Can i install a self contained subwoofer under the seat with the stock amp?
 

I installed a new headunit however, i still have the stock amp. I want to upgrade the amp, install rear speakers and get an under-seat sub. Would i be able to do the sub first or should i wait until i get a new amp? Thanks!

If you car is 2002 or earlier, the speakers in the door are already woofers and your stock amp is sending them only (or mostly) bass frequencies.

Radio-wise a 2003-4 car is apples/oranges different than an earlier 986, so we need to know what you have.

I did it again, sorry! 01' S with door speakers, no bose. So should i just opt for putting some 6.5 inch subs in the door and go with the rear speaker kit for some added audio?

I added the rear speakers and upgraded the dash speakers in my Boxster. The improvement in the sound quality was fairly significant considering the relatively small investment in time and money.

I have retained the OEM door speakers. I want to listen to a car with a subwoofer upgrade. I am not sure how much improvement I would be able to hear in a relatively noisy car. The OEM door speakers contribute some base, and it may be a situation in which you would need to make a big investment to hear a small improvement.

I recently installed an 8-inch subwoofer and some small full range speakers in the rear deck of my 05 Mercedes C230. It added a subtle but notable improvement at the lower end of the sound spectrum and music has more “depth.” But this is in a relatively quiet car which had no existing low-end speakers.

I think the type of music you like may have an effect on your decision. There are genres that depend heavily on bass. If you like that type of music you may need to research options for installing a larger sub.

I Here’s my .02 - I like to FEEL bass, as well as hear it. The only way to do that is to move lots of air. Fortunately, we are dealing with a very small space.

I have found that my Kicker 10” amp/enclosure really does the trick. I have it mounted behind the passenger seat with a nylon web strap that holds it in a vertical position. If I release the strap and move the seat forward I can also lie it flat and facing up. In this position, it really does the trick and isn’t muffled by having a seat in front of it.This of course depends on whether or not I have a passenger.

The size of the passenger matters, as well. A small child or an NBA Player determines which position to use.

The type of music I am listening to also often determines how much bass I need.

In the upright position, I lose maybe a 1/2” of rear travel in the seat. Most average sized riders never notice it until their seat starts booming.

Obviously, it doesn’t hit as hard as a 15” does, but the fact that it’s literally inches away from my head makes up for that.

It has a built in 150 watt amp and a steel enclosure, so it’s rugged and well built. There are a number of these on the market at different price points.

It’s plenty loud, even on the freeway with the top down and a passenger.

I looked at a lot of options before I bought a used one of these on Fleabay for about $100. I looked at the plans floating around on here to build an enclosure in the passenger footwell, custom fiberglass jobs for $1500, etc. etc. I still kept coming back to the simple laws of physics, “You gotta move a lot of air” To do that it takes wattage, cone size, and a few other simple ingredients.

One option that intrigued me were the square shaped and/or shallow mount woofers, but by this point my head was spinning. Look around, there are all kinds of somewhat limited options. We are working with a very small space and one can buy an el cheapo powered sub for a little bit or spend a ton of money on a custom enclosure.

This is a bit long winded, perhaps. But when I was doing my searches, I never saw anything on here about self contained, powered enclosures. I hope this helps.

As a well known guitarist once said, “This one goes to 11”.

I had looked into putting a self powered sub under the passenger. There is a subaru UNT that should fit

See if you can hear them in a store before you decide. Alpine, Kicker, and quite a few others make them. You may be quite surprised at how good they sound.

I had this unit mounted at the top of the passenger-side footwell... pointing towards the seat... and covered with the top of the floor mat. You can hear it. You can't see it.

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

Why do you guys insist on burying a sub? Behind the seat? Precious inches. Under the seat? Hassle.


The Kenwood unit fits on the floor or could be mounted on the rear deck... and would accomodate a closed top.

:cheers:

IIRC the factory amp has a low pass filter that chops signals above a very low frequency - maybe 50Hz. Using either factory Haes 4X40 or 6X40 amp you'll not get any frequencies above that from any subwoofer. BUT, if you replace the Haes amp with about any other 5 channnel amp you can adjust the bass response. Using the factory 2-ohm door subwoofers, wiring the doors in series (impedance drops to 1-ohm), the bass response can be adjusted to a level that bass is all you hear, and feel. Two 5-1/4 in. speakers have more surface area than one 10 in. speaker, and push more air - through a speaker system designed by guys who design speaker systems for a living.

Everyone laughs, but I am telling you if you want the bass kick and dont want to give up space, and you have or can add a separate amp, some type of bass shaker under the seats will give you almost the same experience.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...08e4f14eb4.jpg


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Here is my audio upgrade....I put two slim subs behind the seats and they HIT..sounds great and don't take up much room.

https://youtu.be/VlEiBpRFQc8

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