Is your car stereo delivering dull music that makes you angry on your car speakers? Neither your stereo nor speakers are bad but they need to be tuned properly to deliver the desired sound.
Audio bass, mid, and treble need to be adjusted properly for the best sound quality on car speakers. In this guide, you will learn to adjust the best equalizer settings for car audio bass, mid, and treble.
Why It Is Important to Choose the Best Equalizer Settings?
We all love music and songs. Good music ends all your sadness makes you excited and enables you to perform many activities.
To listen to music in an excellent way, we buy high-quality speakers but sometimes we cannot get what was expected. It does never mean that the speakers are bad. Actually, we are unable to adjust the settings of the speakers to get the best sound we like.
We can make our speakers worthy and enjoy music much if we learn how to equalize the audio bass, mid, and treble to get the desired sound from the speakers and stereo installed in our car.
It will certainly add to your joy when riding in a car if the speakers are giving you the desired bass and better sound quality.
Today, we will show you the complete procedure of equalizing the bass, mid, and treble of your car stereo.
First of all, we learn what is equalization and then we proceed further.
Equalization in Music
The short and sweet meaning of equalization(EQ) is the changing of frequencies to achieve the desired frequency. As our ears can hear frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, different people love different frequencies.
Equalization helps to tune the frequency you feel good for your ears. This adds to your joy while you are listening to music.
For example, if you are listening to music that has very high bass but you dislike bass, you can equalize your car stereo and reduce the bass to your level.
It helps you enjoy the music inside the car rather than getting further bored due to very high or very low bass.
Bass, Mid, and Treble
Bass, Mid, and Treble are the three bands of sound. All these sound bands vary in frequency.
Bass: It means the sound of frequency between 16 Hz to 256 Hz. This is a low-frequency sound that we call bass.
Treble: It is the highest frequency the human ear can hear. The human ear can hear frequencies up to 20 kHz.
Mid: This frequency lies between Treble and Bass and has a frequency of 400 Hz to 2500 Hz.
Related: Best Equalizer Settings For Movies
Best Equalizer Settings According to Music Genre/Type
Music genre refers to the type of music such as Jazz, Pop, Classical, Rock, etc. The equalizer settings can be best adjusted depending on the music genre.
Each major genre has further sub-genres or categories. Here, we will list the 6 popular music genres and the best equalizer settings for your car.
1. Classical Music
It focuses both on Vocals and instrumentals. It covers a wide range of frequencies by including numerous types of instruments and vocals.
A flat sound suits well for Classical music as it balances out all the aspects. If you want to highlight the melody and rhythm of the song, pinch the lower ends.
It means that all three the bass, mid, and treble should be almost at the same level. It should be adjusted a little higher or lower from 0dB- present in the middle.
For a 3-slider; Bass= +1/0, mid= +1/2, treble= +1/2.
For 10 or more sliders, adjust the equalizer to make a straight line with little highs on the lower ends.
2. Soul Music
The main focus of Soul Music is on rhythm and vocals. Its sub-genres are RNB, Blues, and Gospel. If you are fond of this music genre, you should highlight the artist’s vocals.
You need to boost up or raise the mid-range and minimize the digitized sound. Generally, car stereo systems come in 2 types; 3 sliders with 3 frequency levels and 10 sliders for accurate adjustments.
So, first, identify the type of stereo panel in your car and then adjust the settings as follows;
For a 3-slider panel; Bass= +1, mid= +2/3, and treble= -2/3
On a 10-slider panel, adjust the settings to make an inverted “U” with a tail.
3. Jazz Music
It focuses on Instrumentals and requires highlighting both ends of the frequencies. To enjoy the Jazz music fully, you need to emphasize the bass and treble only. Because it uses many instruments like trumpets and drums.
For a 3-sloder setting; Bass= +1/2, mid= -1/0, treble= +1/2.
On the 10-slider panel, make a curve resembling a stretched “U” or a smiley figure.
4. Acoustic Music
This genre focuses on instruments and is divided into two sub-genres; Folk and Stripped versions.
Boost the mid-range of your car equalizer so that it can highlight the guitar and piano aspects. Moreover, it also requires boosting the bass to make lower frequencies sound deeper and slower. The exact settings are;
For a 3-slider; Bass= +2/3, mid= +1/2, treble= +1/0.
For 10 or more sliders; the equalizer graph should resemble a small wave near the middle of the slider.
If your acoustic songs produce louder vocals, decrease the mid a little to balance the sound.
5. Pop Music
This music genre focuses on Vocals and includes J-pop, K-pop, and dance-pop as sub-genres.
Boost the mid-range to emphasize the voice of the singer. The mid-range should be higher than the bass and treble for Pop music. Because pop music is a lively kind of music and you will love singing along to it.
For a 3-slider panel; Bass= -1/0, mid= +1/2, treble= -1/0.
For 10 or more sliders; make a small down-facing curve with flat edges.
6. Rock Music
It focuses on instruments and includes Alternative, punk, indie, and rap-rock as sub-genres.
This type makes you rock and roll along with the beat of the instruments and listeners usually do not focus on vocals.
This type of music focuses on instrumentals and needs high levels of bass. The sub-genres include house, dubstep, and techno.
You can enjoy the true, high tune and lively music through digitized sound impressions. For this, you need to boost the treble and bass.
For a 3-slider: Bass=+1/2, mid= -1/0, and treble= +1/2
10 or more sliders: make a stretched upward curve.
8. Heavy Metal Music
This genre focuses on instrumental and vocals. Gothic metal, black/death metal, and Avant-grade are its sub-genres.
This type requires you to choose high levels of audio settings so that you can enjoy every aspect of the track. You can apply the following settings:
For a 3-slider: Bass and mid=+6, and treble= =5
For 10 or more sliders: Make a flat line above the center of the slider.
How to Apply the Best Equalizer Settings For Car Audio Bass, Treble, and Mid
Here we have some steps that you can take to equalize your car stereo and adjust your speakers for better sound output. Once you have understood equalization you can get the desired sound from your car stereo.
#1 Step: Park Your Car
Park your car before playing music. Never do this while driving because equalization takes time and attention, a little carelessness can cause an accident. Always make sure your car is parked.
#2 Step: Play the Music
Once you have parked the car, turn on your car stereo and play music. Try to play music having different frequencies. It will help you better understand equalization and become more professional.
#3 Step: Balance the Sound
Make your balance settings the same for both of your speakers. Tune your car’s stereo fade control in such a way that all the sound comes from the front speakers.
#4 Step: Adjust Bass, Mid, and Treble
Listen to music and notice what you don’t like. Now change bass, mid, and treble, and try to find the best sound for you. Different people love different bass, mid, and treble, so there is nothing fixed for all.
It now depends upon you to find the best combination of bass, treble, and mid for you. It is not a difficult task and you can do it very easily. Once you have done it a few times, you will be able to adjust the sound in no time in the future.
#5 Step: Experiment with the Bass
Bass is the main thing that you will change again and again. To change bass change the lower frequency and get the desired bass. When equalizing, try to keep it at a moderate level and then change treble and mid.
You may need to change these settings for different songs. However, there are some things that you have to keep in mind while adjusting the stereo for better sound quality in a car.
Things to Know Before Adjusting Car Stereo For Best Sound
There are many things you need to know before changing the stereo settings of your car. The quality of sound is also affected by the position of speakers, the quality of speakers, and the quality of the amplifier.
Position of Speakers in Car
The two speakers in your car must be in phase to get the best sound quality. If they are not in phase you cannot get the desired results even after perfect equalization.
In phase, speakers mean that all the cons of speakers should come out and move in at the same time. Now you wonder how to verify whether your speakers are in phase or not.
To check play a song with heavy bass and bring the balance to one side of the speakers. Now bring the balance to the center. If you observe a significant increase in bass, then speakers are in phase.
Before equalization, it is important that your speakers are installed properly.
Type of Music
The quality of sound may change if you play a song that is totally different from the previous one. You will have to equalize if you change the song. There are many different music genres, each one has its specific requirements. So, you need to apply the best equalizer settings for car audio bass, mid, and treble.
Quality of Speakers
If you are not getting better quality even after doing everything, you should focus on the quality of your car speakers. With low-quality speakers, focusing on equalization and other settings is of very little use.
Sound System of Car
The sound system of your car consists of a head unit, an amplifier, and a pair of speakers. The Head unit delivers audio signals to the amplifier which amplifies and produces sound from these signals. A good amplifier can produce better sound.
If the amplifier is weak, you will not get the best quality sound even if you have very high-quality speakers. Make sure all these basic components are of excellent quality.
Internal or External Noise Disturbing Music
Any sound internal or external disturbs your music and you have to avoid it. If you meet such a condition, turn your bass and treble to the maximum.
Best 13-Band Equalizer Settings For Car Pioneer
If you are using Pioneer stereo in your car you can adjust its settings and get the best sound. Take help from the video below.
Best Equalizer Settings For Bass Sony Car Stereo
If you are using a Sony car stereo, you can take help from the video below and adjust it for better sound.
FAQs
Getting the desired sound from your car’s sound system is very important. Hence, you should learn some more points about it in the question/answer session below;
Does the bass need to be higher than the treble?
Bass and treble are the opposite terms. When one is higher, the other is low, and vice versa. For example, if the treble is on the higher end, the bass should be on the lower frequency range. An extra bass delivers clear low-frequency sounds.
How can I improve the sound system of my car?
Adding an external amplifier is the easiest way to upgrade the sound system of your car and to get louder and better sound. Purchase a good amp that can synchronize well with the existing system. You can add a subwoofer if you want to improve the bass.
What is a 3-way car speaker system?
A 3-way car speaker contains 3 different types of drivers. It includes woofers, mid-range, and tweeters. So, it gives good bass, treble, and mid-range. A 2-way speaker is also good, choose it if your budget is tight.
Stereo Settings to Make Car Speakers Sound Better
Final Thoughts
To enjoy the music in your car, equalization helps you a lot in getting the desired quality of sound. If you have no knowledge of equalization and sound systems in your car, you can never enjoy music to its extreme.
The best equalizer settings for your car audio give you the desired bass, mid, and treble. It keeps the sound clear and smooth which adds to your joy.
