TheSamba.com :: View topic - Powered sub-woofer idea

Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:14 pm

I've got four small Eclipse speakers in my Westy in the stock locations, and a nice new Alpine stereo head. Sounds great when sitting with the engine off, but on the road at 60 mph the bass goes away. Where does it go I wonder? I was thinking of getting a small powered subwoofer like the Sound Ordnance B-8PT since it will fit behind the driver's seat. You car audio gurus out there, what do you think of this idea? How much room between the front of the sub and the stowed front table do I need to perserve the sound quality? Subwoofer I'm looking at found here... http://www.crutchfield.com/p_777B8PT/Sound-Ordnance-B-8PT.html?tp=114&tab=review#tab Thanks in advance for any help.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:47 pm

What about on the floor between the 2 seats? Or, against the rear seat storage area just above the floor?

Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:31 pm

It looks very similar to the Boss powered sub that a few members have used. I know at least one member had success with mounting it under the drivers seat in that empty space?

http://www.amazon.com/Boss-BASS600-Low-Profile-Amplified-Subwoofer/dp/B000OSZA44

To me, the Boss sub looks cheap and cheesy...and I have a hard time imagining it sounds any good, but it does get decent reviews.

I like to look of the one you're looking at, it looks of higher quality, but you just never know until you hook it up! Don't know much about the brand...

It looks like it would fit comfortably behind the driver's seat - this is my ideal place to put a sub as well. If you end up making the purchase let me know how you like it :lol: I've been hesitating to pull the trigger on a sub as I need a new head-unit first!

Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:35 pm

How about a powered bazooka tube under the back seat. That will sound great.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:26 pm

Put in the Boss this weekend. Sounds good, disappears in the secret under the seat slot & was only $80.00+ with free shipping and the wire kit. In person it didn't look cheapo either, but maybe I'm easy to please.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:44 pm

Microbusdeluxe wrote: Put in the Boss this weekend. Sounds good, disappears in the secret under the seat slot & was only $80.00+ with free shipping and the wire kit. In person it didn't look cheapo either, but maybe I'm easy to please.

I'd like to get a look at it in person, it does seem like a great deal. Sounds good eh? Does it rattle or anything underneath the seat?

Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:21 pm

No rattle, fits too damn tight to move! Actually they supply a couple of pieces of velcro which do a good job of holding it down. I actually had to cut off the tab at the rear divider between the secret space and the 2nd battery box area in order to get the sub to slide back far enough to slip the seat release lever back in place.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:46 pm

I have the Boss 600 and it sounds great! It comes with two thumbs up from me.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:48 pm

Quote: & was only $80.00+ with free shipping and the wire kit.
From where?

Tue Sep 14, 2010 3:36 am

GWTWTLW wrote: How about a powered bazooka tube under the back seat. That will sound great.

X2

Tue Sep 14, 2010 5:32 am

I looked at the Boss unit too, but a few reveiwers on Amazon said it didn't last very long, and I have to say I'm getting tired of replacing cheapo components every year. I did think about that secret space under the seat too, and wonder if you can really hear it well and did you drill holes or put a face plate of some kind in front facing the driver's legs?

Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:14 am

GWTWTLW wrote: How about a powered bazooka tube under the back seat. That will sound great.

I concur.

got two of them under the back seat. $99 each from CC before they went belly up. easy to install,and sound great.

Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:35 am

Post a pic of the install.

Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:15 pm

I plan to go with the Boss unit because it is smaller and ideally it fits in the secret space under the driver's seat. I did a card board mock up on the Sound Ordnance unit and it is a tad too big for the area behind the driver's seat since I like to keep the table there. I have no room under the rear bench (Propex, tools, parts, BBQ grill, etc.) I'll post installation pics in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to the day when the bass can be heard at highway speeds. I'm not trying to thump the hell out of people at stop lights, just a little more bottom end would be fine.

Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:07 pm

Syncrodoka: Amazon, there was a discount code that someone posted here on the Samba (August 28th or 29th, 2010) which saved me $33.70 & I went for slow & free shipping, bottom line $88.75.

Rodknock: I cut out the panel & just tucked the carpet back up under the seat. It thumps ok, it's no rap attack window shaker, but it fills in the bottom end nicely for my chosen genres of R&B, classical & blues.

I think it was Climberjohn who had a good write up on the install. I had to cut out that back tab to get mine to fit, he was able to bend his out of the way. As a bonus cutting out the tab make the 2nd battery removal & reinsert easier.

Tue Sep 14, 2010 3:35 pm

Promo code expired 10 days ago. Oh well :(

Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:39 am

The UPS guy dropped off the box today and this is what I got for about $125...

Here's where I plan to put it. Easily wired and attached with the adhesive-backed velcro strips provided in the kit. Puts the bass boost toward the front of the van where I need it most, it is out of the way, no cutting the van (such as putting it under the seat in the secret space). The only downside is it adds more weight to the left side of the Westy...

Other places I considered including under the rear bench...

I'll try to get it all wired up this weekend.[/img]

Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:39 am

Locate it on the back of the passenger seat pedestal. I have an amp mounted there and it has never been a problem.

Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:01 pm

I installed a sound ordnance B-8PT self powered sub under my driver's seat a few weeks ago that I got on sale. It fits easily in the compartment with a few inches to spare on the sides. The sub is nice a fills the bottom end nicely without being too boomy. I can shake the mirrors if I turn it all the way up but it isn't super powerful like a pair of 12" speakers with a few hundred watts pushing them like the old days.

Just thought I should post it in case someone is desperate for things to place on their xmas list :wink:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_777B8PT/Sound-Ordnanc...d+Ordnance

Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:41 pm