Cheap Subwooder Solution

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.

That sounds like a good idea. There are numerous low cost car audio solutions superior to store bought alternatives with the info from this site and the merchandise of this site.

What I was surprised about

was that a regular speaker could act so well as a sub.
The sub amp evidently has the low end to drive the speaker to act as a sub. And there is no highs whatsoever coming out of the speaker, so the amp has the effect of a built in low pass filter for the speaker.

Even though my AR might have less output at the extreme low end than most, it still has plent of sub type sound, and I find that less objectionable anyway. The best part though is getting back the mid bass.

You can also run two eights in the corners behind the tail lights in nice enclosures. This is how I was going to do mine before I sold it.

AN 8 INCH BAZOOKA ATTATCHED TO STOCK AMP IS NICE)

The Bazooka will be more of a boomy bass though.

All I did was take out the old sub enclosure and mount a cheap 10" sub from walmart in that space. Open air and all. It sounds good

10" run off the stock amp. I usually have it in the corner behind the brake lights for double the bass, but it tucks up in there well when I need space.