"Correct Sound" doesn't exist. Everyone's ears are different. You just have to play with it. Some may never achieve their correct sound.

I would like a parametric EQ, instead of the LF and HF adjustments. Amp needs a little more oomph for my taste. DTS and DVD-A aren't mixed as hot as most CD's, I find myself 10 points higher for DTS and DVD-A. I'd also like to see the tweeters aimed a little better. If your sitting back, or leaning a little bit, you seem to fall out of the sweet spot. If you sit up a little straighter, they're more defined, clearer. IMHO

GaleForce

I never claimed I knew what correct sound is supposed to be. I just have it how I like, not what is "correct." Don't get your panties in a bunch.

There's a saying... "If its too loud, you're too old."

Big Ped

So is it bad to put the Center Speker all the way up and everything else at 0, and Bass at -2. I thought it would simply add more volume to the center speaker and not really change the spectrum or whatever.

dcarlinf1

UTTAD is one kick ass CD

To the DMB haters :fingerfawk: :fingerfawk:

rock

I agree with the treble. I listened to the stereo at the dealer yesterday. My expectations were probably too high also. I was hoping to hear some crisp detailed but not harsh highs. I think I got spoiled when titanium tweeters first came out. Overall not too bad for a stock system. The center channel speaker was pretty neat.

FlashG

Today I just changed my settings to -2 for both the Bass and Woofer. So far this seems to work great for Jazz and Vocals. I have yet to listen to any other genres like Rock.

spidey07

Galeforce,

Please take heed these words as nothing more than experience...

I too liked to listen to loud music. Especially in the car. I've been a pretty serious audiophile for at least 15 years. All the older musicians/audiophiles said "that's too loud, you are damaging your hearing."

Nonsense I would say...it sounds great!

Like all others before me I didn't listen. And now I have some hearing loss. At 33 I have hearing loss.

So needing to boost that treble/bass really only means you have already lost some hearing. You should have it checked.

Road Rage

I am going to do a Fast Fourier Transform analysis using my portable analyzer and publish the results soon. We will see what produces the flattest amplitude response - the bass is goosed to offset road noise. I can also measure bass distortion.

jefffree

[QUOTE=Rock Dog]"Correct Sound" doesn't exist. Everyone's ears are different. You just have to play with it. Some may never achieve their correct sound.

I gotta concur with this statement above, as well as another post here suggesting adjusting the settings and waiting for a couple of hours.

This afternoon I tried an experiment using Yes' "Owner of a Lonely Heart." Great song with a lot of thumping bass and treble guitar strings - however you listen to it. Initially set EVERYTHING to 0 (mid-scale). Volume was set to 15 through both tests. I have my speakers slightly forward and slightly to the left - as suggested in this month's "Audio/Video" magazine. First try was great. Next I adjusted everything to +2. As expected, the thumps were heavy and the guitar frets very (pleasantly) noticable. Lastly, I tried everything at -2. Sounded good, but whimpy.

Granted, not a scientific test; but as the magazine article - which specifically mentioned the acoustics of the TL - stated, you need to adjust the settings for you as driver then worry about anyone else who might be favored with listening to your system.

And the saga continues ...

spidey07

[QUOTE=jefffree]actually you're hearing the different response of you ear at such a low volume. forget the term but depending on volume our ears are not as sensitive to bass and treble, hence why we had loudness buttons...it boosted treble and bass for low level listening.

try again at 25-30

TheNip73

While this may be true, correctly reproducting sound as it was recorded and intended to be heard does exist. The only way to reproduce sound as it was recorded is to leave the bass and treble adjustments at their defaults of 0 (the subwoofer is a different animal altoghether and not worth going into). Of course, this assumes you didn't purchase cheap equipment with inherent flaws that will leave gaps in the sound spectrum.

Also, I'm willing to say that those used to cranking the treble and bass would "grow" to like the sound with the settings flat if they would just set the radio that way and listen to it for 3 days. Then, after 3 days when they put the setting back they will find the sound to be muffled and tinny. It might even hurt their ears! I DARE you to take my challenge! I did this challenge when I bought some Paradigm Reference Studio 100's for my home system. I can't believe how I used to have my reciever set for bass and treble. Anyway, I'm ranting now...

dsc888

rets,

Thanks for digging up GotJazz's most excellent post. I did the -2 thingy and really liked it. It took all of 15 minutes to get me used to it. I honestly couldn't believe how much of Grover Washington's Wine Light sample track I can now hear. I had my Bass at +1 and Treble all the way up. I did have to turn up the volume to about 25-30 to get the same sound level but it's clean and not "fatiguing" as the sound once was with the treble set way too high. It also helped to alleviate some of XM's compession artifacts.

dsc888

rets

dsc888,

No problem. Actually, without tripp11, I wouldn't be able to get that thread live again.

True, GotJazz's experiment could be one kind of standard, since ppl always have their own preference, it's good to use this as the benchmark to tune the best setting for themselves.

Wish GotJazz could join our converstation soon if he's not always that busy...

Tripp11

Ahhhh, props from a moderator....life is good.

Yes, GotJazz was one heck of an informative poster on this site and was well versed in audio components....he probably had an Acura-TL.com intervention....one of those 10 Step Programs.

automophile

The sound system in the TL is lacking upper mid range. This is why we try to turn up the treble to make it more clear. SO - to turn DOWN the bass and UP the overall volume has the effect of raising the upper mids, ,making the system sound much better.

Raising EVERYTHING only raises the overall volume, while cutting the internal headroom of the system so it will clip and distort.

I am an audio engineer - The system sounds great to me with Bass -2, Sub -1, Center +1, Treble +1. Then - just turn it up!

As I have written in other theads, changing out the drivers for better ones of the same size should cause GREAT improvment. ALL stock car speakers are crap! They cost nothing. Put in the best ones you can afford, it will seem that you have a whole new system.

Big Ped

I hooked to this site.

ac-attack

changing the audio setting on the tl does absolutely nothing. this sound system is horrible.