# MyLink + Sub, Problem or feature?!



## sim_80 (Mar 18, 2013)

Hey All,

Sorry if i'm re-posting.. and for my poor English. 

I've installed Hertz HCP 1D amp and Hertz 12" HX300D subwoofer (reflex box) on my Cruze SW MyLink system. I hooked the amp with speaker-in from the rear door speakers. 
Everything works fine, except... 

1. When i setup the amp so that the sub level is good on high volume, it sounds awful on low volume. Everything is covered by the bass.
2. and vice versa. When i set up the amp so that the sub level is good on low volume, the sub level seems too low on high volume.

So what am i doing wrong here? Is there some setups in the MyLink system that i should check out? The wiring for the amp is quite simple, so that would not be my first guess. 

And for a bonus, 3. i have 1.4 turbo with that auto start/stop system and if i hit the clutch right after the engine stops, i hear a loud pop from the sub. Is it some sort of power spike? and if it is, is there anything i can do about it? besides not to start the engine too quickly after auto stop? 

Please, any help would be highly appreciated!


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## arsmitty86 (Feb 26, 2013)

I wouldn't recommend setting the volume on the sub by listening to music. First you need to make sure your amp is set right. There are a couple of ways to do it and I still prefer the by ear method although if you do it like I do conservatively you'll never reach the amps full potential. The first thing you will want to do is make sure the GAIN is set right on the sub. Gain is not volume, it's sensitivity. The best way to do this is with a test tone and some ear plugs. 

First set your radios EQ all to 0. Then we want to set it to the max volume it can handle without clipping with the gain on the amp all the way down (or disconnected). I would recommend using a medium audible test tone for this. Something like 2000hz. The nice thing is with 2000hz is its annoying but you can really hear when the clipping starts. It will go from a steady tone to having a sort of up and down distortion to it. Back the Volume back a few notches (2-3 on the factory head unit I would think should be fine) and mark that number. Note that you can use a multimeter here but in my experience 2000hz its stupidly easy to hear the clipping.

That's the MAXIMUM volume you'll ever want to set your radio to again if you like your speakers and your sub. If you're lazy, a general rule is 3/4 volume at most but I'd really do the test if I were you. 

Now that that's adjusted put in a test tone for bass. I'd recommend 80-120hz since its easy to hear. Make sure your earphones are in. put the stereo at max volume that you marked in step one and turn up the gain until you hear clipping. Bass clipping sounds different. I'm not really sure how to describe it except like a popping noise or a noticeable vibration type distortion. The note goes much less clean. Back it down a little bit below where the distortion stops. This gives you breathing room and saves your sub.

In theory if you do the above you should be able to make MINOR (if you tweak too much you need to readjust the gain) tweaks with the EQ and get it dialed in. You will more then likely actually need to crank the gain back a little to make it not to overwhelming if the amp is oversized for the setup. If you only move by one or 2 EQ notches though the gain will be adjusted fine. Setting the gain in line with your HU/other amps is supposed to basically levelize the volumes to be sort of in sync (Though if you have a thousand watt sub amp it will still be too loud). EDITED

NOTE:You said you wired it into the doors. I'm not as familiar with this cars system as I should be but You need to make sure that there aren't cross overs that are keeping you from getting full signal. It would be better to get an adapter that would allow you to get line level inputs as it cuts this problem out.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Can you provide additional details on the subwoofer enclosure you're using?


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## sim_80 (Mar 18, 2013)

arsmitty86, Thanks a lot for the tips. I will definitely try that. The reason i wired the amp to the rear speakers and not using any adapters is that i didn't want to tear up the bezel and the factory HU (my first brand new car so... you'll understand right  ). So I followed some tips from this forum and connected the speaker-in wires to the rear door speaker wires under the hood release lever.


XtremeRevolution, As i mentioned my lack of English skills...  .. do you mean the subwoofer box? It's Bassworx CP12B ported 42 liter box. 0.6" thick MDF, measures (W,D,H): 23.6 x 14 x 14 inch

Sorry if the measures seem odd, I'm from Finland and we're using metric system. I tried to convert them.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

sim_80 said:


> arsmitty86, Thanks a lot for the tips. I will definitely try that. The reason i wired the amp to the rear speakers and not using any adapters is that i didn't want to tear up the bezel and the factory HU (my first brand new car so... you'll understand right  ). So I followed some tips from this forum and connected the speaker-in wires to the rear door speaker wires under the hood release lever.
> 
> 
> XtremeRevolution, As i mentioned my lack of English skills...  .. do you mean the subwoofer box? It's Bassworx CP12B ported 42 liter box. 0.6" thick MDF, measures (W,D,H): 23.6 x 14 x 14 inch
> ...


Do you have the option to block off the port on the subwoofer box? If so, I would try that. It may be tuned too high and may be sounding too boomy. Alternately, you could try stuffing the inside of the box with fiberglass insulation. I'd say about 1-1.5 pounds' worth, or .45-.68 Kilograms. That will flatten the tuning peak and make it sound more musical.


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## arsmitty86 (Feb 26, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Do you have the option to block off the port on the subwoofer box? If so, I would try that. It may be tuned too high and may be sounding too boomy. Alternately, you could try stuffing the inside of the box with fiberglass insulation. I'd say about 1-1.5 pounds' worth, or .45-.68 Kilograms. That will flatten the tuning peak and make it sound more musical.


:sigh:


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## GE Axiom (Mar 12, 2013)

I didn't read anywhere if the mylink has rca? 

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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

GE Axiom said:


> I didn't read anywhere if the mylink has rca?
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


I'm pretty sure it does not.


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## GE Axiom (Mar 12, 2013)

Well that sucks so sick of no Rca on these cars. I know that my personal audio link (adapter to add ipod hook up) on my Malibu added rca is there something like that for this? 

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## sim_80 (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks so much for the tips. I'll try these today and see if they help.
One thing that came to my mind... okay, feel free to laugh your asses off!.. I realized that i was playing the music only from spotify via bluetooth audio. I bet that that isn't the right way to tweak the audio systems! Hahaha!  :goodjob:


XtremeRevolution, Only way to block the port is to stuff something to the port it self. And i'm not sure if there's any fiberglass insulation in the box. They sold me the box with the woofer already installed. But i'll definitely check that out too if the sound wont set right. One thing i was wondering that why would i block the port? Shouldn't i just get an closed box? Doesn't the sub need different size box (liter size) if using closed box?


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## sim_80 (Mar 18, 2013)

GE Axiom said:


> Well that sucks so sick of no Rca on these cars. I know that my personal audio link (adapter to add ipod hook up) on my Malibu added rca is there something like that for this?
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


I read somewhere that there's some sort of adapter to hook up to the can bus behind the head unit to get rca. But as i mentioned in the previous post that i'm not really willing to tear up the bezel and the factory head unit. I'm not that skilled that i can safely say that i'm not going to break anything. And what would suck even more than my original problem is that i get some cracks or scratches to the bezel/head unit. Like i said, this is my first brand new car.


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## sim_80 (Mar 18, 2013)

Okay, i just wanted to say that i got it working the way i wanted. Thanks again for the tips. It was all about the gain, lo-pass and HU settings. Funny thing was that i didn't manage to make the woofer clip with that 80hz track even when the HU volume was on highest possible and the gain from the amp was cranked all the way up. still no clipping. 

I just have to say that now i have the best audio setup that i've ever had in my cars. The factory HU and speakers with that Hertz amp and 12" sub works so well together. Nice balanced tight sound with full low end and mirrors shaking. Just the way i want  Probably ****'d up sound for some real hifi head but enough for me!


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## GE Axiom (Mar 12, 2013)

Did you happen to take any pictures of your set up I'd be interested in seeing that? 


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## sim_80 (Mar 18, 2013)

GE Axiom, you mean pictures of the installation steps? No, because there really wasn't that many steps. 1) hook up the power cables. 2) hook up the speaker cables. 3) tweak the amp.


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## GE Axiom (Mar 12, 2013)

I mean like the finished product? 

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## sim_80 (Mar 18, 2013)

Well there's nothing much to take pictures from.. just a 12" sub in the trunk


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