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[JMJOHN]

you might want to check out another way to do it ,,,, ,,,,,

[DennisG]

Well, TIF, the reason you hear no noise floor or a pop from turning on the radio, is that you have your power amps attenuated to one notch above off!  (25%)     It is better to have the amps up a bit more than that so you don;t have to drive the preamp so hard.  You may not require as much volume as I like to have. I am at about 75% of the Arcs gain control, and at the loudest I get up to about 5 bars on the HK volume control and it is smoking loud and clean.  I am not an electronics expert by any means but I had a recording studio and have done a lot of sound mixing and trimming gains both recording and live.  In live sound, the amps are often wide open but they are always turned on last and as long as the grounds are good and it has a live preamp plugged into it, it will be dead quiet.  Turn off the board or preamp with the amp still on and the system will hum and hiss. Amps are supposed to be turned off first.  Turn off the preamp with the amps on and the resulting pop can blow your horns and tweeters.

When I used the accessory enable wire back when I thought it was a good control wire, it did not pop when I initially turned the radio on and it would tell the amp to power up.  But if I shut the radio off, the power amp would not go off.  Then if I turn the radio back on, the sound of it clicking on would pop through the speakers.

Anyway, my bike sounds unbelievable.  Everyone that hears it is completely blown away.  The Focal spkrs are the chit. Not cheap, but excellent.  My friend does design and build work for Dangerous Music that makes high end pro audio gear for recording and he told me they use Focal speakers to demonstrate their gear at trade shows like AES.

[TIF2]

Would love to go head to head with you in an audio shoot-out someday  
I've got a bottle of Makers says I win   (as long as we don't invite Emerald Ice - he'll probably kick both our asses   )

I'll put my MLK-165s up against your Focals any day of the week

From Car Audio and Electronics:

http://caraudiomag.com/articles/top-10-speakers

1. Hertz MLK 165

"For the performance you get, the MSRP of $999 is a bargain! The speakers offer great off-axis response, superb linearity and incredible bass. And most importantly, they produce overall accurate sound, as you might expect. Put it all together in a well designed package with superior crossovers and you have one of the best, if not the best, speaker set of recent history."

I did a show car (Mitsu Eclipse) several years back with Focal Utopias (their top line). I like the MLKs better -but that's just my opinion.

[DennisG]

In order for you to win, you're gonna have to turn your speakers on! (25%?!)   I will mount my Meyer HD1s on my lowers!  lol  I am only using them for my TV rig now....

Makers?  I am allergic to alcohol.  If I drink I break out in spots....  Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, New York... When I drink, I never know what spots I might break out in!  Which is why my last drink was in 1983

I don't buy any reviews from any rag that sells advertising.  I am not saying that my system is the best possible, but I am pleasantly surprised at the selection I stumbled upon. Maybe the speakers I accidentally selected are a magic combo for my bike even if they are not the most expensive.   We compared it with a bike with a Hog tunes or Hawgwired full setup and his bike sounded like it was broken.  He had no lowers spkrs though.  It seems those mean a lot for bass response.   Even the guys at Roadquake that does competition cars and bikes all day long were very impressed with the way it sounds.  Not the loudest at all, but the punchy musicality, crispness and  clarity is really good.  I have nothing in the bags and they usually put all kinds of subs in the bags.   He just did a bike with horns cut into the bags facing forward on a switch( no volume control, full blast on or off) with 1000 watts that is the most obnoxiously loud thing!  Sounds like a police bullhorn on Mega Steroids! 

Anyway,I am very happy with it, but I will probably end up with something in the bags, after all it is only money, which is pretty much all that is required to obtain the biggest and the best.  :-)  Can we put our rulers away yet?   

Cheers!

Dennis

[TIF2]

Never showed up with a ruler ... I was just trying to give my advice for your problem.
I appreciate that your happy with your system.  That's what it's all about.

The "Maker's" thing was just a way to reach out ... I'm happy to make it any libation you want.

Both you and JMJOHN (really? - a plug for your setup in every thread? - trust me, it ain't that good) have it all dialed in. I don't know how the mobile audio industry survived without your advice. The best was hooking up speaker-level outputs to the low-level inputs on the amp such to achieve more "gain".

Priceless.

My blurb about Focal Utopia's was to show that I am not un-familiar. Odd that you haven't stated what model of Focal speakers you have? Pics of your install would be awesome!!

Peace

[Twolanerider]

.

[mjb765]

Would love to go head to head with you in an audio shoot-out someday  
I've got a bottle of Makers says I win   (as long as we don't invite Emerald Ice - he'll probably kick both our asses   )

I'll put my MLK-165s up against your Focals any day of the week

Can I just drink the Makers and sit back and watch you guys

Seriously...I have what might be a dumb question..are all these speakers water proof or water resistant?? I read specs and it doesn't say that anywhere??

[TIF2]

Nope ... you leave the "water resistant" speakers at the door

If it makes you feel better, I'll state these speakers are resistant to getting soaked in a down-pour.
They don't like it anymore than we do.   

Seriously ... it's the UV rays of the sun that cause more damage to speakers than water. They'll be fine. When washing the bike, don't flood them
with the hose. Try not to kick power to them when wet. On my 2010 (with basically the same setup) - I got caught in a downpour with tunes cranked. Had no issues. I wouldn't cross the Mississippi with the bike (speakers, me, and everyting else under water) but for 99.99% percent of riding/washing you'll be fine.

Don - that animation was so bad it was hilarious!

 

[mjb765]

Nope ... you leave the "water resistant" speakers at the door

If it makes you feel better, I'll state these speakers are resistant to getting soaked in a down-pour.
They don't like it anymore than we do.   

Seriously ... it's the UV rays of the sun that cause more damage to speakers than water. They'll be fine. When washing the bike, don't flood them
with the hose. Try not to kick power to them when wet. On my 2010 (with basically the same setup) - I got caught in a downpour with tunes cranked. Had no issues. I wouldn't cross the Mississippi with the bike (speakers, me, and everyting else under water) but for 99.99% percent of riding/washing you'll be fine.

Don - that animation was so bad it was hilarious!

 

Thanks Rich...

Still haven't figured out how Don thinks this stuff up to then go out and find it on youtube

Mike

[Twolanerider]

Thanks Rich...

Still haven't figured out how Don thinks this stuff up to then go out and find it on youtube

Mike

It's simple.  He has mental health issues....



(hey, we talkin' to us?!)

[DennisG]

Both you and JMJOHN (really? - a plug for your setup in every thread? - trust me, it ain't that good) have it all dialed in. I don't know how the mobile audio industry survived without your advice. The best was hooking up speaker-level outputs to the low-level inputs on the amp such to achieve more "gain".

Priceless.

Ah I see I have tweaked the fragile ego of the self perceived resident audio guru. You know, the one that runs his amps at 25% (why didn't you just buy a ten watt amp?) and thinks my now perfectly quiet system will be quieter if my amp gets the negative side of its twelve volts through a piece of metal other than wire before it hits the battery terminal. 



 You are the one handing out advice, only it is unwanted and unrelated to the problem I posted about, the clarification of the control wire situation because, unlike you apparently, I like to have my amps off when I am not using them.  I have since discovered the HK radio does not have a proper control wire  and have resolved the issue to my satisfaction with the help of Arc tech support and utilizing their auto sensing circuit.

I am not into mobile audio, I was into pro audio, you know, where they actually have grounds that connect to the ground?

Perhaps I misspoke about the "gain" I repent in dust and ashes. I am so embarrassed to have been caught in this error, but it is not as bad since it was YOU oh great one, that put me in my place.    I said I was not an electronics expert.  But I know how to make things sound good. What I always try to do is minimize unnecessary circuitry if possible and since the HK radio also does not have a proper pair of line level outs I didn't want to go through both the unnecessary HK power amp and then subsequently through some kind of pad circuit on the arc high level ins as well.  By trying the line level rca's I figured it would bypass any padding circuitry, and maximize my headroom and  potential output if it was needed,  but unfortunately, the auto sensing doesn't work on the line ins and I have had to compromise.  Turns out I have plenty of output anyway   

so thanks for your "help" (or was it just another opportunity for you to try to demonstrate your self perceived audio expertise?)   

Perhaps you may want to find a thread where you actually have the answer to the persons question the next time you feel like pontificating from on high...  It might help your attempt at ridicule to be more effective!     Please don't respond to me anymore!  Get out of my thread with your unrelated bloviating and challenges!! LOL   There is nothing to see here!  The problem has been solved!

You are right about one thing... The JM stuff is not that good! 

PS my Focals are 165 KR2 components with crossovers in the fairing and 165 CA1 coaxial in the lowers. 

Peace!

[shenengr]

Wow

This has been an interesting read..... seems like some here are very sensitive   can't we all just get along?

Jeesh
 

[mjb765]

Wow

This has been an interesting read..... seems like some here are very sensitive  can't we all just get along?

Jeesh
 

Sometimes it gets like this....Then I just sit back and watch.  

[DennisG]

Wow

This has been an interesting read..... seems like some here are very sensitive   can't we all just get along?

Jeesh
 

We are getting along Rodney.   One day at a time....     If its too upsetting to you, look the other way! 

Dennis

[shenengr]

I'm a Cheetos kind of guy!