ok, i cant really classify this as a "problem" b/c my setup is sounding pretty sick as is, but i am seriously confused about the tuning capabilities of the alpine 7995. i just got this headunit yesterday and did the install last night, it is pre-amp only and i am running it to a jl 300/4 which is powering 6.5 kappa compent system up front and kappa 2 way 6.5 in the rear(the green ones-not the new silver ones). i have 2 10" xtants but i took them out for weight savings so they are out of the picture for this disscusion.

the treble and bass adjustment on the 7995 is confusing, it lets me choose the frequecy first and then it lets me adjust the levels, how can i know what frequency to run as the starting point... they all sound different, but at the same time they all sound very good?

the HU has its own hp/lp crossovers but my jl audo amp has them too... should i set the amp to run full spectrum and set the HU hpf, or vice-versa, or should i set both? should i run full frequency to the fronts since the component system runs through its own external crossovers or what? and at what level should i set the crossovers for the rear speakers?(they dont seem to like bass too much, but still respond pretty well)

and my last question is about the media expander, it is a button on the headunit that seems to make the music quality alot cleaner, should i have this function on all the time... if not under what circumstances would i want to turn it off?

i upgraded from a very simple kenwood unit that had basically no tuning functions outside of bass and treble control so i was relying on my amp to do most of the filtering, now i feel like i have a full equalizer and i do not know how to use it. thanks in advance for any help.

 

I have a 7998, but it is very close to the 7995 in many respects.

The parametric eq will require you to select a center frequency that you want to increase. Just make the adjustment that sounds good to you.

I prefer to use HU crossover if I can. Cross the fronts and rears around 80, sub will be LP at the same. Use the JL amp to do a HP on the rear to kill the highs above 2k-4k. Put the rear speakers at least 3db down, I prefer 6db since my seating position places me closer to the rears that the fronts.

The MX is like loudness in my opinion. For a system without a sub it is good. I never use loudness on systems once I have subs. I don't use it yet since my stock speakers cannot handle it. I have not heard my 300/4 with real speakers yet.

 

thanks man, you will not be dissapoionted imho when you hook up some speakers to that setup, my system is sounding twice as nice as it was before and i havnt done anything to tune it yet, its funny how a system can only sound as nice as its hu allows.
when you say run the rears speakers down 3db, do you just mean use the fader and set it +3 to the front?
and i see what you mean about mx being a loudness feature but it seems to bring some detail and effect into the music that is otherwise absent... anyway i have alot of trial and error to do this afternoon and ill keep you posted on how things are going. thanks again

 

ok, i had a nice afternoon, i set the time correction which made a nice difference... the music is no longer bias to my left ear. i set the hpf at 80 on the hu which sounds really nice and i set the jl hpf for the rear at 3k, i faded to the front +3, im suprised to say that the music sounds really nice w/ the back speakers nearly cutout due to the fade and crossover. the highs no longer sound piercing.
i do need to get a nice sub though b/c the low end is really lacking, and i am tired of the daul 10" that has been bouncing around in my trunk.
as far as the media expander, i agree w/ you when you say it is like a loudness function, and doesnt do much good for hip hop, but for more "musical" albumns it seems to brighten up the highs and mids. so it will not be left on(or off) all the time.
as far as bass/treble tuning, it was just trail and error, i am really surprised to find out that it hasnt been the kappas distorting from too much bass, but my door panels are actually vibrating ALOT. my speakers can handle alot more than what has been thrown at them which is nice to know. any suggestions for tightening the panels up to stop vibration?

 

Ahh, nothing like playing with the toys

In the crossover screen, I can attenuate a channel. I decreased mine there since -6db is easier for me to understand. The settings for fade are fine also though.

Try sound deadening material to stop the door panel vibration. There is a recent thread on the different varieties here.