430 replacement subwoofer. what to get?

we were not getting far asking this question in that other thread about how to install it....(which i also need help on).... so here it is in a separate thread.

the subwoofer between the seats in my car is shot. i am advised that the OEM unit is not worth it, and therefore i need to know if anybody has tried a different one that fits in without any adjustments, and can you advise the rest of us on that.

thanks!

 

Thank you for the post ross. Eagerly awaiting an answer!

 

I used two of these 5" Focal Subs. They sound decent, but a replacement box is the only real fix to get big sound.

5W3251 - Focal Utopia 5.25" Mid-woofer subwoofer Maserati Quattroporte footwell | eBay

The Focal 5" subs are rare since they dont make them anymore.

 

Quality stuff, IMO
Ferrari car stereo audio speaker sound system | Scuderiaudio.com

 

thanks. nice stuff. but not cheap.

what i would prefer is just a speaker that i can drop into the place where the current one is and keep my leather box that matches the rest of the car.

i suppose i will just take it out and go to best buy or something.

 

You can go to any car stereo place and have your subwoofer replaced with the right size speakers. Same thing happened to my 360 speakers and I replaced them with better quality speakers...

 

Exactly what I did.

The factory box has a 5" driver at 4 ohms and a passive radiator. You can remove both of them and replace with two 8 ohm 5" drivers wired in parallel to give a 4 ohm load. Works great and will take you 10 min.

I purchased from parts-express which sells speaker drivers.

 

Focal or Hertz . Either great improvement over factory.

 

thats perfect. you dont happen to remember what name or number was attached to those speakers? i am on the parts express site and there are many choices, and i am an audio novice....

here is what i found...http://www.parts-express.com/cat/pro-woofers-subwoofers-midrange-speakers/31?N=22164+4294967118+4294964690+4294965079&Ne=10166&Nrs=collection%28%29%2Frecord%5Bendeca%3Amatches%28.%2C%22P_PortalID%22%2C%221%22%29+and+endeca%3Amatches%28.%2C%22P_Searchable%22%2C%221%22%29%5D&PortalID=1

 

I just looked and i noticed there is 1 4 ohm speaker for $90. Did you look at Crutchfields site

 

Those are not quality brands offered on parts express

 

What is the driver size in the 430 sub?

 

Which specific drivers are you thinking of? What's the box volume of the 430 sub and what kind of power is there to drive it?

 

The Focals were the ones that fit. But I ordered boxes and added ring spacers for my 6 inch JLs subs. Made a splice plug with an extra A4 power cord and placed the new boxes behind the seats. Actually a 6x9 box would be better and would not require spacers. Works great and is totally reversible. The stock sub is still in the circuit.

 

Of consideration is the original design. The woofer w/passive radiator used was an inexpensive design and not a "subwoofer" as it dosnt go that low. The factory enclosure was optimized for that design and its intended performance. As a result its a lousy box to put a high performance woofer in.

While true you can just put any driver in the box that physically fits, that's really just rolling dice. If you did it and think you got lucky...I say great.

There are very specific perimeters to speaker design. Matching a woofer to the enclosure is critical. The size (dimensions and volume) are just part of it. Cabinet construction is also important as subwoofers live in a violent environment. The box from Ferrari is not a subwoofer. Just a boom box. If you put a more capable driver set in that box you create other issues. Also, subwoofer drivers designed for small enclosures are typically very inefficient. They need way more power than the factory system has. Also a design consideration if your buying "better" woofers.

My suggestion. Either find original replacement drivers for your existing box and be happy or spend a little more and go with an engineered upgrade. The Scuderia Audio guy is for real. While I have no affiliation with him I did look at his product and spoke with him. He did the homework and is obviously an enthusiest...Ferrari and Audio. Call him, he is a Ferraichat supporter. I think you can find a reasonable solution

BTW, I've been in the professional audio business for over 30yrs. An enthusiast for well over 40. So this is my 2cents

 

Regarding the subwoofer box. Is that only a bass enhancer, or do vocals flow through as well? If I were to adjust the fader selection so that all the sound goes to the back what should happen?

Just curious.

 

Its for bass enhancement. Not much vocal range passes thru it

 

Capristo makes a nice one.

 

Haha!

Informative thread though, thanks guys.

 

you guys are giving great advice, but most of it is way over my head.
i basically have no idea what any of this stuff means.
all i know is that my speakers back there dont work.

i dont really listen to music much in this car. the exhaust valves have been bypassed, so it is loud all the time, so any high fidelity system would be entirely lost in the engine and exhaust symphony going on.

 

I myself would like to keep it simple and just buy a aftermarket replacement speaker for the back and for the doors

 

do you think its best to go to a dealer to get speakers installed or could a car stereo place do it ok? i just don't want my doors coming back put together wrong

 

do you remember what speakers you bought on parts express? there are dozens that fit your description above. thanks

 

anybody?

 

hello ross i am a focal dealer if i can help you let me know subs from focal are 5inch 13ws is the model thanks bryan