Speaker upgrade question

[SNIPERDOG]

can a bigger sub go here

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it seems a lot of the outer rim is wasting space for a bigger sub

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sorry for the fuzzy pics

 

[SNIPERDOG]

Bueller , Bueller, Bueller??

 

[PeterMJ]

Have you actually measure the size of the current enclosure and indeed verify you can have enough volume to accommodate a larger driver? This is a ported enclosure which tends to be larger than a sealed box to increase the efficiency of the driver. Or are you just going to cram a larger driver in there just because you can and without worrying about details like modeling FR using software like WinIsd.

 

[SNIPERDOG]

I know nothing about sound systems, that's why I ask the question, hoping someone in the know will advise me on the best way to go

Maybe I should have asked , can and should a bigger sub go here?

 

[PeterMJ]

I know nothing about sound systems, that's why I ask the question, hoping someone in the know will advise me on the best way to go

Maybe I should have asked , can and should a bigger sub go here?

It depends if you try to use the existing enclosure or make a new one. If you can make a new one to go behind the panel and it is larger than the OEM enclosure, you may be able to sequeeze in a larger driver. However, it is a trade off, larger drivers in smaller enclosures are less efficient than vice versa. If you want to make it loud, you will need more power. Again, determine the size of your enclosure. You may want to check some of the car audio forums out there to get more advice. Generally speaking, larger drivers are always better for bass, so yes, you should for better lower end extension, the question is if you can...

 

[Steve M]

The stock enclosure is limiting, both in volume and mounting depth...those things really limit what can be done.

Honestly, if you want decent bass, you need to either fab up a new box to replace the factory piece (again, you'll be volume limited), or find a place to put a sub box and install a decent sub. I have a single 10" in the back of my coupe, and it provides a nice sound, although it can be removed for longer trips where storage is necessary. I tried modding the existing enclosure, and was disappointed in the overall sound...while it did okay with the engine off, as soon as you turned the car on, the bass from that speaker was lost in the engine noise, and that was WITH an aftermarket amplifier providing around 150 watts to a 6.5" sub (and I would use the term sub loosely with that one).

 

[SNIPERDOG]

I just found speakers under the roll bars, they dont seem to be working, I guess I need to have a stereo shop look at my system and make it work properly

 

[FrgMstr]

You can do all you want with that center space...you will never get the bass out of it that you likely want. I built a custom box and ended up tuning the woofer there as a mid-bass.

Here are some pics of my center box build and an overall look at the system.

All my work was done by Earmark Car Audio in Plano, TX. Kosal was my installer and I could not be happier with his attention to detail and project commitment.

Put these Focal 165 KRX2 in my doors and dash.

2 way driver kit 165 KRX2 - Focal Car Audio speakers

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Put this 8" short throw JL Audio 8W3v3-4 sub in the floorboard of the passenger seat in a custom box. Kosal and I spent a LOT of time getting this box down to exactly the smallest dimension we could and still allow it to fire properly. Hearing it in the car, you would think it is a 10" or 12" woofer. The sound is amazing, and there is still plenty of room for riders.

JL Audio 8W3v3-4 Subwoofers - Car Audio Subwoofers

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Using this Kenwood head unit, or rather the KIV-BT901 digital media receiver. Cool if you have an iphone, you can stream Pandora. Has integrated port for backup camera as well that has some very cool split screen features. The head unit works great with my iPod. Will not stream from my Android phone though. Bluetooth does work fine with the phone though.

Kenwood Digital Media Receiver

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Pushing it all with this JL Audio HD900/5 900 watt amp. Earmark tucked this beauty in my trunk making sure not to leave any screws pointing through to my fuel cell, which had been on my last Gen III Viper.

JL Audio HD900/5 Amplifiers - Car Audio Amps & Amplifiers

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We toyed with building a new box to sit between the seats in the factory stock position. We tried our best to get a true subwoofer sound out of the space but it just was not happening. The Hertz woofer proved to be too anemic for the box and we moved to a JL 8W1v2-4. Still we just could not get the sound out of the box that we wanted although the JL sounded a lot better.

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We ended up using the center console JL as a mid-bass instead of a true sub-woofer. The inclusion of the mid-bass abosolutely ended up KICKING ASS overall as it added a lot of balance to the sound in the cabin, with the top up or down. Probably would have not gone the expense had I known the limitations up front, but we were experimenting with seeing if we could forego the box in the passenger footwell.



Sounds like you are sitting 7th row center at Carnegie Music Hall. And Brass Monkey kicks much ass as well.

Here are some pics of the install by Earmark Car Audio Plano.

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We had to go with the stock JL cover to give the cone the excursion it needed. The Hertz speaker got ganked, as it sounded horrid.

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The JL woofer in the passenger floorwell. It is tucked back in there pretty darn good. Sounds AMAZING.

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Backup Camera hangs over the X in Texas.

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[SNIPERDOG]

That is bad ass, thanks

So, how much coin can I expect to drop?

 

[ohlarikd]

Personally, I tend to think that if you want to upgrade, you need to go all-out like FrgMster, or else you will just be disappointed and its not worth all the effort. The bass will never sound good unless you make a customer enclosure (perhaps a Kicker solo-baric or RF Punch P3) and a LOT of power. Like 500 or more watts just for the sub. Then it dominoes into needed new speakers everywhere, and more power for those... then upgraded power cables... fuses..

So I say go for it! But it will definitely get out of hand quickly - it always does!

 

[Steve M]

Personally, I tend to think that if you want to upgrade, you need to go all-out like FrgMster, or else you will just be disappointed and its not worth all the effort. The bass will never sound good unless you make a customer enclosure (perhaps a Kicker solo-baric or RF Punch P3) and a LOT of power. Like 500 or more watts just for the sub. Then it dominoes into needed new speakers everywhere, and more power for those... then upgraded power cables... fuses..

So I say go for it! But it will definitely get out of hand quickly - it always does!

It depends on what you are after for bass, and also coupe vs. roadster. The coupe gives you a lot more options for installing a sub, and I can assure you that the 350 watts I have going to a single 10" Image Dynamics sub is more than enough for a coupe...the hatch does wonders for the bass with the sub in the back, and the interior is just so damn small that it doesn't take much to fill it up with sound. A roadster would take a lot more work to get the same results.

The problem I found with a Viper is the lack of space to install stuff. It was actually easier for me to remove the factory amplifier and run all new wires, an aftermarket amp and a new head unit. That let me put a single 5 channel amp under the passenger seat (a Kenwood XR-5S fits perfectly there) to run a set of components up front and a sub out back. I can now run an iPod without having to screw with the hit-and-miss adapters that are out there for the Viper too. Going all out was the answer for me, but I can see how it would be a daunting task if you had never done a stereo install before, and weren't sure how to get the interior apart.

Was it a lot of work? Yes, but you just have to get a little more creative with the install. Anyone that is really into music won't keep any of the factory stuff, especially the amplifier. Granted, this is the first car I've owned that I don't feel a compelling desire to listen to loud music while driving. Maybe I'm just getting too old.

 

[ohlarikd]

It depends on what you are after for bass, and also coupe vs. roadster. The coupe gives you a lot more options for installing a sub, and I can assure you that the 350 watts I have going to a single 10" Image Dynamics sub is more than enough for a coupe...the hatch does wonders for the bass with the sub in the back, and the interior is just so damn small that it doesn't take much to fill it up with sound. A roadster would take a lot more work to get the same results.

The problem I found with a Viper is the lack of space to install stuff. It was actually easier for me to remove the factory amplifier and run all new wires, an aftermarket amp and a new head unit. That let me put a single 5 channel amp under the passenger seat (a Kenwood XR-5S fits perfectly there) to run a set of components up front and a sub out back. I can now run an iPod without having to screw with the hit-and-miss adapters that are out there for the Viper too. Going all out was the answer for me, but I can see how it would be a daunting task if you had never done a stereo install before, and weren't sure how to get the interior apart.

Was it a lot of work? Yes, but you just have to get a little more creative with the install. Anyone that is really into music won't keep any of the factory stuff, especially the amplifier. Granted, this is the first car I've owned that I don't feel a compelling desire to listen to loud music while driving. Maybe I'm just getting too old.

I keep forgetting about coupes, since I have a vert with zero room as you said. But your example is what I was thinking - all out! You need to rip every component out, because fixing one part just highlights the deficiencies in the others. Then it just snowballs. It happens everytime. My Dodge Ram 2500 - I gutted the interior completely to sheet metal. I really don't feel like doing that to my Viper! I'll just get a Corsa exhaust instead.

I did just put the RB1 in last night, but I just want in-dash NAV.