How to adjust the phase of the subwoofer?
Every driver should understand that buying even a very powerful sub woofer is not a guarantee that you will get the perfect sounding bass right after installation. To achieve maximum performance and clear sound, you must properly configure the sub woofer. This is important because acoustics and a sub woofer must work “in phase”, this is when the speaker cones move forward and backward synchronously. That is, they should sound in unison. Let's take a closer look at how to properly configure this parameter to coordinate the work of car speakers and a subwoofer.
What is the speaker phase?
To understand what the term "subwoofer phase" means, you need to imagine how the sound goes. Obviously, sound waves from the speakers and subwoofer are emitted simultaneously. But since in a car often sound sources are located at different distances from the listener and various obstacles inside the car can interfere with the free passage of waves, they do not reach the ear evenly-at different times. Because of this, it turns out that the sound is not consistent, and the transmission quality is significantly reduced. A similar effect is called "phase shift."
How to properly adjust the phase of the subwoofer
Modern amplifiers for connecting subwoofers are equipped with a phase regulator that allows you to adjust the delay of sound waves. This function can be used to synchronize the subwoofer with other elements of the speaker system (common mode).
If there is no delay, this coincides with a zero value, with a maximum delay, respectively, has a value of 180 degrees. If everything is optimally tuned and sound waves are in phase, then the listener hears high-quality, clean and consistent sound. Therefore, it is very important to achieve full coordination of sound transmission, the only way to ensure optimal and realistic sounding of your favorite music in the car.
Subwoofer Phase Setting Procedure
It’s best to tune your woofers directly while listening to audio (it’s best to choose instrumental music with clear bass sound, or take a special test disc).
Sit in the car seat and turn on the music. You will need an assistant who, at the time of listening, will change the position of the switch or phase regulator. Your task is to determine by ear exactly the position in which the bass sounds as synchronously as possible, even and loud.
If you are not ready to trust your ears and ears 100%, then there is a more accurate tuning method that allows you to match the subwoofer with the car speaker system. Before proceeding directly to the setup, you need to change the polarity of the connection of car speakers, for this you should swap the wires so that the order is as follows: plus connect with minus and minus with plus. It is recommended to do this from the side of the sound amplifier, this allows you to turn on the speakers so that they are in the opposite position.
Please note that all switching must be done on a turned off system. This rule is constant and should always be applied!
The next item is the inclusion of a sine or tone with a frequency that is equal to the maximum cutoff value of the LPF/LPF subwoofer. While sitting in a chair, the assistant should rotate the phase control until you understand that the volume has fallen to its lowest limit level. This means that the subwoofer and speakers are out of phase, that is, the control is in the position you need.
After completing the setup, you can restore the correct connection of the speakers and put the poles back in place.
Fulfillment of all proposed the above actions will allow for accurate matching and even sounding of the speakers and subwoofer. The sound phase is consistent, and you can enjoy your favorite music in good quality without distortion.
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