How to Tune a Car Stereo
by Blaze Johnson
Because different makes and models of vehicles have different environments for sound, you must tune a car stereo to get the best sound quality possible from the system. Tuning a car audio system requires you to adjust the controls of the stereo, such as the bass, treble, fader and speaker balance. High-end car stereos not only have these basic tuning adjustments, but they also have more advanced sound-enhancing controls designed to take car audio listening to the next level.
Step 1
Turn on the car stereo and choose a music selection that will adequately demonstrate dynamic treble, bass and mid-range frequencies during the tuning phase. Music genres such as rock or classical work best when making initial adjustments to the audio system.
Step 2
Set all balance, fader, treble and bass controls to the original flat or neutral sound settings. Turn off any other sound-enhancing feature of the car stereo.
Step 3
Turn up the car stereo to the maximum volume the speakers can handle before audible distortion occurs. Reduce the volume to 75% of the distortion-free maximum before adjusting the other balance, fader and tone controls.
Step 4
Adjust the fader controls to a position that will make the sound coming from the speakers appear to originate slightly ahead of the listening area while sitting in the driver's seat. Remember the new settings or write them down.
Step 5
Adjust the balance controls of the car stereo so that the music heard from the driver's seat appears to be equally balanced between the right and left speakers. If the car stereo enables you to independently adjust the balance of the front and rear speakers, use the fader control to attenuate the front speakers in order to balance the rear and then attenuate the rear to balance the front. Then restore the previous fader adjustments made in the previous step.
Step 6
Adjust the bass and treble controls to your listening preference, making sure distortion does not occur if you're making considerable positive adjustments to either the low or the high frequency ranges. Experiment with other tonal controls the stereo has to offer in order to get the best listening experience possible.
References
Writer Bio
In the spring of 2008, Blaze Johnson decided to share his expertise through writing. He studied business administration at a local community college and runs his own driveway mechanic service, specializing in computer-controlled vehicles and custom car audio installs. Johnson also serves as the de facto computer repair person for his family, friends and coworkers.
