Tuning the Wicked Stage1 system to sound right

steveg78

I was going to add this to the magic box thread but I figured I'd start a new thread since this could get busy. Here's the system that I purchased from Wicked:

JL XD 500/3
Hertz ESK 165.5 components
JL 10WXv2

Purchased separately:
Pioneer Appradio 3 (SPH-DA210)
KnuKonceptz Complete 4 Gauge 4 Channel Amplifier Installation Kit
Dynamat Xtreme hatch/doors

Overall the system sounds good but I feel like something isn't rounding out the sound.

I've adjusted my gains for both the fronts and the sub using a DMM, all levels set to flat on the HU and no bass boost etc. The LPF on the amp was set to 80Hz. I set the HU volume to 75% (30 out of 40 on the HU), and played a 60hz tone for the sub test, 100hz for the doors.

For the components, I have the HPF on the amp set to OFF; is this correct since I have passive crossovers?

Also, I should mention that I installed the HD-RLC (remote level control for the sub). When I set my gains using the DMM, I had this turned all the way up.

Now my conclusion:

I'm not sure if I am expecting a lot more from this system or if something isn't tuned right. The 6.5s in the doors produce some pretty decent punchy bass. So much so that there really isn't a huge difference felt when I turn the sub down completely (using the remote knob). It seems like the sub bass is felt towards the very end of the clockwise rotation on the knob. For example, the knob ranges from 8:00 - 4:00, when I start at 8:00 (lowest) and turn it up, I don't start to hear the sub until around 2:00. And the difference between 2:00-4:00 is not much.

I'm trying to avoid using any EQ or boost settings on the HU to tune this system but it just seems like the sub isn't performing. Should I just use the EQ on the HU and reset the gains again? From what I've read, there seems to be a lot of purists out there who say that you shouldn't need to use any EQ/Boost settings on a HU if you set your gains and crossovers correctly. While I've had some booming systems 15+ yrs ago, I never measured and dialed sh*t in properly and thought that by doing it this way, I would get the best sound quality out of my system.

Any insight would be appreciated.