# Rear Speaker Distortion



## PAULCAPASSO (Dec 25, 2007)

Is it common for the rear speakers to distort with bass boost on 0 when using the EQ settings?? Anyone else have this prob?


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## cwbimp (Nov 8, 2006)

yep the stock audio system sucks when i first bought the car i thought the speakers were blown and i didn t even have it loud i plan on changing all of the speakers in the car


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

Stock Car speakers are typically sub par but I have no complaints about the sound of it. I'm a musician and into music but I honestly listen to the GTO every I drive it instead of the sound system. 

One nice evening, I sat in the car while parked in the garage with a few beers and thought the sound system was very good. :lol:


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## PDQ GTO (Jun 21, 2007)

Hey I do the same most days; I think the sound system is decent for stock, but I prefer to listen to the growl of my camed & catless SLP system, now that's a sound system...Did I mention my neighbors don't care for me all that much...Jimmy crack corn & I don't care...:cheers



raspantienator said:


> Stock Car speakers are typically sub par but I have no complaints about the sound of it. I'm a musician and into music but I honestly listen to the GTO every I drive it instead of the sound system.
> 
> One nice evening, I sat in the car while parked in the garage with a few beers and thought the sound system was very good. :lol:


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

I have not had any complaints from my stereo. It sounds fine for me. I listen at a moderate level and every now and then crank it up. I am not into the overly loud, or fine tuning for optimum results many are into.


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## JohnC (Jul 12, 2007)

All of the canned EQ settings blow. I never use them. Turn of the EQ and set the treble and bass so that it sounds best to you.


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## NJG8GT (Nov 14, 2007)

I like my system. Maybe it is the type of music your listening too:lol: Since I had the Flomaster Super 44s installed, I dont listen to the radio much anymore.


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## macgto7004 (Jul 22, 2007)

PAULCAPASSO said:


> Is it common for the rear speakers to distort with bass boost on 0 when using the EQ settings?? Anyone else have this prob?


That would depend on a couple of things.
Have you adjusted the sub amp? Has anyone (previous owner, if there was one) adjusted the sub amp? 
Could be adjusted too high.
Contrary to what alot of GTO owners say, I think the GTO stereo sounds fine. Is it perfect? No. Does it kick a** and take home a trophy in a stereo competition? Cetainly not. 

As John C pointed out, the EQ settings pretty much suck. The only one I have ever used is the rock setting. The rock setting pumps up the bass, but clips the highs. Using the bass/treble with the EQ off will get you the best sound.

Another observations I have made is that, it seems that alot of the young guys who complain about the stereo are probably listening to a lot of bass intensive hip hop that will overdrive even the best system.

The other thing that I have noticed is that current cds seem to be way louder than ones made just a few years ago.

I listen to a wide variety of music. I like alot of Trance/Electronic music, which can have a pretty heavy sound. I can listen to most of my current cds at a max volume of about 35. Older cds, I can go as high as 45 on the volume scale.

With my sub amp adjusted to about 70% of max, I can get enough bass to feel it in my left foot while it's resting on the floor, next to the clutch pedal.

Is it the best factory sytem in the world? No. Is it decent for a factory system? Yes.

Russ


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

totally agree with you all about the stereo...it sounds better with CDs than with the radio playing and I believe the newer CDs sound louder because they are overboosted when made...at least that is what I keep hearing over at Klipschforum.com...anyway...they do sound louder by a good deal than my older CDs (arguably when the sound engineers were still using LP (long play) recording techniques...I never use the EQ settings...funny but I hit the button for the EQ settings and went through the different ones...what a difference and all bad...
Bill


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

I have my amp turned up the whole way, the treble and bass turned up the whole way, and the setting to the clearest setting I could tell and my stereo sounds fine. I never listen to the radio ARG, I listen to Classic rock CD's I burned. 

If you don't have the stereo set right it will sound muffled, a buddy I took to get his goat was in agony listening to the stereo 5 hours back after purchasing it, it sounded like crap. When I was over at his place shortly afterwards he showed me and it sounded like you were listening to the stereo with ear muffs on. WE adjusted it to his preference and it was night and day difference. He recently changed out the door speakers and tells me the high notes are more defined and the stereo sounds even better. 

My ears ain't what they used to be 30 years ago. My wife says I don't listen, maybe I ain't listening to my stereo right? Naaaaaaaa can't be :willy:


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

Judge...theis is EXACTLY my thoughts...CDs, even those I have burned sound great...the radio sounds muffled...I have the treble all the way up and the bass one tick above the middle...
Bill


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## PAULCAPASSO (Dec 25, 2007)

I listen to a wide varity of music myself. Not so much hiphop, unless something with a good beat comes on. Mostly country and classic rock. Where is the amp located and where are the gain adjustments??? I need to fix that. I used to be a mobile electronics installer, I have never seen a factory amp have gain adjustments. but this car suprises me every day!!! Has anyone upgraded the rear subs???


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## PAULCAPASSO (Dec 25, 2007)

I am also a fan of clairity. My home theater system is all Bose. I'm not talking about those small cubes either, I have decent sized speakers and it's loud and clear. I would love to upgrade the speakers in the car using the factory head unit just to keep the car authentic, but i really dont want to pull these panels off. GTO's arent just slapped together like a USA brand pontiac is.


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## raspantienator (Nov 20, 2007)

How high does our sterio go up too? I think I went as high as 29.

I've heard Ford's Shaker 500 and the Shaker 1000 (top of the line). The 1000 was in a 2007 and the 500 in a 2008 model
Ours beats the 500 easily and rivals the 1000. 

Very happy with the whole set up- Our disc player works better than the Ford Shaker Disc player too (Takes in discs and switches faster).


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

I generally listen to mine at 32.

It does go much higher but 32 is good for me.

You can adjust the stereo to increase in sound as drive as road noise is measured. Mine is set at 2 I think. The higher you set it, the louder it will get as road noise increases, and as road noise decreases so does the volume.


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## macgto7004 (Jul 22, 2007)

PAULCAPASSO said:


> I listen to a wide varity of music myself. Not so much hiphop, unless something with a good beat comes on. Mostly country and classic rock. *Where is the amp located and where are the gain adjustments???* I need to fix that. I used to be a mobile electronics installer, I have never seen a factory amp have gain adjustments. but this car suprises me every day!!! Has anyone upgraded the rear subs???


The factory amp is for the subs only. It is located in the trunk, left side, attached to the outside of the vertical brace, behind the carpet. If you pull the carpet away from the top left side of the trunk, you can reach back there and adjust the amp. No need to pull the thing out. If you haven't done it before, it will take a little bit of work, only because you are working blind.
Feel around on the side of the amp, and you will find a knob. This is the gain control. The is a detent that you can feel at the 50% mark. Work the knob back and forth so you get a feel for the detent. Then work from the 50% detent, up to the 100% mark (rotating the knob towards the front of the car) Then just kind of settle somewhere in the middle.

Also, if you go into the DIC menu (the one that comes up on the main LCD when you start the car) you will also want to turn off the Distortion Limiter, and the Speed Sensative volume control. 
With those two things off, you will have much more control over the sound you get out of your stereo.

As far as upgrading the subs, or any of the stock speakers, for that matter, you have to be careful because the stock speakers are only 2 ohm. I think Infinity makes a 2 ohm series for the GTO. For the subs, there is not a whole lot you can do. First off, they are only 6.5 inches. I have seen some guys do some custom work and get 8 incher's in the stock location, but you also have to be concerned with depth. There is a flange on the fuel cell cage that is directly under the subs and doesn't give you alot of clearance.

Russ


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## PAULCAPASSO (Dec 25, 2007)

Thanks I didn't know it was set up like that.. Very nice to know. I might just take out the rear subs and put a few in the trunk. cant put much in there anyway. Yes the distortion limiter is already off and the auto vol control too. That is great for the very boring GTO owner who still has his factory mufflers and plays chess on weekends instead of going to the bar.


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