Tuning a JBL DSP4086 is a must!

I finally can review this amp. I took my time installing this new sound system in my 2017 Mustang GT. I mounted the JBL DSP4086 along with a DSR1 in the original amp mounting location using the existing bracket from the OEM amp. The 8 channels fit perfectly with this speaker set up in my Mustang. I did install new Hertz Tweeters, Focal Midrange and Hertz Woofers in the doors. I used a Kenwood 3 1/2 in the center channel dash and a Kenwood 8" sub in the stock box in the trunk. I also used Kicker Coax speakers in the rear deck. The only step I couldn't complete by myself was tuning the DSP in the amp. For this I drove from Michigan to Clearwater Florida to have Dean and Fernando from Five Star Car Stereo tune my system. I chose these guys because they are one of the few shops that can use an RTA mic and software to properly tune a DSP. It does require a PC to be connected to the AMP and another PC to see what the system is actually producing with Pink Noise. It took them 3 hours to tune it using time alignment and WOW what a difference. I highly recommend a professional who knows what they are doing to correctly tune a DSP. The results are truly fantastic.

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JBL DSP4086

Works great! Had a little snag after putting in the configuration. There was no audio output. Unplugged the power connector and plugged it back in and it fixed the issue. Hope this helps others.

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Junk

Before purchasing, I knew that this amp did not have bluetooth, but I purchased it in the hopes of being able to set up a few preconfigured EQ settings, or at minimum, running active crossovers for my 8-speaker stereo system. However, after installation, I noticed that the amplifier was randomly cutting out channels as I tried to program it using the downloaded DSP software. The channels cutting out were not even the channels I was adjusting in the software. Then, as I attempted to adjust those channels, other channels would randomly drop out or drop back in. Upon doing a search, I came across a forum where these same issues were described, and the owner stated that he ultimately had to do a return. When I reported this issue to Harman, they scheduled a return with very little troubleshooting, which tells me that they are aware of these known internal issues. I should have known that this price point was way too low for an amplifier with a DSP built in. Save your money for a better component.

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JBL DSP4086

Perfect option and fantastic customizing software.

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Need help

I cannot seem to get some information about what wiring coming off of my aunt attaches to this I thought I was going to get that at least in the PDF And it's possible I missed it but I cannot use this thing because I don't know where to connect it exactly

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Great product

Amazing! You can't go wrong with this DSP/amp combo.

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Amazing, full active is the way!

Simply amazing. I'm at loss for words but this is my first DSP. I have installed the amp and connected my speakers using 16 gauge Kicker OFC wiring. The speaker harness that comes with the amp are also tinned OFC wiring 16 gauge but with a thinner jacket than the Kicker speaker wire. When I first heard it, it sounded off. My L (CH 3) and R (CH 4) driver mid range sounded off, it was an obvious filter issue. I do not have a Windows laptop so I had to wait for my friend to assist. Once we were able to connect to the amp via USB and input the correct filters, adjusted the time delay, and db filters. I was shocked. I use the amp with my JL C1 Components (50W RMS) with my JL C1 tweets fully active (50W RMS) they match perfectly with this JBL DSP4086 at 40W RMS at 4 ohms. These components came ALIVE. The front sound stage is amazing and wow.. I don't even hear distortion on my Pioneer single din headunit. Not one flaw I can hear. I also have a Sundown E-12 subwoofer wired at 4 ohms in a 32.75hz port tuned in a 1.8cu ft box powered by a Sundown SFB-1000D (500W RMS at 4 ohm) that completes this sound system. I have no complaints whatsoever. The JBL DSP4086 is small enough to hide behind the glovebox in my 08 Acura TSX (CL9). I am in love with my setup and have completed my sound system. One complaint I do have is no mobile app to control the DSP. JBL does have a DSP app but not for this amp. Connecting to a Windows laptop sucks but still sounds amazing. Buy it

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JBL DSP4086

Great way to add more power to an existing system, or to completely replace your stock system. Install was easy, instructions were clear, and I had enough power to power the replacement speakers in my doors for the clarity and volume and sound quality that I like. My only gripe is that I wish the sub channels had more power than the others, but that is just a small con.

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JBL DSP4086

Great product, love it

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Rome

Installed one in a Prius using the factory Toyota Entune unit with Infinity Reference speakers. I spend way too much time in the vehicle as my job has me travelling and I decided I needed to have a little more joy on those trips. The goal was to have a modest improvement in the sound system without burning a lot of money. I would say I got a lot more than I expected with this amp/dsp combo. Rated at 40 watts- and I'd say they're being honest as there is a whole lot of quality 40 watts here! Nice thing is that you can get the sound you want in the ballpark with the eq software and use the audio decks tone controls a bit here and there depending on your mood. What also truly makes it stand out is that you can add delay to individual speakers in the software. This helps a lot with time aligning speakers, and you can have some fun with it by making the car appear to be a lot bigger of a listening environment inside. Additionally they give you a level control knob that you can mount anywhere in your vehicle to use as a subwoofer level control. Only negative I can give it is that it would have been nice to have line level outputs on the subs. Regardless, using the speaker level output into my sub amp worked out just fine with no additional noise introduced. The software is laid out well and fairly intuitive. No rocket science here. Took a laptop with me on a lazy afternoon drive and spent some time tweeking it. Drive a while, listen.

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Redmond

Amazing little dsp amp! The software really isnt that bad at all besides the app freezing on startup for some computers. All you need to do is put the computer in airplane mode and boom, it works. Thats really the only bad thing about this amp. Build quality is great, sound is amazing when properly tuned and would put this in any car or truck.

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Software Freezes on Every PC I have Used

I have never had any car audio equipment that caused me as much frustration as this amplifier. I have always been a fan of JBL equipment but I will never purchase another Harman product after my experience with this amplifier. The software is unresponsive on the 5 separate PCs from different manufacturers running different versions of Windows. The only temporary solution that I found is to complete a new install of Windows 10 and then the program works initially but becomes unresponsive the next time that I open the program. Even if I remove the program and reinstall the software it remains unresponsive. I have tried 3 separate versions of the DSP software and it's the same issue. The software is the only means to make any changes to the DSP settings so the amp is essentially useless without it since the sound is distorted without making adjustments via the DSP. Harman customer support has not been helpful and I have been contacting them about this issue since August 2021. I left a review on the JBL DSP4086 website about this issue but Harman never published the review, even after I received a confirmation email. I hope this review helps someone avoid dealing with this same nightmare issue that will cause you to waste countless hours of your life troubleshooting.

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Amazing...

If you're on the fence on whether to get this or not, just do it. Newly installed and not calibrated, it WILL sound bad. Calibrated correctly (which isn't hard), it brings every speaker to life. I was worried the 40 watts/channel would be too weak, but that is far from the case. My volume rarely ever exceeds 50% on my stock head unit, because anything louder is simply too loud. I initially installed a sub and sub amp prior to buying the DSP4086. After installing the DSP4086, it quickly became apparent how real bass roll-off is, and how much newer car amps/head-units throttle bass. I had to turn the sub amp gain down to roughly 25%, down from basically 100% prior to installing the DSP.

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JBL DSP4086

Great product. Easy to install and easy to program. Must get!

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JBL DSP4086

The DSP itself is really good. But the software for configuring it is opposite - in my case it doesn't work on different laptops - it always freezes on launch. I've tried different hardware and Windows versions, as far as different compatibility options. Customer support from JLB couldn't help as well.

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So much promise but.....

I purchased this directly from Harman audio website, for some reason they had it listed for less than $200, ( sorry crutchfield ) so I figured I would give it a try, I didn't care much about the amp power specs since I'm using my Rockford amps on a 8 channel full active setup and this will be more of a DSP and line driver, any way even with gain level turned down, 8v RMS on 4 channels and 5v RMS out on the other 4 channels, it still gets very warm. On the software side it could use some tweaking from Harman ( JBL/Infinity) first I had a issue of just connecting, had to go into windows device manger and set the USB serial connection to comm 1 for it to connect, next the input mixer is very confusing, it needs a save button so you can tell if your settings saved. Would be nice to know the crossover type also, are they Butterworth, LW or Bessel? And in this day and age why doesn't this have Bluetooth or a app for the phone/tablet? I Would prefer a different type of power connection, the way it comes is hard to make look good. It does sound good once you figure out the quirks of it and get it tuned, a good RTA mic is super helpful in that. For what I payed it's nice, at full retail price I would have probably returned to be honest.

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Total bummer

Thing thing has driven me crazy. Between loose pins in the harness and wonky software, it has been a complete waste of time and money. I have it two stars because I think it could be great. But, mine is obviously a dud.

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Solid amp

The instructions are not great but once you figure how t onprogram it works great.

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JBL DSP4086

Satisfied.

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JBL DSP4086

Sounds great

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Highly recommend

This was very easy to install, and it definitely woke my new speakers up. Still tweaking the sound a little bit with the bills in equalizer. I highly recommend this If you're looking to upgrade your sound.

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JBL DSP

Great amp! Gives you the right amount of power and output to your system. Even with my factory speakers it was night and day. Then I switched them out with the Hertz Deci, and it sounds 10x better!

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Almost perfect

I like this amp a lot. I replaced my stock Bose amp with this and am powering all existing speakers and using one channel for amp out. The DSP is great. Like others, I wish there was a simpler way to adjust the DSP. Bringing the laptop to the car is a hassle. The only issue I have is the dreaded hissing sound from tweeters. I've grounded, regrounded, turned gains down and nothing removes it. I don't know if it's the amp or my car, but it wasn't there with the stock amp. A thing to note, the bass knob stops actually increasing the volume after ~75% turned. There's dead space and it's annoying. That or mine is broken, but the app says +5 or whatever and then the rest of the bass knob turn does nothing.

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DSP is the way to go

This little amp is amazing in it's flexibility of installation. I had a premium audio system with an oem amp and dual coil sub. But there was nothing only 4 channels output from the head unit. The dual coil has 2 pairs of wire going into it. And 4 door speakers and a pair of tweeters, which are wired in series with the Front speakers. This amp makes it all easy. I used it's 4 inputs out of 6 and by using the input mixer of the DPS function, I was able to feed all the speakers and more by adding a pair of 6by 9s for tail gate experience. I am so happy by the decision I made.

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Great

Great amp. You will need a pc with windows to download the the tuning software. Make sure you have that first. You have to tune the amp settings. You can not skip that part. Connection was great. Simple to install. I solder all connections and shrink wrap. Its gets pretty loud. Plenty. Has a good punch. Compact design. Put in my 2002 chevy Suburban. Fits behind the glove box. I am not running subs off it. You can. And itll work. 6.5 inch rear deck subs or something. But i have an alpine 8" and alpine 330 watt bass amp from cheutchfield for that. Set up on the oc is pretty easy. And it can be advanced as you want it to be. Depending in your knowledge. Again if you hook this amp up. And dont set it up using a pc. Youll be disappointed. You must must must set up after you install it. Otherwise it sounds like a tin can. Be sure to label what channel is what speaker.

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JBL DSP4086

Perfect for adding an amplifier to a Toyota JBL factory system.

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Easy install, great adaptability!

I purchased and self installed this beauty in my wife's vehicle and let me just say, it's a snap to install and the sound quality is spot on! Only complaint is it falls short on really powering any subs but for my situation, it's his wasn't necessary.

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JBL DSP4086

Great DSP if you want to control every signal but your head unit does not give you the level of adjustability that you need.

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Amazing configurability for the price, but could use more power

Amazing configurability. There's really nothing like it for sale at this price point. The software is a little clunky and like others have mentioned, there's minimal instructions. Regardless, I would have given this amp a full 5 stars if it had a little more power. It is impressive for the size, but when nearing max output, the amp very harshly clips/distorts the output, especially when trying to squeeze more low frequency response out of mid-bass speakers in my car. This is only really a problem when playing bass heavy rap or dub-step style music with decent low hz gain. For rock and metal, without heavy bass, it more than exceeds the output I was hoping for. For reference, I'm using 6 out of 8ch at the moment. 2- 4" 4ohm Full-Range dash speakers (120hz hi-pass) 2- 6.5" 2ohm Mid-bass door speakers (800hz lo-pass) 2- 6x9" 2ohm Full-Range Rear Speakers (full pass)

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Awesome addition to my system

Put this in my 2020 Gladiator after installing an Insane Audio JL3001. Was on the fence about 40 watts RMS per channel. I am not anymore. This amp punches. Especially for the price! Perfect blend with Sound Ordinance B-8PTD powered sub. Programming it is time consuming but necessary and not really hard. You really have to think about where you want to send the signal but it's worth it. Not rocket science but there's a little bit of a learning curve. Once you get the hang of it though it's easy. My system sounds amazing!

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JBL DSP4086

Met all my expectations and some!

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Amazing DSP/Amp

This is a great DSP/amp combo. Having auto-tuning capabilities would have been nice, but at this price point i wasn't expecting it. Would have been nice to see bridgeable channels for 7 and 8. Manual is severely lacking. Fortunately there's a YouTube video on how to set this amp up which was a huge help for a beginner like myself. My unit was missing the power wire harness, but Crutchfield sent me a new replacement unit very quickly.

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JBL DSP4086

Compact and powerful very happy thanks Ray at Clutch field

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An unrivaled and compact powerhouse!

This is a powerful and amazingly configurable amplifier! The compact size is deceiving but makes it easy to install and hideaway. The flexible and intuitive software User Interface adds punch and clarity to each channel while the bass knob adds an another level of control altogether. Easily one of the best car audio products I've owned!

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Awesome Amp

This amp was above my expectations. Very easy to program with the downloaded app. Sounds great with plenty of power for 6 speakers, a center speaker , 2 tweeters, and a 12" subwoofer. Shakes the car when volume way up. If you want a small but powerful amp that's easy to set up this is it. You won't be disappointed.

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JBL DSP4086

I installed this in my 2021 Acura MDX. I have the base model and the sound was really bad compared to my 2018 Acura TLX with tech package. The install wasn't that easy because i was trying to hook up all the channels coming out of my factory amp to this unit. Because i plan to keep this after i get rid of this car, I wired it to be removable. I also replaced my stock speakers with Infinity Reference speakers since I was already spending on this. The sound coming out is great. What is really cool though is being able to disable all of the other channels and just listen to one pair at a time while you are tuning. There is a great 1 hour youtube video of some guys tuning speakers with this. Oh yea, i used channel 7 for my center and 8 for sub. Now i have 2 knobs to control my sub, the dedicated one that controls my subs bass boost and a sub volume level from this amp. One problem i encountered with my Acura and one which all Honda owners will too is the cars Noise Cancellation. You have to unplug the unit which is kind of a chore. This sounds really good in the end though.

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JBL dps4086 in 2011 outback

I just finished installing this amp in my 2011 outback. It has a small footprint that can fit anywhere, which is nice, but the rca inputs make it a bit cumbersome. I like having 8 channels of output, 3 1/2" in dash, 6" in front and rear doors, but they should've used rca out's for sub. Speaking of subs, i haven't gotten channels 7&8 to turn on for my sub amp. Instructions are not very clear, and no real online support yet other than 1 youtube video quickly explaining the software. Speaking of software, i am knocking 2 stars off for the fact that you can only use a windows laptop to adjust the unit. It would be nice to at least adjust the eq settings using a mobile app for a tablet. The other issue is you can store 10 different amp "presets", but again, only way to access them is with my huge 17" laptop. Listening to music through the "aux" port from my phone sounds different than the radio, and would be nice to easily switch between 2 different eq settings. Granted, its only this much, much cheaper than other dsp amps, and my 1st dsp amp. Maybe JBL will listen, develop a firmware update to use a mobile app?.....

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JBL DSP4086

This is my first time using a DSP, and the JBL software makes it reasonably easy for a novice to set the system up. I'm mixing front mids and tweeters on a Civic Si to combined output for front and rear components, with one channel to the center dash and one to the factory sub. The only negative so far is you can't bridge any channels, although the sub probably couldn't handle more power anyway on this car. The software does allow syncing pairs of channels, so the next step is a custom box for a dual coil sub, with channels 7 and 8 running the same output. Most people wanting serious bass will probably want to run a second amp to drive the sub(s), so being unable to bridge 40 watts together isn't that big a deal.

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JBL DSP 4086 IN MY 2017 GMC CANYON BOSE DELTE

Great little amp and dsp especially used with JBL or Infinity 2 ohm speakers. I used Infinity stadium kappa 6x9 components set in the front door and the mx20 midrange in original front dash. Tweeters pillar mount firing up and at an X crossing at about gear shifter. Rear 6.5 stadium kappa coax in rear doors for fill. Used a 8 channels to drive each components seperately. Set up was super simple and time delay has a perfect front stage. Plays pretty loud for 60 watts at 2 ohm. But best of all super accurate sound of the components 3 way. Little tweeking left but very happy.

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Great Concept

Should include better instructions. I have not seen firmware updates from the manufacturer. Adjustments using PC software is great but again the instructions could be better. Replaced broken factory amp to power factory sub, and have plenty channels left but I prefer the quality of the sound from speaker outputs from my Sony headunit. Very compact unit. Not sure if I am keeping this one. It is great in concept but I have more testing to do.

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Solid upgrade

Solid unit. Instructions on how to set up mixer is non existent. But once you figure it out it's pretty easy. 31 band eq allows for fine tuning. For my needs the amplified output is plenty. Using this with a factory system on a 2020 Ford ranger.

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SAINT JAMES

Great amp for multiple channels in your car. If you have tweeters in a location that would make it a nightmare to run wires from the mids, such as dash located tweeters and door located mids, this amp basically solves that problem. You can then go ahead and set crossovers and, better yet, time align each speaker perfectly. I have it running 6 channels in my 2015 Nissan Xterra (dash tweeters, front mids, rear doors), and then I have a sub in the back. My only gripe, as mentioned in another review, is the lack of an RCA out for a dedicated subwoofer. It's great you can tune everything in the app, but then you're hung out to dry if you don't have an aftermarket head unit for your sub. One way around this would be using the powered outputs to your sub amp, if your sub amp can handle powered inputs. Just an idea.

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Great amp

This amp is amazing! The only thing I wish it had was an RCA out controlled by the software. The software is very easy to use. A tip I would give from experience is to save your changes often so you don't loose them. The amp is compact and easy to put in many places. I used it on my stock speakers and made it sound amazing.

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