Question about a factory system.

[KYEdge]

Six disk CD changer in an 02 Edge.

Just a while ago I was bored and playing around with the fade and balance and noticed that the speakers sound much louder, have more bass, and sound perfectly clear when I fade them slightly more to the front. It is as if it doesn't split the power evenly to all of the speakers when the fade is set dead in the middle.

Is it just an audible illusion created by the fronts being in front of me or could the gauges be off?

 

[Gum-B]

there are many things that can effect the sound. If its a standard cab the increased bass sound is because the door acts as a kind of enclosure. An extra cab can have the same effect, but less noticeable. there is a chance that the fade could be off in the deck. If it is a manual knob then it could be off in its centering. If it is digital then the internals may be off a little. Also if the front speakers are a lower impedance that may effect the sound and volume. I would not worry about it to much. I have no rear speakers in my truck, and in my car i fade forward that is where i sit why would i want the music to come from behind me. I dont go to a concert and turn my back to the band.

 

[KYEdge]

I dont go to a concert and turn my back to the band.

Haha I never thought of it that way.

 

[AllanD]

about "turning your back to the band" You aren't thinking it through

That is NOT what it's supposed to sound like.

The objective of the imaging that is recorded into most music
is to make you feel NOT like you are in the crowd listening to the band
but rather that you are onstage as a member of the band.

Drums behind you bass behind to one side, rythym guitar to one side and lead guitar to the other and the vocalist either in front of you or all around you.

Remember:
Music lovers discuss MUSIC
Audiophiles discuss audio equipment and technical details.

It's ok if a LIVE recording sounds like what is being describes as
"in front of you on the stage", but that's generally not how studio
recordings are imaged.

If you listen to rock or popular music the idea is the music
is supposed to appear to the Jimmy Page or David Lee Roth
fantasy inside the listener screaming to get out...

If you want classical or opera you can have the sound "in front of you"
all you like provided you don't make me listen to it....

Of course that could could be imaged from the sonic "point of view"
of the second violin first clarinet or third oboe as you'd prefer, but
classical/opera is usually imaged for the "point of sound" that would be
experienced by the conductor NO OTHER KIND OF MUSIC is actually
imaged that way.

Part of the "issue" is that a lot of the "soundstage image" is a hangover
from vinyl LPs becasue they weren't "true" stereo, like modern CD's are.
the commonly uses A+B/A-B resulted in about a 20% overlap in the two
signals making a perfect seperation and imaging impossible.
the old "vinyl guys" (I'm one only by accident of birthdate) didn't have
a choice in the matter

My delay in switching to digital media was purely the function of economic
reality (I couldn't afford to replace all my LP's and tapes with CDs other
than creepingly slowly)

But here's the bullet, your stereo sounds "different" because of variations in vehicle acoustics and mechanical differences in the speakers resulting in an "efficiency differential"

It's actually quite rare to have a setup work correctly with the
fader dead set exactly in the middle of it's range.

Don't worry about "why" just set it where you like it.

Now I'm going back to burning MP3's to CD-R's for my new
MP3 compatible disc changer.

AD

 

[Gum-B]

Thank you for that long reply. First when it comes to technical explinations i have found that most people simply dont care. I was involved in IASCA for a short time, and i found that i did not care. When it comes to music I am not only a music lover, but i also was an audiophile. I am a studying musician and i spend more than too much time in studio. Yes studio recording is compleetly different than live recording. In a car with stock sound taking an audiophile approach is the wrong move. In most cases all people want is good sound. They dont care about proper immaging, and correct sound. I do understand were you are comming from. The reason i stoped compeeting was that it was no longer fun. I have found that instead of spending all of my money on my system that i prefer to see the band live. As far as turning my back to the band it is just an expression i use. To most stereo hobiest it makes more sense than if i try to explain imaging. Im not trying to sound like an ass. I really do enjoy music, and sound, and it is a huge field, but what i have learned is that using technical explanations is only good for talking with people who share the same passion for it.
I do agree that it is almost impossible to have a correctly set fade in any system, that is why i only run a front stage and Sub. My personal choice in listening is home because its more fun, and there is more room to play with imaging.
good luck on the MP3 burning, and remember to label your CD's cuse it sucks to not know what is on a disc. If you are down for a tech talk let me know. Like i said im out of competition, but i still like to play with sound.