Explain...subswoofers, amps and speakers anyone?

Jack D

Active Member
Jul 11, 2010
68
0
Newcastle Upon Tyne
hey :) looking to upgrade my in car sound, got to speakers in the back parcel shop that i lifted out a ibiza at scrapy but fancy giving it a crack myself, question i want answering is whats the difference between the speakers, amps and subs...appoligies if this sounds really noobie but i got to start somewhere... can i mount two subwoofers in the parcel shelf? or will they need an amp....bit lost really :S....any help is appriciated cheers :D
 

Mat Lock

Carless Wonder
May 24, 2007
626
0
Purley, Surrey
www.mat-lock.net
I doubt even our parcel shelves can take 2 sub woofers haha. They barely keep 6x9s on the shelf properly.

I'm going to be fitting some sounds too soon. A mate of mine recommended a Vibe sub with a built in amp. I already have 6x9s with an amp setup but find the sound totally dull.

My old 1.4 mk2 had a setup which used:

2 standard front dash speakers, 2 kenwood mid range on the parcel shelf and then a 12" 500w kenwood sub in a box run off a 400w amp or something.

The sound was pretty good even from that. Used to shake the mirrors to pieces, but wasn't tinnitus causing sound hahahaha
 

Jack D

Active Member
Jul 11, 2010
68
0
Newcastle Upon Tyne
i'v seen some 10" subs and they will fit the divets in the parcel shelf, so could i just swap them with the original wires off the old car speakers?
 

Oj 89

Senior junior member
Aug 19, 2008
1,707
5
NW Kent
Okay, *cracks knuckles* don't even try and put a subwoofer in the parcel shelf. It's a waste of time, even if the parcel shelf supports it, and the likelyhood is it wouldn't, the bass would be lost in the boot. If you know about this kind of thing buy a subwoofer and amp to suit the RMS on the sub, and build a sub box, however you don't. If not (which I make no apology in saying that I know nothing about enclosure building) find an enlcosed sub, if you can with an inbuilt amp, much easier, and find a suitable location in the boot to put it.

**If you just want bass, 1 subwoofer turned up loud will suffice. If you require clarity and quality from your bass, get two subs, preferably the same, set 1 amp to low sound, and the other to high, this means you won't lose the clarity if the song your listening to gets complicated.**

As for 'high' speakers. the best you can do is uprate the existing ones. adapters are readily available from different sources. Uprate the radio to a higher wattage output, and that should about do it...

any help?
 

Jack D

Active Member
Jul 11, 2010
68
0
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Yeah that does mate thanks, so how do you go about wiring the subwoofer boxed things in? special wires or anything etc? or just straight swap with original leads :)
 

Oj 89

Senior junior member
Aug 19, 2008
1,707
5
NW Kent
Okay. If you have a custom HU, there should be 'pre-outs' or pre-amplified outputs, in the back, with RCA connections. run them to the back of the car, along with a permanent live (wired into the battery through a *rated fuse) and a switch live (best to slave off of the switch live behind the radio) If not, what I did temporarily was slave off the rear speakers. But, you will still need to run a perma-live and switch live to the back. you also need to find a good ground somewhere in the boot, otherwise the electricity has nowhere to go :s

To build a subwoofer enclosure, you need to know the volume of the expansion chamber the subwoofer needs. All subwoofers require different volumes, but you should be able to find them online. then calculate the size box you want to fit best in the boot, and build it. Then find somewhere to safely attach the amplifier and wire it all up. It's easy when you see it all laid out in front of you...
 

Jack D

Active Member
Jul 11, 2010
68
0
Newcastle Upon Tyne
right mate i just order a edge: subwoofer and built in amp enclosed, two 6x9 speakers planning on putting themin parcel shelf, and two straight swap 4" speakers for front.... there coming monday :D, thanks for trying to explain i'l give it a bash myself.... just hope i dont end up having to pay some one to fit it for me...the halfords thing was 40quid :S
 

Oj 89

Senior junior member
Aug 19, 2008
1,707
5
NW Kent
right mate i just order a edge: subwoofer and built in amp enclosed, two 6x9 speakers planning on putting themin parcel shelf, and two straight swap 4" speakers for front.... there coming monday :D, thanks for trying to explain i'l give it a bash myself.... just hope i dont end up having to pay some one to fit it for me...the halfords thing was 40quid :S

OUCH! would never pay that. Get hold of a wiring kit from halfrauds or the like. if the sub's enclosed with an amp, it's the easiest thing you can do :) good luck honey!
 

Oj 89

Senior junior member
Aug 19, 2008
1,707
5
NW Kent
If it comes with a kit, make sure it has everything there, other than that you should be okay :)
 

Bover

Active Member
May 7, 2009
121
0
Middlesex, London
Hey, if you're going to put subwoofers in the parcel shelf, you will need free-air subwoofers that are designed for that use.
And yeah you'd get 2 10" subs in the parcelshelf if you really wanted but they'd have to be a certain type and amped, with the right kinda power.
You'd be best set visiting a car audio shop for some advice, but don't buy anything there and get ripped off!
I'd stick to keeping 1 or 2 subwoofers in your boot boxed.
Upgraded speakers all around.
If you're going to put 6x9's in the parcelshelf, get black ones that don't stand out too much or make a stealth shelf :)

Edit: Just read you'ev already bought an edge active sub, they're pretty good, don't pay the £40 though! I'd offer if you weren't 280+ miles away lol