# Back to Basics: very simple setup in a 2010 Subaru Outback



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Hey Guys,

Its been a while since i did a simple passive setup with a pretty low budget, so it was kinda refreshing to build one again. Just wrapped up this one week project on a 2010 Subaru Outback.

The goals:

1. improve on the pretty lousy OEM stereo setup, improve tonality and add some bass.

2. retain the spare tire and all related tools

3. build a completely stealthy setup that is completely hidden from view.

lets get started.

The signal source starts with a customer supplied Kenwood HD942U HD radio enabled single din headunit...installed into the car via a best kits adapter:










There are just a total of 3 speakers in this install, the front stage consists of a set of Morel Integra Ovation 6 6.5" high end point source speaker. This set was chose because the OEM tweeter locations is high up on the dash, and fires upward to the windshield, and from experience, some passively powered installs seem to exhibit a bit of separation between the mid and tweeter...espeically during male vocals. Not to mention the Morel is an excellent speaker comparable to many components in its price range and can play all day long with no listening fatigue.

the doors were sound proofed and a pair of new speaker wires run into the door:










A set of adapter spacers were made up out of 1/2" MDF, coated with truck bedliner to protect them against the elements:










The Morel was then installed into the door, and boom there goes the front stage 



















The same procedure repeated on the passenger side:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

thats it for the front, the OEM rear door speakers were retained and run off the headunit, incase the customer wants some sound back there, he can simply fade it.

onto the cargo area. As mentioned, the goal was for a totally invisible install while retaining the spare tire. Well, it doesnt get more invisible than this: 










lift up the stock floor and here is what you see. I build an enclosure and amp rack to work with the OEM foam storage bin. upfront, a Cerwin Vega SMAX 12 shallow mount subwoofer resides in a .75 cubic foot sealed enclosure, while the back half has a simple top cover with vent grill hiding an Arc Audio KS 300.4 4 channel amplifier and the Morel Passives. Each is trimmed in durable black trunk liner. Again, goal is just to be clean and durable, nothing cosmetically fancy going on. The amp sends 90 watts rms to each Morel and 350 watts to the subwoofer.

After doing the install, i listened to the system with the top floor cover in place and removed, and well, the bass doesnt change at all, thus not needed any kind of vent...which helps maintain factory appearance and rigidity. 





































Getting to the spare tire is pretty simply, i left enough slack on the wires, so that all you have to do is pop off the amp cover, unplug the four rcas, pop off the two side floor pieces and lift the entire foam tray up, here i propped a piece of wood to show how much room you have. I can access the spare in under 30 seconds.










So thats it  here are some quick build pics.

This is the OEM foam storage tray that i based my design around:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

First a piece of wood was cut out and wrapped in black trunk liner. This is the floor board for the amp/passive xo compartment:



















This was then secured to the foam tray via screws from the bottom. At the same time, i cut the bottom out of the front portion of the tray to make extra room for the sub enclosure.











So here is the simple sub enclosure, designed to slide into the cavity in the foam like a glove. With spacers securing the two baffles and the edges rabetted to attach fleece:




























Mold cloth stapled:



















Resin was then applied, after it cured, the enclosure was reinforced from the inside with a few layers of mat, chop strand poured into the corners and then a later of duraglass/resin milk shape poured over the top seal up any potential air leaks. A 1/4" two baffle to match the opening of the foam tray was also fabricated:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

the top cover piece is then attached to the subbox with one thousand and one staples:










the wrapped with black trunk liner:










The entire piece was then fitted to the foam piece, and secured with half a dozen screws from the sides:










This is the cover that goes over the amp and passive xo before and after carpeting, with the mesh ready to be attached:



















And finally, a few shops of the naked wiring within the install:





























yup thats it...finally an install that matches my simplicity name  Sound is hugely improved from before...the oem system was just plain boomy with very little midrange and highs...and just sounded plain terrible. A good thing about the Morels is their pleasing sound right out of the box...with just a 3 band eq on the HU, little tuning can be done...so its nice that very little tuning needed to be done.  

okay, back to active installs and dsps for me!

cheers!

Bing


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## Sulley (Dec 8, 2008)

simplicityinsound said:


>


Did you cut that with a jigsaw...?


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## OnTheEllipse (Oct 28, 2010)

nice. the stock system in that car sounds bizarre. it's all diffuse and sounds out of phase. i bet the owner was pumped.


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## eighty5iv (Aug 15, 2010)

the simplicity in this install is just beautiful.


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## BurnOut956 (Sep 3, 2007)

That is beautiful sir! very clean.


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## 2167 (Dec 5, 2007)

Can i say with the utmost respect...I hate you...
For making it look so damn awesome LOL

Once again you do the best and make it look easy
If the aesthetics are any indication of how this one as well as all of the others sounds then good job keep up the awesome work

Thanks for inspiring me


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

stockley.rod said:


> Did you cut that with a jigsaw...?


not the straight sides.


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## neuspeedescort (Feb 23, 2010)

WIN!

love the use of a big 4 channel to do it all. running the rears off deck power or deleted? funny to see a single power main like that in this day of time.


NEUMAN


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## killahsharksjc (Apr 30, 2009)

Great Job Bing........


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## Sulley (Dec 8, 2008)

simplicityinsound said:


> not the straight sides.


You are the jigsaw king.

I check religiously like every 2-3 days to see if you got a new build log up. you do amazing work keep it up!


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

stockley.rod said:


> You are the jigsaw king.
> 
> I check religiously like every 2-3 days to see if you got a new build log up. you do amazing work keep it up!


Im not even close lol...the person that i learned how to use a jigsaw from is the jigsaw king


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## ecbmxer (Dec 1, 2010)

Nice! Damn those Outback owners for having a HUGE cargo space to work with!! If you removed that foam stuff you could probably do a couple of shallow 12's plus two amps there huh?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

ecbmxer said:


> Nice! Damn those Outback owners for having a HUGE cargo space to work with!! If you removed that foam stuff you could probably do a couple of shallow 12's plus two amps there huh?


you mean if the spare is still there? wouldnt be enough room for the enclosure i dont think... i think two 10s and two medium to small amps would be the limit...but then it would be heavy enough you'd never get it out to access the spare lol


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Unbelievable! He does it again! 

Those Morels are superior coaxials, because the tweeter is sitting within the voicecoil of the midrange, and thus very close to the acoustical point source at the apex of the woofer cone


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Niiiice install Bing!


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## funkalicious (Oct 8, 2007)

Another clean install, Bing. Where do you source your expanded metal?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

mcmaster.com


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## gtrplyr (Oct 1, 2011)

love it


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## funkalicious (Oct 8, 2007)

Thanks Bing!


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## Arthrogrian19 (Sep 28, 2011)

Nice setup and install. I'm going to do something similar in my Forester XT.


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## SACD_Guy (Oct 29, 2011)

Very nice!
Do you have any regrets on selecting the Morel Integra Ovation's? Do you plan on doing any additional dampening to quiet the cabin?


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

not sure if the customer will be on here...but i have no regrets with the morel integra...i absolutely love that coaxial...its not cheap but IMO sounds better than many components.

b


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## BakedCookies (Sep 6, 2011)

Even on this simple setup your work continues to inspire me! Thanks for sharing and documenting so well.


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