ABEIQ Posted June 19, 2016 Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 Hey guys, i know im going to sound mildly like a noob but eh - SQ is a newish realm for me. At the moment im running the following Clarion VX404AU double din source unit Hertz HDP4 amp Hertz HX300D Sub in a ported prefab box - 1.5CUFT tuned to 50HZ - Bridged Channel B on HDP4 - eventually i will look into a HDP1 Front - Hettz HCX165 Running of Channel A of the HDP4 - These will soon be replaced with a set of Hertz HSK165s - This is due to the HCX not being in an ideal staging position because theyre coax and the tweeter is pretty much at my foot Rear fill - Audison Prima APX690 running off the deck just so the rear doesnt sound flat! Im considering going active in the future but im a little weary of the costs involved - looking at a mosconi 6to8 or a audison Bit 1, the biggest cost im afraid of is tuning costs for a shop to set it up correctly. I know the physical differences of going active with a DSP but what really is the audible difference? would it be ground shatteringly different? i do have a pretty keen ear, and i guess not having heard an active set up before is my downfall. Any opinions advice etc would be greatly appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jk13 Posted June 19, 2016 Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 Unless you spend the time from now until you buy the components to set up active studying what it takes to tune it yourself properly, (and accumulating any necessary measuring devices to help show you specific issues when you get stuck) you'll probably be better off staying passive. A company like Hertz puts a lot of time and testing into their passive crossovers. There is far more going on than just cutting frequencies out at, say, 3500Hz. Overlap or underlap, slope, phase control, measured frequency response in multiple location and on/off axis configurations, protection circuitry, etc. Trusting someone at a shop to do this for you can be a craps shoot, and I say this as a former pro installer and tuner. Over the years we employed roughly a dozen installers and I would only have one or two of them tune a complex system. Others were great at fabrication or wiring aspects, but tuning is not everyone's strong suit. It's actually one of the most difficult disciplines to master. It seems to me lately we get a lot of questions about 'active for SQ' and I put them on the same level with the 'help me build a 4th order to be louder than my ported box'. It's not the end-all-be-all. Once you have the tools and knowledge it may certainly be better (or at least slightly more dynamic), but until you play around with everything multiple times testing and tuning it may not be as good as what you started with. Static drops are my bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Lightning Posted June 19, 2016 Report Share Posted June 19, 2016 Why does everyone think you HAVE TO HAVE fully active and SAP to be considered Sound Quality ??? I don't understand this. It's all about Sound, Stage, Image, and Attention to Detail. Doesn't matter how it's achieved ... just saying Kenwood / HELIX / Linear Power (For The Love Of Music) / Brutal Sounds / OverKill Electric Co Questions About Sound Quality ?? Try Here ... Sound Quality, What does it REALLY mean ?? SMD SOTM Winner "White Lightning" 1997 GMT400 Chevy Silverado "The Green Dickle" 1994 GMT400 Chevy "Phantom Dually" Randal's 2007 Chevy Avalanche (we haven't named this one yet) Dylan's "Brutal" 17 Chevy Cruze RS Hatch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaylorFade Posted June 20, 2016 Report Share Posted June 20, 2016 Check out MiniDSP. Very powerful and cost effective solution. And yes... generally the difference between DSP and no DSP is night and day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABEIQ Posted June 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2016 Why does everyone think you HAVE TO HAVE fully active and SAP to be considered Sound Quality ??? I don't understand this. It's all about Sound, Stage, Image, and Attention to Detail. Doesn't matter how it's achieved ... just saying Yeah i get it i just wanted to lean that way as TaylorDafe said the difference is night and day. I have another question - this will probably sound dumb but can i use a DSP to control things like time alignment and use it for processing without going active? On a side note, i picked up a brand new set of HSK165s for CHEAP!!!! i put them in yesterday after work .. MY GOD! they sound amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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