Reducing Monsoon distortion?

**TransAMrit** · 06-04-2006, 09:22 AM

As I'm sure you all know, the "500 watt" Monsoon system in the TAs is pretty disappointing when turned up. Distortion everywhere, no real bass, etc. I've been looking through this forum though, and can't seem to find a concrete answer as to how to reduce the distortion while modifying the stock system as little as possible.

It looks like replacing the stock head unit (with its apparently crappy internal amp) seems to be a popular method. What I haven't been able to tell is, does this reduce the distortion in only the smaller speakers in the doors and hatch, since the subs are powered by the amp? Or are those the only speakers that are even distorting? (Also, not being an expert in audio - will less distortion always effectively increase the amount of bass as well?)

I've also seen a couple of suggestions that the amp is also a piece of crap - but I suspect it would not be very useful to replace the amp while keeping the stock head unit - so is the HU the best way to proceed? I am trying to keep the spending on this car to a minimum, as I have another car I need to dump a bunch of money into, and that'll never get done if I go and replace everything in this car...

Thanks

**MadSeason** · 06-06-2006, 06:16 AM

check out the JL Audio Clean sweep, http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_c...php?page_id=94

**White Rascal** · 06-06-2006, 06:23 AM

I think it would be far easier and less costly to just install a quality after-market system rather than trying to patch what is already a lacking stock stereo system. The "factory look" just isn't that important to me.

**ScrapMaker** · 06-07-2006, 11:54 AM

Cleansweep eh?

I'd rather just use the flushmount from humount.com with the kick ass Trans Am logo with red LEDs behind it... and of course I'd put my 980BT in there...

**MadSeason** · 06-07-2006, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by TransAMrit

I've been looking through this forum though, and can't seem to find a concrete answer as to how to reduce the distortion while modifying the stock system as little as possible.

right, but this was his question, you don't modify the system at all, you just add to it and improve

**ScrapMaker** · 06-07-2006, 12:29 PM

do you think that the cleansweep will be able to get a high-quality signal from the stock headunit?

**MadSeason** · 06-07-2006, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

do you think that the cleansweep will be able to get a high-quality signal from the stock headunit?

i only know one friend who put this in his car. since he was in car audio competitions and spent all his money on his competition stereo and was sponcered by jl... they gave him this to try out and since he had all aftermarket he had no need for it but wanted to give it a shot in his conversion van that had one of those head units you cant replace.

i'd like to think i have a pretty tuned ear since i play guitar and listen to things very closely. it cleaned up the clipping and distortion his system would have at higher volumes and at lower ones he picked up the sounds he was missing before. it lets you hear the cd as it was ment to be without all the equalization that goes on in a crappy factory head unit. flattened out the curve as they advertise. it did make the stock speakers sound a hell of a lot better and i'm sure aftermarkets would be an improvement too since they offer a louder sound with a wider frequency range.

the signal isn't as good as some aftermarket headunits can put out, but it's hard to tell the difference between the two. it definatly makes it better than stock though, with the stock look none the less, you just have to use their aftermarket volume nob and be brave enough to install it yourself or pay a fortune to get it installed.

**TransAMrit** · 06-07-2006, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by MadSeason

right, but this was his question, you don't modify the system at all, you just add to it and improve

Sorry, I guess I wasn't nearly as clear as I should have been. My goal in wanting to modify "the stock system as little as possible" was to save on cost by replacing fewer parts, rather than keeping the system in factory condition or anything of the sort.

It looks like the best way may be to get one of those $130 Pioneer decks, with the steering wheel control adapter and the mounting place from Humount. I hope it can be had with the lettering though, I can't help but think it looks a little garish.

**MadSeason** · 06-08-2006, 04:52 AM

Originally Posted by TransAMrit

Sorry, I guess I wasn't nearly as clear as I should have been. My goal in wanting to modify "the stock system as little as possible" was to save on cost by replacing fewer parts, rather than keeping the system in factory condition or anything of the sort.

It looks like the best way may be to get one of those $130 Pioneer decks, with the steering wheel control adapter and the mounting place from Humount. I hope it can be had with the lettering though, I can't help but think it looks a little garish.

yup, if you want to go that way it will sound a lot better. I would have put my poineer HU in my car but i really dig the 12 disc. i have a whole new system designed just don't have all the parts yet. I'm set on speakers, but was saving up for the amp and HU. but right now an attorney has me

so it will be a while before all that

**sidonsbones** · 06-11-2006, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by TransAMrit

What I haven't been able to tell is, does this reduce the distortion in only the smaller speakers in the doors and hatch, since the subs are powered by the amp? Or are those the only speakers that are even distorting? (Also, not being an expert in audio - will less distortion always effectively increase the amount of bass as well?)

Your distortion is probably from a blown speaker. The Monsoon front door speakers are notorious for blowing out.

Furthermore....you don't have an AMP, or Sub. The Amp is in the "500 watt" Monsoon head unit. The sub is a puny little speaker in the back seats. Take the grills off the speakers under the hatch and look at them for a laugh. I put two 6x9's in the holes these were in.

Save your money up and take the Monsoon out in it's entirity. The speakers are weak, and the head unit is just AC delco junk with Monsoon's name on it.

**ScrapMaker** · 06-11-2006, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by MadSeason

I'm set on speakers, but was saving up for the amp and HU. but right now an attorney has me

so it will be a while before all that

hopefully you aren't talkin about the eu-700s because those don't fit... unless you know some secret I don't...

I cut away a bit of a metal lip in the subwoofer opening, but it wasn't enough, if I cut any more I'd be terrified I might endanger the structural rigidity of the car, especially being a t-top car.

**MadSeason** · 06-12-2006, 04:46 AM

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

hopefully you aren't talkin about the eu-700s because those don't fit... unless you know some secret I don't...

I cut away a bit of a metal lip in the subwoofer opening, but it wasn't enough, if I cut any more I'd be terrified I might endanger the structural rigidity of the car, especially being a t-top car.

they fit just fine in mine

but when i took pics for dipherentdesign he said his TA has a different amount of space in there,

maybe the formula's are different

**ScrapMaker** · 06-12-2006, 06:16 AM

does your firehawk have t-tops?

**MadSeason** · 06-12-2006, 07:28 AM

yup

**ScrapMaker** · 06-12-2006, 09:04 AM

I don't understand why the WS6 would have extra metal supports in the sail panels... but I'm too scared to cut away at them, so I'm using spacers

**MadSeason** · 06-12-2006, 10:04 AM

probably since the formula is based off of the v6

**TransAMrit** · 06-17-2006, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by sidonsbones

Your distortion is probably from a blown speaker. The Monsoon front door speakers are notorious for blowing out.

Furthermore....you don't have an AMP, or Sub. The Amp is in the "500 watt" Monsoon head unit. The sub is a puny little speaker in the back seats. Take the grills off the speakers under the hatch and look at them for a laugh. I put two 6x9's in the holes these were in.

Save your money up and take the Monsoon out in it's entirity. The speakers are weak, and the head unit is just AC delco junk with Monsoon's name on it.

(Sorry for the delay, been busy at work all week.)

Hmm, are you sure about this, that there is no external amp? In previously searching this forum for speaker info, I found lots of people talking about replacing the receiever and the amp separately - this is the first I've heard that the "500w" comes from just the crappy deck. I haven't bothered to open up the speaker locations yet, but I'll take a look.

I have tried checking for distortion by playing with the fader/balance and turning up the volume, but I haven't been able to tell anything obvious. Normally when one of my buddies has blown out a speaker, moving all the sound to that one speaker has made it really obvious that it was blown.

**ScrapMaker** · 06-17-2006, 12:35 PM

if you have the Monsoon system, then you have an external amp. Plain and simple.

you also have 6.5" (6.75") subwoofers mounted in the back seat A-Pillar.

and recent verification has shown that the monsoon amp actually powers ALL the speakers directly, not from the headunit for tweeters and whatnot.. ** but this hasn't been confirmed on every year or convertibles though... they may have changed them through the years.

I believe one guy with a 2000 ss verified it the other day.

**TransAMrit** · 06-17-2006, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

if you have the Monsoon system, then you have an external amp. Plain and simple.

you also have 6.5" (6.75") subwoofers mounted in the back seat A-Pillar.

and recent verification has shown that the monsoon amp actually powers ALL the speakers directly, not from the headunit for tweeters and whatnot.. ** but this hasn't been confirmed on every year or convertibles though... they may have changed them through the years.

I believe one guy with a 2000 ss verified it the other day.

Oh, thanks for confirming that. So will there be trouble if I get an aftermarket deck? I've read many posts that mention various ways of setting up aftermarket HUs - that the amp needs special 6v preamp outputs, or it needs line-level input, or that certain shops in <city> know how to get the Monsoon amp going with aftermarket HUs, etc, but have found no definitive answer.

Do you know what the deal is with the amp? Will it be fine to just use it with simple preamps or line level input?

**sidonsbones** · 06-17-2006, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

if you have the Monsoon system, then you have an external amp. Plain and simple.

you also have 6.5" (6.75") subwoofers mounted in the back seat A-Pillar.

and recent verification has shown that the monsoon amp actually powers ALL the speakers directly, not from the headunit for tweeters and whatnot.. ** but this hasn't been confirmed on every year or convertibles though... they may have changed them through the years.

I believe one guy with a 2000 ss verified it the other day.

Where can you find it in the car? I just got through with an install (which I took out the Monsoon Deck and all the speakers), We took the entire interior out of my car to run the wires ( I mounted two AMPs on the back wall so I had to run my RCA's down the center to prevent distortion). All the panels were off, but I found nothing I would call an AMP. When I find it, I'll snatch that baby out, and it's for sale if anyone want's one!