Shallow box Pioneer behind the seat.
It could come to that. I'd rather put it in the factory location. Also, Pioneer didn't really cross my mind. You like yours? What model? I was looking at JL's and Kicker's.
I had the 10" shallow box from pioneer and switch it for a nitrous bottle bazooka tube with a kicker in it. I received the tube as a gift . if you want to look factory search ebay for the factory box and put kickers in it . I say kicker over jl because kicker is less finicky over box dimensions
That's true. if I were going to put an enclosure behind the pax seat, I'd almost rather it were a tube, more confidence it's going to do what it's supposed to do. What's got me excited is this JL W7 8". I don't know why when they're making a speaker like that they don't offer it in am tube as an option.
Good timing on this thread.... I'm thinking about upgrading the speakers on my 430 (keep stock head unit and just upgrade speakers for now)... I think I've given being a purist a fair shot and now its time to supplement the "engine symphony" with some decent tunes every now and then... With that, does anyone on here have experience with MB Quart? I've heard great things about them in any other cars, but wanted to see if anyone here had direct knowledge??
I really wanted to keep that stock head unit, too. No fader, no EQ, no bass or treble control, and you have to splice to get it to an aftermarket amp. I just can't take the insult to my ears. It gotsta go.
MB tweeters are too bright . what is your price range and I'll give you recommendations . Piper is right aftermarket gives you much more control . if you change the speakers you will want to add an amp to properly power the speakers because if not they will not perform as designed
IMO the head unit can make the best & biggest change to your listening, with modern manufacturing most market-line speakers are decent/consistent quality ...but the oem head units generally leave much to be desired ....there are available adaptor harnesses on the market, and some can make a custom one for your specific application if not catalog available (ie. scotch), including for an external amp(s) i know in a past install we ran a completely seperate / parallel wiring harness for the sound system, as the owner wished to not splice or cut the factory at all, ran a seperate power wire off an unused port of the fuse box, a dedicated grounding (with bus) direct to the battery, and only spliced to the ignition-on ....so that is an option as well there are lots of names for retail market components, i always like to recommend (when possible) using one brand for head,frontstage, amp, sub... ...i would recommend checking out the pioneer stage 4, i was really impressed by the system, and beats thier premium line hands-down http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/Stage4
I've used MB Quart in past installs and really like them, but they are bright so it's best to have a listen before committing.
I have mentioned this before and been shot down repeatedly. All I know is that it sounded incredible. I'm prepared this time as well. I had an aftermarket head unit, 60W x 4channel audio art amp and a powered bazooka bass tube in my 87 911 cab and it was great. The tube was in the trunk. When I mention using the tube for the 430 in the boot I am told it will not sound right. Bass is non-directional. Can anyone explain to me why this won't work. High end stereo guy tells me acoustics are different in 430 vs 911?! Really, the thing is in the trunk. I want to do something different with the stock system as well but I am not an audiophile. Obviously.
The local Alpine rep told the stereo shop I'm working with that for their subs at least, the best place is the bottom of the boot. Doesn't sound crazy to me, but I'm certainly no expert either. I'm listening to everyone, including this. I'm wondering currently if a tiny 6.5 compvt sub from kicker would resonate properly if installed under the dash. I don't need more sound than that. It just may be too close to work. But the thing only needs a .25 cu ft box, which is very attractive.
Bob, sorry if this has been addressed previously, but are you completely opposed to a behind the seat sub box? There are designs that look totally factory - and provide a SQL that will blow you away - even have sub level knob in dash. I can't recall if your deal is that a golf bag has to fit - big issue for guys that have to tote their bag.
Well, I'm down the road a bit now on this. I wanted to use the factory box, and it only holds a pair of 5.25's, so I stuck a couple Boston Acoustics ProSE's in it. I won't know how they really sound until I get the head unit replaced. So the jury is still out on whether, and what, sub may go in the car. At this point, I'm not averse to the possibility of a behind the seat box except for the fact that I was totlally against a non-factory looking mod initially. Difference now is I'm starting to question if I can get what I want without it. Where I'm leaning at this point is a minimalist sub in the factory location under the dash. A 6.5" Kicker ProVT can work with only a .2 cu ft box and we tossed the factory POS amp, so the basket is available for a small, dedicated amp for the sub. I'd really like to avoid an additional box behind the seat or in the boot if I can, but ultimately, if I need to redo everything to get what I want, I will. We replaced the speakers and that didn't cut it. We'll replace the head unit this Friday. If that doesn't cut it, we'll probably try an under dash mini subwoofer. If that doesn't cut it, yes, I'll be looking at a custom box and it might go behind the seats. that'll be a tough decision, boot or behind the seats.
1+ I have a very nice Kenwood. It only is 8" x 10", with a self cooling system and no weight at all. It is 4 channels which I have my two components Polk speakers and two channels bridged to handle my 10" Sony low profile enclosed sub. Trust me, it really sound loud, clear and crisp!!
From what I have read you're pretty picky with your expectations sound wise (not a bad thing - so am I). I think you're going to be disappointed with the options you are trying - there are no substitutes, sometimes, for sheer speaker surface area, cabinet size and watts. These cars are loud - lots of engine noise and road noise to deal with. If done properly - you really won't even notice it is there (visually). Image Unavailable, Please Login
Pretty. And it may come to that. I haven't invested in anything yet that can't be used with a box. And the amp is a 4 channel 900 watt, more than enough, though the shop I'm using seems to be unclear how to bridge and split off just sub range for the woofer, so may change providers for that part of the project. Obviously it can be done. They're not selling me a second amp, or the first one for that matter. What is it with Stereo shops that they think they can mark up 100% and try to sell you last year's models and think you're not going to figure it out? They're doing labor only. I'm picky to an extent, but I'm hoping to avoid the non-factory look. I like what I've done so far and the BA's sound good even with the crappy head unit, just not good enough and they distort from the poor signal. I think there's a pretty good chance that even if I have to go with a sub, which isn't 100% yet, that a minimalist kicker will do. that small sub will supposedly resonate better and closer to the center of the car than something large right behind the seat anyway, but like you said, raw power helps. We'll take this one step at a time. If I waste one little sub and a tiny custom box along the way, small sacrafice for trying to keep it looking original, and keeping my precious cargo space, let's not forget I'm bald. I need room for my hats.
I received a quote of 5300 from my local guy and that didn't include a different head unit. He pushed that as well saying that the factory unit would drag the rest of the system down. This price included a custom enclosure occupying the entire space behind the seats. I am unwilling to do that. I would like a little more sound but refuse to spend that much and want to keep the factory appearance as much as possible. Keep us posted on what you do Piper.
The other thread with the 5" focal sub is pretty crucial, too. I'm very curious how that turns out. If you could do that plus a center in that box, it might work out pretty well. Wonder how close the factory box is to the space requirement of that sub though, assuming pretty close. Anyway, I'm married to the idea of the 6.5 shallow mount kicker under the dash now. I just need to decide who's doing it. Going to order it this morning. Also calling BA to see if I can get some guidance how best to bridge and split off just low signal from their 4 channel to run it without another amp.
It must be Spring and everyone wants to upgrade their stereo, me too. I have a 360 with the factory sub. But, I'm no audiofile and I don't need a ghetto blaster. I just want to do a stepped upgrade. First, new speakers all around using existing enclosures. Then, if I need more, I'll consider a new head unit. Any recommendations for something simple that can just be plugged in?
Check out this thread: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319949 and this one: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=315747
Just back from the shop from round two, installing head unit and cd changer. Much improved sound. Surveyed under the dash and have decided we'll have to settle for the kicker CompVT low profile so it'll fit in the factory amp basket with some minor modification. Just tryin' to keep it looking as original as possible. Didn't photo the door 6.5"'s since they've still got the factory covers. Amp's a little big That's what I get for taking my own advice and a little of others'. Should have done an Alpine, but definitely have MORE than enough power. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
So I have 2 Focal Utopia Be® 13 WS Shallow-mount 5" 4-ohm subwoofers installed in the stock F430 base enclosure between the seats running from the factory sub amp. The amp puts out plenty of power and the sound is much fuller and punchier than before. The cabin is filled with a richness that was missing with the stock sub/passive setup. This setup will not produce sub base, just enough to really fill in the bottom that is missing from the door speakers. The issue I am working on now is that the stock enclosure is not very strong and is leaky. So I am getting some enclosure buzz. I am going to remove it and see if I can brace it a bit internally and dynomat the crap out of it. So far my little project shows promise and I will report back over the weekend including some pictures.......Steve
We did the measurements last week, and found that it was indeed possible to fit a 6.5" JL sub in the factory amp basket under the center console. AV Sound Design wasn't exactly thrilled, wanted to take 6" of depth in the trunk for a big woofer, but zero reason to do it. I have no doubt this will sound fine. Only one woofer would work, the JL 6W3v3. The car is going to sound perfect. the Boston Acoustics may not have been the best choice, I'm being told. OMG, I won't win contests !!! Say it ain't so. Sounds good enough to me, and I got to spec it out myself, and for better or worse, that's fun for me. And I'm going to look as close to factory as was technically possible. We're shoving the amp for the sub up under the dash, will just barely fit. Finally, almost done. About friggin' time. Tuesday !! Can't wait.
seems like you've been at this forever..i'm glad you're almost done! i'm sure it'll be worth it. and yes, 99% of the time factory systems sound like crap because of upstream components (especially obvious in mid to high frequencies)...didn't the installer tell you that from the beginning? that changing out your speakers alone wouldn't get you where you wanted? the stupid head units all incorporate some sort of DSP (either in the decks themselves or in the small amps they're connected to) so that the crap speakers downstream sound 'reasonable' mated to it. anyone with decent hearing can tell how not so 'reasonable' but downright crappy they sound (like socks stuffed over them..."muddy" is the term) even compared to 'cheap' aftermarket components. i'm talking 200 dollar deck, 100 bucks a pair kinda speakers: even those will reveal how crappy factory components are. errm yeah, those 5.25 inch 'sub' and passive radiator options are a joke. a good friend of mine owns and operates several car audio shops here in my neckathewoods and it's not surprising when he tells me about his conversations with audio electronics manufacturers reps and THEIR deals as OEM suppliers. these deals are supposed to be confidential but sometimes they can't help but run their mouths most of the components provided to the car companies are godawful but they use them because the biz arrangement is so good for both supplier and car company. with the likes of Ferrari, they can get away with charging 4k bucks for a 'high end' option that is a piece of junk, something that they themselves paid nothing for, because people keep ticking that box on the options list. Ferrari (and others) have done such a good mindjob on customers with the whole 'it's high end because we said so, believe us' line...and 'your car is crap if you modify it' mumbo jumbo.
