Shallow mount subs

[KUSoob]

Thinking about putting a Pioneer shallow mount sub in the car. Does anyone have much experience with these? I'm thinking about going with this one:

 

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-TS-SWX310-12-Inch-Preloaded-Enclosure/dp/B0013L59V0]Amazon.com: Pioneer TS-SWX310 12-Inch Shallow Series Preloaded Enclosure: Electronics[/ame]

 

 

It seems like the best option for getting some good bass while taking up the least amount of space.

[rakapur]

Thinking about putting a Pioneer shallow mount sub in the car. Does anyone have much experience with these? I'm thinking about going with this one:

 

Amazon.com: Pioneer TS-SWX310 12-Inch Shallow Series Preloaded Enclosure: Electronics

 

 

It seems like the best option for getting some good bass while taking up the least amount of space.

 

dont do shallow mount!! they are ok if you dont have room like in the cab of a pick up truck, i got a 10" jackhammer and it doesnt take much room an sounds 10x better then a shallow mount

edit: with the one your looking at you will still need an amp, they set up i have will cost less and sound better

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m462/rakapur/Subaru%20Legacy/Amp%20install/P1000391.jpg

[Chrisbl]

I've driven around with this one since 08.

http://www.pioneer.eu/no/products/25/131/201/TS-WX77A/index.html

 

It's practical but I hate it.

[ChasWG]

Rakapur, have you loved that stuff down yet or is it all sliding around in the trunk? I stopped by the car audio store near me and talked with them about this. Well of course the answer was to spend hundreds of dollars and let them build an enclosure, sell me a new amp and put some 12 inch beast in my trunk. I like and use all of my trunk space, so I don't want an encloseure, form fitted or a box like rakapur has.

I want to find a better open air 8" sub and go with the factory amp if that's possible. So what's a Gen 5 own to do?

[KUSoob]

Rakapur, have you loved that stuff down yet or is it all sliding around in the trunk? I stopped by the car audio store near me and talked with them about this. Well of course the answer was to spend hundreds of dollars and let them build an enclosure, sell me a new amp and put some 12 inch beast in my trunk. I like and use all of my trunk space, so I don't want an encloseure, form fitted or a box like rakapur has.

I want to find a better open air 8" sub and go with the factory sub if that's possible. So what's a Gen 5 own to do?

 

From what I've gathered, those don't really compare to a traditional setup, which is why I posted that shallow mount. The one I posted comes in a box that is only 6" thick. Doesn't take up much room at all.

 

dont do shallow mount!! they are ok if you dont have room like in the cab of a pick up truck, i got a 10" jackhammer and it doesnt take much room an sounds 10x better then a shallow mount

edit: with the one your looking at you will still need an amp, they set up i have will cost less and sound better

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m462/rakapur/Subaru%20Legacy/Amp%20install/P1000391.jpg

 

Yes, but that box takes up quite a bit of space, and I'm not worried about an amplifier, that can fit under my seat and be hidden easily. The alpine box is very thin and can just be shoved up against the rear seat almost like it's not even there.

[rakapur]

Rakapur, have you loved that stuff down yet or is it all sliding around in the trunk? I stopped by the car audio store near me and talked with them about this. Well of course the answer was to spend hundreds of dollars and let them build an enclosure, sell me a new amp and put some 12 inch beast in my trunk. I like and use all of my trunk space, so I don't want an encloseure, form fitted or a box like rakapur has.

I want to find a better open air 8" sub and go with the factory sub if that's possible. So what's a Gen 5 own to do?

i bolted the amp to the seat and have heavy duty velcro holding the enclosure.

im hoping Infinity comes out with an 8" free air sub so i can replace the factory one and run it of my amp. (Infinity only has 10" and 12") i have an 8" free air from kicker but its an 8 ohm so i cant use it http://www.crutchfield.com/p_20610C84/Kicker-10C84.html?tp=111&nvpair=AG_General_Features|FFFree_Air&nvpair=FFSize|[rank6]8%22

Yes, but that box takes up quite a bit of space, and I'm not worried about an amplifier, that can fit under my seat and be hidden easily. The alpine box is very thin and can just be shoved up against the rear seat almost like it's not even there.

this is the box i have [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E4769C%20small%20box%20doesnt%20take%20much%20room,%20i%20bolted%20the%20amp%20to%20the%20rear%20seat%20so%20it%20doesnt%20take%20up%20any%20usable%20space.%20if%20you%20dont%20want%20to%20take%20up%20that%20much%20space%20you%20might%20be%20better%20off%20going%20with%20a%20Bazooka%20tube%20sub%20or%20one%20of%20those%20powered%20subs%20http://www.crutchfield.com/g_51000/Powered-Subwoofers.html?tp=114]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E4769C/[/ame]

 

might be better off going with a powered sub or a bazooka tube

 

http://www.crutchfield.com/g_51000/Powered-Subwoofers.html?tp=114

 

anyone know how much room is under the rear seats? i got an idea, put some amp powered 6x9 speakers under the rear seats

[Miro]

Any if you considered this? http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/my-hidden-subwoofer-install-85965.html

 

If not, how come? (Just curious!) Looks to be a great potential solution to the open-air and shallow-mount problems, but I can't say with certainty so I decided to ask. Is there some downside to the "hidden sub"? From what I recall, 0.8 cu ft should be great for installing a nice 10" sealed enclosure sub.

 

Heck, you could even add a nicer open-air unit to replace the stock one, and toss one in the spare tire well

[Miro]

I want to find a better open air 8" sub and go with the factory amp if that's possible. So what's a Gen 5 own to do?

 

Hey Chas, I was wondering if you can do me a favor. I know you're an astute photographer (and you have a 5th Gen), so I figured you're a good person to ask.

 

Could you take some snapshots of the Legacy's rear deck, both from the cabin and the trunk? I just want to get an idea of what I'll be working with. If you have something like a wide-angle 18mm lens, that'd be great. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but just enough detail to give me an idea of how it all looks like. For example, my assumption is that the 8" sub does not protrude into the cabin, but I have no idea.

 

(FYI I'm curious if the rear deck could be modified to include 8" speakers instead of that open-air sub, similar to my existing 6x9s. Crutchfield says this fits in the 5th Gen LGT: http://www.crutchfield.com/s_091210CA1/Focal-Access-210CA1.html?tp=105)

[indytruckboy]

From what I've gathered, those don't really compare to a traditional setup, which is why I posted that shallow mount. The one I posted comes in a box that is only 6" thick. Doesn't take up much room at all.

 

 

 

Yes, but that box takes up quite a bit of space, and I'm not worried about an amplifier, that can fit under my seat and be hidden easily. The alpine box is very thin and can just be shoved up against the rear seat almost like it's not even there.

 

That is what I did in my wagon. Sony truck box I got at best buy on sale and amp at circuit city closing sale. Works great. I didn't want to loose the space and have a box I could easily remove. Has more bass then I will ever need. I listen to metal but you can play "insert-favorite-hiphop" and it sounds great without making the hatch rattle to death. Pics later

[Miro]

I just saw this when I was looking through some Legacy photos...

 

So it looks to me that the 8" sub protrudes into the cabin on the driver's side of the car. There's only one of them, aka there's only one protrusion into the cabin?

 

Can someone do me a favor and take a couple of snapshots of the underside of the rear deck, as well as a picture of the rear deck itself?

 

I think it would be sweet to replace the sub(s) with these speakers: http://www.crutchfield.com/s_091210CA1/Focal-Access-210CA1.html?tp=105

 

Thanks!

[alaskajoel]

if you're stuck on shallow mount, the pioneer isn't horrible. Alpine's shallow mount type R is much louder, and the JL w5 has much better sound quality, but isn't as loud as the type R. If you listen to metal, they're all probably loud enough. I want to get a look at the trunk of a 2010+ and see if a hidden sub enclosure would fit like the one I did for the 05-09.

 

On the 2009, the stock rear deck location offered a decent option for a new sub. It takes some engineering to clear the trunk torsion bars, but it works.

Stock 09 Sub:

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/97IntrepidES/2009%20Subaru%20Legacy%20GT%20Limited/IMG_0860.jpg

 

Example of a 2009 setup with a DLS 0A8 (IB sub)

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/duanenoel/sub5.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/duanenoel/sub3.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/duanenoel/sub2.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/duanenoel/sub1.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/duanenoel/sub.jpg

 

Looks stock inside:

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o94/duanenoel/subtop.jpg

 

 

The setup I heard that was like this had pretty decent SQ, but only moderate output. 350 watts in an IB setup is comparable to a 125-150watt sealed setup in my experience.

[KUSoob]

if you're stuck on shallow mount, the pioneer isn't horrible. Alpine's shallow mount type R is much louder, and the JL w5 has much better sound quality, but isn't as loud as the type R. If you listen to metal, they're all probably loud enough. I want to get a look at the trunk of a 2010+ and see if a hidden sub enclosure would fit like the one I did for the 05-09.

 

On the 2009, the stock rear deck location offered a decent option for a new sub. It takes some engineering to clear the trunk torsion bars, but it works.

Stock 09 Sub:

 

The setup I heard that was like this had pretty decent SQ, but only moderate output. 350 watts in an IB setup is comparable to a 125-150watt sealed setup in my experience.

 

I'm actually talking with the guy that made the 05-09 boxes, however he is somewhat slow to respond.

 

We're thinking it can use the same box. But for reference, here are pics of my 2010's trunk.

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d65/mikec917/100_0562.jpg

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d65/mikec917/100_0560.jpg

[alaskajoel]

It looks really close - I took a look at a new LGT at the dealership today, and I would bet it'll fit.

 

If you're talking to ItalynStylion, he's a great guy. I got him to build the new ones cheaper after we took dimensions of the first one I had made. He did (does) a much better job.

[Miro]

I'm actually talking with the guy that made the 05-09 boxes, however he is somewhat slow to respond.

 

We're thinking it can use the same box. But for reference, here are pics of my 2010's trunk.

 

Hey KU, could you please do me a favor and take a couple of more pictures? I'd like to see the rear deck, from within the trunk (so I can see the bottom of the rear deck), and one of the rear deck from the cabin. I'm wondering if it's possible to custom-fab another 8" hole on the passenger side in order to accommodate 8" speakers instead of subs.

 

By the way, it's not like I'm lazy and don't want to go to a Subie dealer to look at this myself. Normally I would, and spare you guys the hassle. But the nearest dealer with an LGT is ~200 miles away!

[KUSoob]

Hey KU, could you please do me a favor and take a couple of more pictures? I'd like to see the rear deck, from within the trunk (so I can see the bottom of the rear deck), and one of the rear deck from the cabin. I'm wondering if it's possible to custom-fab another 8" hole on the passenger side in order to accommodate 8" speakers instead of subs.

 

By the way, it's not like I'm lazy and don't want to go to a Subie dealer to look at this myself. Normally I would, and spare you guys the hassle. But the nearest dealer with an LGT is ~200 miles away!

 

Yeah I can do that, I should have them uploaded later tonight.

[garbo41610]

custom-fab another 8" hole on the passenger side in order to accommodate 8" speakers instead of subs.

 

Just curious, but why would anyone want 8" speakers on the rear parcel shelf? It will pull the sound stage way too far back. You would end up having to fade the 8" speakers right out making them completely redundant.

[underground000]

Just curious, but why would anyone want 8" speakers on the rear parcel shelf? It will pull the sound stage way too far back. You would end up having to fade the 8" speakers right out making them completely redundant.

 

cause you'll prob hear it better when going 65+, I cant hear the bass from most of my music on my old 10" sub, then upgraded to 12" and a bit better but still...

 

I just want to hear the bass, not feel the bump

[garbo41610]

I can understand that I suppose (kind of), but you want the vocals staged in the front, you don't stand with your back to the band at a concert. Larger rear drivers really won't solve the problem of lack of bass either. You need more cone area as well as that the driver needs to be able to move air effectively. Moving from a 10" sub to a 12" sub is definitely the first step in the right direction, however, you need to look at the power it is being supplied as well.

 

There are also things like the enclosure the sub is housed in. Is it ported or is it sealed? Is the box built to the correct specs to be able to allow the driver to work to its full potential etc etc etc etc.

 

Other steps to look at are sound damping to reduce outside noise. Look at installing Dynamat or similar onto door skins. If you already have, then maybe it's time to look at installing some onto the floor and firewall and roof.

 

If bass is the problem then address the drivers dedicated to providing the bass. As I said in my previous post, good sound imaging (left and right) and sound staging (front and back) puts the music pretty much right in front of your nose or thereabouts (read up on the benefits of the Time Alignment features on new mid range and top range head units and processors). So increasing the size or amount of rear speakers is going to end up being detrimental to the overall sound quality.

 

Sorry for the long winded post or if it sounds a little condescending, that's not my intention. I just wanted to provide as much info as I can and I'm not sure of your experience in car audio so need to make it understandable.

 

Out of curiosity, what components make up your stereo???

 

Cheers,

Garbo.

[Miro]

Just curious, but why would anyone want 8" speakers on the rear parcel shelf? It will pull the sound stage way too far back. You would end up having to fade the 8" speakers right out making them completely redundant.

 

No sir, your tone is not condescending by any means. I appreciate your post since I like hearing what other like-minded individuals have done. So let's answer some of your questions...

 

First, this is my current setup. As you can see from the post (as well as the picture attachments of my rear deck), I have Eclipse 6 x 9" speakers that provide a sweet amount of sound from the rear. My Accord does not have rear door speakers, so they're really the only ones driving mids and highs from behind. The 12" in the trunk does the rest of the work for the lows. I feel the entire audio setup (12" in trunk, 6 x 9"s on rear deck, 6.5" in doors, 1" tweeters in dash) works very well.

 

In the Accord, the sound stage is centered right where my head usually resides when driving. I used to have a slight rear bias before adding the tweeters up front, but they solved that issue. So right now I have "surround" sound, as opposed to hearing stuff "from the front," if that makes sense. The music sounds as if it's coming from all directions, and not in front of me like in a concert -- and that's how I prefer it.

 

I don't own an LGT, so I have no idea how the rear door speakers sound -- at least in terms of volume for that "surround" effect. They may have more than enough volume to provide the right sound for me, but I made the assumption that they wouldn't.

 

Besides, wouldn't it be absolutely badass to have two 8" Focals providing sound from the back?

[garbo41610]

Hey bud, you have raised completely valid points here. Especially,

I feel the entire audio setup (12" in trunk, 6 x 9"s on rear deck, 6.5" in doors, 1" tweeters in dash) works very well.

and in the end, that's what car audio is all about really. As long as it sounds good to you, that's all that matters.

 

The only issues I have with running 6 x 9's in the rear with a sub in the trunk is, that the sub can cause distortion in the 6 x 9's causing them to "muddy" up the sound. And, back waves from the 9 x 9's into the trunk can cancel out some frequencies from the sub.

 

BTW, it would be more badass having 2 8" focals in the front ;-)

[KUSoob]

Hey KU, could you please do me a favor and take a couple of more pictures? I'd like to see the rear deck, from within the trunk (so I can see the bottom of the rear deck), and one of the rear deck from the cabin. I'm wondering if it's possible to custom-fab another 8" hole on the passenger side in order to accommodate 8" speakers instead of subs.

 

By the way, it's not like I'm lazy and don't want to go to a Subie dealer to look at this myself. Normally I would, and spare you guys the hassle. But the nearest dealer with an LGT is ~200 miles away!

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d65/mikec917/2011-03-30180803.jpg

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d65/mikec917/2011-03-30180833.jpg

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d65/mikec917/2011-03-30180846.jpg

 

Sorry for the poor quality, my camera cord seems to have gone missing so the cell phone had to do.

[Miro]

Sorry for the poor quality, my camera cord seems to have gone missing so the cell phone had to do.

 

Not a problem. The pictures worked like a charm -- thanks a bunch!

 

Sadly, there doesn't seem to be a clear area on the rear deck where one could cut another hole for the other 8" speaker... So I guess the rear door speakers will have to do! I'm sure that with a nice speaker upgrade and some fiddling and adjustments, it'll work just fine.

[KUSoob]

Not a problem. The pictures worked like a charm -- thanks a bunch!

 

Sadly, there doesn't seem to be a clear area on the rear deck where one could cut another hole for the other 8" speaker... So I guess the rear door speakers will have to do! I'm sure that with a nice speaker upgrade and some fiddling and adjustments, it'll work just fine.

 

Yeah, doesn't seem to be too much room back there.

 

Well, for an update to this thread, I did end up ordering the hidden sub box from http://www.stereoclarity.com. It should be here fairly soon. I'll be sure to get pictures and some installation pictures once its done. The setup will be a JBL GTO1214D powered by a Pioneer GM-D7500M amp.

[Miro]

Yeah, doesn't seem to be too much room back there.

 

Well, for an update to this thread, I did end up ordering the hidden sub box from http://www.stereoclarity.com. It should be here fairly soon. I'll be sure to get pictures and some installation pictures once its done. The setup will be a JBL GTO1214D powered by a Pioneer GM-D7500M amp.

 

Definitely keep us updated. That JBL sub is in the same neighborhood as the RF Punch HE2 I have in my trunk right now (power, size, etc.). It would be absolutely wonderful if I could stuff a sub of that size into my future LGT's spare tire bay instead of having it occupy 1/3 of the trunk itself, as it does currently.

 

Good luck!

[PKs17]

Ive got the new alpine 8 inch type R. It comes in a shallow box. The sub is louder then most people would think, and its a genuine Type R, so it can handle decent power.

Im happy with it, fits right up against my rear seat back, so it takes up very little space at all.