Sub question
 

Hey guys,

I've read a lot of the posts on here and searched the threads. I have a few questions for you guys if you don't mind.
I have a 2009 Bose system. I know they get a lot of grief but I think my system actually sounds pretty good - not loud enough and not enough bass, but pretty decent. Eventually, I want to replace the head unit, add an amp and replace all speakers. In the near term, I want to add some bass.

1. Is it a pretty simple deal to ditch the Bose spare tire sub and add an amp and sub?
2. Any comments on the WickedCAS enclosures?
3. If I go with a Z enclosure, 1- 12", 2-12", 2-10"? What's the best for the car?

It seems like it wouldn't take much for this car to pump out the bass. I like rock music, kids like radio crap, etc.

I appreciate any feedback~!

I'm going to assume you have a non-nav version. If you have navigation, things can get a bit more tricky.

1) Yes, get a LOC (line out converter), and add the amp and sub.

2) WickedCAS enclosures are pretty nice, but they are a bit expensive. This is in part because the enclosures are a massive pain to make. The enclosure will limit you to a 10" subwoofer, which may or may not satisfy you. I forget what the volume of the enclosure is as well, which may not match well with the sub you choose.

3) Best for the car is subjective. How much bass do you like? Two 12" subs is overkill for most people. I would recommend one 12" subwoofer as it should provide enough bass, will hit the lowest frequencies better than a 10" (all else equal), and you can always dial back the bass if you think there's too much.

At one point, I ran two 8" subwoofers (both powered by a zapco ST-850XM amp) in the hatch at one point, and I could get the hairs on my arms nearly standing up. I'm currently running one 10" sub, which sounds good, but doesn't really hit the lowest frequencies (< 30 hz) well. But unless you're trying to win sound competitions or have a really good ear, it's unlikely that this issue will matter to you.

Nonetheless, you really can't go wrong with a 12". A 10" will probably be fine, but I think a 12" would be a little bit more versatile for the reasons stated above. The zenclosure is also much cheaper than a wickedCAS enclosure.

If you want to keep the hatch space though, your basic options are to either (1) use the wickedCAS enclosure, or (2) ditch the spare tire in the hatch and build enclosures beneath the hatch floor.

It is simple to ditch it. Just unhook it and take it out. You'd have to run a power wire and a ground to the trunk for the amp, but that is simple as well. I had the bose system in my Z. Wasn't enough for me. I then got a HU and a 12 and it was plenty. I had the Zenclosure 12. It sat in the car nicely. It looked stock and the way the bass hit off of the back window, it sounded even better. If you have NAV, I would say get a LOC, but if you do not, get a HU and imo, the Zenclosure 12..

In fact, I have both of them left for sale (HU and sub box) when I sold my Z. They are waiting for a home and that home could be yours. Amazing setup I had and it comes wit everything you need to install a HU in a Z. PM me if interested

In high school I had a small side "business" making sub boxes for people. No fiberglass (I graduated before I had the time to get that advanced) but some of them were pretty creative (this is back when recessed neon lights and lexan windows was what everyone wanted). I want to add that it's more important than most people realize to match the box volume to the sub parameters. When I made them I would calculate out the ideal volume from the sub's specs, depending on whether they wanted a ported or sealed box, and I tuned the port dimensions as well. You may or may not be able to get close to ideal volume by picking your sub and enclosure separately. Also, ported enclosures are easier to get wrong. Are you looking for raw bass, or do you care about sound quality as well? For a sub inside a hatch with no separate trunk you may want to consider sound quality as well.

Just keep that in mind.

Hey Guys - Thank -you ~

I do not have Nav, which I guess is a good thing! I like tight bass, but I want it to kick like a rented mule~! Don't care for the noisy boom boom that is distorted.
dts3 - sound quality is very important to me. It just seems that the car setup with the hatch should be pretty easy to make some serious bass. I agree that you need to match the box volume to the sub. You bring up a good question though - ported vs. sealed. What is everyone else running?
My last setup was in a 99 two door Tahoe and I had two Rockford Fosgate 12" subs in a sealed box and it hit pretty good.
Sorry to drag this out, but one more question. With these new amps, is there still a need for a capacitor?

Appreciate you guys~!
CT

That's kind of why I was trying to poke at what you're after. Basically, IF you can get a correctly spec'd enclosure, you can get more kick from going ported. The trade-offs are that the subs don't reproduce the music as crisply, and you need a larger enclosure. I haven't had our spare tire out to get a good look at the space down there, but I would guess that if you want to run a 12" (or maybe even a 10") that there is not enough room down there to properly spec a ported enclosure. Many people don't look for ultimate sound quality in subs, which is understandable if you are going to be dropping the money for really good component (separate) mid-range and tweeters.

I haven't run subs in a while, but my last set up (in a Ford Explorer) was 2 JL Audio 12" and one Kicker 15". The amps were JL Audio and Alpine, but I don't remember the specs. I could set off car alarms ;) I've always loved JL Audio. They aren't the absolute greatest out there, but they pack a lot of bang for the buck.


Capacitors are a gimmick and do not help. All you are doing is creating a larger electrical load by putting in a big cap that needs to be charged. The only REAL solution to the problem that capacitors are trying to solve is with a larger alternator. Sometimes additional batteries can help, depending on how you introduce them into the system (you can't just throw them in wired up in parallel, because again, you'll only be using current to charge a large device in the system)... but caps are a waste of money. Hopefully I'm not starting any drama with that one.

Going back to the room in spare tire well, I don't think you can throw enough subwoofer down there in that space to need an amp that will really tax our cars

At home, I prefer ported subs. In a car, I think a sealed sub sounds better. But there's not that much difference if they are properly designed. Go with whatever fits in the space you have. YMMV

As for capacitors, dts3 is correct that they are a waste. In addition, they can actually damage a system. If you need more oomph, get a bigger alternator.

You will not need a Capacitor, nor will you need to upgrade your alternator. I am currently running 4 amps (for years now) and have no issues whatsoever. 2 are 300 watt, one is 400 watt, and one is 1000 watt.
If you value your hatch space, go with a sealed box.
a single 12" sub will have more than enough punch for anyone in the Z. Average box volumes for a 12" Sub are around 1 cu ft, although there are a few shallow mounts on the market that will work in 1/2 cu ft.

Sorry if I was misleading; I didn't mean to say OP needed a new alternator. I was just saying that if someone is at the point where they think they need a capacitor, then what they really need is a beefier alternator.

This is good to mention. When I upgraded the system in my expedition, I replaced the (shitty) factory Bose sub with aftermarket. It's mounted in the sidewall between the sheet metal and the interior plastic trim. To get something aftermarket to fit into that space, I had to get a special low-profile sub for an aftermarket enclosure. It was tidy, but it was NOT cheap.

Thanks for the response everyone.. I think I'm down to (2)-10" subs or (1) - 12" sub... I called a shop today and they tried to sell me the JL Audio box built for the 370z. The damn box and subs are $1,000 though~! I think I'll go with a Zenclosure.

Appreciate everyone's comments~! I'm ready to rock....

$1k?! Is it fiberglas?
I wonder if there would be much demand for making fiberglass enclosures... Tailored to each specific sub

Yes dts ~ it's fiberglass.. This is the box:

https://www.crutchfield.com/g_530/Cu...fer-Boxes.html

Is fiberglass that much better than MDF? I don't know if my ears could tell the difference...

Fiberglass is of course much lighter and can be molded to shape, which is important for wheel well encloses. On the flip side, the second most quality determining factor for sub enclosures after volume/dimensions is the rigidity of the material... Flex=bad. MDF wins there. Fiberglass for a single sub setup in a Z will be more than enough

Does upgrading the head unit to a double din improve the Bose sound system and power the sub a little better?

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