Annoying Headunit / Amp issue...help? :)

[darrenjlobb]

Guys,

Ive had this frustrating issue for years now, but seems to have got worse over the last few weeks...

Basically I'm not a huge audio man, as I normally have chronic boost to listen to, but I currently don't hence forth this problem has annoyed me enough to raise this thread! Anyway, I dont have any mega rig or anything, but I do like my music, and its gotta sound crisp or else I'm not happy...

Basically all it consists of is a alpine head unit (few years old now) pair of phono leads back to the back (one lead has redneck repair...) to a naughty great big denon amp, and then to a pair of decent quality boxed hi-fi speakers....

Now, when you first start up, it works a treat, sounds absulutly fantastic, but after literally a minute or two of anything decent / remotely loud, it looses all the bass, and all the highs go super high, just sounds tragic, almost like something is overheating etc....

I used to have a different amp, and I assumed this was the cause, hence got the new one, but exactly the same issue with the new one, so that rules that out... Could it be the head unit deteriating when hot? Even though its not even being used as an amp so shouldnt be hot at all? Could it be a cable somehow? Or even speakers that are somehow not compatible with the amp for whatever reason?

Just love to get some advice / answers as its really bugging me....

Can provide pics if needed....

Thanks

[Niall]

Try running the speakers out of the boxes and see if the sound changes over a period f time.
If not, it could be a faulty HU. the HU still has to amplify the signal up to a 4v signal so if it's not working properly (e.g got a blown capacitor) it could quite happily cause sound issues.

[darrenjlobb]

Hm, I must admit I am thinking head unit maybe, as its the main thing that ive always had, since ive had the issue.... Dont want to get rid of it though as Ruan gave it to me as a present once

[Atterz]

Ive got a kenwood 1 up here, why are you so far down there?

[darrenjlobb]

Heh, I wish it was possible move Cornwall to a new Geographical location!

[Niall]

How many pre outs has the HU got? If its got more than 1 , move the RCA to the rear out and try it. Will sound crap because it will be on rear sound but might prove its the HU.

[darrenjlobb]

Its got REAR L/R outs, FRONT L/R outs and sub outs..... im running it from the Rear outs....

[Niall]

Swap it to front outs then. See how it goes and see if the fault comes back. If it doesn't, new head unit time.

[darrenjlobb]

Ive always used the rear outs as the speakers are in the "rear" and I assumed due to car speaker design it would send more bass to the rears, so thought using the fronts would loose depth, or am I being a total douche here?

[Curt]

It sounds like it may be a HU issue to me. I think I may have a spare lying about, could send it to you if you want to try it and rule it out? Only a Sony CD one but it worked last time I tried it

[Niall]

The rear out will be a very "dull" sound in comparison to the front. If you have front speakers in then ignore me but what I'm suggesting is swap it over as an experiment to see if the problem continues. If it doesn't, that channel is your problem and therefore you need a new HU.

[darrenjlobb]

No, im very much listening, and will certainly try it next time im in the car and see what happens!

Fingers crossed, although im not sure....

[Ruan]

It sounds like it may be a HU issue to me. I think I may have a spare lying about, could send it to you if you want to try it and rule it out? Only a Sony CD one but it worked last time I tried it

Couldn't be as good as the Win-idisc....

[Curt]

Nah no chance of that