[BASYS3]

Hey all,

I'm FINALLY looking to get my amp that I purchased last year installed. One thing I'm wanting to do is possibly install a BBE Sonic Maximizer between the head unit and the amp. I used a sonic maximizer in the past when mixing my bands music, and it was also in a Pioneer head unit I purchased in 2005. Not entirely sure what it does, but it made the music sound simply amazing. Unfortunately, BBE doesn't make one specifically for car audio, so I'm trying to figure out if I should give it a go, if there are alternative options, and if I do wind up doing it, how exactly I could do it.

First, are there any alternative options do a sonic max for car audio that could be viable? Maybe an EQ?

If do install one, it would be either the BBE 282iR or BBE 282 iX versions. The 282iR uses unbalanced RCA's and the 282iX used balanced XLR. My question is would I used unbalanced or balanced input and output?

The 282i (either of them) us either 12v or 15v AC input. I was thinking of maybe chaining off my cigarette lighter power to a power inverter, and plugging the power supply for the BBE into that? Does that sound viable?

Sounds a bit stupid, I know, but my goal is to really make my music sound full with smooth, punchy lows and clear highs. That's what the BBE did for my music in the past. If I know whether to get balanced or unbalanced inputs/outputs, I could perhaps get the maximizer and an EQ and try either before fully installing them.

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all.

 

[diy.phil]

That's actually a pretty neat idea. I wish more people will try this kind of weird stuff. Many years ago i modified an Alesis box for car use. It was the unbalanced version. If you're good with electronics you won't need the cigarette/12V to inverter to AC adapter into the BBE box. That's like too many parts. Or get a relative/friend there to help you with the modifications.

What i did was open the Alesis box and traced the circuit nearest the 12V AC jack (power circuit section). There's a wein bridge (4-pin diode pack) near this 12V AC jack because it has to provide the +12V DC and -12V DC to the chips/op-amps/etc inside the box (minus a diode drop for each voltage/rail). Trace the circuit around there and also use a voltmeter to check. I unsoldered that diode-pack and soldered in an Astrodyne ASD08-12D2 into the 4-pins. Voila... now it works with our car's 10.8V DC to 14.4V DC power (9V to 18V DC input range on that DC-DC converter). It worked nice and clean... no alternator whining noise etc. A recent Mean Well DPBW06F-12 will work too (has a wider 9V to 36V input voltage/range, safer in case of load dump).

Before doing any install or any modifications be sure to test this BBE box on the bench (home CD player into the BBE box into your pre-amp/receiver). The part to closely check is be sure the lowest octave of bass does not get filtered out or be drastically altered. The mids and highs will certainly be altered since it's a BBE box. Best wishes there!

 

[jtrosky]

I had a BBE Sonic Maximizer on my home stereo as a kid and loved it - can't remember if I still have it or if I threw it away when I cleaned out my old electronics a few years back. I also had BBE on my Rosen 2DIN plug-and-play radio for GM vehicles (Rosen GM1010 - I actually still have a few of these - used to refurbish them and sell them to other ImpalaForum members for their Impalas) - BBE was built into these factory-look, plug-and-play radios - and it made a significant difference in sound quality. It's a shame you don't see it being used for car audio anymore. That and I wish that head-unit manufacturers supported convolution - that allows for some really cool stuff.

 

[Turborusty]

Hey all,

I'm FINALLY looking to get my amp that I purchased last year installed. One thing I'm wanting to do is possibly install a BBE Sonic Maximizer between the head unit and the amp. I used a sonic maximizer in the past when mixing my bands music, and it was also in a Pioneer head unit I purchased in 2005. Not entirely sure what it does, but it made the music sound simply amazing. Unfortunately, BBE doesn't make one specifically for car audio, so I'm trying to figure out if I should give it a go, if there are alternative options, and if I do wind up doing it, how exactly I could do it.

First, are there any alternative options do a sonic max for car audio that could be viable? Maybe an EQ?

If do install one, it would be either the BBE 282iR or BBE 282 iX versions. The 282iR uses unbalanced RCA's and the 282iX used balanced XLR. My question is would I used unbalanced or balanced input and output?

The 282i (either of them) us either 12v or 15v AC input. I was thinking of maybe chaining off my cigarette lighter power to a power inverter, and plugging the power supply for the BBE into that? Does that sound viable?

Sounds a bit stupid, I know, but my goal is to really make my music sound full with smooth, punchy lows and clear highs. That's what the BBE did for my music in the past. If I know whether to get balanced or unbalanced inputs/outputs, I could perhaps get the maximizer and an EQ and try either before fully installing them.

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all.

I know this is an old ass thread....but they do make (or at least used to make) BBE units specifically for car audio.

I've used them multiple times in the past ad they work great. Can really tighten the bass up also!

Here is a listing for one currently for sale.

https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m76426802859/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=17603675691&utm_content=t0&adgroup=141227608514&network=g&device=c&merchant_id=126358573&product_id=m76426802859&product_id=1957633714764&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIosCajpXk_AIV4hx9Ch0lgQg6EAQYBCABEgKCVfD_BwE

Turborusty

 

[Luis Rivera]

That's actually a pretty neat idea. I wish more people will try this kind of weird stuff. Many years ago i modified an Alesis box for car use. It was the unbalanced version. If you're good with electronics you won't need the cigarette/12V to inverter to AC adapter into the BBE box. That's like too many parts. Or get a relative/friend there to help you with the modifications.

What i did was open the Alesis box and traced the circuit nearest the 12V AC jack (power circuit section). There's a wein bridge (4-pin diode pack) near this 12V AC jack because it has to provide the +12V DC and -12V DC to the chips/op-amps/etc inside the box (minus a diode drop for each voltage/rail). Trace the circuit around there and also use a voltmeter to check. I unsoldered that diode-pack and soldered in an Astrodyne ASD08-12D2 into the 4-pins. Voila... now it works with our car's 10.8V DC to 14.4V DC power (9V to 18V DC input range on that DC-DC converter). It worked nice and clean... no alternator whining noise etc. A recent Mean Well DPBW06F-12 will work too (has a wider 9V to 36V input voltage/range, safer in case of load dump).

Before doing any install or any modifications be sure to test this BBE box on the bench (home CD player into the BBE box into your pre-amp/receiver). The part to closely check is be sure the lowest octave of bass does not get filtered out or be drastically altered. The mids and highs will certainly be altered since it's a BBE box. Best wishes there!

Nice I would love to do this but don't you have any build pics or video on doing this I know others including me would love to know especially how you find the circuit to replace and the install to help us out 😢😢

 

[Jroo]

I know this is an old ass thread....but they do make (or at least used to make) BBE units specifically for car audio.

I've used them multiple times in the past ad they work great. Can really tighten the bass up also!

Here is a listing for one currently for sale.

https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m76426802859/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=17603675691&utm_content=t0&adgroup=141227608514&network=g&device=c&merchant_id=126358573&product_id=m76426802859&product_id=1957633714764&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIosCajpXk_AIV4hx9Ch0lgQg6EAQYBCABEgKCVfD_BwE

View attachment 363704

Turborusty

Holy smokes. Have not seen one of these i years. They did work. Not sure what they did but they had an on off button. You could clearly
Hear the difference when the unit was on

 

[khlae]

Not sure what they did but they had an on off button. You could clearly
Hear the difference when the unit was on

It's supposed to cancel out phase shifts the speakers produce at the extremes of the frequency response. Something like that.

...I've got an unbalanced bbe sonic maximizer just sitting around, I forget which model preciesly, but I seem to remember the power supply is not a separate circuit board?