Subwoofer add-in

[Juicybaka]

Gonna try to address multiple questions in one post here. As far as a power wire, 18’ will just barely do it if you’re careful with routing. The best place to to come through the firewall is where the factory harness comes though under the cowl panel at the base of the windshield. You have to remove the wiper arms. Then it just comes off by releasing plastic clips and a couple u shaped metal ones at the ends. Theres a top flexible piece and a bottom rigid piece. There’s a rubber boot in there on the drivers side you need to poke a tiny hole in and then you can feed a coat hanger as a pull for your power wire. It will come through the upper left dash area and end up above the steering shaft. You can feed it from the cowl area to the battery by going through the factory cowl drain. I will post a few pics at the end. 4 AWG is plenty unless you’re going crazy with power. Modern class D amps are very efficient and don’t need huge current. #4 will feed 1000 watts RMS with class D amps. I’d run a #4 even if you’re only going with a sub initially. You’ll thank yourself later when you decide to add another amp and you don’t have to rip the car apart again. Don’t ask me how I know. Lol

For instructions taking the car apart, the crutchfield guide is very good. You can get it for free if you buy anything from them. I wouldn’t attempt it without that guide or a service manual. There are too many expensive things you can break taking it apart, and the steps are pretty involved for taking the dash apart and getting thr rear deck out. It’s not hard. Just a lot of things need to be done I’m order.

As far as subs go, the Kicker hideaway sounds decent if it’s under your seat, but you’re not even gonna hear it in the trunk. The main problem with the kicker stuff with integrated amps is the electronics are crap. They are very unreliable. Just read the reviews. Look at this replacement amp board for the hideaway. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/183166321695 It looks like it belongs in a $20 boom box. Judging from the lack of stiffening caps, the power rail is weak as ****, there is no heat sink on the power transistors other than the tab soldered to the board. I can’t see how that board puts out anywhere near 150w. The heat sink just couldn’t dissipate that much energy.View attachment 7503View attachment 7504View attachment 7505View attachment 7506View attachment 7507View attachment 7508View attachment 7509

Thank you so much for the help and pictures!

 

[Joshw0000]

I'm so frustrated with this stupid all in one sub. I'm about the pull the trigger on a Solo Baric L7, vented box, Boss AR1500M, and 4GA wiring kit. Only problem is my trunk space will be GONE!!

So here's an idea. Has anyone replaced the rear sub (in the factory location) with something more powerful? As in running, running a mono amp to that one sub? At this point, I've messed with it so much that I'm not going to be happy unless my rear view mirror vibrates.

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[SHOinVa]

Then it was just trial and error with my iPhone running the Audiocontrol RTA app and an oscope and playing with the crossovers, EQs, phasing, and delays.

LMAO Sometimes I think I'm smart, other times I feel lucky to have made it out of high school, most of the time when it comes to stereo stuff I only understand about half of the things you guys are talking about.

As far as subs go, the Kicker hideaway sounds decent if it’s under your seat, but you’re not even gonna hear it in the trunk.

From everything I've read this is proving to be true, so I have a couple of questions, based on the fact I'm a fan of the whole, "Looks like it came from the factory that way" look.
- Will any of these compact powered subs actually fit under the seats or somewhere else in the cabin where they can be heard. OR
- Is there one powerful enough so it would work in the trunk or one that can be secure somewhere in the trunk that its out of the way.
Just asking for a friend, because after I replaced my speakers I swore that was all I was going to do.
C/

 

[Joshw0000]

I have a 8" Hideaway at the house. I'm going to play with it tonight and see if I can fit it under the seat. My guess is "No" or if it does fit, the first time my wife drives the car and hits #2 on the seat, something is gonna break.

I'm becoming borderline obsessed with getting some decent base, on a budget, and not taking up space. My goal is to stay under $300 all in, and I think it's completely possible ($25 wiring kit, $50 Boss amp, and $225 to spend on a sub and box). Right now I'm leaning towards a P3 Punch 10" and a small box. Maybe even a tube. I've found some on eBay for ~$35 but I want to measure my trunk tonight. I want to contain everything within the **** between the back seats and the trunk without it looking out of place.

Now, if price is no object and you want all out stupid hard base in a clean look, there's a company that makes an enclosure that completely closes off the back **** and looks pretty good IMO (https://www.soundoffaudio.com/dual-sub-box-2010-2013-ford-taurus-6th-generation/). They'll cut 2 holes to any dimensions (I'm thinking 2 10" Solo Barics) and there's room behind it to hide the amp(s) of your choice. Of course then you're going to want a capacitor/extra battery, and to line the entire trunk to help cut down on the rattle. And before you know it, the mission to add a little bass on the cheap just soared in the thousand plus dollar range.

I literally have 20 tabs open on my phone. All I've done at work all day is shop subs/boxes/amps.

LMAO Sometimes I think I'm smart, other times I feel lucky to have made it out of high school, most of the time when it comes to stereo stuff I only understand about half of the things you guys are talking about.

From everything I've read this is proving to be true, so I have a couple of questions, based on the fact I'm a fan of the whole, "Looks like it came from the factory that way" look.
- Will any of these compact powered subs actually fit under the seats or somewhere else in the cabin where they can be heard. OR
- Is there one powerful enough so it would work in the trunk or one that can be secure somewhere in the trunk that its out of the way.
Just asking for a friend, because after I replaced my speakers I swore that was all I was going to do.
C/

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[SHOinVa]

I'm becoming borderline obsessed with getting some decent base, on a budget,

LMAO Well your feet may still be sticking out BUT on your way down the rabbit hole, you need to step away from the computer and hug your wife or something.
- I pretty much want the same thing, a little extra bass, looks like it came from the factory and don't want to spend a whole lot of money. I will spend a little more because I will have to pay to have it installed but Please keep us informed.
C/

 

[Juicybaka]

I just ordered some home theater bass shakers and am gonna try mounting those under the front seats. I’ve read really good things about them in cars, and they take up almost no space and take very little power. Bass is 90% feel of the vibration, so I’m crossing my fingers this will give me enough to be happy. I’ll post the results of my experiment once I get a chance to install them.

I’m digging this idea. That must be what’s making all the rattle under my ass on my Sierra with the lane drift alert. Is line in same principle as speakers, or does it get complicated? Would 50 watt pieces be enough?

 

[Joshw0000]

I think I've found what I want to order. I've (again) changed my mind. A Solo Baric L7 10" sub (1000W peak, 500W RMS), 12 x 12 x 12 box, Boss AR1500M amp, and a wiring kit. I have everything in a cart on eBay and a 10% discount code that expires tomorrow. Looks like it'll be about $285 total. The sub is the same price with a vented box and without so I'll also have a vented box if I order it this way but I think that box will be too big to install the way I want to.

I still need to take measurements and talk to the boss lady.... And maybe give her a hug too lol. That's going to be way more bass than I need but I'm cool leaving it way low as long as I can crank it up when I want to feel young again. I've wired this car so many times now I think I could do it in my sleep so installation should be easy for me.

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[Raging Bull]

When I did mine I left all stock equipment hooked up. Just ran a power wire to the kicker amp made a mounting bracket for it right in front of the factory one. So it is covered by the side panel and I put (2) 8 inch bass tubes in mounted to the black plastic cover that surrounds the trunk latch. They don’t move anywhere they are made to corner load so they face the sides of the trunk. They are all black so they blend in to the area. I lost about 9 inches of trunk space. Sounds good to me volume goes to about 18-19 or if I’m feel like boppin around it might go to 22. Depending on the song the bass hits pretty good I think. Might run them along the sides of the trunk as well. See if I like that set up better. I know I don’t have the best equipment out there but mine doe BEAT on a budget.

 

[tech10002]

I'm so frustrated with this stupid all in one sub. I'm about the pull the trigger on a Solo Baric L7, vented box, Boss AR1500M, and 4GA wiring kit. Only problem is my trunk space will be GONE!!

So here's an idea. Has anyone replaced the rear sub (in the factory location) with something more powerful? As in running, running a mono amp to that one sub? At this point, I've messed with it so much that I'm not going to be happy unless my rear view mirror vibrates.

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There are 2 factory 6x9 “subs” in an infinite baffle or free air configuration in the rear deck. I tried replacing them with Pioneer 8” shallow mount free air 8” subs on 300 plus watts and was less than happy with the result. That’s about as big a speaker as you’re gonna fit in the factory locations too. It’s not worth the effort you have to go to to seal all the holes up, dynamat the deck, build the mounting plates, etc. If you’re going infinite baffle, do like lostneye did and go with 12s behind the seat that will have some real output. Or go with a dedicated sealed or vented enclosure in the trunk.

 

[tech10002]

LMAO Sometimes I think I'm smart, other times I feel lucky to have made it out of high school, most of the time when it comes to stereo stuff I only understand about half of the things you guys are talking about.

From everything I've read this is proving to be true, so I have a couple of questions, based on the fact I'm a fan of the whole, "Looks like it came from the factory that way" look.
- Will any of these compact powered subs actually fit under the seats or somewhere else in the cabin where they can be heard. OR
- Is there one powerful enough so it would work in the trunk or one that can be secure somewhere in the trunk that its out of the way.
Just asking for a friend, because after I replaced my speakers I swore that was all I was going to do.
C/

I never tried one specifically in the Taurus, but I am going to be installing bass shakers soon, so I’ll measure when I take the seats out. From the looks of it under there, it would be pretty tight for the kicker. Focal makes a pretty small one though. I bet it would probably fit.

 

[tech10002]

I have a 8" Hideaway at the house. I'm going to play with it tonight and see if I can fit it under the seat. My guess is "No" or if it does fit, the first time my wife drives the car and hits #2 on the seat, something is gonna break.

I'm becoming borderline obsessed with getting some decent base, on a budget, and not taking up space. My goal is to stay under $300 all in, and I think it's completely possible ($25 wiring kit, $50 Boss amp, and $225 to spend on a sub and box). Right now I'm leaning towards a P3 Punch 10" and a small box. Maybe even a tube. I've found some on eBay for ~$35 but I want to measure my trunk tonight. I want to contain everything within the **** between the back seats and the trunk without it looking out of place.

Now, if price is no object and you want all out stupid hard base in a clean look, there's a company that makes an enclosure that completely closes off the back **** and looks pretty good IMO (https://www.soundoffaudio.com/dual-sub-box-2010-2013-ford-taurus-6th-generation/). They'll cut 2 holes to any dimensions (I'm thinking 2 10" Solo Barics) and there's room behind it to hide the amp(s) of your choice. Of course then you're going to want a capacitor/extra battery, and to line the entire trunk to help cut down on the rattle. And before you know it, the mission to add a little bass on the cheap just soared in the thousand plus dollar range.

I literally have 20 tabs open on my phone. All I've done at work all day is shop subs/boxes/amps.

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You can do a lot better than that box by building yourself. There’s no way there’s enough air space in that box for anything but shallow mount 12s, and it would probably be pushing it for 10s. The shallow mounts have way less output than standard size subs. That box has to be close to 3” shorter than mine and it’s 1 1/2” or so less deep because you can see a good amount of the floor **** still. My box goes all the way to the top of the pass though to the trunk, all the way to the edge of the ****, and almost touches the back of the seat, and I barely have 1.75 cu ft. I bet that one is less than 1 cu ft total. I bet they are quoting volume based on the outside dimensions of the box and not allowing for the volume taken up by the thickness of the wood. Notice they don’t show the box dimensions anywhere? That trick is common on pre made boxes. Most of the ones for sale on eBay lie about the volume.

I don’t understand why they didn’t go taller if they’re made specifically for the car. Would look a lot better too.

 

[Joshw0000]

That's pretty intuitive. I wouldn't never thought of that, but now it makes perfect sense. Do you have any pics?

When I did mine I left all stock equipment hooked up. Just ran a power wire to the kicker amp made a mounting bracket for it right in front of the factory one. So it is covered by the side panel and I put (2) 8 inch bass tubes in mounted to the black plastic cover that surrounds the trunk latch. They don’t move anywhere they are made to corner load so they face the sides of the trunk. They are all black so they blend in to the area. I lost about 9 inches of trunk space. Sounds good to me volume goes to about 18-19 or if I’m feel like boppin around it might go to 22. Depending on the song the bass hits pretty good I think. Might run them along the sides of the trunk as well. See if I like that set up better. I know I don’t have the best equipment out there but mine doe BEAT on a budget.

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[Joshw0000]

I took some measurements and I think the box is going to be too big but I went ahead and ordered everything any way ($288 all in - whoo hoo). The sub manual has some good info about building a custom box and I messaged my old neighbor last night to see if he'd want to help me. He's retired and does wood working as a hobby. I've never built a custom box but it doesn't look that hard.

You can do a lot better than that box by building yourself. There’s no way there’s enough air space in that box for anything but shallow mount 12s, and it would probably be pushing it for 10s. The shallow mounts have way less output than standard size subs. That box has to be close to 3” shorter than mine and it’s 1 1/2” or so less deep because you can see a good amount of the floor **** still. My box goes all the way to the top of the pass though to the trunk, all the way to the edge of the ****, and almost touches the back of the seat, and I barely have 1.75 cu ft. I bet that one is less than 1 cu ft total. I bet they are quoting volume based on the outside dimensions of the box and not allowing for the volume taken up by the thickness of the wood. Notice they don’t show the box dimensions anywhere? That trick is common on pre made boxes. Most of the ones for sale on eBay lie about the volume.

I don’t understand why they didn’t go taller if they’re made specifically for the car. Would look a lot better too.

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[Lostneye]

DO NOT order a Boss amp. Unlike some brands that have gone downhill Boss was always crap.

With IB or Infinite baffle such as the rear deck subs cone area is important. An 8" is really not much bigger than a 6x9 and you won't get much more output over stock.

 

[Joshw0000]

Well ****. I've already ordered it. In the past I've only ever ran Fosgate or Kicker amps. My Mustang came with the Shaker 1000 system so I haven't touched anything stereo wise in at least 5 years.

The AR1500M has good reviews for the most part, is cheap, and if I'm understanding everything the RMS power should match up to a 2 ohm Solo Baric (wired in series). I wanted something with a bass **** that I'll mount in the front cup holder. I honestly think the combo is going to be way more than I really need and I'll probably run it at less than half power most of the time.

I read some reviews of people saying that it shut off if ran for more than 25 minutes at a high level. If I find I'm pushing it that hard and having that issue I'll get rid of it. What other issues should I look out for?

DO NOT order a Boss amp. Unlike some brands that have gone downhill Boss was always crap.

With IB or Infinite baffle such as the rear deck subs cone area is important. An 8" is really not much bigger than a 6x9 and you won't get much more output over stock.

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[Lostneye]

Quick look that "1125 watt at 2 ohm" amp has one 30 amp fuse. 30 amps at 12.6 volts is 378 watts max power. No amp is 100% efficient and being class A/B I'll be generous and say 80% and you are look at 300 watts MAX power and you'd be lucky for half that RMS.

 

[Joshw0000]

I sorta understand your logic but not really. I found a more simplified formula that just says to take the fuse rating times 14.4 (average operating volts of your vehicle). So that'd be 432 watts (Max I assume). Either way, you're right. I never fully understood amp ratings, ohms, etc and what little bit I knew I forgot so I'm re-learning it all now.

I've got 30 days to send it back, and it looks like I will. Can you recommend a cheap, but good amp for a single 2 ohm Solo Baric? If I'm understanding Kicker's manual, it'll handle 750 watts RMS at 4 or 1 ohm (depending on wiring).

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[Lostneye]

You won't find anything as cheap as that Boss. The Pioneer 8601 is a good entry level amp that will do rated output and is 800 watts at 1 ohm. That is as cheap as I would bother with.

As far as the 12.6 or 14.4 voltage both are used and often 14.4 to show a higher output with the alternator charging. From there it is math and guessing the efficiency of the amp. Class D is more efficient than class A/B but every design is different. Some class A/B amps can be less than 60% efficient some newer ones I hear over 80. Modern class D should be over 80% some over 90. So you are wasting a percentage of power to heat(which is why class D tend to be smaller in general).

 

[Juicybaka]

Don’t feel bad about sending stuff back Josh, I just sent speakers ordered back and purchased infinity kappas as originally suggested for doors and 6x9 reference for the deck.
I also ordered 3.5” Infinty Kappa for the front and rear centers. Is this going to sound awful (is this signal processed by Sony unit)? Final piece will be the amped JL sub which will have to wait a few weeks. Play money spent quickly...

 

[SHOMON]

Also remember when they list the cubic space of a sub-woofer box that the woofer itself takes up some of that space. So if it says .9 cu and you use a woofer that has a big magnet it will be less then that. What it really comes down to is what type of music you listen to most of the time. A single 12" woofer in the right size box with the correct amp should be more than enough. Even in the trunk. But you can't always go too inexpensive and expect to get good quality sound.