Sub amp etc

[mikev]

Hey guys.

A friend of mine has got a pretty good install in his car. (hatchback) the sub really pumps out and i really want that in my car. thing is due to the hatchback design he removes his parcel shelf to allow the sound to travel more. now Mine being metal i can't also i don't have a hole for it to poke through in th seats. has anyone got a good quality sounding install in there E30 or are you all just stock. (i don't want to wake the neighbours just appreciate nice sounding music)

 

[Rukus]

I have a bandpass box in the rear of my car. Being a type of box that creates sound through air pressure from ports, it was a tough box to try to get to sound good in my car. When the back dash is closed with your speakers, you almost hear no bass. But if those two wholes open its great. Alot of people will cut a hole in the center of the dash to allow sound, or what my buddy did to his e30 was cut two holes in the back dash and installed two ports. I have no seen him in a while to see what that sounded like, but i am sure it sounds great and looks good.
Me on the other hand, i opted to NOT to make holes in my rear dash. What i did was i took the back dash cover off, reached inside and removed ALL of the sound deadening material. (318i's are filled with this stuff), then on the back you can see those little vents below the window, i took out the flaps in them to allow greater sound and airflow. Its NOT noticeable at all and doesn't include cutting holes in your car. And the sound travels amazingly well. Because where the speakers go, there is a little bit of space inbetween the dash and the dash cover that allows air and what not from the trunk, and then the air and air pressure can be released through the little vents below the window.
The only thing that i didn't please me about this set up, (which you would get with a hole cut or not) was that the speakers, lost a little bit of back pressure. But i installed full range rockford coaxials and it sounded alot better. Being connected to an amp helps the rear speakers as well. (helps ANY speakers) Being connected to an amp helps sound quality, its not just meant for loudness.

I run a 12" Kicker Competition in a bandpass box, hooked to a 150 watt RMS Rockford 900 watt max mono block.
Speakers are Rockford 5 1/4" coaxials, hooked to an old school 150 watt / channel max speaker amp (those are the best)

 

[mjbst111]

a bandbass didn't fit in my trunk. i had to get a new box when i bought my car. I just got a dual sealed box. I didn't cut any kind of holes in my rear dash. it sounds great.

for wiring purposes, way down in the corner of each side is a pretty small hole that the sun roof drain and battery cable run through. you can shove your wires through one of those. I did mine on the passenger side.

I would actually recommend that you do not cut holes in your dash either. I mean it would sound a bit louder but the way BMW is designed you could get exhaust into the cabin as well as the gas that your battery lets off as it charges and discharges in your trunk. the flaps allow air to go out but not in. there are also flaps in the trunk that allow air out of the trunk and not in. they are found behing the bumper on both sides of the car.

I believe you could get the sound that you want out of 1 12 inch sub. actually you could get loud as hell out of one dual voice coil 12. I am regretting having 2 subs. wish i would have went with the dual voice coil.

 

[montokboy]

Sub

A good Bass/sub box..with a good amplifier will need NO specific location for serving its purpose. Bass/sub frequencies work by creating a frequencies that translate to physical energy (passing through your car's body/seats/etc.. through to your body. So placement is irrelevent if your system is good. Also if you want real clean bass..stay with a 10" driver (sealed box) and a nice high current amplifier. If you want louder bass go with tuned port (you'll lose tightness and accuracy to some degree). I wouldnt go any more than than..isobarack is BS...its just noise....IF you want nice clean accurate sound stick to basics..Its simple to build a nice box...if you plan to do so, use nice thick particle board (3/4") and obviously get a driver that has a nice magnet, well made surrounds (preferably rubber) and the material of the cone should be stiff and light...

 

[mikev]

cool cheers guys i'm not going to be cutting holes thats for sure as the parcelshelf is metal and forms an integeral part of the chasis. but you've given me a few ideas!

 

[Rukus]

From my own experience with my type of box, my modifications made a HUGE difference. Keep in mind that i am using a bandpass box, and the way bandpass boxes work. they create sound through ported air pressure, and not from open face pressure. So if you press theose subs up against the trunk, yo uare going to get ALOT of tight bass, but bass that resonates through the car. you don't hear the bass like you hear it in a hatchback, but its still bassy.

My battery is also located in the front of the car. So i don't have that to worry about gases from it. i havn't noticed any problems myself from opening up those flaps in my rear dash. I think if fumes wanted to get though, theyare going to get through anyways.

I ran my wires through those small holes too. worked great. i reccommend gromes to protect your wires.

 

[bignate]

I couldn't fit 12s in my trunk so I run 10" Kicker CompVRs w/ a fosgate 900W amp. Deck is Pioneer and so are the 5-1/4" speakers. It bumps.

 

[equate]

Does your backseat have an arm rest? you could cut the metal out from behind it and install a ski rack thing, ive seen a sew e30s with that. Then just cut the bag part out and maybe put some wire mesh in. Anyways the smallest hole will make the bigest difference. My friends 190 was really quite but he has a medical pack in the hatrack, an if we took it out and proper the lid open the subs sound abour 35% louder.

 

[xLibelle]

Re: Sub

A good Bass/sub box..with a good amplifier will need NO specific location for serving its purpose. Bass/sub frequencies work by creating a frequencies that translate to physical energy (passing through your car's body/seats/etc.. through to your body. So placement is irrelevent if your system is good. Also if you want real clean bass..stay with a 10" driver (sealed box) and a nice high current amplifier. If you want louder bass go with tuned port (you'll lose tightness and accuracy to some degree). I wouldnt go any more than than..isobarack is BS...its just noise....IF you want nice clean accurate sound stick to basics..Its simple to build a nice box...if you plan to do so, use nice thick particle board (3/4") and obviously get a driver that has a nice magnet, well made surrounds (preferably rubber) and the material of the cone should be stiff and light...

I could not have said it better!!!

I got into my profession by sterio and phone installation, i built boxes as well, so ive been around the block. good post montokboy!

 

[xLibelle]

to add to my last post (just thought of it) the back seat is mearly backed by a thin particle board, easy to transmit bass.
mjbst111 has good suggestions too.

Edit: yet again, i think of another example, a friend of mine has an old trans am and he had 6x9's in the back dash with two ports cut out that went to sealed ten's (O2's). it was so loud, it hurt, but was awesome!!!