I dont want a 12" sub, box, etc etc. All I want is a good sounding car. I have 6x9 Kappas and I LOVE THEM!!! They pound so freaking hard. Those alone will shake my rear view mirror.....But its not enough. I wanna know how to get more "thump" out of my car. I dont want "BOOM" just a nice thump here and there. My friend has a 10" sub and I hate it. All it does is give you a headache. And my other friend has 2 eclipse 12"s and OH MY *** Im not even gonna try to explain how big of a headache it gives me! Personally I think mine sounds better just because you can actually hear the words and still get the *** shaking bass. But I still want more! Not much just a little more. And I was told that putting aftermarket speakers up front where the stock ones are are a waste of money. I have seen the little kick panels down where your feet go but....eh, not for me. I would love to fit speakers in the doors. Like put some 6x9 Kappas in there too but I have power windows and I was told that is about impossible. So what else can I do???? Thanks for any help you can give me.

well, a sub does not have to be boomy and give you a head ache.

For more 'thump' as you put it, a single 10 will do wonders, but it needs to be a quality sub, properly installed. I stress 'properly'. Anyone can just slap some woofers in a box, crank the amp gain, pump up the bass boost, and go around scaring old ladies. But a properly designed subwoofer system will compliment the front stage, not overtake it, and fill in the bottom octaves that a 6x9 cannot.

Just curious, why do you prefer the doors over the kickpanels ?? With power windows, you will not be able to fit a speaker in there without building the door out nearly 3".

I'm not just saying this because i make kicks, but i honestly think you'd be impressed with a single 10" in a proper setup, with a pair of Kapp 6 1/2"s in some kickpanels.

mike

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custom 3rd gen kickpanels at
http://www.djsexay.com

I completly agree with what was said. I'd get a sealed 10, and if you get a headache just turn the bass down. You dont always need to have the bass all the way up. I have a sealed 12 in my car, and it will shake everything in the car if turned up, but I have it set up to complement the fronts, so you can still hear all the details of the music even with it cranked. If you like 6x9's, you'd be amazed at what a set of amped components in kicks can do. And for all the trouble you'd go through trying to fit 6x9's up front, you might as well get some components. Is your car a blue 92 5-speed RS? I cant really remember. Anyways, if foot room is what you're worried about, dj's kicks have plenty of clearance for the clutch (I have them in my car).

- Mike

[This message has been edited by Mike92RS (edited September 09, 2001).]

DJ's right. If their sub gives you a headache, it's because they don't have it set up properly. If it was set up properly, you wouldn't be listening to the sub, you'd be listening to the music.

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Yes I have a 92 blue RS 5-speed. I honestly have never heard a good setup sub (I dont think). My friend's will shake his rear view mirror until you cant use it to see what is behind you. And I mean the bass is nice and all and it will shake ur mind but it is ALL THE TIME BASS. And it gets annoying. I just want something that "thumps" (I dont know how to put it any other way, Im sorry) but my mirror shakes when the bass hits. Not all the time. The reason I dont really want the kick panels is it looks like it gets in the way maybe not? It just looks that way. Anyways can you help me out guys?

Sound like you may be happy with a quality 8" sub.

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-Justin-
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There can be only one!!

i guess it all depends on your application. If all you want is good sounding music, smaller components tuned right will sound pretty nice. Try setting up kickpanels with some nice components, keep the 6x9s, and one small sub. Subs come in so many ranges, it's tough to pick one. But just remember that bigger isn't better. I'd rather have sound quality over boomy bass any day.

Oh yeah your car is the one with "RALLY" on the side of it. I've seen you around Laurens Rd. a couple times.

- Mike

Adding subs isn't just about pounding your skull with bass. If you listen to a good home stereo, you hear all the music, including the bass, but that doesn't mean that it's overpowering. There should be no difference in a car. I've heard systems with multiple 15s sound great, and I've heard systems with a single 8" that drone. Speaker size becomes largely irrelivant if the installer is compitent.

As for kicks, whether they get in the way would depend on how much they stick out. Mine only stick out a couple inches and really don't intrude very much. DJSexay's don't appear to stick out all that much either. Q-Logic's pods stick out a mile and could easily interfere depending on your driving style.



------------------

The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
Custom Thirdgen Subwoofer Enclosures
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

Monkie,

I know what you mean about those kick panels. My friend has a set of the Q-Logic ones in his car...and I could barely drive it when I tried...and his is an automatic and mine's not...so they're definitely not an option for me.

If you stop in at a Best Buy or whatever, go to their installation bay...ask to see their 6x9 speaker spacers. It's like this big plastic grille that raises the 6x9 about 1 1/2" from the panel. (You just have to cut a small hole in the door to let the magnet clear, and to let the back sound from the speaker get inside the door.) They are kind of ugly...but not too bad...and they will let you get a 6x9 in your door. And of course, you could look at the plastic adapter, but make a better one on your own, out of wood, and then carpet/vinyl it to match your car.

Also, as the others here have said, not all subwoofers sound like those in your friends' cars. Either they have the wrong speaker in the wrong box, or they simply have their entire system mistuned. A lot of young guys, especially rap listeners, simply crank the gains on the sub amp up to the point where it drowns out the rest of the music. It's fun to do once in a while...but as you said, you can't hear the music any more.

I'd say a single 8" or 10" in a sealed box, with an amp of moderate power, if it's adjusted properly, would make you happy without a headache.

I build speakers when time permits, home ones tho, but this should still apply.

Smaller subs give you the punch, or 'thump' as you put it. You dont feel them as much and therefore dont give you massive headaches as a result. (I get headaches too in some peoples cars)
8-10 inch subs are the thumpers, 12-15+ are the rumblers, the ones that you start feeling, and your rear view mirror becomes useless etc.

IMO, go for a good 10 inch. They have the best all round for small areas. And remember, built right 10's can sound bigger, louder and felt more than 15's. I know Ive build a few :-)

I dont know what to do....My friends system was setup by someone at Best Buy and I mean.....**** it sounds like *** ! You stick your head in the window and its like "OH MY *** MY HEAD!!" and I dont want that. So I dunno what to do and who to go to. If people from Best Buy cant hook it up 'right' as you guys put it then who can?

Someone with half a brain to start :-)

Have you read the tech article(s) over at thirdgens tech area?
https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/
Down at the bottom are 3 articles that should help you some.

I havent been to best buy in ages, but if they have car subs listen to them if they let ya. Make sure the guy doesnt jack them way up or something stupid, do it yourself if you can. I think the last time i was there I was listening to some Velodyne home subs and the guy jacked the bass up and jacked the gains and everything and the subs sounded just like those kids in their imports. I had the guy leave and tweaked things to how they should be, and also took the opportunity to put my OWN music in.

You best bet is probably to buy a sub from a place that has a return policy so you can get the sub in your car and listen to it and still be able to return it if its to much headache causing or not.

A competent installer should be able to set up a system to play the way a customer wants.

If the customer wants jamming, head splitting bass, a good installer can make it happen.

Likewise, if a customer wants accurate, musical sub bass, a good installer can make that happen as well.

If you are truly interested in finding a great installer, I'd look into local car audio shops and ask lots of questions about the type of work they do. Tell them what you are looking for, and they can help you out.

mike

mike

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custom 3rd gen kickpanels at
http://www.djsexay.com

I've owned three different cars and had one single sub that followed me around in each one of them. It was a Kenwood 8" ported, self-powered (built-in 30x2 amp) and it sounded great (sat nicely in the well). Filled in the lows where the 6x9's left off and didn't overpower any of the music. Of course, it could overpower the sound but I had it tuned right. With the Pioneer head units I've used, each had a separate subwoofer output so I could adjust the cutoff freq and gains if the music changed. This sounds to me like your best bet.

That tube is out now, replaced by a Kicker 10" and tuned properly as well but it still works and its going to one of my closest friends.

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~Luke
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