Add bass inexpensively W/O a sub?

B

bulwnkl

:
'15 6, '06 5
I'm looking to add some bass to our 5 Touring w/o adding a subwoofer. I cannot spare any room in the rear at all. Even though the sub install in the right rear storage compartment is SUPER cool, we use that space and don't want to give it up. I drive around with the HU set to +5 on the bass, and it is still terribly lacking, IMO. Any suggestions for some additional oomf? I was thinking in terms of a stock speaker replacement, or MAYBE one of those super-small self-powered subs that fits under the driver or passenger seat. Is there even room for one there? Thanks for any ideas.

P.S. The HU in this thing is mostly playing country music, with some rock and occasional jazz and classical thrown in.
 
there are some companies that make subwoofer that fit right in your spare tire....and the tire stays too....have a look around.....i know pioneer had one.
 
Really, the only option lacking a sub would be to put in the biggest, bassiest 6" subs into the doors and rear and then amp them. It won't be booming bass, but it will be deeper than what you have.

Upping the bass on the HU doesn't just boost the bass notes, it adds bass to the overall music which isn't the way the music was intended to be listened to.
 
Step 1: Upgrade speakers. Run a set of component speakers up front, the largest that will fit, and a set of midbass drivers in the back (again the largest that will fit.

Step 2: Install a 4-channel amplifier to power everything. There are plenty on the market that will fit under the front seat.

Step 3: Tune the system. Set the crossovers at a desirable point and adjust the bass boost on the amp to your liking. You don't need high-frequencies coming from the rear so try setting the rears to Low-pass around 80-120Hz and the fronts at to high-pass in the same area or leave them running full range.

Step 4 (optional): If you still are not satisfied with the amount of bass you are getting, there is another option. It's called MaxxBass and its made by Waves Car Audio. Unlike most bass boosting processors, MaxxBass simulates bass by inserting upper harmonics to the music instead of the actual bass notes. This does not harm your speakers at all. Read up on it:

MaxxBass website: http://www.wavescaraudio.com/index.html
An honest review: http://www.audiogroupforum.com/csforum/showthread.php?t=37811&highlight=maxbass
 
As a fan of country myself, IMO you don't need booming gutwrenching bass... you need something punchy. That along with your space saving needs, what I'd do is this... Forget a bass module all together. Invest in some high quality round (not oval) main speakers, my favorites are Infinity, Alpine, and Boston Acoustics. Amp and Dynamat them. Win.

No, this will not create a head turning system, but it will create that impact/force/punch that I think you're looking for. You can hide the amp under a seat and to the uninformed rider (or theif!) it'll look stock... no sub sticking out anywhere.

Take this with a grain of salt because I've never personally owned one, but all those space saving subwoofer options are junk. If they worked good, ALL subs would be designed like that. To get good quality subwoofer performance, it should be big (10"+) and have a sturdy larger box with a lot of juice going to it.

Just my ramblings, take them for what their worth. Good luck!
 
In respone to the last post...

There is little to no sonic difference between round an oval speakers when you are driving 30mph down the road. At the very least, a 6x8" speaker will punch out a little more bass than a 6.5" stuffed into the same hole due to its larger cone. The only reason I recommend 6.5"s to people is when a particular model is not offered in 6x8". This happens often with mid to high end gear so knowing that both will fit can open up your options.

I also agree that prefab all-in-one under-the-seat type subwoofer systems are junk. I'd rather see you get a powered Bazooka tube and throw it in the back but I don't normally recommend that either. I disagree about the 10"+ requirement for bass though. You can get plenty of low end from a single 8" in a small sealed or medium ported enclosure. In a hatchback or van it can be more than enough bass to keep up with most music. Placing a single 8" in the trunk of a sedan doesn't yield the same results and that is why they get a bad name. If you could hear my pair of 8"s installed in a 0.6cuft box (smaller than your average 10") you would be sold.
 
jandree22 said:
As a fan of country myself, IMO you don't need booming gutwrenching bass... you need something punchy. That along with your space saving needs, what I'd do is this... Forget a bass module all together. Invest in some high quality round (not oval) main speakers, my favorites are Infinity, Alpine, and Boston Acoustics. Amp and Dynamat them. Win.

No, this will not create a head turning system, but it will create that impact/force/punch that I think you're looking for. You can hide the amp under a seat and to the uninformed rider (or theif!) it'll look stock... no sub sticking out anywhere.

Take this with a grain of salt because I've never personally owned one, but all those space saving subwoofer options are junk. If they worked good, ALL subs would be designed like that. To get good quality subwoofer performance, it should be big (10"+) and have a sturdy larger box with a lot of juice going to it.

Just my ramblings, take them for what their worth. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Subs sticking out everywhere? You haven't seen my custom sub thread? And it's an 8" and slightly underpowered and you can hear me decently outside the car.
 
Kid Red said:
Subs sticking out everywhere? You haven't seen my custom sub thread? And it's an 8" and slightly underpowered and you can hear me decently outside the car.
Click to expand...
Well, that is the exception... many people don't apply the effort for a custom fiberglass enclosure and just throw it in a Q-logic box and call it a day (ie, me). I personally think your setup is really well executed. I hated having that huge/heavy box sucking up about half of my trunk space in my cars so I've developed a distaste for a sub's usually obtrusive nature.

And about my 10"+ statement... I guess what I meant is most people looking to invest in a subwoofer would probably be happiest with that since they can really slam, but I must admit I never owned an 8" so I shouldn't speak poorly of them since I have no experience with them.
 
Thanks for the advice, guys. I really DON'T want to impress the neighbors or drown the music with muddy rumblings. I think you have the right impression of what I'm looking for, jandree22. Having previously spent a fair amount on audio systems in cars over the years, I doubt I'll be truly satisfied with anything I might do to this vehicle, given the constraints I'm working within.

I've had Bazookas before (back when they were new) and they're just OK. My most preferred sound came from a pair of 12" subs in a moderately-large box in a small sedan ~10 years ago. The combination of all the speakers, amplifier system, crossover system, and subs were as close to perfect for what I wanted as I've ever heard. They were merely punchy and NOT overpowering with my jazz, country, and even classical but they would impress the neighbors if I altered the settings and turned it up. It's just not the same situation these days.

Thanks again, guys. I'll keep looking around at OEM-size replacements and see if there's anything I can hear in local soundboards.
 
That's the best thing about the 8" (well, the Image Dynamics anyway) THe 8" can hit the notes, but it's not boomy. It's very tight and well responsive bass. I listen to everything, classical, pop, smooth jazz, R &B, dance, reggae hip hop, classic rock, etc. So I wanted clean bass, perfect bass that was hitting lows during hip hop, but responded the way it should with adult contemporary and other less bass heavy music.

jandree22- I get what you are saying, which is why I did what I did. I could not find anything small enough that had any kind of bass below 50hz. Basically, they were then rendered pointless. So I concluded that I had to do something drastic, something myself if I wanted any kind of low end response. Sure, you could probably have a local shop fab one up for you, but I'm a DIY type.

Yes, a 10" would hit harder and the 8" is the first I've ever had. But it came highly recommended and I wasn't looking for window breaking bass. However, it is a very sweet sub, I'm very impressed with it considering it's size. Two of these babies would surely rock but for me, 2 kids, one (ID 8")is more than enough for any type of music at any volume.
 
chuyler1 said:
In respone to the last post...

There is little to no sonic difference between round an oval speakers when you are driving 30mph down the road. At the very least, a 6x8" speaker will punch out a little more bass than a 6.5" stuffed into the same hole due to its larger cone. The only reason I recommend 6.5"s to people is when a particular model is not offered in 6x8". This happens often with mid to high end gear so knowing that both will fit can open up your options.

I also agree that prefab all-in-one under-the-seat type subwoofer systems are junk. I'd rather see you get a powered Bazooka tube and throw it in the back but I don't normally recommend that either. I disagree about the 10"+ requirement for bass though. You can get plenty of low end from a single 8" in a small sealed or medium ported enclosure. In a hatchback or van it can be more than enough bass to keep up with most music. Placing a single 8" in the trunk of a sedan doesn't yield the same results and that is why they get a bad name. If you could hear my pair of 8"s installed in a 0.6cuft box (smaller than your average 10") you would be sold.
Click to expand...

Has anyone ever installed 8"s in the rear speaker cavaties? Would this work??
 
To get 8"s in the rear doors, you would have to do some cutting. I have seen people do it but without the box, you cannot send them very much power. They would give you more bass than a pair of standard 6.5" speakers but its not gonna rock your socks off. You would have to add multiple layers of sound deadening material such as RAAMmat (www.raammat.com) but I really don't think its worth the time and effort.
 
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