Expert Gets In Car. Then He Shows How To Adjust Settings To Get The Most Out Of Your Factory Sound System: 'Works For Any Genre'

An audio engineer reveals his expertise on how to get the best sound out of your factory speaker. 

One viewer wrote, “I’m not an audio engineer, that's exactly how I’ve been doing it for years.”

In a TikTok with over 702,300 views as of this writing, Anthony Selmer (@semlersells) showcases the specific setting to use to maximize factory speakers’ potential. 

“I’m an audio engineer who sells cars, and here’s how I would adjust my EQ’s settings if I wanted to get the most out of my stock sound system,” Selmer begins.

The audio engineer elaborates on how he sees common mistakes many drivers make with factory speakers. 

“I see it all the time. I get in your car, and I go to the sound to adjust it; I see settings that are completely out of whack," he shares.

This setting he disapproves of includes boosted treble and mid-range maxed out with a bump of bass.

“It doesn't make any sense. Let me put you on. Let me show you the setting so you can set and forget. This is going to work for pretty much any genre of music. It’s going to work pretty much any basic sound system that you have,” he says.

Selmer starts out by suggesting resetting the sound system to default. This includes getting the treble, midrange, and bass back to flat and center. He starts out by boosting up the bass generously, but not all the way up. From here, he recommends giving the treble a few notches up as well. For the midrange, he suggests going down a setting or two.

“These settings right here are going to give you the best listening experience across the board,” he says. 

Selmer preaches that this is the ultimate sound setting, as he’s done this with many vehicles he’s encountered. 

“I’ve done this on many, many stock sound systems. Even on the premium audio systems, I start out like this and adjust from there,” he concludes. 

‘Say Goodbye To Your Speakers In A Couple Of Months’

Viewers in the comments section either agreed with this setting profile or believed this will quickly blow out the speakers. 

“I’m not an audio engineer, that's exactly how I’ve been doing it for years,” one TikTok commenter agreed. 

“Classic smile EQ,” another wrote. 

“I’m not a sound engineer and that’s exactly the way I’ve set up every car I’ve owned. I do max out the bass if the speakers can handle it,” one shared.

On the topic of bass, some believed bumping up the bass would blow out the speakers. 

“Stock speakers are trash, sending more bass to them makes them sound even worse," one commented.

“Almost maxing out the bass on the stock system? Yea say goodbye to your speakers in a couple of months,” another added. 

“I paid for all the bass I’m gonna use all the bass sir,” another countered. 

Best Way To Use Your Stock Speakers? 

Having a great sound system can really elevate the driving experience. There is something truly special about having your favorite song bumping while making your way down the road. 

However, getting a top-tier speaker system in your car can cost over $20,000 to upgrade. While some higher-end systems may have balance and fader options already installed, not everyone has this luxury. For most stock speakers, drivers are able to adjust bass, midrange, and treble, as mentioned by Selmers.

With sound systems, there are many different approaches and opinions on how to get the best sound. There is not a universal answer due to all the different factors that come into play. These factors that impact the listening experience can vary from vehicle size to the type of music being listened to and personal preference. Some may want the bass to rattle the seats, while others want pristine-sounding vocals. 

General consciousness is making sure to dial in the equalizer to your preference. The equalizer (EQ) plays a significant role in determining the sound of the music in your vehicle, Elite Auto Gear reports. This sound control impacts the frequency output that is involved with bass, midrange, and treble, which all affect the sound of vocals and instruments. 

Bass will be responsible for the bumps, midrange covers the instruments, and treble correlates to the sharpness. What makes car audio more challenging is the fact that road noise can impact the listening experience. Sometimes drivers will overcompensate the EQ and get too loud a bass, muffled mids, or harsh treble. 

Having the EQ set properly will allow for balance of sound across the entire vehicle, enhanced clarity, and reduced distortion. According to Elite Auto Gear, here is the best setting to do so.

First, reset the EQ back to default. From here, the bass can be bumped up a few notches, but don’t overdo it. The last thing you want is distortion from bass. Next, fine-tune the mids to be balanced for clear vocals and instrumentals. When the mids are low, it will sound weak, while overdoing it will sound boxy. The last adjustment is slightly increasing the treble to add brightness. Going too high on this setting can lead to a harsh sound.

Common mistakes include excessive treble and bass while ignoring the mids. It’s all about finding balance, and minor tweaks can go a long way with factory speakers.  

Motor1 has contacted Selmer via Instagram and TikTok direct messages. This post will be updated if he replies.