Let me ask another question that hopefully isn't getting to far off the topic of this thread...

To properly tune a system, do you need to have the volume at the maximum (un-distorted) level? I'm assuming so. My problem is that I have neighbors that I've already pissed off more than once while adjusting my bikes audio at high volume levels. I guess I could pack my laptop in the tour pak and ride out to a deserted road somewhere to tune. Curious as to what you guys do who have close neighbors.

 

You should see his Tahoe and now his Escalade. Being a very successful shop owner has its perks.

Here is a commercial that used his Tahoe to video reactions of people feeling crazy bass for the first time.

 

In my setup my head unit distorts at 15 of 17 on the volume, so 14 is my highest volume i can safely turn it up to and 12 seems to be the highest i can turn it up to before vocals start distorting. This is just how my gains are set and i could change things, just never did and constantly watched the volume.

With that said, what i do (and may be wrong) is tweak things to sound like i think they should at a decent volume, 6 of 17, and then turn it up slowly. Tuning at full volume the whole time will give your ears fatigue quick and you'll end up with a crappy tune.

 

One of the cool things about the RF 360.3 DSP is that it takes the guess work out of determining the HU's max volume. It determined that on my HU (Boom 6.5) the max is 14 of 17, so I set mine at 13.

I do the same thing as you Matt however I would like to tune at the same volume I'll be using when riding, which is louder than I can play it before pissing off the neighbors.

Once the 360.3 determines the max distortion free level, it sets a flat EQ response by adjusting the EQ sliders according. After that the user can make additional adjustments to tune the system to taste. I've been told that you should never increase the EQ gain of a particular frequency, only decrease it to avoid introducing distortion at the frequency level.

It seems I have to lower the EQ a lot on my system at the mid frequency range because to my ears the mid freqs tend to drown out the highs and lows and the overall sound sounds like a megaphone.

My current setup...
'15 Ultra Limited: Bike has never been flashed since new.

The 6.5 HU line level outputs (4 channels) go directly to the inputs of the RF 360.3 DSP mounted in the tour pak (pictured in my original post). I use 6 channels of output from the 360.3 which go to 3 separate amps driving 3 sets of speakers.

Up front I have a RF TM400x2ad amp driving Mmats 6.5's in the fairing and two tweeters mounted in pods where the mirrors would mount on a SG. The tweeters have inline bass killers.

6.5 Hertz Mille Pros in the tour pak pods driven by a Cerwin Vega B52 also mounted in the tourpak on the opposite side wall from where I mounted the 360.3 DSP. Incidentally, both of these items take up very little space in the tour pak.

In the Hogtunes saddlebag speaker lids I have DD Audio VO-M6x9's driven by a Diamond Audio Micro 2v2 amp in the left saddle bag.

 

I noticed similar behavior on my Rushmore. With my half helmet, about 8 on the volume is loud and clear. I can bump it up to about 10 for more volume at interstate speeds. When I wear the full helmet I have to bump the volume up a little and at around 12 I seem to notice some vocals distortion. Depends on the song how bad it is. I don't like riding with the full helmet anyway so I'm willing to leave the settings where they are because it sounds so darn good at half volume with the half helmet.

Mind you this is with the BT355 line levelers and a 145 watt per channel amp.