by "ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
Published 04/20/2017 at 16:20
by "ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
Published 04/20/2017 at 16:20
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I’m wanting to put subs in my Mazda 6 this summer because the bass performance of the stock stereo is somewhat disappointing IMO. I’m not looking for earth-shaking performance that will please all audiophile ears, just a decent set-up that will provide upgraded performance. I’d like to stay under $225, but $250 is going to be my hard cap. I found this kit on Amazon , and it gets fairly good reviews, but what do you guys think? Would this be a decent entry-level set up for my budget?
I will be installing this with the help of my dad who is familiar with car speaker/amp/stereo instal
"Averyrm - GTI YUP" (averyrm)
04/20/2017 at 16:23, STARS: 0
What kind of music do you listen to?
"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
04/20/2017 at 16:24, STARS: 2
Anything less that four 15" 2KW subs is horrible.
That said, rockford makes good stuff. That looks like a decent price for what should be reasonable thump.
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 16:24, STARS: 0
Pretty much everything but country. Mostly rock/metal and hip-hop/rap
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 16:26, STARS: 0
Lol, yeah college student here, not rich audiophile haha
Awesome! I don’t really fully understand the amp requirements for subs, so I’m more concerned on that and the wiring, compared to the subs themselves
"Tripper" (tripe46)
04/20/2017 at 16:26, STARS: 0
If you’re not looking to go nuts, why not a powered sub? It will take up much less room.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_108BASSLSM/Infinity-BassLink-SM.html?tp=114
"Ash78, voting early and often" (ash78)
04/20/2017 at 16:27, STARS: 0
How about space concerns? If you don
’
t mind filling up the whole trunk, a big bandpass box is great. If you need the space, maybe a sealed box that fits snug against the trunk wall or rear seats. There
’
s a huge difference in box size/requirements. Personally, a single good
-
quality sealed 12" with a strong amp is what I like. I hate
“
loose bass.
”
$250 might be a hard goal, though.
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 16:28, STARS: 0
I looked into those a bit, but for the price, I feel I could get better performance from more traditional options.
Also, having something super compact and space saving isn’t a huge deal for me
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
04/20/2017 at 16:29, STARS: 1
Rather than fill up your trunk with a sub box, why not upgrade the speakers in the factory locations first and see how it works for you? What year and trim of Mazda 6 do you have?
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 16:30, STARS: 0
I need to keep most of my trunk to haul all my detailing kit(I do mobile auto detailing), but I also don’t need so much that I need to get a shallow enclosure that could fit under a seat.
I think a sealed enclosure that could sit up against the back seats in the trunk would be the sweet spot in terms of size
"jimz" (jimz)
04/20/2017 at 16:30, STARS: 2
honestly a single 10 or 12 properly placed will likely be sufficient. If you can tuck an enclosure in the back corner of the trunk (by the passenger side taillight) you’re likely to get the best acoustic performance.
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 16:34, STARS: 0
2014 touring without the Bose system
I honestly think the stock speakers are pretty good for mids and highs, but the bass seems to stress them pretty bad. I think adding subs would be a good first step to add the bass, and then from there I can really decide whether or not the other speakers need to be upgraded.
Basically, I’m satisfied with the current mids and highs, but not the bass performance
"Tripper" (tripe46)
04/20/2017 at 16:35, STARS: 1
Fair enough. You can definitely do better SQ wise with traditional options, but not necessarily with the stuff in your link. Those will be louder than an integrated unit, but I’d choose a different amp. Hi-Fonics is a pretty good budget brand.
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 16:36, STARS: 0
Thanks! With those subs, what watt rating do I need from an amp?
"Averyrm - GTI YUP" (averyrm)
04/20/2017 at 16:37, STARS: 0
Basically what Ash78 said. This system will work just fine, I prefer the sound of a single sealed 10, and it saves trunk space. The 12 will go lower but need a bigger box. 2x more box for 2x more speakers, etc.
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 16:40, STARS: 0
The linked set up is 2 sealed 10"s, not 12"s
I’m 95% sure(will check again before actually buying)that the subs will fit in my trunk and still give me the space I need
"Averyrm - GTI YUP" (averyrm)
04/20/2017 at 16:53, STARS: 1
Yeah, the 12 was in reference to Ash.
Kit should work for what you want it to do, the only issue you may run into is the need for a LOC (Line out converter). Depending on if your factory system uses bass roll-off. Basically the louder you play the music, the less bass it sends to the speakers you’re tapping off of.
The system you linked has an amp capable of high-level inputs meaning you tap off of a pair of speakers. If the system has the bass roll-off feature, you may need to add something like this down the road:
https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_43567_AudioControl-LC2i-Ships-as-New-Black-Version.html
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 16:54, STARS: 0
Cool, thanks!
"Tripper" (tripe46)
04/20/2017 at 17:06, STARS: 1
That loaded enclosure is rated for 400w RMS. That 1500w amp in your link is the “peak” rating so its more like 750RMS and its not a great amp. I’d go with a sub specific amp (monoblock) rated for 400RMS or more. Under powering speakers is worse than overpowering. Have a look at some wiring guides before you get cracking. Wiring speakers is easy, but different depending on the type of amp, type of sub, number of subs, and resistance.
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 17:15, STARS: 0
Would this be a better option?
The rockford amps are out of my price range
Edit: Forgot to include link lol
"Tripper" (tripe46)
04/20/2017 at 17:30, STARS: 1
Yea I like that monoblock better, not a bad price either. Yea I’d save the nice amp purchase for a good 4 channel if you decided to add speakers.
I’ve been out of the biz for a while at this point, but if you run into any snafu’s myself and a few others over here should be able to help you out.
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 18:17, STARS: 0
Thanks Tripper!
Last question, what gauge installation kit do I need?
"Monkey B" (monkeyb)
04/20/2017 at 18:58, STARS: 1
I’d get one of those slim under the seat jobs...it’ll do the trick and not take any space. Or replace the rear speakers with small amped subs. The benefir of losing the rear speakers is better sound stage.
"Tripper" (tripe46)
04/20/2017 at 19:22, STARS: 0
4ga is probably more than you need, but that’s what I would do. I can’t tell from the pics, but it looks like the terminals would fit a 4ga ring/fork. Looks like they’re selling an 8ga with it, so that is probably ok too. If you decide to add any other amps, you’ll need at least 4ga anyway.
Most importantly get a quality kit from Metra/Scosche. A lot of cheap kits are 4 gauge insulation w 18gauge wire inside!
"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
04/20/2017 at 20:17, STARS: 1
Thanks for the info!
"Tripper" (tripe46)
04/20/2017 at 20:40, STARS: 1
You’re welcome, good luck with the install.