27 replies to this topic

[Zenkiri]

Hey all. Lets see if anyone can help me with my little/Big problem.

 

I installed a set of Alpine Type S 6.5" Component speakers in the front doors of my Impreza today and came across my static problem.

Now the speakers don't actually come with a standalone crossovers, It actually comes with some sort of inline coil which goes from the speakers to the tweeters.

 

I'm running these threw a Sony DSX-S300BTX Digital media head unit.

 

I get the static threw the radio and my ipod but no static when I turn the volume down to 0.

The static doesn't change volume but is at a decent volume level where I can hear it when ever there is a gap in music or if there is soft music playing.

 

I have done a bit of research and I've heard that it could be a connection problem which I can sort of understand and think it might be possible since I had to cut the wires down and I soldered them back together.

But when I had the doors apart and tested it before putting it all together I didn't hear any static.

 

So I have a question could the static be from the wires running along the door up to the tweeter?

Or could it also be coming from the inline coil that I cable tied to the door wiring harness?

 

Any other suggestions about what could be causing it would be greatly appreciated.

 

I know this isn't a audio forum so I don't expect everyone to be experts I just wanted to try here first to see.

[U-Shell]

Possible bad earth? Are the connections to the speakers/ tweeters soldered or like a spade connector that slides/ clips onto the terminals? I guess if you have taped or cable tied the speaker wires to another power cable, it could be introducing interference into the speakers.

[Zenkiri]

Possible bad earth? Are the connections to the speakers/ tweeters soldered or like a spade connector that slides/ clips onto the terminals? I guess if you have taped or cable tied the speaker wires to another power cable, it could be introducing interference into the speakers.

Well the main wires to the speakers are soldered but the tweeter wire is a spade connector which I don't really like so I might solder it if moving the wire away from the harness doesn't do anything.

Though their is also mini spade connectors connecting the tweeter to the wiring but I doubt they are loose.

[U-Shell]

Maybe try soldering all the connections? I would say it would be a grounding problem if anything (My old pioneer did the same thing as the grounding on the RCA outs were crap). There seems to be a few car audio gurus on here, so hopefully they might have a solution for you.

[Tim.]

Sounds like your headunit is stuffed.

 

Have you tried connecting some different speakers directly to the headunit to determine if the issue is with your newly installed speakers or isolated to the headunit? Speakers can't really add static to the sound unless the noise is a mechanical, buzzing or scraping sound. Without hearing it, it's a bit hard to tell.

 

If it was a grounding problem, you'd have hum. Which sounds different to static (i.e. white noise)

[Zenkiri]

Sounds like your headunit is stuffed.

 

Have you tried connecting some different speakers directly to the headunit to determine if the issue is with your newly installed speakers or isolated to the headunit? Speakers can't really add static to the sound unless the noise is a mechanical, buzzing or scraping sound. Without hearing it, it's a bit hard to tell.

 

If it was a grounding problem, you'd have hum. Which sounds different to static (i.e. white noise)

Well the speakers them selves don't have static coming threw them only the tweeters do and the stock speakers never had any static ether. When I tested the speakers with the head unit before putting everything together I didn't hear any static coming from the tweeters so I'm thinking C-Shell might be right about the connections or the wires being next to the harness.

 

Well I'll try moving the wires away from the harness and if the static goes then I'll know why but if that doesn't fix it I'll try the the connections.

 

Hopefully it isn't the head unit, I didn't buy it which is good but I couldn't afford one of the same type.

[Tim.]

Tweeters are still speakers.

 

Just check all your connections then if you are positive that it is the tweeter wiring or location causing the issue.

[Zenkiri]

Tweeters are still speakers.

 

Just check all your connections then if you are positive that it is the tweeter wiring or location causing the issue.

Yeah I know tweeters are speakers.

I'll do that tomorrow morning.

The drivers side tweeter is louder static wise then the left one so I'd say it's the wiring but who knows.

 

If it is the head unit I'll just put up with it until I have the funds to buy a better one. Probably one with a touch screen

[Tim.]

Hope you get it sorted mate! Good luck and don't forget to let us know what the problem was.

[Dimeb4g]

do you have an amp in there at all?? sounds to me as if the speakers are wanting power and they are playing back the distortion from your head unit....

[Zenkiri]

do you have an amp in there at all?? sounds to me as if the speakers are wanting power and they are playing back the distortion from your head unit....

No I don't have a amp.

 

I think it might be the HU actually since before I changed the speakers I was encountering a popping noise from the old speakers when playing songs with certain frequency's.

 

I replaced the speakers because 1. I wanted more bass and 2. I thought that the speakers might of been damaged since I've run into that before with a friends car.

 

I've seen the wiring on the HU and it was the first time I've ever seen anyone not use the included plug but use some kind of mini connectors to connect to each pin individually.

They are tight so I doubt theirs a connection problem there.

 

I heard to try and connect the outside casing of the HU to the car's chassis it self which is what I did with my old car and never had any problems.

 

So I'll try connecting the HU casing to the car and if that doesn't help I might put the negative wire from the HU to the car instead and see what happens.

 

The static is probably coming from the HU then since I noticed the popping noise coming from the speakers when I was driving this morning.

[Zenkiri]

Ok so I didn't find anything wrong with the wiring so I thought maybe it is the HU so I was thinking to myself "I don't have the money to go out and buy a better HU at the moment and I don't think I can put up with this"

Then it hit me, I have a Pioneer HU that I bought little over a year ago in my old Mazda 323 which is parked near my Impreza.

 

So I took the HU out of the 323 and installed it in the Impreza, I tested it out before soldering all the wiring up and found there to be no static which I thought "Awesome now I can wire this up and have no more static"

 

Or so I thought. After putting everything together I noticed I now had static when there wasn't any music playing but here's the thing the static is not very noticeable at low volume.

It only became noticeable when the volume was up high and their was a gap in a song otherwise I wasn't really noticeable, Where as with the old HU the static was at a constant volume and was louder.

 

So I don't think I will notice it that much unless I play music like what's on those opera radio stations.(As if I would!)

 

I couldn't find a good setting for my HU so I left it flat with treble down 1 since it's a little sharp which is what I expected from the HU.

[Samwise]

Sounds like an earthing issue..

[Zenkiri]

Sounds like an earthing issue..

What would you think needs earthing?

 

I've tried the HU - to the chassis and HU Casing to the chassis and both of them didn't phase it.

 

I don't have a amp so that can be ruled out if that was a problem.

 

I checked all the connections and no matter what I did it wouldn't phase them ether.

[Samwise]

What would you think needs earthing?

 

I've tried the HU - to the chassis and HU Casing to the chassis and both of them didn't phase it.

 

I don't have a amp so that can be ruled out if that was a problem.

 

I checked all the connections and no matter what I did it wouldn't phase them ether.

 

Well it looks like you're ruled out the wiring, earthing, the HU and there's no amp...

 

So, dud speakers?

[Zenkiri]

 

Well it looks like you're ruled out the wiring, earthing, the HU and there's no amp...

 

So, dud speakers?

Dunno haha, well I don't think they JB-Hifi would accept the speakers back since I cut the wiring and the box is cut up due to me using the shape cut out it has.

Also I don't have the rest of the plastic tweeter pieces since I didn't think that I would need them.

 

Well I can say the speakers them selves sound good and I don't hear any static from them when the volume is turned up and there is no sound but the tweeters seem be the only ones making static so maybe the inline coil crossover thing?

I honestly don't like the cross over and I was thinking maybe it is that since the tweeters attach directly to the speaker threw that coil.

[Tim.]

What source are you using? Radio, CD, Aux. Which sources have the noise you describe as static?

[Zenkiri]

Well originally with the old HU I was getting static in all the sources which are Radio and Ipod since it's a Digital media HU.

The Pioneer I've only tested it with AUX but I think it will probably play threw radio as well.

 

Obviously only makes the noise when the volume is not at 0

[U-Shell]

I found upgrading all the earth points throughout the engine bay to 2 gauge (I can get cable super cheap) help a fair bit with static. Also stopped the dimming of dash and other lights with deep bass.

[Dimeb4g]

guys your all looking it wrong... if he is getting popping sounds from speakers at certain frequencies ( i'm assuming bass end of the spectrum)  this is whats called Clipping... and in my opinion the noise from the tweeters is from them being fried...

 

do some reading on how much distortion comes from these amps... they are rated at 45w or 50w but this is generally PMPO peak music power output and this can last for a second and be of almost 100% THD ( total harmonic distortion... ( my old high school metal band for a side note! )

 

most H/U do 16-18w RMS (root mean squared) at 1khz at about 10% THD which is where you look at if your chasing pleasing numbers and average audio quality...

if they were to measure across the audio spectrum 20hz to 20khz you would find they would be capable of maybe 10w RMS from 20hz-20kz...

 

as you ramp up the LEVEL ( often incorrectly reffered to as volume) so to does the distortion... most people kill speakers ( as i am 10000000000% assured you have) by underpowering them.... becasue the voice coil in the speaker plays back more distortion than music...

 

the popping you would hear is your speakers way of asking you to not torture them any further... its a cry for help!

 

Power is clarity... and once properly worn in and not played loud as soon as installed any speaker with a decent amount of power ( even 50w RMS will crank! ) and a quality source will sound great! 

 

i have had plenty of systems with sub par speakers and a good amp that has sounded great!

 

i once ran 100w RMS into my 98 RX Gen 2 speakers for over 2 years... and i thought they handled power very well!!!

moral of  my story... it has 2 parts... start simple and look at the basics before you look at earths and wiring and faulty H/U and 2 get an amp and a new set of speakers....

 

Well I can say the speakers them selves sound good and I don't hear any static from them when the volume is turned up and there is no sound but the tweeters seem be the only ones making static so maybe the inline coil crossover thing?

I honestly don't like the cross over and I was thinking maybe it is that since the tweeters attach directly to the speaker threw that coil.

read my post above... of course you wont hear static down low... the speakers arent playing back the distortion they are being fed...

but they are when you crank it up!