Subwoofer

[euro sport]

This is what I'm looking at now:

Infinity Basslink II (250-watt Class D amp) $399: Amazon.com: Infinity Reference Basslink II 250-Watt Powered Subwoofer System (Black): Electronics

or

Infinity Basslink (200-watt Class D amp) $211: Amazon.com: Infinity Basslink 200-Watt Powered Subwoofer System (Black): Electronics


Heard these are perfect for hatchback style vehicles (don't work as well in a trunk). I'm not really looking to upgrade the other speakers yet. Just need a little low-end sound because the stock system is pretty bad.

[Cobb]

Here is my setup. 2 jbl 804s, custom box, 10 farad cap, 2 fuse blocks, group 27 marine battery with 2 j hooks and battery box in trunk. 4 guage wiring kit for power, 8 guage from cap to amp and amp to speakers. The amp is a 700 watt sony xpode.

This will vibrate your inside and outside mirrors and you can feel it in the back of the front seats and floor. I can do this for hours with no problems of over heating, battery drain etc.

[Cobb]

Here is a setup I am testing for my geo mero. Its a 400 watt class D 1 channel alpine amp, best buy shallow 12 inch sub box and 12 nch 600 watt kenwood sub.

I like how thin it is, although the sub was 1/2 inch too long and needed a spacer ring to make it fit. It can exceed your bass needs causing a head ache at low volumes, however its muddy when it comes to complex bass transitions.

Take the song never scared by bone crusher or beam me up by t pain. Both sound great on my previous setup with crisp transitions between notes and all notes are the same volume. With this setup the transition is muddy, some notes hit harder than others.

[Fl_Fyr_Fytr]

Ohhhh, I like that box. Unique... Look at the system I set up for the Sol. Being that it is a 2-seater and stores its top in the trunk, I needed something that was easily removable in case I needed to carry a bag of groceries lol. It is a Kicker Comp box with the original (blown) speaker replaced with a cheap, shallow, lower powered Dub 10" (300w). Notice the locks on the sides to secure it in the trunk. I spent alot of time on this setup and it served me well for 2yrs. Funny, that speaker was supposed to be temperary but sounded good enough that it was never replaced.



I played no games setting this box up. While it used cheap components, I installed it like it was top of the line.



It uses quick releases for everything and pops out of the trunk in five seconds flat.

[Cobb]

Nice setup. Its hard to call a speaker good or bad. You almost have to hear it first. A general rule is to have a speaker rated twice the amps max output. Then heavy enough wire for the load, a cap, fuses and a sturdy box.

My geo metro install is going to have longer cables so it can be moved if needed to access the spare. My insight setup is rather tight. I have a friend who works with wood and makes speaker boxes. I want him to make me a low profile box that fit the back of the seats perfectly for my speakers. THen mount the amp and fuse blocks to the back of it with anderson connectors so its removable.

I am then putting the cap in the metro as I will not be using a second battery like I have in the insight.

Both setups I have put the bazooka bass tube I had to shame.

[fuelmiser]

If you remove the spare tire, there's plenty of space to fill that cavity with a stealth woofer box and an amp rack. You won't sacrifice any space. Just go to Auto Zone or Discount Auto and buy a portable tire pump and a patch kit to use in the event you ever get a flat tire. I haven't had the need to use a spare tire in over 13 years. If I ever see my tire going flat, I remove the nail and use the pump and fix the tire right there on the spot.

I keep one of these tire plug kits with me at all times.

Cobb is a smart man for putting that capacitor. That thing is a major alternator saver. I've been using one of those for over 10 years. I've never had a single electrical problem ever since. My lights never dim from the bass and that was having monster systems with over 1400 watts peak and 900 watts RMS.

Hopefully in the next few months I will have some pictures to post of our subwoofer progress. I am hoping that I will have somebody help me design a killer box to go down in the well behind the Insight's battery cavity. Once the spare tire is removed and the styrofoam is taken out, there's a ton of space to work with. You just need to design a nice amp rack and shelf system to replace the styrofoam.

I ordered an 8" subwoofer and am waiting for it to get here. I have a 4-channel 400 watt amp that I will try to get working with the sub and the door speakers.

I originally wanted the new JL Audio HD900/5, but that amp can run anywhere between $600 and $1000 depending on where you get it. And being that I already have this 400 watt amp that runs in 2, 3 or 4 channels, I will try to make use of it first. If somebody will buy the 400 watt amp from me, I will spring for the extra money to get the HD900/5.

When I am finished with this sound system, I want it to be absolutely breathtaking. I may not be entering sound system contents, but I want the sound quality to be up there just like it was. I don't skimp on equipment.

I have two sets of Focal component speakers. I just don't know if I will be able to put them in this car or not.

[Expertfabricator]

Originally Posted by fuelmiser

If you remove the spare tire, there's plenty of space to fill that cavity with a stealth woofer box and an amp rack. You won't sacrifice any space. Just go to Auto Zone or Discount Auto and buy a portable tire pump and a patch kit to use in the event you ever get a flat tire. I haven't had the need to use a spare tire in over 13 years. If I ever see my tire going flat, I remove the nail and use the pump and fix the tire right there on the spot.

I keep one of these tire plug kits with me at all times.

Cobb is a smart man for putting that capacitor. That thing is a major alternator saver. I've been using one of those for over 10 years. I've never had a single electrical problem ever since. My lights never dim from the bass and that was having monster systems with over 1400 watts peak and 900 watts RMS.

Hopefully in the next few months I will have some pictures to post of our subwoofer progress. I am hoping that I will have somebody help me design a killer box to go down in the well behind the Insight's battery cavity. Once the spare tire is removed and the styrofoam is taken out, there's a ton of space to work with. You just need to design a nice amp rack and shelf system to replace the styrofoam.

I ordered an 8" subwoofer and am waiting for it to get here. I have a 4-channel 400 watt amp that I will try to get working with the sub and the door speakers.

I originally wanted the new JL Audio HD900/5, but that amp can run anywhere between $600 and $1000 depending on where you get it. And being that I already have this 400 watt amp that runs in 2, 3 or 4 channels, I will try to make use of it first. If somebody will buy the 400 watt amp from me, I will spring for the extra money to get the HD900/5.

When I am finished with this sound system, I want it to be absolutely breathtaking. I may not be entering sound system contents, but I want the sound quality to be up there just like it was. I don't skimp on equipment.

I have two sets of Focal component speakers. I just don't know if I will be able to put them in this car or not.

Your right there is a ton of space if your willing to remove the spare tire and foam. I know you could get a single 12" woofer in there as well as a mono amp. For me this is not a option I take long road trips (the reason I own a Insight) and no spare is a bad idea for me personally. A single 8" woofer in a well designed box does a good job. Flr Fyr FTr has a really nice system in his car with one of my boxes and a single 8" woofer. If you decide to remove the foam and spare just keep in mind air circulation for the battery cooling. Dont build anything right up too the battery box allow some space for air movement. Just my opinion.

[fuelmiser]

Originally Posted by Expertfabricator

Your right there is a ton of space if your willing to remove the spare tire and foam. I know you could get a single 12" woofer in there as well as a mono amp. For me this is not a option I take long road trips (the reason I own a Insight) and no spare is a bad idea for me personally. A single 8" woofer in a well designed box does a good job. Flr Fyr FTr has a really nice system in his car with one of my boxes and a single 8" woofer. If you decide to remove the foam and spare just keep in mind air circulation for the battery cooling. Dont build anything right up too the battery box allow some space for air movement. Just my opinion.

The battery has a tube with a fan that runs the hot air outside of the car.

Trust me, you don't need a spare tire. I've been doing this now for a decade. Just keep a pair of pliers and screw drivers with you. If you get a nail or a screw, you can take them out with the wheel being on the car. Use the plug kit and just refill the tire with air. I've done this countless times for myself and many other people over the years. I NEVER use the spare tire. That thing is a hassle to change, plus it's not safe to drive on anyway.

Many new cars don't even come with a spare tire. My last hybrid car didn't come with one. It ended up coming with some can of stuff to fill the tire. I wouldn't use that. I would just put the plug on the side of the road. Keep a flashlight in the car with you at all times in case you were to get a flat tire in the dark.

Most of the time when you get a nail or a screw, it's a very slow leak anyway. The air doesn't come out immediately. Thanks to us having a TPMS, we can at least know the moment a tire gets low.

The 8" woofer I bought is as powerful as many 10 or 12" woofers. It's more bank for the buck. I hope to get pictures of it ASAP.

[InsightFulMan]

Update: Upgrade Completed.

After long research and to try to make everying look "stock" as possible I finally replaced all OEM speakers and added some other goodies.

Sorry it took so look for me to update this thread but about 6 months ago this is what I installed on my EX/NAV 2010 Insight. I replaced all factory speakers and added the following:
-1 JL Audio M600/6 Amplifier
-1 Remote Subwoofer volume control
-1 pair of Focal 165 VB for front
-1 pair of Focal 165 CA1 for rear
-1 Kenwood Excelon KFC-XW800F (Shallow Mount)
-1 Custom Subwoofer enclosure that is placed under the Cargo/Trunk cover (without having to remove the spare tire)- just had to cut some of the foam.
-Dynamat on over the trunk area and the doors.

I am very happy with the sound now. It's not too much but what I need is there with clearity provided by the Focal VB and the puch provided by the subwoofer in an sealed enclosure.

I must say I was shocked by the lack quality of the OEM speakers- the magnet is almost non-existent and quite small- I guess that is why the factory head unit is so low power.

What is nice about this install is that everything looks stock- there is no way to tell what is installed and I still get to keep my spare tire and no caro/truck are space is used up whatsoever.

If you want I can upload some photos.

[fuelmiser]

Originally Posted by InsightFulMan

Update: Upgrade Completed.

After long research and to try to make everying look "stock" as possible I finally replaced all OEM speakers and added some other goodies.

Sorry it took so look for me to update this thread but about 6 months ago this is what I installed on my EX/NAV 2010 Insight. I replaced all factory speakers and added the following:
-1 JL Audio M600/6 Amplifier
-1 Remote Subwoofer volume control
-1 pair of Focal 165 VB for front
-1 pair of Focal 165 CA1 for rear
-1 Kenwood Excelon KFC-XW800F (Shallow Mount)
-1 Custom Subwoofer enclosure that is placed under the Cargo/Trunk cover (without having to remove the spare tire)- just had to cut some of the foam.
-Dynamat on over the trunk area and the doors.

I am very happy with the sound now. It's not too much but what I need is there with clearity provided by the Focal VB and the puch provided by the subwoofer in an sealed enclosure.

I must say I was shocked by the lack quality of the OEM speakers- the magnet is almost non-existent and quite small- I guess that is why the factory head unit is so low power.

What is nice about this install is that everything looks stock- there is no way to tell what is installed and I still get to keep my spare tire and no caro/truck are space is used up whatsoever.

If you want I can upload some photos.

Dude, that is AWESOME!!! That is some QUALITY stuff you got there. I'm impressed. Those Focal speakers are wicked, aren't they?

That JL amp is a sweet amp. You did a great job picking out that stuff. Way to go!