How to hide the subs

[BAMF]

So, I've been wanting to add some low end to my stereo system for a while. Car is a 1999 Buick LeSabre so there's a LOT of trunk space. My mids/highs (Polk 6x9s and 5.25s give me crystal clear sound. I need enough bass to compliment, but not overpower, them. I'm figuring at least 1 or 2 10s, but no more than 1 12. I don't want my trunk to rattle like some dumbass - I just want to improve the low frequency response.

Question is, what can I do to hide it all. I don't want people to see an amp and some bright colored subwoofer sticking out like a sore thumb because it just looks corny to me. Looking for something I could sell this car to a 40 year old man still equipped with when the time comes and have him not cringe when he opens the trunk. What (if anything) can accomplish this goal? Do I need to get out a sawzall and start fabricating 8" speaker holes somewhere or can I do something in the trunk?

[P057]

you can build a small sealed box for an 8" or 10" subwoofer, small amp to power it, attach it to the side of the box, and put it in a corner of the trunk. A lot of people do this and still looks very clean and will be easy to remove.

[BAMF]

will a single 8 or 10 in the trunk be able to be heard in the cab of the car? I know, probably a stupid question, but aside from being able to wire them I don't know much about car systems. Would I run into any problems with air circulation for the amp putting a carpeted dummy box over the box?

[joebobclark]

For what you are looking for, and to install yourself, I would recomend an Infinity Basslink or something like it. Will add enough low end fill for just about any music genre without "ghetto shakin" the trunklid. Its "powered', meaning that the amp is built in. Its black, wont stand out any where in the trunk. Its small enough it could be mounted directly under the rear deck, inbetween the rear 6x9's.

[P057]

For what you are looking for, and to install yourself, I would recomend an Infinity Basslink or something like it. Will add enough low end fill for just about any music genre without "ghetto shakin" the trunklid. Its "powered', meaning that the amp is built in. Its black, wont stand out any where in the trunk. Its small enough it could be mounted directly under the rear deck, inbetween the rear 6x9's.

I cant believe i forgot about that =/ I usually only think about it when they say trucks.


As far as whether you will hear it, yes you can. it'll be nice and i'm sure you wont have any problem with it at all.

[BAMF]

I cant believe i forgot about that =/ I usually only think about it when they say trucks.


As far as whether you will hear it, yes you can. it'll be nice and i'm sure you wont have any problem with it at all.


Good deal. Can I still put up a solid wall to block that thing off? If one isn't loud enough for me I'm sure it would be biggie to put up 2, but 200 watts sounds like it would be plenty to do what I wwnt.

[joebobclark]

It should probably have some sort of ventilation. 200w isnt going to get that hot but better safe than sorry. IMO, if you mounted under the rear deck it would look like it came from factory.

[P057]

It should probably have some sort of ventilation. 200w isnt going to get that hot but better safe than sorry. IMO, if you mounted under the rear deck it would look like it came from factory.

most amp manufacturers of LARGER amps are against mounting it upside down since heat travels upwards, decreasing the emission of heat, but 200w like jbc said wouldnt be makin too much heat.


in other words, +1 :lol:

[BAMF]

So, for the Infiniti Basslink, for example, I'd mount it to the rear deck (however I can manage to do that) with the speaker face facing directly up, then wire it up and use it like that?

[joebobclark]

most amp manufacturers of LARGER amps are against mounting it upside down since heat travels upwards, decreasing the emission of heat, but 200w like jbc said wouldnt be makin too much heat.


in other words, +1 :lol:

The Basslink amp is mounted on the side anyways, with heatsink fins ;)

I would mount it with the active woofer (it has a passive radiator on the other side) faceing down. But thats just me, either way will work well.

[P057]

The Basslink amp is mounted on the side anyways, with heatsink fins ;)

I would mount it with the active woofer (it has a passive radiator on the other side) faceing down. But thats just me, either way will work well.

I was talking about just a seperate amp.

The basslink you just screw into the back wall of the trunk (behind the car seats)

works fine.

[BAMF]

I was talking about just a seperate amp.

The basslink you just screw into the back wall of the trunk (behind the car seats)

works fine.

That'd be a problem, I think. The backseat isn't really too sturdy. Part of the thing that makes it comfy is the backpeice is actually flexible and mounts tightly on hooks all around covering the trunk. I'll giev it a look, hopefully theres a place on it that'll be sturdy enough.

[CHUPA_CABRA_2.0]

I say a nice 12" facing up with the amp flush mounted facing up as well. In a rectangular box the width of the trunk right behind the back seats. I would build a retractible wall piece so you can always access everything or show it off. Once the piece is on you get a flush clean OEM looking trunk completely stock. My 2 pesos.

[joebobclark]

That'd be a problem, I think. The backseat isn't really too sturdy. Part of the thing that makes it comfy is the backpeice is actually flexible and mounts tightly on hooks all around covering the trunk. I'll giev it a look, hopefully theres a place on it that'll be sturdy enough.

Yeah they are comfy! Allows alot of sound into the passenger compartment as well, will work well with the 10"...

Look up under the rear deck, between the 6x9's, should be plenty of metal to attach it securely.

[Notladstyle]

basslink FTL.

a 10 with a comparable amp will give you more output and cost less. the basslink isnt any less obtrusive than a cleanly carpeted cube box with an amp on the side would be.

[P057]

basslink FTL.

a 10 with a comparable amp will give you more output and cost less. the basslink isnt any less obtrusive than a cleanly carpeted cube box with an amp on the side would be.

I dunno about FTL in allcaps but....


This way you dont have to worry about mounting it anywhere. Just put the box in the corner, thats it. Fuckit, let it slide around!


haha j/k. Get it somehow attached to one of the trunk walls, probably nothing complicated needed.

[ShakinIt]

JL Audio makes "stealth boxes" which are usually one ten in a stealthy (obviously) custom fit box that fits flush into a corner of the trunk nicely.

Dunno if they have one for your car, but might be worth checking out.

They have a website you can search.

I think MTX also makes a similar type stealth box as well.

[joebobclark]

basslink FTL.

a 10 with a comparable amp will give you more output and cost less. the basslink isnt any less obtrusive than a cleanly carpeted cube box with an amp on the side would be.

Im gonna have to disagree.......:D

In this situation, I think it is the perfect solution. It has more than enough output for what he is looking to do (I am assuming he isnt looking to "beat down the block", but rather fill in the low end that his 5 1/2"s and 6x9s are not producing). Also factor in the ease of installation (he said he can wire it up, and it is an all-in-one unit that will mount up out of the way taking up almost no trunk space), and cost (Basslink can be had for under $200 new, a 10"-200w amp-prefab box will run you almost the same and it wont have Infinity on it (not to say Infinity is the greatest, but it better than Crunch, Pyle or Boss)) and I think we have a FTW.....:lol:

[BAMF]

basslink FTL.

a 10 with a comparable amp will give you more output and cost less. the basslink isnt any less obtrusive than a cleanly carpeted cube box with an amp on the side would be.

Do they actually make amps that are small enough? Oh, you mean making a cube box and putting it on the side of the trunk....Hmm. I really want to avoid having an amp sticking out. I'm going for as flush and non-aftermarket looking as I can get it.

You know a whole damn lot about systems appearently, and you take care of your shit when you do work - I'd love to have you install at least part of mine if you still do that kinda work on the side.

[Notladstyle]

Im gonna have to disagree.......:D

In this situation, I think it is the perfect solution. It has more than enough output for what he is looking to do (I am assuming he isnt looking to "beat down the block", but rather fill in the low end that his 5 1/2"s and 6x9s are not producing). Also factor in the ease of installation (he said he can wire it up, and it is an all-in-one unit that will mount up out of the way taking up almost no trunk space), and cost (Basslink can be had for under $200 new, a 10"-200w amp-prefab box will run you almost the same and it wont have Infinity on it (not to say Infinity is the greatest, but it better than Crunch, Pyle or Boss)) and I think we have a FTW.....:lol:

Lets assume we bought new name brand equipment -

A carpeted 10" mDF box is $35, an Alpine type-S 10 is $70, and a Alpine MRP-M450 is $125, plus tax of course.

$235 is ballpark for a retail basslink. And it will give you a lot more output and better accuracy at high volumes - the Basslink really loses its edge if you crank it. and I'm not talking about rock the block, Im talking about turning it up to get into a song and hearing the distortion from a struggling sub in a tiny enclosure.

I've installed both setups, not in my homeboy's civic either, in adult-driven vehicles with drivers who wanted exactly what you are looking for - improved sound quality with a mature look. The component setup consistently comes out on top.

A basslink still requires 8ga wire, and some type of signal input. The installation difficulty difference may be a whopping 30 minutes... an hour if he takes his time.

The alpine amp is neutral black colors - a box carpeted in factory matched carpet will look even MORE stock than a basslink. if you face the sub in, and put the amp on the top of the sub enclosure you will have a simple, professional, and impressive setup without all the flashyness that screams youth.


-notlaD

[Notladstyle]

Do they actually make amps that are small enough? Oh, you mean making a cube box and putting it on the side of the trunk....Hmm. I really want to avoid having an amp sticking out. I'm going for as flush and non-aftermarket looking as I can get it.

You know a whole damn lot about systems appearently, and you take care of your shit when you do work - I'd love to have you install at least part of mine if you still do that kinda work on the side.

I care more about functionality, quality, and longevity, than "loudness"

and I still do jobs on the weekends, mainly alarms but Ive been known to wire a system or two :p

[joebobclark]

Im not going to argue with you, the component setup will more than likely come out louder, but cleaner is in how it is setup. The Basslink can produce a very nice clean sound with out problem if its not pushed past its limits (which is hard to do as Infinity set it up to optimum specs for the equipment used.

There are alot of variable that are unanswered.....

Is the OP willing to give up the trunk space that a prefab box is going to take up (around 12"x14" unless he goes with a truckstyle box)? Doesnt seem like much (and its not), but why give it up if you dont have to.

Does the OP have an aftermarket headunit? If not, he may be looking at line level converters (depending on amp used). Extra cost. Basslink has high level inputs and comes with the plugs for it. Even if he has an aftermarket HU, could save some money/time by not running RCA's (I dont recommended not using RCA's but its a possibility).

Does the OP really need or want more output than the Basslink in capable of?

And no matter what, he has stated he looking for as stealth or factory looking setup as possible. A prefab box would be a clean install, but is hardly stealth or factory looking. He could glass something in the side trunk wall or spare tire well, but thats not really cost effective for a non-show, DD single 10" setup.

[BAMF]

Hmm, you both present good points. I do have an aftermarket deck (Pioneer Premier 50x4 MOSFET and all that crap) and its not unusual for me to turn it up 3/4 or 2/3 of the way to listen to a song I really like. Nothing in the world sounds worse than overstressing a speaker, and with the ability to control the RCA channels with a menu on my head deck there very well may be a song that I want a little more bass with than usual.

But theres light grey carpeting in the trunk. I think I could get over the box if we could get it decently shallow and wide to look halfway normal...but I can't see any amp looking decent. It just looks like shit to me to see an amp sticking out in the middle of the trunk... a custom box with an overhang on the side that you set the amp right into and drill right down would be nice, but again I don't see how you could get a sensible looking box large enough to do so with.

Does anybody make 'compact' amps? I'm thinking if I could so a shallow box but make up the cu inch by making it wider and get a long, skinny amp I could just do the idea with hiding it on the side.

[Notladstyle]

the alpine amp I mentioned has a height of 2.5" - a box could easily be fabbed with a lip on the top that would totally conceal the amp within its shroud. The footprint of hte box would be 10x12 or so - slightly under a cubic ft of airspace will sound nicely. If you were to face the sub forward in the trunk you would have two visible sides of carpet and nothing else. The wiring and amp would be hidden behind the face of the wood and the wires along the side of the trunk neatly bound.

The problem is not the infinity components, its the lack of airspace that restricts the truly low frequency output of the basslink. if you listen to punchy rock you can probably get away with it, but throw in some LP or some rap and your =) will turn to =(

[joebobclark]

If you are willing to do a box, the possibilities are endless.....

Figure out which sub you would like to use and we can give you some options. You can always mount the amp under the rear deck between the 6x9's, up out of sight. If you get a a decent 4 channel, you could bridge 2 channels for the sub and use the other 2 channels for your front and rear. You would lose your L/R fade from the headunit, but it can be setup properly.

We will need to know what sub you want to go with to spec a box, mounting depth and cuft reqiurements are most important.

[BAMF]

Hmm...that would truly take some custom work since the bottom of the deck is far from flat...I MAY be able to pull off an amp that isn't very wide. Is it safe to mount an amp upside down?

Most of my listening is classic rock and rock..but there's also rap and techno type stuff...if the sub falls on its face when the bass 'drops' I swear to god I'll pull over, rip the sub out, and pitch it into traffic. Alpine Type S sounds like its right in the power handling range I want, and Dual Voice coil = cleaner sound and a mono block amp that I need to bridge down, right? MTX also makes the MTX 4510-44 (as well as a million other 10 inch subs) for about half the price that works about right and also has a dual voice coil. I've heard Alpine's new stuff is garbage, but I have no idea if MTX is worth shit.

[joebobclark]

Ive personally had amps mounted upside down in that spot for years with no problems..... my .02

Sidenote, Toby (TJelite) had some decent Audiobahn 10's for $25 brand new...

Not high end subs, but cant beat the price! Not sure iuf he still has them though , they were out at the "garage sale" he had awhile back....

[BAMF]

Open to any sub thats decent and wil hit clear and nice, really. Ability to function in a slimmer box is always a plus. I remember hearing some JL gimmick saying they were made for smaller boxes, but with a single 10 I think it should be decently small anyways.

Edit: Those audiobahns look like they mount really deep. I'm trying to keep the box as slim as possible. Is that gonna screw up the sound quality? Tomorrow I'll post up some measurements of hte spaces/surfaces I'll be working with. Shouldn't be hard to cut some MDF and carpet it if they don't make one around my desired specs.

[P057]

Ive personally had amps mounted upside down in that spot for years with no problems..... my .02

Sidenote, Toby (TJelite) had some decent Audiobahn 10's for $25 brand new...

Not high end subs, but cant beat the price! Not sure iuf he still has them though , they were out at the "garage sale" he had awhile back....


I bought those, they dont exist anymore.... mwahahahaha:lol::lol::lol:

[P057]

Edit: Those audiobahns look like they mount really deep. I'm trying to keep the box as slim as possible. Is that gonna screw up the sound quality?

Of course it will, anytime you change properties that are out of reccomended spec, you will begin to sacrifice quality.

Its all up to your ear though.

Buy a couple boards of MDF and try different boxes.


I'll probably come out to less than 50 dollars of material, still much lower than any prefab box you can buy.

[Notladstyle]

doooont mount it upside downn!!! =/ thats asking for trouble especially in florida heat. avoid that until its like your absolute last alternative. Mounting under a seat would be better than upside down uder the rear deck.

[BAMF]

^ Dammit. You'd think they would make amps to satisfy these kinds of requirements that could be hidden away. Okay, so, how is MTX in relation to an Alpine Type S? I'd like to make the box a wedge and turn it so the speaker is facing the seats. Then I could try to find an amp that could fit and be mounted on the side of the box. Worst comes to worst if the amp won't fit on the side of a wedge I'll make it a bit different, so if you were looking at the box from the side it would look like this (sorry, no graphics programs at work):

|\
|..\
|....\
|.....|
|___|


That sound feasable? If so, I guess where can I get info on specs I'd need, or is there a pre-fabbed fox that would fit what I wanted? Terminals on one of the sides where I would mount the amp are always a plus.

[Notladstyle]

Amp is behind a lip on the box totally invisible
Sub faces seats. Simple & clean. The footprint for the amp is about 10x8 so you will need at least a 10" depth on the enclosure to hide the amp. You need at least that much area for any decent volume anyways.

I wouldnt try to slope the box on the inside - facing the woofer towards the seat is bad enough, putting the woofer parallel to the rear seat will sound even worse.


http://i7.tinypic.com/2rfpyrm.gif

[BAMF]

Okay, so a cubed box is a must, and a lip in front of the amp is the best way to hide it, gotchya. On the issue of facing it towards the seats being a bad idea altogether, I realize that I'm getting into some complicated stuff and might need to enlist the assistance of someone with more woodshop skills than me. How about sinking the sub into the box a bit? Make a large hole, and then put an MDF ring on the inside of that hole to mount the sub into. That way it could sink into the box and then I could simply cover some generic 10 or 12 inch speaker grille with carpet and lay it over the sub to get a flush, carpeted look. I know I'm sounding kinda unreasonably anal, but I want it to look like just a lump in the trunk if at all possible. Or is that a waste of energy and I midas well just turn it around to face the seat and it won't be so bad? Since the seat goes up and down the sub will be parallel to it pretty much no matter what if its facing them.

[Notladstyle]

Okay, so a cubed box is a must, and a lip in front of the amp is the best way to hide it, gotchya. On the issue of facing it towards the seats being a bad idea altogether, I realize that I'm getting into some complicated stuff and might need to enlist the assistance of someone with more woodshop skills than me. How about sinking the sub into the box a bit? Make a large hole, and then put an MDF ring on the inside of that hole to mount the sub into. That way it could sink into the box and then I could simply cover some generic 10 or 12 inch speaker grille with carpet and lay it over the sub to get a flush, carpeted look. I know I'm sounding kinda unreasonably anal, but I want it to look like just a lump in the trunk if at all possible. Or is that a waste of energy and I midas well just turn it around to face the seat and it won't be so bad? Since the seat goes up and down the sub will be parallel to it pretty much no matter what if its facing them.

face it towards the seat and call it a day.

Flushing is not hard however, if you chose to face it towards the rear you simply cut the hole for the inner sub out of one square, and cut an entirely new piece with a larger hole to shroud the woofer and drill it over the front. Using this technique you could actually hide the amp under the face on the side as well if you wanted to get a little more room.

[BAMF]

face it towards the seat and call it a day.

Flushing is not hard however, if you chose to face it towards the rear you simply cut the hole for the inner sub out of one square, and cut an entirely new piece with a larger hole to shroud the woofer and drill it over the front. Using this technique you could actually hide the amp under the face on the side as well if you wanted to get a little more room.

Hmm, flushing the amp doesn't sound like a bad idea. Obviously I'm guessing don't carpet over the amp, but hell, I could face the amp towards the seat so nobody would see it on the back of the amp, flush it down, and then do that with the subwoofer. I think that'd give a very clean look, alls you'd see is an odd bump right in the middle of the trunk up against the seats. Any brand of amp that puts out less heat than another, or is more efficent at dissipating heat in a small space - such a little amp shouldn't give me too much of a problem anyways?

[Notladstyle]

Hmm, flushing the amp doesn't sound like a bad idea. Obviously I'm guessing don't carpet over the amp, but hell, I could face the amp towards the seat so nobody would see it on the back of the amp, flush it down, and then do that with the subwoofer. I think that'd give a very clean look, alls you'd see is an odd bump right in the middle of the trunk up against the seats. Any brand of amp that puts out less heat than another, or is more efficent at dissipating heat in a small space - such a little amp shouldn't give me too much of a problem anyways?


and smaller class D amp should serve your purpose. Keep in mind, horizontally(as in the top of the box) mounted amps will be able to dissipate the most heat no matter what. heat will always rise.

[BAMF]

and smaller class D amp should serve your purpose. Keep in mind, horizontally(as in the top of the box) mounted amps will be able to dissipate the most heat no matter what. heat will always rise.

Mkay. I've also heard that its not always good to have just a box, that the sound needs angles and whatnot to bounce off of. Are these statements just false, or should I put some baffles in the box, or what? If you have a link to any sites on designing your own, know of any premade that I could modify slightly and then would work awesome, or have any further adtive to add on box making, please lmk.

[k4rts]

what about a false floor? i know thats not "hiding" the subs but it doesnt "stick out like a sore thumb" either

[Notladstyle]

Mkay. I've also heard that its not always good to have just a box, that the sound needs angles and whatnot to bounce off of. Are these statements just false, or should I put some baffles in the box, or what? If you have a link to any sites on designing your own, know of any premade that I could modify slightly and then would work awesome, or have any further adtive to add on box making, please lmk.

a perfect enclosure has no flat angles at all - the worst is a cube.

whether or not you can hear the difference is the million dollar question.

[BAMF]

a perfect enclosure has no flat angles at all - the worst is a cube.

whether or not you can hear the difference is the million dollar question.

Gotchya. Well, I climbed into the trunk (surprisingly comfy and roomy) to take some measurements and to my horror, I can't find an appropriate place to actually MOUNT a box. Theres a carpet which pulls up to reveal a full sized spare which takes up mostly that entire part of the floor...so thats a no go. I also thought about maybe dual 8s and drilling the boxes into the deck, but since I have a whopping 3.5" thick x 19" thick area to mount them, I don't think that'd work either. Can't caddy corner it because the trunk latches have to come down when the trunk closes and the spare tire well cuts into them still...plus I don't want to block the carpet...I tried to find a good place to mount it to a bulkhead or something overhead but there's not really much.

The only acceptable place is back behind the left wheelwell. Theres an empty space off to the side with a reasonably flat floor to it (haven't loked underneath to see what I'd be drilling into, but I don't think anything serious) and its out of the way enough where I could either cut the carpet back, mount the box to a bulkhead, or just not worry since you could just fold the carpet over it to get to the spare. Only problem is its a horribly irregular shape, so making a box for it is next to impossible. (about 17 inches high by 14 inches wide. It varies to as small as 1 tall and 9 wide in places, but for all intensive purposes starts out 17x14 and then gets smaller on all sides except the base. I'm assumming such a complicated box custom made would be pretty damn expensive, also...And anything cheezy I made myself would look like dogshit, not to mention leave me with having the mount the amp right out on the wheelwell itself which would stick out something nasty.

Goddamn old peoples' car.

I did go to Best Buy and saw that Infiniti Basslink thing, and it looks like it MIGHT fit in that corner, but I'm not sure. It doesn't look horrible but I think a box would blend nicer.

[Notladstyle]

just run a slat of wood across the trunk under the carpet in the very rear to support the enclosure - the spare will still be removable. problem solved.

You have to do the same thing in civics because theres only cardboard back there to hold the box up.

else, fiberglass ftw.