Thread: Car Audio (Subwoofer)

Anyone use those flat active car subwoofers. They're about 3/4 inch thick. Just wondered what they sound like as i don't want to put a huge box in the back. I'm looking for something i can disconnect easily when i load the car up.

I know bass is about moving air, but just curious as to what they sound like if anyone uses them?

The best thing to do really is to find a decent car audio shop, ask for their recommendations and suggestions then ask to listen to the various subs they suggest. You can get subs now which really don't need a big box to get good results. It's also pretty easy to build a box with some 3/4" MDF, some glue and a few screws. Then you can build it to fit neat to your car (and ultimatly not take up much room). Depends how much time you have on your hands I guess.

What kind of music do you listen too? If your not really a bass junkie, an 8" sub might be ok just to add a some tight low end to your car. Plus it's small and doesn't need a great deal of room (plenty of people fit 8" subs in passenger foot wells). Theres also theres a few subs out there now designed to fit under car seats, I've no idea how these sound though, but it avoids using any boot space at all.

I'd love a job testing subs, that must have been a great job.

Ahh cool! Let us know how you get on. I'd like to hear your opinions on those smaller subs, unfortunatly i've not heard enough of them bar this infinity bass x! Looking again on the internet there seems to be quite a few:

Focal Access BUS 20 Underseat Woofer
Pioneer TS-WX77A Subwoofer - Car Audio Direct
Pioneer TS-WX22A Subwoofer - Car Audio Direct
Pioneer TS-WX210A 8" Active Underseat Subwoofer
Ground Zero GZUB 800ACT Active Subwoofer
Pioneer TS-WX11A Subwoofer - Car Audio Direct

I'm a bit of a JL Audio fan and just noticed they make a "flat" sub also, it also describes the design a little bit: JL Audio TW5 Subwoofers - Car Audio Subwoofers

Where abouts are you based?

And yes, your quite right, cars ain't the best places to put sound. Although getting reasnable and better than stock sound is fairly easy and not stupid expensive. I think getting Audiophile sound is insanly expensive and it still never sounds as good as your hifi. haha.

Have you sound deaddened the doors? That makes a big big difference especially to the mid bass/bass of your front speakers. It's a fairly easy process, it'll add a little weight to your car but i'd say it really tightens things up. I used a little in my boot and doors and the difference was amazing. Instead of using my standard door card locations I created some MDF baffles, drilled them directly into the door then fibreglassed around and screwed the speakers into the baffle. Much better than the plastic standard door locations. It secured the speaker more, less rattles, less loss of sound and more punch and bass.

You could also power those 2 front speakers off a 2 channel amp instead of the head unit you'll notice a better response as well, you could always replace those back to speakers for a pair of 6x9's. (then buy a 2 or 4 channel amp) 6x9's aint the best of things but you'll defently get an improved bass. Plus you could fit them to a redesigned parcel shelf and an amp can easily be fitted under a seat.

This is what I did with my car:

Before:



A little bit later:



A bit later again (I redid the sound deaddening on the outer skin to bigger peices once i'd got my heat gun)



Messy, but strong!



And after all that!



It's still a work in progress my car, but i'm hoping once it's finished it'll sound great. Then I'll be happy to drive everywhere again.

Ahh, fair play I've never heard any MB Quartz subs, their comps are usually ok. Well keep me updated how you get on.

Also a few people have asked me this, it's actually a little forward so it fires infront of my knee's across the car - so it's ok (i've got little legs!). Also JL recommend you put the tweeters within 8 inches of the mid/bass The manual actually recommends the location i've put them (I couldn't believe it myself at first). The tweeters wouldn't fit the stock location of the car, I was going to adapt the stock location to make them fit but on testing it sounded a little "hissy and harsh" with the tweeter being so high. Although in my old car I had them in the stock locations which are roughly the position as my car now, although they were Alpine comps and not JL's im using now. I tried a few other locations and decided they sounded ok there!

Yeah I can understand that, some of the "dance" music i've heard when being over there is terrible and if it's anything like a lot of club sound systems volume seems to replace quality. Felt like my ears had been rattled for days last time I went out in Bangkok - and I love going to clubs and checking out big sound systems. Haha, Casio Keyboard sound! What kind of music do you listen too out of interest?

For testing bass I can't help but recommend 16Bit - http://www.shetme.com/mixes/16bit-THE_MILKY_PIE_MIX.mp3

Bostwick is shit, end off.

My first car here (94 mitsu lancer) i fitted focal 6 inch splits front and rear with a 10" JBL sub in a tiny sealed enclosure all running from a 5 channel JBL amp was all supplied/fitted by Turbo Sound in Naklua (Pattaya), whilst it would never win any awards it was a tidy little set-up that had decent sound quality (i dont do doof doof).