How much "Amp" do I need?
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,934
Likes: 722
From: Ontario, Canada
You are pretty much guessing when using just the dial. Ideally, you are better to do it by ear if you don't have a DSP, built in EQ, or anything else to verify your x-over frequency.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,934
Likes: 722
From: Ontario, Canada
OK...no DSP or built in EQ (using the stock GTS hu and want to keep it that way) in play, so educate me as I'm an audio simpleton. At the advice of forum members, when tuning by ear, I've been told to set to HP filter, set my x-over first (80'ish range), then adjust the gains till a bit of distortion, then back it off a bit...which has worked in the past. So are you saying then that once the gain is set, go back and play with the frequency? Again, not an audio expert here...I know just enough to get me in trouble.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 3,854
Likes: 1,002
From: Southern Virginia
Hey John, one thing I'll toss out there is that a lot of what makes a speaker sound "bright" is just a characteristic of speakers when they are pushed hard. The midrange frequencies are a lot easier for our ears to pick up on at speed than lows are. I know some speakers definitely sound warmer than others, but the best cure that I know of for getting any speaker to sound the way you want it to is a DSP.
Since you probably aren't going to go over four speakers then you could do everything you need tuning wise with the little Arc PSM unit. I know a lot of folks don't want to get into the expense and complexity of a DSP but shoot swapping speakers out in hopes of getting a better sound gets expensive quick. A DSP allows you to get any speakers to sound a lot more like what you want it to.
I'd say definitely try the GZs as they seem to be well made, but if you still find things to be a little harsh or just not to your liking a DSP is something to consider. I tuned my speakers over the course of several months of riding to get the sound the way I like it now. I just left the USB cable hanging down the steering neck with a rubber cap over the plug. It's easy to plug it up and tweak the EQ settings to take out whatever frequencies are annoying me.
Hope you get things the way you like them.
Since you probably aren't going to go over four speakers then you could do everything you need tuning wise with the little Arc PSM unit. I know a lot of folks don't want to get into the expense and complexity of a DSP but shoot swapping speakers out in hopes of getting a better sound gets expensive quick. A DSP allows you to get any speakers to sound a lot more like what you want it to.
I'd say definitely try the GZs as they seem to be well made, but if you still find things to be a little harsh or just not to your liking a DSP is something to consider. I tuned my speakers over the course of several months of riding to get the sound the way I like it now. I just left the USB cable hanging down the steering neck with a rubber cap over the plug. It's easy to plug it up and tweak the EQ settings to take out whatever frequencies are annoying me.
Hope you get things the way you like them.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 10,767
From: SE Michigan
I've been well pleased with my Arc 600.4. On paper it definitely puts out at least 25 watts per channel more than the Stinger. I have seen some specs on the Stinger that rate it at 100 watts per channel instead of 125. The Arc is physically larger by over two inches, so I figure there is some extra copper in there somewhere.
I ain't saying the Arc is the best way to go, but I got mine used at a good deal and don't regret the purchase.
I ain't saying the Arc is the best way to go, but I got mine used at a good deal and don't regret the purchase.
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,934
Likes: 722
From: Ontario, Canada
Hey John, one thing I'll toss out there is that a lot of what makes a speaker sound "bright" is just a characteristic of speakers when they are pushed hard. The midrange frequencies are a lot easier for our ears to pick up on at speed than lows are. I know some speakers definitely sound warmer than others, but the best cure that I know of for getting any speaker to sound the way you want it to is a DSP.
Since you probably aren't going to go over four speakers then you could do everything you need tuning wise with the little Arc PSM unit. I know a lot of folks don't want to get into the expense and complexity of a DSP but shoot swapping speakers out in hopes of getting a better sound gets expensive quick. A DSP allows you to get any speakers to sound a lot more like what you want it to.
I'd say definitely try the GZs as they seem to be well made, but if you still find things to be a little harsh or just not to your liking a DSP is something to consider. I tuned my speakers over the course of several months of riding to get the sound the way I like it now. I just left the USB cable hanging down the steering neck with a rubber cap over the plug. It's easy to plug it up and tweak the EQ settings to take out whatever frequencies are annoying me.
Hope you get things the way you like them.
Since you probably aren't going to go over four speakers then you could do everything you need tuning wise with the little Arc PSM unit. I know a lot of folks don't want to get into the expense and complexity of a DSP but shoot swapping speakers out in hopes of getting a better sound gets expensive quick. A DSP allows you to get any speakers to sound a lot more like what you want it to.
I'd say definitely try the GZs as they seem to be well made, but if you still find things to be a little harsh or just not to your liking a DSP is something to consider. I tuned my speakers over the course of several months of riding to get the sound the way I like it now. I just left the USB cable hanging down the steering neck with a rubber cap over the plug. It's easy to plug it up and tweak the EQ settings to take out whatever frequencies are annoying me.
Hope you get things the way you like them.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 10,767
From: SE Michigan
Thanks for the input Bryan. Yah, 4 speakers & and an amp is my comfort zone...which I fully realize will possibly limit the ability to get the "perfect" sound. Again, I'm not complaining and saying it's bad...just thought the Mmats would sound a bit warmer. And who knows...maybe down the road I'll put a DSP in play? Good news is we have winter (which in itself really isn't good) here now and I have lots of time to deal with it.
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 295
Likes: 19
From: South of Atlanta Georgia
Stinger
my stinger says its good for 125x4 at 4ohms but the sheet said it did 137 on channels 1&2 when they tested it at final inspection. I think if you could get as many watts as 135 to the Ground Zero youd be in a pretty good place maybe not pushing them to the max and maybe it will be a little roof on the app open time but I dont think he would be terribly light as far as the sound they produce with that kind of power. But I now have a 1200.4 in my faring because I had the same exact set up as you and I kept getting the same response that youre getting now when I asked what I should do so I bit the bullet and Im glad I did
