How do you make your stereo Louder?

[Mastercraftdave]

I have a 2012 X45 and the max volume on the Clarion head unit is 33. At that volume the music sounds very good but depending on the song the overall volume will sometime be higher or lower And I really can't turn it up any more if its one of those songs that's not as loud. Is there any way to turn up the volume of the system on the amps or is that as Loud as the head unit will go?

Thanks
Dave

Most amps have a place on them called gain and it should be a recessed flat screw driver fitting type in the amp. Turn it to the right and it will get louder. i wouldn't go much higher than need in case someone decides to see how loud it will go and it starts blowing your speakers.

[Rossterman]

Need more info on your system to comment. What amp(s) and speakers? If just a head unit you will likely need to Add an amplifier to increase sound level. If you have an amp, you can turn up the gain but can risk distortion and speaker damage.

[etduc]

Originally Posted by Mastercraftdave

I have a 2012 X45 and the max volume on the Clarion head unit is 33. At that volume the music sounds very good but depending on the song the overall volume will sometime be higher or lower And I really can't turn it up any more if its one of those songs that's not as loud. Is there any way to turn up the volume of the system on the amps or is that as Loud as the head unit will go?

Thanks
Dave

Your amps, should have a gain control dial,on them. Old school method for set up, is:
Set head unit, to 3/4 of full volumne, then turn gain knob...till you hear distortion... then dial back a bit. Of course, your ears aren't to accurate. You can have low audible distortion, de-luting quality of sound.

Also, assumes speakers and amps are of decent quality and in relative good condition.

There are more high tech ways, which could maintain quality of sound produced, with proper balance.

[EarmarkMarine]

Dave,
The source unit has a maximum level before its output begins to distort. It is typically 85% of the maximum numeric value of a Clarion source unit.
With the source unit set at 75 to 85%, adjust the amplifier gain up until you sense distortion (like a rawness to the sound) with a dynamic and dense recording. Then back it off a bit. That's it. That is all the clean power you have available.
Trust that numeric value after a long day on the water and never exceed it. Your ears will be toast and nothing sounds as loud when underway or after a couple of hours.
If you want maximum output then do not use any bass boost or tone equalization as those will ultimately rob you of output.
Past that it's possible to have system problems causing the stereo to perform under its potential.
Someone with an educated ear listening to your system at rest and knowing the composition of your system could spot a problem versus normal limitations immediately. You might depend on a friend out at the lake that has some audio experience.

David

[Ski-me]

Originally Posted by EarmarkMarine

Dave,
The source unit has a maximum level before its output begins to distort. It is typically 85% of the maximum numeric value of a Clarion source unit.
With the source unit set at 75 to 85%, adjust the amplifier gain up until you sense distortion (like a rawness to the sound) with a dynamic and dense recording. Then back it off a bit. That's it. That is all the clean power you have available.
Trust that numeric value after a long day on the water and never exceed it. Your ears will be toast and nothing sounds as loud when underway or after a couple of hours.
If you want maximum output then do not use any bass boost or tone equalization as those will ultimately rob you of output.
Past that it's possible to have system problems causing the stereo to perform under its potential.
Someone with an educated ear listening to your system at rest and knowing the composition of your system could spot a problem versus normal limitations immediately. You might depend on a friend out at the lake that has some audio experience.

David

So.....seeings' you have a Mcintosh as your Avatar, you must know a few things about sound quality. iPod. I've reburned everything into a Lossless file format and use the ipod quite a bit. My question: is there distortion at full volume with iPods? Do I need to run at 75% volume or can I use full 100% and then dial it via the head unit?

[TayMC197]

Turn iPod up full volume, then down 1 click.. Personal observation of what sounds best to me.

[ZachDaddy]

Use the highest volume setting on the Ipod.

[EarmarkMarine]

Ski-me,
The McIntosh avatar just says that I like old school and big blue meters.

You should be using the bottom port of an ipod rather than the top jack.
The ipod voltage is very lite so you need all the voltage you can get to take the responsibility off the next gain stage and keep the noise floor low. But you always should leave a small percentage of gain unused for the variations in the level and density of program material. Scoping it will tell the real story but in the absence of that I would approximate 90%.

You might want to speak with Odin at Earmark about an external 12 volt DAC that has 2.5 volts out.

David

[Ski-me]

Originally Posted by EarmarkMarine

Ski-me,
The McIntosh avatar just says that I like old school and big blue meters.

You should be using the bottom port of an ipod rather than the top jack.
The ipod voltage is very lite so you need all the voltage you can get to take the responsibility off the next gain stage and keep the noise floor low. But you always should leave a small percentage of gain unused for the variations in the level and density of program material. Scoping it will tell the real story but in the absence of that I would approximate 90%.

You might want to speak with Odin at Earmark about an external 12 volt DAC that has 2.5 volts out.

David

Thanks David. I try and use the bottom connection as often as possible but on occation, I need to use the top one. All of my Alpine decks for the cars and boat connect using the bottom of the Ipod. Burning everything in the larger format certainly fills up an iPod! My 160GB is pretty much full.....but I can tell the sound quality difference when comparing to the default Apple importing format.

I've put away my Carver Amp and Tube CD player but it might be nice to pull it out again. Levingson Pe-amp too so that stuff sounds soooooo nice.