mini subwoofer options

[anzai]

hey guys, thinking of buying a small subwoofer for the car, just something light and small that i can just squeeze in on the corner of my dc2r boot..

inb4 someone asks why bother with a sub if its a small size... i value my boot space.. as much as i want a proper sound system in my car, i dont see a point of turning my dc2r into a duff duff uleh car.

at the moment its got alpine type r front splits, type r passenger 6x9s and some alpine head unit and an alpine bridgeable amp.

has anyone tried these active powered subwoofers? these are small enough that it fits underneath the seats, and for the price, its a bargain. im not looking at anything over the top, just as long as i get some bass to balance the music..

http://i901.photobucket.com/albums/ac215/tradeworkz/DZ8D.gif

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BLITZ-AUDIO-Compact-8-Active-Subwoofer-Amplifier-180W-/180529319193?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a0862cd19#ht_3865wt_956

theres also the alpine one but they are over $400, no thanks

[TheSaint]

supposing your amp is 4 channel and has the wattage to support it - i would get an alpine or pioneer 10" slimline subwoofer
run the front splits off 2 of the channels on the amp and bridge the other 2 to run the subwoofer
run the 6x9s off the headunit

win

[phwoaaa]

i actually want to know the same thing!! dont want to have a big sub hanging around.. but not too sure if the flat subs are any good.

[1996_EK_Civic]

slimline subs aren't too bad, they need more power though to sound decent. pioneer make the better slimline subs from the more common brands

[anzai]

the amp is alpine 3522s, i just looked it up apparently its an old pos.

it was used to run 2x 6'' clarions that was mounted on the rear parcel tray. it was a crap backyard job, wires hanging everywhere.

i dont suppose the amp it will be enough to run both the front splits and a 10'' sub, cos the output is: "30wx2 into 4ohms @ .08% distortion or 40wx2 into 2ohms @ .3% distortion"

what sort of 4 channel bridgeable amp would you recommend thesaint? any brand should be fine yea cos its only used to power the speakers?

with the sub any other recommendations for anything below $150? possibly just buying the sub and diy the box?

[TheSaint]

the setup i have at the moment is an Alpine PDX 4.100 amp (thats 100w per channel) - got mine for $300 posted on ebay brand new and it has served me well

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ALPINE-PDX-4-100-4-Channel-AMPLIFIER-4x100w-RMS-/130444168106?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e5f140baa

i have 2 of the channels bridged to run a pioneer slimline sub that is flush up against the back seat facing the boot
i have the other 2 channels running some mb-quart splits in the front
i have mb quart co-ax in the back running off the headunit

i have an alpine 9886i for the headunit - got it brand new from alberts for around the same price

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alpine-9886-CD-Player-9887-MP3-USB-RRP-650-Pioneer-/250819978419?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a660924b3

i intended to get the alpine type-r gear and alpine sub - but at the time they didnt make a slim/light subwoofer and the mb quarts was better quality at a lower price

anything below 600w and you should be fine with an ebay 4awg amp wiring kit - just make sure it has a hella quality fuse
i also bought my RCAs and line filter seperately - i got gold terminal sheilded gear
all up the wiring was a tad pricey

and finally - its all sitting in a box next to my pc waiting to go into my next car rofl



i would just save up and be patient and do it properly man - so much better off in the long run

[anzai]

wow thanks for the info..

thing is, i do have the money to spend on quality audio parts.. but i just cant justify spending that much money to practically ruin my dc2r..

i just want something half decent to improve the audio quality from the current setup.. which basically involves powering the front splits externally and slapping a sub on

i guess that 160w el cheapo subs isnt gonna cut it, so im prepared to pay a bit more for a good mini/slim sub... got anything in mind?

[UkuleleGod]

I was in the same situation as you when I was installing my sound system in my EK.

Another option you have, is to use a regular Sub and enclosure, but install it in a way which means it can be easily removed without any risk of damage to your gear.

I have put some quick patch plugs inside the plastic panel in my boot, behind the access door to the tail lights, and that lets me unplug the sub when i need to take large things around (I am a keys player, i take 1.7m flight cases around)

I have a 4x100RMS amp for my door speakers and a 300watt sub amp fitted with custom brackets under the seat, and that has given me pretty much the same flexibility that you are looking for.

There is another option anyways.

If not, the small kicker subs are pretty good!

[Indie]

I didn't even know these existed! This would be perfect for me. I like to keep my boot and parcel shelf clear, so that I can sleep in the back, and one of these would be helpful. Chuck the amp under one seat, and the sub under the other. I don't want ridiculous sound, just a bit more bass.

[crobaa]

I had this same issue in my car, I tried using a pioneer slim 10" sub (with top quality monoblock amp) and I found for the sub to fit under the seats the box has to be so incredibly slim it performs poorly. Box quality is nearly always more important that sub quality. I'm assuming a dc2r has the same under seat space as a eg civic so you wont be fitting much under there

[crobaa]

you might be better off investing in sound deadening or really bassy 6x9's in a good enclosure, you'd be suprised how much bass they can produce when in the right enclosure

[trism]

[QUOTE=anzai;3020840]wow thanks for the info..

thing is, i do have the money to spend on quality audio parts.. but i just cant justify spending that much money to practically ruin my dc2r..

/QUOTE]
just how is this going to ruin the car? If you do it properly everything is reversible and can be transferred over to another car f you buy good stuff. For example, I've got a sub that cost me over 1200, a $1500 head unit and a $1000 procesor to go with it. I've got RCA cables that cost me 200 each, and I've got 3 of them. Along with about $3000 in amps and $1500 in speakers, for the front alone.

But I've had them all for about 6 years, and they've been in about 3 different cars.

Good quality gear will last you forever, and will sound great in the process.

Now, I used to compete in sound quality comps, so you don't have to spend that much, but if you like music and you spend a fair bit of time in your car there's nothing wrong with it.

[M@lew]

What about the focal slimlines?

http://www.npsonline.com.au/auto/thumbnail/persistent/catalogue_images/products/access_bus20a1.jpg?maxwidth=170%3Bmaxheight=170%3B pcolor=ffffff%3Bstyle=padded%3Btcolor=none%3B

I've got some china brand tube sub in my boot which doesn't take up a lot of space, and that seems to be going ok. I'll show you next time I see you.

[TheSaint]

as trism said - my system has been in 3 different cars as well - and its currently sitting in a box next to me ready to go into my next car
i also spent alot of money on cables etc

but i chose my components with quality and weight in mind - not all out power - thats a personal preference though

my sub sits in my shed most of the time - i only put it in for long trips

[anzai]

just how is this going to ruin the car? If you do it properly everything is reversible and can be transferred over to another car f you buy good stuff. For example, I've got a sub that cost me over 1200, a $1500 head unit and a $1000 procesor to go with it. I've got RCA cables that cost me 200 each, and I've got 3 of them. Along with about $3000 in amps and $1500 in speakers, for the front alone.

But I've had them all for about 6 years, and they've been in about 3 different cars.

Good quality gear will last you forever, and will sound great in the process.

Now, I used to compete in sound quality comps, so you don't have to spend that much, but if you like music and you spend a fair bit of time in your car there's nothing wrong with it.



nah, thats not what i meant. it's not 'ruining' in literal sense, i just dont want to 'ruin' the whole picture of a dc2r... everytime i see a duff duff type r i always ask myself 'why???' but at the end of the day its each to their own

secondly as much as i like music and also in my car, i cant even tell the difference between my old 1k system and a 10k system that my mate used to have in his a4. go ahead blame my ears.. but i have better things to spend on than a $8000 sound system that doesnt make any difference to my ears...

[anzai]

What about the focal slimlines?

http://www.npsonline.com.au/auto/thumbnail/persistent/catalogue_images/products/access_bus20a1.jpg?maxwidth=170%3Bmaxheight=170%3B pcolor=ffffff%3Bstyle=padded%3Btcolor=none%3B

I've got some china brand tube sub in my boot which doesn't take up a lot of space, and that seems to be going ok. I'll show you next time I see you.

lol man that looks exactly the same as the one on first post, except differnt brand... let me know when ur going sparkling, ill come see

[TheSaint]

focal actually make some good products - but personally i would get a slimline 10" and amp it all up properly

[javer81]

have you checkout the alpine range of slim sub? I feel they are pretty decent.

ALPINE SWE-1000 8" POWERED SUBWOOFER AMPLIFIED CAR SUB

[anzai]

have you checkout the alpine range of slim sub? I feel they are pretty decent.

ALPINE SWE-1000 8" POWERED SUBWOOFER AMPLIFIED CAR SUB

im quite confident they would be decent, but i dont think the price will be too lol


focal actually make some good products - but personally i would get a slimline 10" and amp it all up properly

im considering 10'' slimlines thesaint.. if i can score one for a good price i'll do it

[trism]

Dont think that because it says slim line it'll be lighter and need a small box. In fact its the oposite. They're heavy because they actually have tougher built structure in order to take power, and they still require a full size box. They're designed to fit behind seats in utes, not for people who are weight concious about their cars.

If you're worried about weight but still want some bass buy a decent 8 inch sub and an amp to power it, and build a box. Don't bother with a china cheapy off ebay. You'll just be disappointed and it'll prob shit itself in 6 months.

Sent from my Xoom

[phwoaaa]

i want to see these slimline subs in action :P
i just want one so i can hide it under my bootlid ..
i think anzai wants the same thing to leave his dc2r looking neat and tidy .