need help all kenwood sounds like butt

[RanchFlyer]

The truck is a 72 with the stock bench and gas tank. I installed a Kenwood KRC2006 cassette deck because I didn't want to cut my dash. At the same time I installed a pair of 3.5" in the custom auto sounds dash mount. This combo sounded fine. Where things got ugly is I added a pair of 6x9 (KFC-6993PS) mounted under the seat along with a small amp (KAC-1502S). The amp is rated at 60W x 2 and the 6x9 are rated to handle 120W. At low volume it sounds fine. However if you turn it up over say 1/3, the 6x9s distort something awful.

Is this amp too much for these speakers?

Should I rewire the 6x9 to the head unit power and get a small sub powered from the amp?

If I add a sub would 2 6.5" at 60w each sound better than a single 8" at 150w

[jimmydean]

IMO ALL 6x9's sound like ass, but that's me. Where is the gain on the amp?

First turn the gain down, then play a tune and increase the volume until about 3/4 of the way up. If they still sound bad, it could be too much. But you should be able to run 1/2 gain and 3/4 volume without that much distortion.

[RanchFlyer]

Gain is at 1/2 already.
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[blackedoutharley]

So you're running the 6x9's off the amp and the 3.5"s off of deck power?

You didn't bridge the power to the 6x9's like you would to a sub did you?

I'm thinking it is something with the settings or wiring config on the amp.

I have never heard a set of Kenwood speakers that I thought sounded "great".

[RanchFlyer]

Correct the 3.5"s are on the deck front channels, rear RCAs to the amp. Amp's individual channels to the 6x9s. So that should be 60w each at 4ohm. The Gain is set at 1/2. At about 1/3 volume the bass sounds get crappy. If I tune all of the bass out, it just gets noisy.

[RanchFlyer]

Also I have a whine or engine noise in the amp. Would the first step to remove that, be ground loop isolation?

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by blackedoutharley

I have never heard a set of Kenwood speakers that I thought sounded "great".

DITTO


I got all 6x9s in my Firebird in the factory spots, 100watt 2 way Pioneer in the dash [little dremil work to fit] and 300watt 3way BostonAcoustic in the sail panels on a Pioneer DEH deck and it rocks hard to full volume.

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by RanchFlyer

Also I have a whine or engine noise in the amp. Would the first step to remove that, be ground loop isolation?

even cheap amps since the 90s come with mofset power, most often a ground issue if you have noise.

The ground should be as large or larger then the + and as short as possiable, body ground it, not run 10ft of wire.

Also are you sure its not from the deck its self?

you can use rca jack headphones to hook up to the deck or other spots to see if the line is clear or noisy.

[RanchFlyer]

The power and ground are both 10ga as supplied in a kit from best buy. The + is directly from the positive battery teriminal. The ground is the the floor of the cab. I sanded a spot clean about 10" from the amp and shot a little self tapping screw. The wine could be coming from the radio. I used the factory power wire for my keyed signal and a 12+ from the fuse block. I may pick up a rfi filter for the deck tomorrow. Do I need one on both power wires to the radio?

[RanchFlyer]

So it seems most of my noise is coming from a cassette to iPod adapter. The radio sounds much much better than the cassette adapter. So are the rf modulators any better than the cassette adapters?
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[john_p]

sounds like you are over driving the amp.. IF you have the option connect the low power output to the amp.. the amp to your secondary, then the 6 by 9s to the high out.. if that head unit offers that option, it will sound crisp.. i have always preferred Kenwood.. maybe because my 1st upgrade was to a Kenwood eight track..