200 Watt Kicker Subwoofer from GM Audio Question

[ZR2ftw]

Hi, so I got my kicker subwoofer from the Chevy accessories website installed at the dealership today. Love the change in the overall quality of audio now.

Anyway, for those of you that have this subwoofer installed, what do you keep your audio equalizer settings at? As well as your fade and balance settings.

Am I supposed to just keep the bass all the way up to max to get maximum benefit from my subwoofer ? I’m not an audiophile at all, but I don’t want blow the Bose speakers either by keeping it cranked up.

I’m basically looking for a happy medium.

 

[ZR2ftw]

Hi, so I got my kicker subwoofer from the Chevy accessories website installed at the dealership today. Love the change in the overall quality of audio now.

Anyway, for those of you that have this subwoofer installed, what do you keep your audio equalizer settings at? As well as your fade and balance settings.

Am I supposed to just keep the bass all the way up to max to get maximum benefit from my subwoofer ? I’m not an audiophile at all, but I don’t want blow the Bose speakers either by keeping it cranked up.

I’m basically looking for a happy medium.

Anyone?

 

[TexanZR2]

I can’t answer as I don’t have the accessory but I do know there’s a bass knob you can buy from Kicker that allows you to tune the sub separate from the truck’s head unit. Every video I’ve seen talking about it strongly recommends adding it and adjusting the dip switches in the box. Look up the part number on YouTube. There plenty of videos covering this topic

 

[ZR2ftw]

My bass knob arrives today lol. I’m excited. What do you keep your equalizer settings at? I know you don’t have the sub but I’m just curious

 

[securityguy]

If I had a sub, I would probably start with setting my bass on the vehicle speakers FLAT at "0".

 

[TexanZR2]

I have the highs turned up all the way, and the mids turned up almost all the way. For the Bass, I recommend finding your favorite Bass heavy song, turning the volume up as loud as it goes, and adjusting the bass until the distortion disappears. Leave it there after you find it.

 

[ZR2ftw]

I have the highs turned up all the way, and the mids turned up almost all the way. For the Bass, I recommend finding your favorite Bass heavy song, turning the volume up as loud as it goes, and adjusting the bass until the distortion disappears. Leave it there after you find it.

Thank you for your response, I’ll give that a try.

 

[wutang61]

In my truck, bass and treble are one “slot” from max. Midrange is at 35%

Fade is about dead nuts in the middle of the rear seat. The dash speakers are overpowered and midrange heavy with no tweeters.

Also have all the dip switches flipped on the sub and the bass knob. Although mine is set somewhere around 75% and tucked under the rear seat. The kicker sub isn’t capable of overpowering the speakers with low frequency.

 

[ZR2ftw]

In my truck, bass and treble are one “slot” from max. Midrange is at 35%

Fade is about dead nuts in the middle of the rear seat. The dash speakers are overpowered and midrange heavy with no tweeters.

Thank you for your reply. I’m going to try those settings!

 

[ZR2ftw]

In my truck, bass and treble are one “slot” from max. Midrange is at 35%

Fade is about dead nuts in the middle of the rear seat. The dash speakers are overpowered and midrange heavy with no tweeters.

Also have all the dip switches flipped on the sub and the bass knob. Although mine is set somewhere around 75% and tucked under the rear seat. The kicker sub isn’t capable of overpowering the speakers with low frequency.

Im not well versed in speakers and audio. With your bass and treble set that though, could them being that high cause damage to your speakers?

 

[Byrds8]

Im not well versed in speakers and audio. With your bass and treble set that though, could them being that high cause damage to your speakers?

No. Only exceeding the power handling capability of the speaker will cause damage to it.

 

[GO2JAIL]

Set it to "11".......

 

[wutang61]

Im not well versed in speakers and audio. With your bass and treble set that though, could them being that high cause damage to your speakers?

majority of “damage” to speakers is caused by turning the volume up too high and having an underpowered amplifier for the volume level. This is heard as distortion.

 

[GO2JAIL]

True story- I live in Stillwater, home of Kicker (Stillwater Designs). On of my BFF's is an install tech for them and you have probably seen him on TV- Overhaulin', Pimp my Ride, and a bunch of others I can't remember.
Their amps actually go to "11" because of the movie Spinal Tap.

 

[Shanebo]

My settings with the Kicker sub. I listen to all types of music, from oldies and bluegrass to class rock, metal and gangster rap. YMMV, of course, but this is what sounds best to me.

BTW, my sub amp doesn't have the external dip switches or the plug for a bass knob; I think they removed that from the newer versions.

 

[Floriduramax1]

My settings with the Kicker sub. I listen to all types of music, from oldies and bluegrass to class rock, metal and gangster rap. YMMV, of course, but this is what sounds best to me.

BTW, my sub amp doesn't have the external dip switches or the plug for a bass knob; I think they removed that from the newer versions.

My amp doesn't have the dip switches but has the port to plug in to. When I plug in the cable for knob the sub goes crazy!

 

[Byrds8]

Weird, when I bought mine a month ago it had the switches and the aux port for the knob.

 

[securityguy]

My amp doesn't have the dip switches but has the port to plug in to. When I plug in the cable for knob the sub goes crazy!

Crazy how?

 

[Floriduramax1]

Crazy how?

It starts distorting and extremely loud! Simply putting the plug into the amp with nothing connected on the other end causes it and plugging in the bass knob makes no changes.

 

[The_Q]

My amp doesn't have the dip switches but has the port to plug in to. When I plug in the cable for knob the sub goes crazy!

Do you have both ends of the cable plugged in. I.E. control knob and sub plugged in. I know when only the sub end is plugged in the sub will make odd low ruble sounds.