Do you use the loud option on your head unit?

If not, why?

 

omgosh there is a loud option on the stocker?????

 

No, aftermarket head unit.

 

I know where this is going....and I've been here


I had an Eclipse 8445 headunit with a "loud" function on it that I used in my Lexus. It sounded great with my passive system. When I switched it out for an Alpine 9887 and went active I knew a bunch about tuning and whatnot. And, as was only natural, I shunned the loudness/MX function on the Alpine. Problem was that I couldn't get the damn system to sound good with that headunit unless the MX (media expander)was on. And when it was on it sounded pretty good though I was never quite satisfied with it.

Long story short for "Why Not" is that you really don't know what the hell it's actually doing to the sound. I suppose it doesn't really matter as long as it yields a GOOD sound but it always bugged me not knowing.

 

I thought the "Loud" button was designed to boost the lows when you were listening at a low volume level.

 

I do, it sounds better. My current headunit is old as chit, so its not working properly tho. haha

 

Loud buttons boost lows and highs, the two things people think of the most in music. Nobody ever says "crank the vocals dude"!

They put a U or V in the Equalizer technically. I know it sounds good but I always feel like I'm turning it louder and louder to hear the vocals and eventualy get "high deaf" if that makes sense.

Anyway, today I've decided to not use the loud function ever again. I think the music sounds much better using the built in eq to get the sound you want.

Does anyone agree with me?

 

I know it boosts the highs and lows but to what extent? You really don't know!

I mean it could be adding 6+db of gain at 30hz sending your sub a horribly clipped signal and you'd never know because it's just a button with no metrics on it!

 

you'd think they would annotate that somewhere...

 

You'd also think that when a woman verbally states something she means what she says. Logic often is absent in a variety of things.

 

I have mine custom since the bass was a little much with my stock speakers on the loud setting.

 

Kind of depends on the HU's implementation of it (like IS alluded to). I like using the loudness setting, but only if the HU implements it right and it rolls off at higher volume settings as that is what it's supposed to do. Only other issue, that has been mentioned, is what/when/how is it actually doing it.

Personally, I find that without loudness on, it will flatten out the sound at low volumes. And not a good flatten out, more of a "sounds boring" sound. Like my technical terms ??

 

I did a little more research in the pioneer audio community and pretty much everyone says to steer away from it and use the eq to get what you want.

 

I've always thought the LOUD setting on head units sounded like garbage. From my experiences.