New Alpine product that might be great for 986 stereo overhauls

[Spyder_Man]

Hey folks,

I'm going a very different route with my 986 stereo overhaul, but this new all-in-one powered subwoofer/5-channel amp/signal processor by Alpine for $600 might make for a great backbone for a stereo overhaul of the crappy/worn-out OEM setup these 986s came with originally.



https://www.crutchfield.com/S-pLREPe6QRBc/p_500PWDX5/Alpine-PWD-X5.html?omnews=12547604

Here are the dimensions: 9-5/8" x 3-1/4" x 13-5/8"

Vs. Alpines similar powered subwoofer (only no extra channels and signal processing): 9"H x 3"D x 13-1/2"W

Cheers!

[Starter986]

Where are you going to install it? In the frunk? Bass will sound terrible (historically covered in this forum). In the trunk? And you have the trunk heat. No bueno.

In the cabin you're going to have a hard time accomodating all the wiring unless you plan on having either seat 1-2 inches forward or sticking out from under the floor mat.

Like you I did some research before setling on a product. I went with this:

https://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KSC-SW11-Compact-Enclosed-Subwoofer/dp/B00BO8O9XQ

Mounted it near the top of the passenger side footwell... covered by the top part of the passenger side floor mat.

Sounds great. Unobtrusive... and isn't pushing HEAT (another consideration).

GLWI!

[Stl-986]

$600 for an amp & sub? Alpine has some good products, but $600 and it's only a 25watt amp for the other speakers.

Not really a new thing either, these kind of subs have been around for a while. Help Me DIY did something similar and put it behind the driver seat. Not really my cup of tea, I prefer to keep things hidden and cleaner.

If you want a 5 channel amp, look for the MB Quart NA2-500.5. More powerful then that Alpine and can be bought brand new for under $130. Get 5 1/2" subs/mids and replace the door mid speakers. I think there are better options then the Alpine unit, especially at that price.

I love Alpine products and was even sponsored by them many years ago for audio competitions. I still use their stuff.

Here is the MB amp getting installed. This is attached to a Kenwood DNX. Powers Kenwood 2 1/2" speakers in the rear storage tray, 5 1/4 components in the door and Focal's in the dash.

[Spyder_Man]

I’m not denying anything you two said about the unit. I much prefer a more stealth OEM-like installation with more power to the other speaker channels.

That said, for someone who is 1) okay wedging this behind a seat, 2) looking to add bass and 3) couple it with relatively low-cost drivers to replace the failed OEM bits, this could be the solution.

While there have been self-powered boxed subs with additional amplifier channels before this one provide some sound processing capabilities too which would let you merge it all nicely with the cabin setup (which is far from ideal in a convertible using OEM speaker locations).


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