First of all I will admit to not being an expert at Car Audio. In my younger days I blew many speakers doing self installs.
However I just had a professional install the following:

JL Audio 500/5 Amp; JL Audio 10W6v2 10" Sub; 4080 Box; Infinity Kappa 60.7CS 6-1/2" (Front); Infinity Kappa 63.7i 6-1/2" (Rear Side)

I have listened to it for about 2 weeks and it just does not sound right...I know the bass is kicking my a$$..but overall I just am not getting the grin factor.

Can a audio system be tuned?

If so how; is it like a piano tuner uses his ear...or do you have technology for that purpose.

I know that some will respond "install CleanSweep" but is that my only option...spend more money?

 

proper adjustment of the "gains" is eesential. Most installers and consumers think of the gain as a volume. Absolutely wrong! They are usually set too high because it gives more of a "wow" factor to the consumer.

Set the gain(s) for a linear response throughout the listening volume range. This is know as linearity.

Also, you may want to push the sound forward by using a slight "fade" toward the front.

Finally, turn off "bass Boost" circuitry. The best way to use any EQ is to cut, rather than boost. In some instances, a bit of boost will be necessary though.

Most importantly, use an RTA (real time analyzer) to view the system response during punk noise playback. It will revael any phase anomolies, cancellations, etc.

 

Good advice, with a couple of corrections....to push the sound forward to the driver's seat, I believe you want to fade the bias towards the back, so you hear the rears more. I believe you were referring to "pink noise", not punk noise, LOL!

 

WHAT!!!!
What did you just say...linearity who
Guess I need to do some research...get an Audio Stereo for Dummies book

 

I have been competing in IASCA for a few years now and tuning a system involves quite a few things. Making sure your speakers are in phase, checking crossover points, adjusting gains and equalizer settings are just a few. I used an RTA meter as an aid to tuning. You can check a professional install shop and maybe by a quick listen an experienced person can quickly point out whats wrong and give you some advice.

 

Didnt you keep the factory headunit??

If you did weren't people saying that it already had pre configured EQ settings from factory. You might be extremely limited to the adjustments you can make with a factory headunit. Like i told you in PM you can always call the installer back and have them take a second look and a real good listen. I know your system was still not done when you got their so prob it was 1,2,3 and out the dorr since they knew you were waiting for it. Try to call them and make time to sit down with them and explain your concerns and see what they say.

 

I hope PDiddy was joking about fading to the rear. You definitely don't want to do that. When you go to a concert, the band is in front of you, not behind you. Imaging is also key. Where the speakers are placed can have a big effect on imaging, phase, and if done wrong can cause lobing effects and overall bad sound. You don't want to be cancelling out waves by imaging incorrectly.

 

thanks for the correction on the "punk" noise. typo!

 

Back in the day when I was an installer I always kept a CD in my toolbox full of songs that I knew really well.

If you know how songs are supposed to sound you will do much better at tuning the system by ear. Choose about 5 songs that cover a wide range of music and tweak the system little by little by adjusting bass, trebble, and fade.

Setting gains is a bit more difficult by ear. Typically I would listen to the Smashing Pumplins "Thirty-Three" because it has a killer bass line, and made it very easy to set bass gains (slowly turn the gains up until distortion is detected then back off 1/4 of a turn). Not the most scientific way, but it works. To properly set gains you're supposed to use an oscilloscope and a 1K tone (for front speakers). With the o'scope you can see clipping and distortion, two things that are bad.

Phasing won't make a big difference in the G. The speakers have a better chance of canceling themselves out then canceling other speakers out (as no speaker shares common airspace that I know of). Phasing comes in to play when speakers share airspace, or are facing each other, for the most part.

The biggest part of 'tuning' an audio system is actually the sub enclosure. You seem happy with the bass, so that obviously isn't an issue.

Also, I would check all the settings on the JL amp. With a 5 channel amp it is very possible they have one of the crossovers set wrong.

 

irony, before going through all the trouble of "tuning" your setup, are you using the Infiniti factory head unit, or have you replaced that with a different one? That could make a big difference.