vettewars
12-04-2003, 01:08 PM
I've blown out 2 factory subwoofer systems now after installation of a CD player. Could be due to old age, I'm not sure. All I know is the only factory subwoofer that's held up so far for me is the one I'm running with cassette, most likely because it doesn't have to deal with too much bass.
I fooled with the stock sub enclosure until I said forget it, it's just not worth trying to put a new speaker in that. So I then tried to get something connected to the stock sub amp and then position it in the trunk and get good bass. No luck. I aggonized on various possible sub speaker replacements. I tried box subwoofers, and tube subwoofers, didn't like the puffy sound. The problem was trying to fill in the mid bass which the stock JBLs just plain lack. Some setups could do it, but at the expense of too much overall bass. I could have put a separate control on the bass, but didn't get that far. I was search for the simpliest low cost solution.
In the one car I got the best results by adding a couple polks in the back speakers (great speakers, only $90 a pair), which then gave enough mid bass. So that is one possible solution.
But then I stubbled on a cheap solution (could be zero cost for some) that is very listenable with the factory system. All you have to do is hook up a quality bookshelf speaker in the back. I had thought about doing this for a while, but never experimented. Thought I might have to rewire it just for the woofer, or that the output would suffer with the stock amp.
Well none of this was true with the old Acoustic Research speaker with 8" woofer I had laying around. I could believe how good it sounded. It puts out plenty of "sub" type sound, but has nice extension to mid bass which is necessary to complement the stock JBLs.
The beauty of the match was that I could set the bass flat. I played with various CDs, and although I did get some puffy sub sound, the overall bass was not boomy throughout the bass range. Bass guitars sounded clean, not muddy.
The best sound I got was by putting the speaker right against the back of the car in the well where the spare was, facing forward.
So if you blow the subwoofer, all you have to do is take out the large white connector on the right side of the sub amp, then snip it and attach a few feet of extra speaker wire, and put a bookshelf speaker in the back.
I fooled with the stock sub enclosure until I said forget it, it's just not worth trying to put a new speaker in that. So I then tried to get something connected to the stock sub amp and then position it in the trunk and get good bass. No luck. I aggonized on various possible sub speaker replacements. I tried box subwoofers, and tube subwoofers, didn't like the puffy sound. The problem was trying to fill in the mid bass which the stock JBLs just plain lack. Some setups could do it, but at the expense of too much overall bass. I could have put a separate control on the bass, but didn't get that far. I was search for the simpliest low cost solution.
In the one car I got the best results by adding a couple polks in the back speakers (great speakers, only $90 a pair), which then gave enough mid bass. So that is one possible solution.
But then I stubbled on a cheap solution (could be zero cost for some) that is very listenable with the factory system. All you have to do is hook up a quality bookshelf speaker in the back. I had thought about doing this for a while, but never experimented. Thought I might have to rewire it just for the woofer, or that the output would suffer with the stock amp.
Well none of this was true with the old Acoustic Research speaker with 8" woofer I had laying around. I could believe how good it sounded. It puts out plenty of "sub" type sound, but has nice extension to mid bass which is necessary to complement the stock JBLs.
The beauty of the match was that I could set the bass flat. I played with various CDs, and although I did get some puffy sub sound, the overall bass was not boomy throughout the bass range. Bass guitars sounded clean, not muddy.
The best sound I got was by putting the speaker right against the back of the car in the well where the spare was, facing forward.
So if you blow the subwoofer, all you have to do is take out the large white connector on the right side of the sub amp, then snip it and attach a few feet of extra speaker wire, and put a bookshelf speaker in the back.