Does anybody know:

I am using the stock front speakers and find it a tad annoying (as a driver) that the driver's side appears to be louder.

I got told you'd need to inverse the polarity of the driver's speaker set, anybody can advise on this?

currently I am putting balance to the left, but this is something I would like to avoid.

any suggestions welcome really

Ta

Why would you like to avoid adjusting the balance? Thats what its there for...

I know it doesnt really apply to a standard setup - but with my infinity basslink I got a "Phantom" centre adjuster too - basically you flick the switch to "R" and it adjusts the speakers so that it sounds like the music is playing from the centre - much like at a live Gig. Nifty little thing.

Dont reverse the polarity the speakers will then be canceling each other out and sound crap

Just change the balance

Why would you like to avoid adjusting the balance? Thats what its there for...

I know it doesnt really apply to a standard setup - but with my infinity basslink I got a "Phantom" centre adjuster too - basically you flick the switch to "R" and it adjusts the speakers so that it sounds like the music is playing from the centre - much like at a live Gig. Nifty little thing.

because when I use the balance, it also adjusts in the back.

but, thanks for replying, I will keep looking

use the fade instead then

I found setting my fade at around F+7 was the ideal setting - I do like a little bit of rear fill.

But then again my standard fronts are amped to 30wrms.

Fade and balance will allow you to adjust side-to-side and front-to-back. Reversing the polarity would alter the sweet spots were you in an anechoic chamber by changing the interference pattern, but seeing how the inside of a car is anything but anechoic, I doubt you'd even notice...

HTH

Altering the phase on mid bass in a car can have a dramatic effect.

It is almost a cheat for time alignment on some systems, but generally only done on a mid that covers a certain frequency range. If you have a sub woofer handling the lower octaves then reversing polarity can work wonder.

Without a sub and you can get a much weaker bass.

If it is a std stereo I'd have no problems playing with balance / fade to get it sounding ok. This is what I do on every std car I drive

TBH I have now put the balance to R2 but I still find the my right ear to pick up more volume than the right. Some might say to turn it down a little, mweh.

Yes there is a sub and the component set is the standard one, driven by a kenwood HU The HU has a pre-out for the sub and is not affect by Balance/Fader.

Thanks for your help so

surely it should be L2?

And fade all (if not most of the sound to the front)

Okay, where to start...

Essentially, the offset driving position in any car creates what's termed a 'time & intensity' difference. That means, the near side speakers are both louder and closer (and hence their sound arrives earlier than those from the opposite side) and this is why there's such a noticable side bias in the sound.

In the Octy II this is particularly troublesome given the horrendously bad speaker positioning with the midrange speakers being placed at the rear of each front door. This, frankly, is the worst position they could possibly be placed. Furthermore, the addition of a high mounted rear tweeter in the rear door exacerbates the problem even further, and is why many recommend these simply be disconnected. I personally opted to mount tweeters for the rear in the lower portions of the rear doors instead.

The only true way to solve this side bias issue is to reduce the 'time & intensity' difference between each side. But the 'time' issue is a major hurdle in cars like the Octy II since moving the speakers themselves to different positions isn't very easy.

To solve the time problem what you effectively need to do is place the speakers to be as equidistant (great word, I know) from the listening position as possible. In most cars this would mean the bases of the A-pillars for the tweeters (and, if you're keen, small midrange drivers), while the main midrange drivers would be placed far ahead in the front doors or in custom made kick panels.

This, I'm sure, is far more complicated and involved than most people are willing or capable of doing themselves - certainly in the Octy II which has big, fat cupholders where the speakers should be. Bloody Skoda....

Which, sadly, only leaves working on the 'intensity' aspect by doing what others have suggested and reducing the amplitude to the near side speaker via the balance, though this does make matters worse for the passenger.

There is no magic fix for your problem I'm afraid, short of going to more drastic measures like I have done. I've purchases some rather pricey Focal Be 3-way splits and have mounted their 3-inch midrange drivers into custom pods in the cupholders at the front of the doors, while the tweeters are up on the dash near the windscreen. Yes, it is fabulously better than the factory fare in every way possible, but is an expensive and time consuming exercise to go through.

My fader is set to 3 all the time for this very reason. However, I had thought a centre channel, like an A4, would help pull the image over? Has anyone tried?

surely it should be L2?

And fade all (if not most of the sound to the front)

Indeed I meant L2. And I fade 7 to the front (kenwood HU, foes to about 15

In my previous setup, I had Infinity tweeters in the door panel (they were strips). where the OEM tweeters in the Octy1 are in the A-pillar and aimed at your ear, the strips used to point to the windscreen and create a 'sound of wall'. Less painful and tricked the mind brilliantly

So maybe I should look into getting rid of the OEM speaker setup?

I know this sounds tedious, but getting to a point where I find the sounds so close to what I am looking for and yet, there is something not quite right. So thanks for your help lads

Altering the phase on mid bass in a car can have a dramatic effect.

It is almost a cheat for time alignment on some systems, but generally only done on a mid that covers a certain frequency range. If you have a sub woofer handling the lower octaves then reversing polarity can work wonder.

Without a sub and you can get a much weaker bass.

If it is a std stereo I'd have no problems playing with balance / fade to get it sounding ok. This is what I do on every std car I drive

I have a sub, please expand on how you would alter the phase/polarity of the mid.

Ta

I've purchases some rather pricey Focal Be 3-way splits and have mounted their 3-inch midrange drivers into custom pods in the cupholders at the front of the doors, while the tweeters are up on the dash near the windscreen.

Hi,

is it possible for you to post a photo?

TIA

Here ya go!

thats looks pretty damned good to me

I would say that without going to the expense of a digital ICE that contains individual volume controls on each speaker and individual delay lines on them too, you might never get this cracked 100%

Reverse polarity on a stereo source should be avoided like the plague. Try it on your home hifi and you should hear the effect more clearly. You will lose the stereo sounds stage 100% and can even make sensitive people feel a little sick. Also you will find the LF cancels itself out a little leaving the sound not just ‘odd’ but a little thin too. Put this effect into your car and it will probably drive you nuts. Although I am a Sounds Engineer, I don’t have much dealings with ICE, so I don’t know if anyone makes some Fairy Dust type box that can sort the timing errors out or even if there are any systems that have Digital Delays and the like built into them (I bet there are some though, as Digital sounds stuff is really quite cheap these days). Good luck, it sounds like you probably have a good set of ears on you:thumbup:, so you will probably know it when you get a good/best compromise.

IIRC there are a number of Alpine HU's which can be plugged into a computer with their software to automatically set up the speakers for perfect sound. yeah right, it's probably ******** but the functionality is supposedly there should you want it.

IIRC there are a number of Alpine HU's which can be plugged into a computer with their software to automatically set up the speakers for perfect sound. yeah right, it's probably ******** but the functionality is supposedly there should you want it.

Sounds quite plausible. Most A/V receivers these days have the ability to time speakers in. the only other answer is to buy a McLaren F1

hmm, unexpected and interesting, thanks guys.

I now have yet another OCD I can tickle on a daily basis!

hmm, unexpected and interesting, thanks guys.

I now have yet another OCD I can tickle on a daily basis!

IIRC there are a number of Alpine HU's which can be plugged into a computer with their software to automatically set up the speakers for perfect sound.

Correct. It is the Alpine Imprint range. And it works !

You can also look at the older Alpine time alignment units. I am fiiting one in my Fabia estate. I have the PXA-H600. These will work with any brand of head unit using the analogue inputs, but have AInet and Fibre optic inputs if you are using one of the Alpine AInet head units.