Where are the amps on the mp3

Err, Amps? We don't have any that I know of. They get the 280watt rating by taking the stereos 45x4 (=180) and adding the 100watt powered sub figures. There are no amps external to the head unit and sub enclosure itself.
Hope that helps!
:cool:
 
Thanks cjstringer.....I was curious because when we flip through settings on the keenwood face it says amp control 1 or 2...So that is what made me think we had them.....What are amps good for? for higher output than 280?
 
Not sure which setting you are looking at. I got the POS 919. do you have the 828? it must have more and better controls. My system still seems adequate for factory though. :)
:cool:
 
cjstringer said:
Not sure which setting you are looking at. I got the POS 919. do you have the 828? it must have more and better controls. My system still seems adequate for factory though. :)
:cool:

I don't think the z828 has amp controls from what I can remember while tinkering with the unit, but yeah, the sub we all have is self powered. :cool:
 
Ok man, sorry. I scanned through my controls last night and saw the amp control. I have mine at 1. I'm not 100% sure what the hell it actually does. I figured 1 was better than 2. Who wants to be number 2?
No truthfully, it might be a gain or something. I just left it at 1, adjusted the level on the sub and the other controls in the HU, and then crank it up!
I'll try and list my settings for everyone tonight or tomorrow. I'm sure some will laugh at me, but I'm going more for overall sound quality rather than just all out badass bass, though I love the bass also.
Later!
:cool:
 
What are amps good for? for higher output than 280?

Pretty much....but the thing with running off the deck(it actually has a built-in amp) is that the power rating of 4 X 45 watts isn't pure or RMS(Root Mean Squared.....also known as the average) power put out but the max power potential on the peaks only.

So in other words if you had a decent dedicated amp(let's say a 4 channel amp rated at 200 watts or 4 X 50 watts) installed in your car and were running all four speakers except for the bass tube off of it, it's gonna make the system sound a fair bit better. Hehe I'm no car stereo expert, but not only will you be driving more pure power to the speakers, but the power getting their SHOULD(like I said if it's a decent amp) have a lower THD or Total Harmonic Distortion which means cleaner sound and also means you can turn it up a lot louder without hearing distortion.

Ok I'll take off my nerd cap now. :D
 
Ok, here are my settings. They may not be the best, but I hit about 25 on the volume and it still sounds good in the car:

Audio Control:
-Amp Control Off
-N-F LV -4
-Fader F2
-Balance 0
-Treble +1
-Tre f 15.0kHz
-Bass Ext ON
-Bass Q 2.00
-Bass +2
-Bass f 70Hz

XOVER CONTROL:
-HPF f 120Hz
-PHASE NOR
-LPF NF THROUGH
-HPF R 120Hz



I know someone else had posted theirs at some point, but I can't find the post. Hope this helps. Another thing, I still tweak it a lot, but I use this as a baseline most all of the time.
Good luck!
 
The amp control on the kenwood decks is to control kenwood external amps. It will open the fan door on the excelon amps. Other than that it does nothing. The amp is in the head unit and sub only.

An extrernal amp makes a huge difference in sound quality. More power lets you listen louder, also lower volumes have more clarity and dynamic range.

later
 
cjstringer you are the man.....thanks because i was playing with the controls and couldn't get to sound right.....so thanks i will try and let you know........Aslo if you could let me know what your sub controls are turned at...i played with mine and it sounds crappy......what should the input be and the other nob be at.......I dont know if you can draw a picture to describe it or what......but if you can explain that would be great......
 
I'll check later this morning. For some reason it went from mid 60's friday to snowing and windy as hell yesterday and today. I'll see if I can get in the trunk and look at it.
Also, I was out playing friday night and modified my settings a little and got what I think is even better sound. These are what I changed:

Fader F +2
N-F Level -2
Phase REVERSE (Don't know why, but it sound a hell of a lot better)
BASS f 80Hz

All I know it, I can gt mine to about 26 before there is any breakup, so I usually max it about 23 or 24...

I'll edit this or post again later with the sub settings..

Ok, for my sub settings, I have both dials pointing to about 3 o'clock. I know that puts the Xover up around 160-180, but it seems to work well for me. The phase is is set at 0.

Let me know how it works for you!
 
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hey stringer today i went to an audio place.......Finally a guy who is sponsored by kenwood was really cool.....He played with my car for about 15 minutes........He has been wanting to see an mp3....so when he saw mine he was more than glad to set it up......he played with the sub and set my controls........He gave me a tip about the cross overs settings.......If you like i will put it up tommorrow.......I forgot what he set everything at.....I have to go to work so i can tell you tommorrow......It does sound better and he said if i dont like it come back because sometimes it takes a few days to really tell if it is set to my liking......
 
This whole concept of max power is absurd. Someone will sell you an amp with a 15 amp fuse, so physically, max power is 15*12=180 watts. So if someone says "this system will do 250 watts" and they sell it with a 15 amp fuse, it means it probably runs at a max of 10 amps normally (or the fuse would blow the first time you played "hypnotize") so that means 150 watts max electrical power. Now if you find an amplifier that is 100% efficient, (ie, for 1 watt of electrical power you get 1 watt of output audio power) I will sell house car and family and buy stocks in that company because no amplifier is 100% efficient. So that means it's well under 150 watts of true power. So essentially, when someone says "250 watts", unless it says "RMS" in big letters, divide that 250 by two at least, so more like 125 watts.
Also, and what's with peeps putting huge capacitors in the car to "boost power" from the audio system? I've seen places sell capacitors with LED meters on them. That's like putting a 10" tip on your exhaust, it makes no difference! I mean, you can turn your car into one big capacitor on wheels, it will not change the power output of your system, nor will it reduce the average load on your alternator. It may prevent damage to fuses/alternators for short temporary spikes if you're lucky, but again, if you're in a CRX and feel you need to put a 1,000 watt RMS system and you want to play hypnotize, there's no capacitor big enough to save your alternator or battery, your alternator is gonna go bye bye no questions asked. If you really want to turn your car into a disco-mobile please just change the alternator and lose some HP or deal with the fact that a subcompact car cannot be turned into Twilo.

my 2 cents. cheers,
 
Vegas,
Yes! Post what he did. I'd like to see what the settings are and know if they are any good.

Enry,
Have you heard or set up many systems? Again, I'm not a pro or anything, but I've put together some pretty serious systems in the past, and though I agree upgrading the alternator is a key factor, I have used caps in many of the installs. They really do help. And as for the LED display, I've never used them for show, but they do help when setting up to know how the cap is handling the load.
Being an electrical engineer myself, I do understand the use and importance of the cap in the system, but I also know that 90% of them are sold unneeded. Most people are just too lazy to do the alternator and think a cap will solve their problems. I agree it only works for quick hits too. But I also know that some caps can be set for more sustained hits. (Yes, a tunable cap does exist)
Just a few thoughts from an ex-system tweaker.
:cool:
 
s***........I FORGOT THE PAPER IN MY CAR.....I APOLOGIZE I WILL DO IT FOR SURE......YOU HELPED ME SO I WILL RETURN THE FAVOR.....I HAVE BEEN RUNNING AROUND WITH WORK AND SCHOOL SO I HAVE BEEN A LITTLE FORGETFUL LATELY........I WILL ALSO TELL YOU WHERE THE CONTROLS ON THE SUB ARE SET AT......
 
CJSTRINGER...........I GOT THE INFO.........FIRST THING IS TURN YOUR STEREO TO WHERE IT SAYS ALL OFF.........THEN HIT THE AUD BOTTON ON THE TOP LEFT...........THIS WILL GET YOU TO FUNCTION SETTING.......FLIP THROUGH TILL YOU SEE SP. YOU MAY HAVE IT SET AT STANDARD,WIDE,NARROW OR MIDDLE......HAVE IT SET TO STANDARD.........THIS CONTROLS HOW THE SUB HITS......AFTER THAT FLIP DOWN YOUR BACK SEAT AND SET THE INPUT SENSITIVITY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, BY TURNING THE NOB STRAIGHT UP.........THEN TURN THE LOW PASS FREQUENCY BETWEEN THE 50 AND THE MIDDLE.......GO A LITTLE ABOVE INBETWEEN THE 50 AND MIDDLE POINT.....THEN MAKE SURE THE SWITCH THING IS AT "O" NOT 180........NOW GET TO WHERE YOU HAVE THE CONTROL PART WITH BASS AND TREBLE AND WHAT NOT...........

AMP CONTROL 2
NLF +4
FADE 0
BALANCE 0
TREB +6
TREB F 15.0KHZ
BASS EXT ON
BASS Q 2.00
BASS +3
BASS F 150 HZ

CROSS OVER
PHASE NORMAL
HPF F 120HZ
HPF R 220HZ
LPF NF 80 HZ

I HOPE THIS HELPS.......SO LET ME KNOW......(PS YOU CAN ADJUST THE BASS AND NLF DIFFERTENTLY...BUT WE THOUGHT IT SOUNDED GOOD HOW I HAVE IT)
 
caps are a aid to a system that is consuming slightly to much power. The throw the amps some quick aperage thus maintaning the voltage in the car and avioding things like lights dimming. If the problem is bad then another battery in the rear is a good idea. If the problem is realy bad, then a new alternator is needed.
 
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