Kizashi stereo

[Hawkzilla]

It was covered. I felt a little guilty, but then I thought about it more and they shouldn't be putting speakers in that can't handle the stereo. I only had the volume set at 20 when the woofer blew, so it wasn't like I was pushing it unreasonably hard.

But I hate being without my Kiz, so it's punch bass +4 from now on for me. lol

Your sub is set to +4?? Mine is very rarely set above +1 (depending on song being played and how it was produced). Don't think you should be surprised that your sub blew dude. Try balancing out your sound so you're not just feeling the base thump through your chest and you'll be happier. Yeah music's supposed to be felt, but heard properly as well!:)

Um, duh. Do you always assume everyone likes your exact preferences? lol

I was surprised, and I will tell you why. You shouldn't pair speakers with a stereo if they can't handle the output. The bass setting goes to +6, so +4 isn't even the max. And I have no clue how high the volume goes, but I do know 20 isn't close to the max either. So for a speaker to fail without either maxed out is actually very surprising.

Also, I have my treb +6, mid +4 and bass +4... I'm not a mathematician, but that seems pretty balanced. I don't like my music to sound like it's being played in a padded coffee can, but hey, I just know what I like... I'm not pretentious enough to assume everyone should like everything as I do.

[robertflorian]

Um, duh??? Bit condescending don't you think? I was only trying to help dude, and in no way was trying to push my "preference" on you. And as a matter of fact, even the best speakers can be blown through any system they're paired with, especially the sub. But you go on ahead and pump up your bass to whatever makes your heart thump. Should I care? Absolutely not. Keep on feelin' the beat fellow Kizashi owner.

[Hawkzilla]

Condescending is exactly how your post came off to me... I was simply returning the favor.

I'm not an idiot, I'm well aware of the working features of a car stereo and how far they should be able to be pushed. The simple fact is, even with the bass at +6, it shouldn't blow the subwoofer at 50-65% of it's max volume. So please excuse me for being offended by your post inferring that it was my own fault for my sub blowing. I can assure you that it wasn't.

And since you seem so very interested in my need for "heart pounding" bass... I prefer to be able to feel my bass... a little. I don't like it so it's shaking the bolts out of my Kiz, The settings I have now give me very good quality sound at the 8-18 volume range, where I usually have it.

[robertflorian]

My apologies for trying to advise with my suggestions. Did not mean to sound condescending. As picking a Kizashi to be your car of choice, you're obviously no idiot. I'm enjoying mine to its fullest, and am only surprised that I don't see many on the street by now. Very limited here in Canada compared to the U.S.. Hope it serves you with many years of fun and wish you much luck with your new sub, and fun with your music.
Rob

[~tc~]

Actually, running out of amp power destrys more speakers than too much. Clipped signals result in very rapid heating of the voice coil elements. Which brings me to my second point ...

You should try to avoid + settings on the controls, as those have very small, cheap amplifiers that are more prone to clipping, and therefore more likely to damage speakers. It would be better to run something like TREB +2 MID 0 BASS 0 and add a little more volume (of course assuming things are linear, and they probably aren't with the parametric EQ's used in the RF system). Which brings me to my last point ...

In a head-to-head comparison test, people will almost always prefer the louder source. Be careful not to just keep turning things up because it sounds better - try to keep the overall volume about the same.

[robertflorian]

Totally agree. You've just listed the settings I'm comfortable with the most. Sometimes I need to bump up the bass to +1, but only if the song needs it. Again, this depends on the produced music. A Quincy Jones production or Dave Matthews will sound amazing , but some other stuff needs to be reconfigured for lack of base or treble.

[tigerbangs54]

I have been in the audio business in one form or another for over 35 years, and one thing I have learned about stereo speakers: no one blows them out because you run too much power through them. You blow out speakers because you drive the amplifier into clipping, or overload distortion, which cause the amp to put out a distorted signal component that also includes DC voltage. When you clip an amplifier, you cause the amp to melt the voice coils of the speakers: this is especially true of tweeters, but, can also happen to woofers, as well. If you want better sound, use MORE high-quality amplification, or temper your love of distorted sound. It is the DISTORTION that causes speaker failure, not applying too much power.

[Hawkzilla]

All good info, thanks for sharing. In the end, I bought a new car in part for the warranty. So my attitude is to adjust the settings to how I feel they sound best, and enjoy it. If something fails, Suzuki can replace it. After all, it's not like I'm jumping my Kiz over buses or driving without oil in the engine... I won't feel bad for thinking the stereo should be able to run at 20 volume - with any settings - and still work.

According to what you guys are saying, it could have very well been my previous bad amp that would cause random distortion/volume flux that started my sub down the path to failure.

[tigerbangs54]

I suspect that the previous amplifier in your Kizashi had a defect, and Suzuki was aware of it. No matter what amplifier you use, once you hear the amp beginning to distort, you will end up with a speaker failure eventually if you continue to allow the system to distort. Boosting the bass control., or, in the case of a subwoofer, raising the subwoofer level relative to rest of the volume of the system will cause the dedicated subwoofer amplifier to clip, putting DC voltage to the voice coil. The voice coil will begin to melt, and, if you move the cone in and out gently by hand, you will feel a rubbing, or friction where the voice coil and the speaker bobbin are coming into contact. Do this too often, and I'll bet that even Suzuki will stop warranting the speakers...LOL

[kskizashi]

Blew the Sub Woofer and new one on order, good news it's covered.