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Balancing Bass Quality Across Different Music Genres - Car Subwoofer

soundbunny

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I own a Mazda 3 with an aftermarket subwoofer, and I’m encountering a peculiar issue with my audio setup. When playing bass-heavy tracks, the sound is fantastic and the bass is powerful. However, when I switch to genres like pop, the bass becomes almost non-existent. The subwoofer is definitely working, so it isn't a technical problem.

Could someone please advise me on how to equalize a system to achieve a more balanced sound across all music genres?

Any specific EQ settings or general tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
Get a measurement microphone (e.g. UMIK-1).

Do a Moving Microphone Method frequency response measurement in the driver's seat, as well as some sweeps for RT60 etc.

Use that data to EQ your system.

Here are some sample car audio measurements using a UMIK-1:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...40-recharge-harman-kardon-measurements.55611/
So, what exactly should I be looking for in the measurements? Is the goal to achieve a perfectly linear frequency response? In other words, should I be aiming to smooth out all the dips and peaks?
 
My experience with bass heavy target curves has been that they are very hit and miss whether they work or not. It is better to have a slight bass boost, and controlled (sloping down) highend, than lots of bass. A measurement microphone would help diagnosing what's going on.

If you have tone controls or EQ, you could try to to make the sub quieter, and then dial down the highend with a shelving filter until the bass comes back. You will find that this gives you are more balanced sound across genres.

That said, some tracks just don't have much bass. However since too much bass and too much highend is annoying for me, I'd rather err on the side of too little to find that sweet spot in the middle where almost anything sounds good.
 
My experience with bass heavy target curves has been that they are very hit and miss whether they work or not. It is better to have a slight bass boost, and controlled (sloping down) highend, than lots of bass. A measurement microphone would help diagnosing what's going on.

If you have tone controls or EQ, you could try to to make the sub quieter, and then dial down the highend with a shelving filter until the bass comes back. You will find that this gives you are more balanced sound across genres.

That said, some tracks just don't have much bass. However since too much bass and too much highend is annoying for me, I'd rather err on the side of too little to find that sweet spot in the middle where almost anything sounds good.
I have many audio systems and a lot of headphones. For example, tracks that play without bass on my 600W car audio system have bass when played on the Sony XM4 headphones. It seems like there's a DSP that adjusts the bass response in these headphones or something similar.

Plus, I've analyzed the frequency response many times in my car, but when I went to correct it, I didn't like the sound any better.
As you said, it's necessary to use specific filters and conduct tests with external equipment.
 
A lot of music, especially from the 80's, has no low bass content for the subwoofer. It's all about the mid to upper bass, which is reproduced by the other speakers in the car, hopefully. A lot of systems have a hole in the response in this so-called warmth area.

There's no EQ setting that will allow the subwoofer to play non existent content though.
 
I own the XM3 - they are very bass heavy.
So you can confirm that there are no songs without bass.
On my XM4, even lighter songs like "Castle of Glass" by Linkin Park have some bass. In the car, this song sounds boxy and lacks dynamic range. On the other hand, for V-shaped songs like "Rockstar" by Post Malone, it feels like being at the front of a concert, the sound is perfect.

I suspect I have issues with the mids because V-shaped tracks sound very good.
 
So, what exactly should I be looking for in the measurements? Is the goal to achieve a perfectly linear frequency response? In other words, should I be aiming to smooth out all the dips and peaks?
The goal is not to achieve a perfectly linear frequency response like e.g. 80dB SPL at all frequencies.

Instead, a slight downward tilt is desirable, potentially with a mild bass shelf on top.

Strong peaks or dips are naturally undesirable, as they will distort the music you play.

For inspiration, the YouTube channel SavageGeese sometimes posts frequency response measurements of premium audio systems.

Here are two Mark Levinson systems (Sound Pressure Level = Frequency Response):
Screenshot_20220602-122136_YouTube-1.jpg Screenshot_20240712-153350_YouTube.png
 
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So you can confirm that there are no songs without bass.
My point was that these Sony cans do not sound neutral at all. It doesn't surprise me that you have a lot of bass with these, but they are a specifically bass heavy headphone. If you like this sound and want your car to sound just like it go ahead, but just because your car lacks bass compared to the Sony's does not mean you car is the problem.
 
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