Subwoofer Installs

[PASHN8]

Apologies for the delay!

Alpine 10", sealed FG enclosure by Phatt Audio Concepts in Braeside



Sounds fantastic at any speed, a few of the Garage boys have heard it already. Very happy with the result and can't recommend Brett from Phatt Audio highly enough!

[CheyneX5]

very nice dino, this looks like a nice clean a space saving install. i want to do something very similar, do you mind me asking what the rough cost was?

[TieNN89]

Hey PASHN8, what sorta amp are you using and where is it located?

[PASHN8]

Hey mate,

I'm running a JL Audio 300/4 behind the passenger seat on the rear firewall which power the Alpine 10" and the Boston Pro's in the front doors

[Jace]

anyone interested in an NB sub box?
it's perfectly moulded to fit in the cavity of the left of your boots, above where i think NB's have a little open plastic tool recess.
figured i'd ask the question before i bother to take pictures and start a new FS thread.
reply here or PM me and i'll get motivated.

[marcusus]

anyone interested in an NB sub box?
it's perfectly moulded to fit in the cavity of the left of your boots, above where i think NB's have a little open plastic tool recess.
figured i'd ask the question before i bother to take pictures and start a new FS thread.
reply here or PM me and i'll get motivated.

Hmmm... If you can make it for a 12" sub I'd be kinda keen. I was personally thinking on the battery side so you could still access the recess, but I can always move the stuff that lives there to just sitting in the boot somewhere...

Of course I'd have to think of somewhere to put the amp after that, but that's not as much of a problem as actually fabbing up a box for the sub

[crzymx]

i could not stand a sub in the cabin. At the rate i listen to music, it would deafen me.

[marcusus]

i could not stand a sub in the cabin. At the rate i listen to music, it would deafen me.

Turn the music down? It's all about sound quality, not how quickly you can shake your rear vision mirror off its bearing. Even with a sub in the cabin, you could tune it so that you balance out your frequencies quite nicely.

I personally wouldn't go with it, but that's because I prefer having (some) space in the cabin. I wouldn't discount the idea purely because of how loud it would get.

[Jeo]

My sub sits behind the drivers seat on the rear parcel shelf (I just realised I haven't posted in this thread yet, I'll get pics up tomorrow) and it is anything but over powering.

Because it sits flush in to the shelf, you also loose zero cabin or boot space. The sub box extends down into the boot and ends up stopping just in front of where the spare wheel sits. Again, I'll take some photos tomorrow to better explain this.

I originally had an alpine 12" in the boot but couldn't get it to sound right, it was always either really boomy or not loud enough. I talked to a few shops and one of them put me on to the cavity I'm using now.

[grump]

Call me old fashioned ,but when i go for a drive in my 5, I like to hear the sound of the engine, and i like to concentrate on the road ahead. If i wanted Hi Fidelity I would just stay home and turn the stereo on. but , what would I know?.

[crzymx]

i could not stand a sub in the cabin. At the rate i listen to music, it would deafen me.

Turn the music down? It's all about sound quality, not how quickly you can shake your rear vision mirror off its bearing. Even with a sub in the cabin, you could tune it so that you balance out your frequencies quite nicely.

I personally wouldn't go with it, but that's because I prefer having (some) space in the cabin. I wouldn't discount the idea purely because of how loud it would get.

Who said theres no sound quality. I couldnt shake my rearview if i tried. I dont get any ground shaking bass out of my sub, and if i did i still wouldnt hear it because i have a sealed boot. Because the boot is sealed i dont get any direct bass, just ambient bass which i can describe as just being there. You notice it more when you turn the sub off.

No matter how you tune the sub in the cabin, if you wanna play your music loud like most people do you wont be able to stand it. The sub has to stand out a little bit, and that constant bass from the cone would drive you insanse.

[mx52nv]

Who said there's no sound quality. I couldn't shake my rearview if I tried. I don't get any ground-shaking bass out of my sub, and if I did I still wouldn't hear it because i have a sealed boot. Because the boot is sealed, I don't get any direct bass, just ambient bass which I can describe as just being there. You notice it more when you turn the sub off.

- edited.

Hey crzymx,
When you say you have a "sealed boot", did you mean that you have a custom boot install that totally encloses the boot from the cabin by the usage of a fibreglass panel?

I'm curious as to what you mentioned because of my experience with MX5s and competing in both Sound Quality competitions and Db drag racing in the Auto Salon series and other local competitions.

I had plenty of 'direct bass' from subwoofers that were mounted in the boot (I've used subwoofers in custom ported boxes and Bazooka tubes).

Both the NA & NB have two tunnels running on each (left and right) side of the fuel tank. From from the cabin it would be under the "rear end mat, rear package trim and bulkhead panel or scuff plate" (Mazda MX-5 Workshop Manual 9/89, 1/98, Pg. S-18). You can also see both tunnels from the boot (the passenger side tunnel is behind the fuel filler protector panel. These tunnels link directly between the cabin and boot, in fact to get the rear top struts, you would have to access these 'tunnels'.

Thus there are spaces for the low frequencies to travel - the trick is making use of that limited space

I agree that having a sub mounted in the cabin may not be the best option. However, it peaked my interest when you said that you have a "sealed boot".

Hope we can discuss this in total civility

[Jeo]

My ID8 flush mounted in the rear parcel shelf and the amp that runs it.

[Okibi]

hey i'm new to this forum so flame me...

Nahh this isn't a honda forum we want to encourage new members not burn them, ask away.

Once you remove the carpet behind the seats (in front of the rear window) you will see a removable metal plate and the fuel tank, trick is finding what speakers will squeeze in where you want them.

[Sean]

Obiki is right,

If you look just below the level of the parcel shelf (on the wall behind your seats) you'll see some clips holding the parcel shelf carpet down. Remove these clips and you should be able to fold the carpet back toward the window of the softop, there may be some old adhesive, but it wont take much effort to lift the carpet up once the clips are off. You can also remove the carpet completely if you like by undoing the clips that run pretty much under the window around the top edge of the carpet.

With the carpet lifted back (or totally removed) you'll see the aluminium covers Obiki is talking about, the metal under there is generally the same colour as the car, but the covers are silver aluminium and are easily removed with a few screws.

Here is a bit of a pic of what you'll see.

Note the install in the pic is not worth the problems, cut the hole, re-inforced it underneath, sits uber close to fuel tank and removed the tank to do the install (massive job but the tank was already out).