Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

So i got an old Sony Xplod HU layin' around that some family gave me as a gift. I decided i'll just swap it out w/ my old Delco that comes in my 99 WS-6, cause i assume that any aftermarket HU is better than the stock distortion box.

I unhook the original HU, plug up the new Xplod... low and behold it works. In fact, it sounds alot more clear than my stock HU.... BUT WAIT, it seems that i have been taken in by the same problem that my friend had, i have little to NO bass coming from my stock mid-drivers/subs. The sail panel speakers DO have a little sound coming out of them (and make SLIGHT bass, if any), but it honestly sounds like the volume is turned almost all the way down. Everything else sounds fine. Any idea what's up?

Anyways, i took some pics of what everything looks like and i had a few questions about it (because i have some free wires and plugs floating around now that i've replaced the HU, maybe that has to do w/ the bass?). Pretty sure the black plug belongs to the CD Changer (even though i don't have the 12/10 whatever it is, disc-changer). Not sure what the blue and light blue free wires are to the left, i'm hopin' y'all could help me out. Here are the pics:






It's weird, i can sit there and switch back and forth b/t the Delco and the Sony in a matter of seconds to compare, and the Delco makes a world of difference (bass wise) in the sense that i have ALOT more bass w/ the Delco... so, wtf? Am i missing some splicing? Does the fact that the mid-drivers are DVC have to do w/ anything? Is my HU not compatible w/ DVC?

Thanks for the help, hopin' y'all can help me get my bass back.

imnotplutonium

iTrader: (4)

do you have the monsoon system? if so maybe the sony is not communicating with the monsoon amp

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

Yep, monsoon. And everything else sounds great. All the highs and mids have much more clarity, and no distortion at high volume (although they did lose a little bass too, but not like the subs). It's just i can't barely hear any lows (bass) from my Sail 6"s

imnotplutonium

iTrader: (4)

yea I have heard that when changing the h/u the monsoon amp does not work correctly and that is what powers your mid's

also yes that 'L' shaped chrome looking connection is your antenna and the black one I believe is the cd changer

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

So what do i need to do to make it work? I know there's a way.

imnotplutonium

iTrader: (4)

to be honest I am not really sure. I did not have a monsoon set up because my car was so old but when I changed my h/u the sound was not as good, really "soft" and quiet. I ripped all the wiring and speakers out and put an amp and all infinty's in. solved my problem, but I feel there is a simpler solution for you, just do not know of it myself sorry

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

It's cool. Everyone is like "just do away w/ the monsoon. Get new subs, all new speakers, and an amp and you'll be set." Oh, i'm sure i'll be set. But i'm not willing to dish out >$200 for a whole new sound system. I just have an old HU lying around and have heard that swapping improves quality. Not lookin' for a new sound system (honestly, i don't mind the sound of Monsoon. That's just me.) I'd rather concentrate my money on what makes me get up and go.

imnotplutonium

iTrader: (4)

nice, keep your priorities straight! The only reason I changed all mine out was because I wanted some Ipod capabilities and I had a few blown speakers so it was just time to do it.

If your's sounds good leave it.

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, it sounds fine. Especially when i swap the HU (save my NO BASS).

Anyone else know what's up w/ the "subs"?

KEE AUDIO

iTrader: (65)

What does it sound like when you adjust the bass on the HU?? Have you adjusted the settings on your HU or just plugged it up and let it ride. Aftermarket HU's have many adjustments and the stock default settings are NOT optimal. Does it have a "loudness/bass boost" button or a button that says LD or loud. My Clarion had this and I didn't even know it for about a month. It sounded completely different when I hit it...lol!! If not you need to check the settings on the HU..bass, treble, etc. Keep in mind you will only get bass from the sails as that is how the Monsoon amp is eq'd. The Monsoon works fine with any aftermarket HU. The quality of the HU also has alot to do with it. No offense but it is a old Sony Xplod you had laying around. It's not like you bought a brand new Alpine or Kenwood and it sounded like this.

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

Yep, bass is turned up all the way. I've messed all around w/ the HU tuning options. It's definitely not that. Adjusting the bass DOES make it sounds different, but not NEAR the extent that the original HU did. It's like there's a seperate volume for my subs and it's turned almost all the way down.

This is really annoying. The only thing i can think of is that the stock HU has that equalizer setup (the last 2 being the subs i'm sure), and when those are turned all the way up, it sounds fine. But as soon as i swap HUs, i lose all that bass.

KEE AUDIO

iTrader: (65)

I would try a different HU and see what happens.

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

I know i haven't stumped LS1 Tech...

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

Huh, maybe i did. Shops can't figure it out either.

LSWon00

iTrader: (3)

The Monsoon amp WILL NOT work with the Monsoon system for powering the sail panel speakers. I took it out and ran new wiring from my new HU to the door and sail speakers and removed the hatch speakers which aren't worth **** anyhow. The sound in the front of the car is SO much better. I do have Infinity speakers though which are 3-way speakers so the sound is MUCH louder and clearer in the front of the car. Everyone who's heard it said it sounds great.

02Z28LS1

iTrader: (2)

this is what i would do.....just ignore the speakers in the hatch area, then run new wiring directly from the H/U to the speakers in the front doors & in the sail panels, bypassing the Monsoon amp entirely.

however, you may want to be careful, because the sail panel speakers (the bass/midbass speakers) are 2ohm speakers, if i'm not mistaken, so your H/U's internal amp may not be able to handle that impedance, which could fry the built-in amp. you may be better off getting some 4-ohm aftermarket speakers to replace the ones in the sail panels, so you can make sure you don't fry the H/U's internal amp.

JustinID

I say it's a bad head unit.

Your Monsoon amp is working fine. It just gets 4 speaker level inputs and sends those out to all the different speakers. If your stock Delco HU works, any aftermarket HU that isn't busted should work.


Oh one thing worth looking at is the fade control. The sail panels actually use the combined input of the front and rear signals when amplifying the bass for the sail panels. If you turn your fader all the way to the front (or the rear) you're cutting the signal to your sail panel speakers in half.

If your fade is set right, all of your bass settings are set right, and there are no other adjustments, then your HU is trash, imo.

It's hard to tell what the wires are for sure since they are off a HU I've never seen before, but a quick search on the web makes me think... One is for the power antenna and the other is for a remote turn on for an amplifier. I found that info here. It's really just a guess though.

JustinID

Not to step on too many toes here, but the two posts above my last one are wrong. First, the subs in your car are 4 ohm dual voice coil. You're pretty much not going to be able to drive them with out an amplifier (Monsoon or otherwise). Second, your Monsoon amp will work JUST FINE with out the Delco head unit. There's nothing magical about the stock head unit (other than the ability to control a delco remote 12 disc CD changer).

You're getting bass with your stock HU, so the amp is NOT the problem.

JustinID

One other possibility I just thought of is that you could have the wiring adapter on the Sony HU done up wrong. I couldn't tell you which wires you'd have to have wrong to get no bass but...

Well maybe... If you have the polarities backwards on the rears from what you have on the fronts, you could be cancelling out the combined signal that the Monsoon amp is going to use for the sail panels (since it combines them, if one is opposite of the other, in THEORY they'll cancel out).

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

So it is possible for everything else to work/sound just fine BESIDES the sail subs?

Even the other 8 speakers lose a LITTLE bass when i switch HU, but they also sound ALOT clearer, and they don't distort when turn up the volume alot. So, i mean, the HU is doing a fine job w/ everything BUT the sail speakers.