Subwoofer enclosures

i did extensive searches on this.... it seems like theres reus audio which i cant find prices on and caraudio innovations... i dont want to pay like 1500-2000 which is waht caraudio has listed for the boxes that actually hold decent sized subs. theyre cheapest level 1 solution is 699 but it has 3 6" subs which isnt going to cut it. what other subwoofer solutions are there..... i want 2 10" or 1 12".... i would prefer if the seats didnt have to be compromised but I guess i don't mind since the rear seats are useless.

Unless you want to have bass that you can hear from 2 blocks away, you can use 6" subs. I have two 6" JL Audio subs in a custom enclosure behind the rear seats that works just fine (paid $180 for the subs and $225 for the box).

I paid 900$ for a custom set-up. 1500W amp, 10 inch sub. Neatly packed in a box behind the driver. Even driving with the top down, the 10 inch sub is MORE than enough for a small sports car.

I'm having the same dilemma. My highs sound great, but the bass is virtually nonexistant. I've heard of some guys that take out the spare tire and make a bass box the shape of the tire and put a port hole that goes into th e cab - so the bass travels from the trunk to the inside ot the cab. I've been looking for shops to do it- just have to choose the one I feel comfortable with.

I got hooked up with some friends at Rockford Fosgate to make this one - I have all interior MBQuart speakers, then 2 MBQuart 8" subs. And a 4 channel Lightning Audio Amp. Very simple setup. Sounds great. Cost about $600 for materials to build and time.

any combination of 6's won't cut it.... that won't produce the bass i want. i have a few options i guess.... i think the car i have has some kind of box in it ill have to investigate. i have the bsw box that i use to have in my 98 m3 which housed two 10" mb quarts and I think it will fit in the back. I need either 1 10", 1 12" (preffered) or 2 10"S (although the two 10's are a little too much for me)

Have these for sale. First 750.00 plus shipping takes them. These are from Rod at Car Audio Innovations. 5 months old. They have Earthquakes shallow sub in them. See their website www.earthquakesound.com . They fit below the rear seats and add great bass to any system. See Rod's site for pictures of them in the car.

Do you still have these?

Sounds practical... Any pics?

yes they are still available pm sent to you

The box that I have is in a coupe. The shop made the box and put the subs in so they point down (can't be seen through the back window) and the seats still lock in place. I didn't believe them either when they said to use six inch subs, but I was pleasantly surprised. [IMG]c:\temp\rear.jpg[/IMG]

Do the seats go all the way back with this setup?

Earthquakes are very good....I've had them in my 996 for well over a year now in a similar setup as vivids. Check them out.

My seats went back within an inch of the stop which was plenty for me being 6-2

The following link may be of interest. I have also been trying to figure a way to install a subwoofer. I would like to preserve the space in the back, as I sometimes let the little one's ride along with me. Pioneer makes a 12" subwoofer that is only 3 1/4" deep. I am thinking it may fit under the seats either the front seats or built in, under the rear seats.... http://www.abtelectronics.com/product/22928.html

They seem to be moderately priced and make 6 - 10 inch subwoofer with mounting depth < 3 inches...

I think you'd be surprised. Bass is moving air. All you need with smaller woofers if more of them. 3 or 4 sixes could easily keep up with 1 ten. This also gives you flexibility with how to power them. I know JL audio has woofers (I think the W6 series) that present a 4 ohm load to the amplifier when used in threes. If you plan on using high current amplifiers, this "loading down" may be beneficial for you. Also, the 6" drivers should respond much faster to input, and decay much faster once the signal disappears, simply because of their lower weight, and less cone area. This should give you a tighter, more defined bass. Good luck.

jjker, spot on man. In my old cars when I use to mod out the audio big time, I never went bigger than 8s and 10s because the tight bass was much better represented in the style of music I prefer. then again if you like to rap, 12s will give you that shudder. What stinks now is that it's just not worth modding the heck out of the audio because you can't take it with you. So, the notion of that little sub on the passenger side is not a bad idea since it's pretty reasonably priced. I figure it and a new amplifier would be all you need to get acceptable sound. But boy do I miss my 600 watt, 11 speaker, DSP baby from years ago!

I am using two JL Audio 6W0 (6") in my box and the bass is a good as the one JL Audio 10W0 in my Volvo V70.

Well, I know this isn't perfect (because speaker diaphaqms are conical, not just circular) but it does help put things in perspective when comparing woofer sizes. Area of a circle is "Pi multiplied by radius squared" for a 10" = 3.1415 x 25 = 78.54 square inches for a 6" = 3.1415 x 9 = 28.27 square inches So, (3) 6" woofers are bigger than a 10" (84.81 square inches). You can easily see how the larger woofer has a big advantage in moving air, as their diplacement squares as size increases. This makes them more efficient, not necessarily better. It's that old rule: "there's no replacement for displacement". Same goes for woofers. But, you CAN get there with multiple small ones. Have a great day, guys.

Nycebo, You mentioned the small sub in the passenger footwell. By that do you mean the Bose factory solution where there is a bass box strapped to the side of the passenger footwell? I ask because I went and ordered the parts from the dealer for the bass box (sans sub) from the boss system. I couldnt bear the thought of having an aftermarket box in the car so I went the whole hog and purchased the bose box. Bloody expensive!

Leslie, what did the enclosure cost you? As mentioned above, AI Design has one that looks damn good and they are selling it with a JL Audio woofer for $795. It's called the Ai Design S-Box : Porsche 996 - Carpet Edition (and the carpet is exactly the Metropol Blue that I need in my car). Of course, you still need to buy an amplifier to drive it. And, if you get either solution, you probably will need to buy a new floor mat (if Bose OEM, you'll need it for sure). I'm heading up to see the product on Saturday afternoon so I will report back on it.

I have a similar setup to Porsche-T. Two 7" JL's pointed down in a custom enclosure behind the rear seats, driven by a small PerfectPower amp mounted in the trunk. It is WAY enough for me. I'm no audiophile, but it's the best sounding system in a Porsche I've ever heard. Joe

Did any of you folks with custom boxes (or added woofers) just upgrade the bass? Did you start with base-factory or upgraded-factory? And lastly, how many watts are you pushing the bass with? I'm not in the know but would expect that a couple hundred watts would push 2 6" woofers plenty in a small car. Thanks in advance, -td _______________________ 2000 C2 - grey / grey -> bone stock (until tomorrow, then + a parrot 3200)

TD: The system was installed by a previous owner. I was told that the remainder of the system is still factory, but I haven't pulled any speaker covers to see myself. The amp is pretty small physically. I replaced the factory Harmon Kardon head unit with a TrafficPro (which was a Porsche option at that time). HK told me that the TrafficPro is exactly the same as the factory units except for the user interface and of course the GPS. Supposedly, the factory HK head units are pretty decent. The factory external amp and speaker are made by Nokia and are the weak links in the system. If you're on a budget, I'd just add the external amp to drive the subs and see how you like it. Joe

I got pretty much the same setup (pair 10" Orion subs, they did not have the JL's in stock when I got it done and did not want to wait) custom box exact size needed to be able to put up rear seat. 3 pairs of MB-Quart Q series with the Q crossovers and an Xtant Xe604 amp. Removed spare tire to mount amp and cross overs against fire wall.... More base than I need and the Sarah Brightman and Billy Idol never sounded better. You don't need a huge base speakers to get the base you need...I got way more than I need.

Nycebo, I got them for US$ equivalent of $1300. I know. I know. Very ouch but I just couldnt bear to go aftermarket. And besides, locally, the installers are pretty poor in terms of fabrication and workmanship. Flip side is that they are all pretty cheap as compared to US or Europe.

Leslie, That's not too bad, considering. Did you need to buy a new amp to drive the subwoofer, or did it come inside the enclosure? Also, I take it that the speaker was manufactured by Harmon Kardon? As I mentinoned, I'll be investigating this in detail tomorrow and get back to you with the recommendations. I don't know if you saw the site, but the AI Design product looks identical to stock but with a very good driver (woofer....JL Audio).

Nycebo, I ordered the enclosure (placing a substantial deposit with them in the process) without the sub or the amp from the local porsche dealer. Figured I would figure out which sub to fit with my car stereo guy when the enclosure comes (still a couple of weeks away). I saw the AI design site but realised that they prob dont make them for RHD cars. I already have a 4 channel brax amp which I want to reuse together with keeping the CDR 220 head unit. Speakers are likely to be Dynaudio 3 way units and I am thinking of also adding a Alpine 701 pre amp to allow for time alignment to the setup. But as mentioned, I would prob sit down with the stereo guy and figure it all out when the sub enclosure comes.

I went by the AI Design shop on Saturday afternoon. Matt, the founder, and all the guys working with him seem like really genuine and great guys who love their business. He showed me the enclosure and it is a really nice work of art that bolts right into the OEM position and is held in place by a bolt in the exact same location so no interior mods are necessary. It uses an 8" JL Audio woofer and the construction quality looks extraordinarily tight. At this point, I'm quite anxious to get that puppy installed. But, your suspicion is likely correct though in that I don't think they made the enclosure for a right hand drive car. Anyway, I was really impressed by their facility and even more so by the work on the cars that they have done there (everything from audio to performance mods and interior enhancement). Net net, by the time I finished talking with Matt, it was pretty clear that I'll be installing some other upgrades in addition to the subwoofer. He recommended Focal separates up front in the stock door enclosures, JL audio coax speakers in back, and Alpine digital amplifiers (one 4 channel and one 1 channel) to power it all. Best part, I can keep the head unit to keep the stock look. Once everything gets done, I'll be sure to report back here and let you know how it all went, how it looks, and best part, how it sounds.

I used a Magnat 1" bass tube, cut it to 1/3 of its size and popped a port on the back. I removed the rear seat base and velcro'd the cut down base tube to the seat borrom well. The base woofer is a 1" Aliante flat honeycomb. I also replaced the 2 dash speakers and 2 rear speakers with Bose 901 drivers. This hooked up to my Kicker amp. The sound is amazing. Deep, clear with great top and middle range.

Hey Edward, I can attest to that. I have been really happy with my Focal speakers -- a pair of Focal Polyglass 100V2 2-ways for the dash and Utopia 5WS for the doors. I kept the rear speakers stock because those are just for "fill" anyway on a cab. I might replace them with a pair of Focal Access speakers. The Focal setup sounds great with music from CD/MP3 and iPod (I have an Alpine head unit with an iPod connector) and pretty good with XM (again using the Alpine XM connector.) Jazz, pop and vocals sound great and so does chillout/electronica but bass is lacking on rap/hip-hop. I am now torn trying to decide between the AI Design footwell enclosure with the 8" JL Audio driver or a single floor enclosure from Car Audio Innovations with an 8" Earthquake driver (the nice thing about this is that I can get another one in case I determine that one is not enough.) Decisions, decisions...

I will sell you two of the CAI ones for 500 plus shipping to you. They have been sitting on my floor going to waste after a couple of people promised to buy them. Now i just want to get rid of them

I hear you on the consideration of the CAI enclosure, but what's nice about the AI design is that it takes up very little space in the passenger footwell (Matt noted that it was only 3/4" wider than the OEM Bose unit and packs and much better woofer....having listened to my father's stock enclosure setup, I definitely ruled against going with the BOSE unit; it's just all muddled). Anyway, depending on how long you have to wait, I can let you know how it sounds once it's installed.

Nycebo, Any updates on the AI design install?

Hey Leslie, Well, I got the first estimate from AI Design and they had omitted the rear speakers which I also wanted to replace. Additionally, when I asked them about pricing on the equipment (given that I saw some prices on the web for almost half of what they were charging), they stated that they just don't discount at all. No big deal, their company. Anyway, they said that they would email over the updated quote and I never got it. I sent over a reminder email and still never heard anything back. Maybe they were upset that I tried to get better pricing on the equipment, though I never even questioned their own personal installation charges? Just plain odd if you ask me. So, now I stuck reconsidering my options. Perhaps I can buy the equipment and install it myself?

I've seen some AI installs on M5s and they are top notch. Albeit pricey, but you will get what you pay for. But with that said, there are plenty of audio shops in the tri-state area so you should shop around.

Nycebo, Fraid I cant help on local shop recommendations But I have pretty much settled the main components of my setup Keeping CDR220 and CD changer for stock look Alpine 701 DSP to provide time allignment and active crossover for tuning Brax 2400.2 800w 4 channel amp SEAS Lotus Reference series RS165A tweeters and mid bass Whatever sub will fit in the factory sub enclosure for cabs Some amp to power this sub. As you can see, still work in progress but I though I would give you an update

I would look into the Alpine digital amplifiers....they are new and small and light. Would seem to fit our space constrained applications perfect. Are you doing the installation yourself, Leslie?

Lesie, Very nice choice on the drivers. I'd suggest getting a subwoofer that is of the same quality as the Seas speakers. It would be a shame to ruin those wonderful highs and mids with bass that isn't up the the same level of performance (tight and articulate).

Nycebo, No certainly not the DIY type. And frankly, in this part of the world, labour costs are low. Just have to be very selective on who does the work. They all charge around the same price but quality varies greatly. Bill, It's very slippery on my part of the slope and I suspect I will end up spending a good amt of money on a sub and the power source. Any recommendations? Am thinking that if it fits, I will just get a SEAS sub as well.

Seeing alot of these installs takes me back to how much I like how the 996 car can sound. These pictures are from a clients car when I use to manage a sound shop in Tampa, FL. These are "in-progess" shots showing the sub enclosure we built for (6) 6" JL Audio sub woofers. I noticed there was a lot of back and forth conversation on how good this setup might sound. I can tell you first hand that when properly designed and powered these subs sound amazing. I am a fan of low end bass as well but I was amazed at just how good these subs sounded. Enjoy the shots and I will try to find my finished shots of the car.

Check me if I'm wrong, Scottie, but....isn't 2 massive Mc amps a tad overkill in a car like ours?

That is what the client wanted. I am installing two JL Audio Amps, a 1000/1 & a 450/4. Ii am only using these because I have owned them for a couple of years while they have just sat in their boxes. I think they are a real over kill but they will never over heat and I can make my car as loud as I want when I want.

Nice setup, but looks like over 100#'s of MDF & woofers......right where it's not needed.

I guess weight reduction wasn't a consideration I would have built the box out of fiberglass... Very time comsuming but the fit and finish is second to none when done properly...

Here is what I did. My targa has enough bass to make you feel like you are in a concert inside the car however it doesnt sound like a ganbanger in a rice burner form the outside. Speaker Works in Orange Ca is a pioneer in quality simple audio systems. I have flat 8'' subs in the doors. and about $ 500.00 worth of dampening material to make sure the doors dont rattle. I have kick panels for superior imaging. They made an amp rack that bolts to the stock shock towers. The car retains a stock look.

Looks nice benjr, once I get started on my car I will start posting pictures of the install

I wish I was still into car audio like I was in the past... I was a 2-time National Champion in car audio and used to own several extremely high-end car stereo stores in the Baltimore area... People used to bring their cars to my shop from other states to get their work done... We used to do things like vacuum forming door panels, complex isobaric band-pass enclosures and digital time alignment before anyone even knew what it was all about... Speaker Works is an excellent west coast shop... I would guess though, you will have to get some rattles out of the door... If not now, sooner or later... I used to make a fiberglass enclosure that spanned the width of the car behind the seats and raised the back bottom seat cushions up a few inches... That cabinet was loaded with 2-KEF 9x13 subs... Great bass but not the 60hz drone that the kids like today, you know, a lot of bass but only 1 note The kids would come into my shop to show off their bass saying "listen to how low it goes"... I would hook up the spectrum analyzer and sure enough it would drop off right around 60hz with their magnificent 15" subs... I would take them into my 3000GT VR-4 (2nd National Championship Car) and blow them away with bass down to the 20-30hz range, which is really low, then show them the complex (no perpendicular walls to eliminate standing waves) dual 8" isobaric band-pass enclosure... Design means EVERYTHING... In sound, SIZE DOESN'T MATTER Nice look... Best of luck with it... For me, I'm old, talk radio and my Fabspeed exhaust system is all I listen to anymore in the car... Sad isn't it... It's a bitch to get old...

I tend to always find people like me (with audio experience) on different forum pages. It is nice to see other people who have the appreciation for quality sound. I have been in and out of the industry for roughly 16 years now and still do custom work on the side at my home. I no longer work for a shop but choose to work in the IT industry. It doesn't mean I am not still into the newest technology in the audio world. True quality is hard to come by and it starts with the proper equipment and most of all the correct design. You are right, size doesn't matter as much as design does. In the audio/video world cabling also has a huge effect as well. Blah, blah, blah. I know I could go on and on but my point is I am glad to see true audio lovers on the board.

saw this post and just wanted to contribute my audio creation in the Pcar IMG]http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/jayfunk55/IMG00032.jpg[/IMG] one JL 10in sub with plexi on the front (with red led's), on the back has my guys logo that has LED's also behind it . on the back of the seats, just has the people responsible for the system on plexi with again, red led's behind it. the best part is that i can still fold my seats up and make the system stealth so that if your not really looking, you dont know its there box is wrapped in suede to match my headliner and other parts, system is powered by a audison amp as well.

[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:] http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x251/jayfunk55/IMG00032.jpg

jayfunk - nice looking system. Do you have any pictures of the hood and also what are you using for front and rear speakers?