First post, Picking up my 82 Firebird Base V6 early next week, and I'm planning the sound system as it still has the factory AM/FM system.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the Kicker HS8 hidden subwoofer? http://www.crutchfield.com/p_20611HS...h=HS8&skipvs=T

I have used Bazooka 100W 8" systems in the past, and I've been relatively happy with them, but I want to keep the subwoofer as small as humanly possible in the Firebird, as space is at a premium, as you know.

I'm not looking for seat shaking bass that can be heard outside the car, I really just like to hear the lows.

So, has anyone used these? Are the comparable to the Bazooka, or better/worse?

Didn't find any references in search, so figured I'd ask.

Feel free to comment on the rest of the system as well, if you think I'm making a big mistake with any of the components:

Head Unit: JVC KD-HDR61
Dash Speakers: Pioneer TS-A4674R (Wanted Kicker KS46, but the magnet is too large to fit in the dash, according to Crutchfield)
Sail Panel: Kicker KS69

Thanks in advance for the input!

 

Welcome. I don't have a direct answer for you about the Kicker sub but you will find info on many custom setups in this forum. The space is not easy to work with but accommodates more variety than you would think. I have a convertible and built a custom box for a 10" sub and an amp that fits nicely into my trunk well. Look around and you might find a different design that works for you in your car. Good Luck and keep asking questions.

 

I should have done a little more reading before posting, I suppose Turns out it's brand new on the market, so I doubt there's many people out there that have them yet. They were only released on the 6th of March...

I will make sure to report back when I get it installed, hopefully it will be a decent unit.

 

Yes, please do! I'm extremely interested in hearing how it goes.

 

Well, the system is ordered and on it's way. I'm picking up the car about the same time it will be arriving, so look to have a report on how well it works in the next 4-5 days

I'm hoping it fits under the passenger seat, but if not, I'll probably mount it under the cargo cover in the very back.

Ended up going with Pioneer 6x9's in the back instead of the Kickers, I like to match components from the same line, and it was ~$30 bucks less.

Here's the full order:

 

Stuff Came in, just finished building the harness (still have to heat shrink it).

Can't say enough good stuff about Crutchfield! The harness for the Firebird had two wires that could be used for Illumination/dimming, and their 800 tech support had the answer on which one to use. (It's the one that sends the signal when the parking/headlights are on, not the dimmer wire)

Got all the harnesses for free, as well as a free dash installation kit. Pleasantly surprised.

If I can just pick the darn car up tonight, I'll have it in tomorrow and give a report on the HS8, but I have a feeling the owner may not call me back until Monday

 

Post up some pics and your thoughts on that radio too... I have been looking at the sony and jvc head units and your stereo is one of my main ones im looking at....

 

I will do that. Talked to the guy I'm buying the car from, he has some stuff going on, and my pickup was postponed until Monday, so it will be at least Tuesday night when I get it all installed. You can bet I'll give a review as soon as I get it all installed. I got the JVC mostly because I couldn't find any bad reviews on it, I wanted HD radio, the colors are changeable (custom colors, over 1000), and the USB port for my MP3s.

The HS8 is smaller than I thought it would be, I just hope it lives up to my expectations

 

I think you will like the HDR-61. It is pretty much the same as the JVC KD-A725 I installed. The only differences I see is the HD capability and the way it provides USB access. I was going to get the HD but where I am located there are only a few stations broadcasting and they did not play things I like. I did, however, like the rear access USB input. It allowed me to rout the wire into the console where I hide and connect my IPOD.

The JVC unit is great and has excellent range and adjustment capabilities. If there is one thing I could complain about is that it needs to have a little brighter display. Since I have a convertible, the highest illumination setting makes it just visible with the top down. I do like how you can adjust the colors to match the rest of your dash lighting.

I also bought from Crutchfield and they were not only the best price I found but very helpful with some installation questions I had. The harness was simple and well marked so it only took me about 1/2 hour to do the radio unit installation (I was not changing my speakers or sub). If I want to go back to original, it too will be a simple task.

Good luck with the install and enjoy your ride.

 

Well got everything installed today except the subwoofer. I'm kinda bummed it won't fit under the passenger seat. Guess it goes in the "Cargo box".

Love the JVC so far, it's got some nice features, although the controls aren't similar to many other head units I've use (ie bass/mid/treble controls are deep in menus), although the preset EQ button is right on the front, and gets it pretty close to where I like it.

The USB input works, but wouldn't read more than 2 folders deep on my 32g stick, so I moved all my MP3s to a top level folder, we'll see if it works better next time I go out.

The pioneer speakers are better than I expected. Good clear highs, decent mids and lows, but the overall will be better when I get the sub installed tomorrow/thursday.

Here's a pic of the head unit before I figured out how to button everything down.

 

Got it installed. First impressions: Good, but not perfect

Pros:
It's tiny compared to just about anything else. The subwoofer is only the size of an amplifier!
Decent Bass for the size, adds the missing lows that the 6x9's just can't produce, and does it loud enough to be heard over the rest if you desire.
Remote bass control allows me to adjust on the fly, I really like that.
Comes with Velcro straps, so I didn't need to drill any mounting holes (This was a big plus for me, hate drilling into my car)

Cons:
Could have gotten more bass for half the price with a Bazooka powered 8" tube.
Wouldn't fit under the passenger seat like I had originally hoped, it's too wide and too thick.
Remote turn on wire should have been longer (Was only about 2 foot, I had to extend it)
No RCA input jacks on the unit, you have to either splice in RCA cables to the input wires, or buy a Kicker adapter that does the same thing.

Overall, I'd give it a 4/5. Good bass, small size make it a perfect choice for the F-body enthusiast who wants a bit of bass but doesn't want to sacrifice any cargo space.

I am kind of upset that I couldn't find a good place to mount it where I wouldn't see ANY wires, but I can live with the 3" on the back where they're only visible looking straight down on it.

 

wow, you've got one heck of a clean 82. and yours is only the second one that I've seen with that lock under the dash (not that I've looked very hard though; pulled mine out as soon as I got my 87)

thanks for taking the time for the review!

 

It is clean Helps that it only has 4000 miles on the clock

The lock style alarm is made by Chapman, and the round thing to the left is a Ravelco anti-theft system... I wish it wasn't there, as it makes it a nightmare to troubleshoot anything electrical.

Thanks for the compliments!

 

What mount did u use to mount the head unit?

 

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_003GMK4...t.html?tp=3121

They included it for free with the head unit. Gotta love Crutchfield. In total, I got over $65 of free installation gear on my order.

I didn't use the extension, but I had to remove the rear metal piece in the console (the part that the stock radio rested against, and kept it straight) to get the head unit in all the way (without the extension). It was riveted in, and I had to use a dremel to remove it. I could have probably just snapped the plastic to remove it, but I didn't want to break anything.

The screw plates in that kit that are listed for the Firebird were a few millimeters off, and I had to slightly bend the legs to get the screws to go in straight. However, once everything was tightened down, it wasn't going anywhere.

 

I have installed about 6 of these things in different vehicles and I must say I was very disappointed. Only one that sounded ok in was a single cab Sierra that I had installed under the driver seat. It's an ok item but I think for the money it's not worth it.

The cars I have put them in are as followed:

04 Sierra
99 wrangler
00 ram 1500
99 trans am
94 crown Vic
Think it was a 01 tahoe which sounded horrible

 

I think my only complaint is that it's not louder, however, at 150W and the size, I wasn't expecting much. It was overpriced for what it is, I'll agree there. When it comes down in price, it will be a much better buy.

The quality of the bass is crisp and clean. Wiring was easy, and it is definitely smaller than anything else I could have put in the car.

I originally ran it off the subwoofer output of my JVC, but it seemed like the thing wasn't even working. When I moved it to the Rear amp output, it woke up and started working wonderfully. It made me wonder if it is an issue with the subwoofer output on my JVC or if it was an issue with the sub.

 

I have something similar that the previous owner installed. Not sure what it ran him, but it has the remote dial ran to the front as well where I can adjust it. I plan on replacing this later down the road with a custom box low cargo area. I can barely tell it's back there.

In my old 98 Camaro I replaced all the stock speaker with Aplines type R I think they were and people thought I had a system in the trunk. They were really nice 6x9's that were perfect for around $130 2 1/2 years ago.

 

I've never seen that specific unit, but I've seen lots of BOSS gear in my time, and 99% of it is complete junk I'd imagine he spent less than 100 bucks on it.

Makes me wonder if Kicker 'borrowed' the idea / design for the HS8 from that unit..

 

Maybe, he didn't take any short cuts or cheap routes on anything else as far as I can tell. I never heard of BOSS until I saw this. JVC, Alpine, Pioneer, and Bose are the top ones I hear good things about and Kicker (used to have an L7 in my old s-10)

 

Anyone know how this kicker unit would compare to say the infinity basslink unit?

 

BOSS Audio makes low-end to mid-grade audio equipment targeted at the entry-level consumer. Similar to Pyle, Pyramid, Scosche, etc. Some people have had good luck with their equipment, but many end up regretting it in the long run due to reliability issues.

I haven't heard the Basslink before.

The only thing I can compare it to is my Wife's 2010 Dodge Journey, which has the upgraded Infinity system with factory subs. It is just about the same amount of bass. Not overpowering in any way, and just enough to make the lows "come alive". When you get a song with heavy bass lines, you can feel it in the seats, but you won't hear it outside the car.