# Bass performance from door mounted speakers...



## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

I'm still debating whether or not to run my SI MAG v4 D2. I'm not too keen on taking up as much space as will be needed to have it in the cargo area of my Cube. However, I would be up to making a 3"-4" tall false floor to have an amp rack mounted back there, hidden of course by the floor and stock carpeting. 

What's got me thinking about "bass performance in door mounted speakers" is my brother's 2010 Kia Soul. It has the base stereo in it which is the same as the top of the line stereo minus a few tweeters, a center channel and a small 8" sub. But for what it is, the doors speakers in his car pump out some amazing bass! It's a hell of a lot better than what Nissan offers in the Cube, and it's just about even with the Cubes that come with the 8" Rockford system.

So here's what I'm thinking...

I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to get a pair of SEAS CA18RLY 7" drivers for the front doors, crossing them over around 4-5kHz to a pair of tweeters in the A-pillars, either large format tweets or regular but good quality car tweets, maybe more SEAS.

Anyway, I'm going to keep and reuse my JL 300/4 v2 amp to do crossover duties and power the front stage. What I'd like to now do is get a JL 300/2 v2 amp and run a pair of 6.5-7" drivers in the rear doors in stereo for bass reinforcement for the front stage. I would probably have them play from 60Hz down.

If the SEAS CA18RLY drivers perform well in the front, I could get another pair for the rear. If not, and even though I've never really cared for Kicker as well as most people here, I noticed they have 6.5" shallow mount CompVT subs ( http://www.woofersetc.com/p8543/CVT654--Kicker-65%22-4ohm-Shallow-Mount-Comp-VT-Series-2010-Model-Subwoofer.htm ) that work in 0.2-3.0cf of airspace. I think these would be perfect for my application. They're rated down to 25Hz, and I figure if I beef up the doors and door panels good enough, I could probably get some pretty decent results. Plus with those rear speakers being mounted in the stock locations in the rear doors, that physically puts those drivers right next to my butt, which at those low frequencies would be close enough to integrate very well with the front stage. 

My goals for this system eventually is just to have an accurate, natural, full, clean sound up front more than anything else. If I can get some solid tuneful bass down to around 30Hz or so, I'll be happy with that. 

So what's your thoughts guys?


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## bikerider (Dec 28, 2008)

Tons of threads on successfully using the Seas drivers in a 2-way configuration with all sorts of tweeter combinations. I in the process of re-doing my frontstage (with Tang Band ceramic tweeters) and have been doing a lot of research on these drivers so I know it is out there. A search will turn up more reading than you can do in a single sitting.

As far as your plans for the back, asking that driver (or any like it) to work between 30 Hz and 60Hz is a pretty tall order if you look at the driver specs. I would think you need a subwoofer like the Kicker (or one with high qts and low fs that is suited for IB use), not a midbass driver to pull this off. You will likely have to do a lot of work fortifying/dampening the rear doors to prevent vibrations and resonance from the subs.


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

In my Volvo I am running a pair of Dynaudio MD192's(8.75") in the doors as mids/subs playing from 300hz down and running a pair of H Audio Trinity mids in the dash from 300hz up. The doors have been pseudo sealed and deadened. I am still playing with xover points and the eq to see if I can do without a sub.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Yeah, I definitely need to go with some kind of 6.5" subwoofer, and it has to be a shallow mount that's no more than 3" deep. Are there any other shallow subs out there other than Kicker that I could use? I've looked around a little today, but didn't come up with anything really. There's gotta be something better.


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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

Can you fit a Seas driver with the RNX motor like the CA18RNX/G18RNX/ER18RNX? I ask because the drivers with the RLY motor lack bass compared to those with the RNX. These are right at the 3" mounting depth. Do you have anything for EQ adjustments? With EQ you can tailor the lower end to give you more oomph and presence especially when only using a 7" driver, but you must be careful because you can push the diver past its limitations by boosting frequencies too much.

That being said, it wont be like a subwoofer but it may be tolerable


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## spmpdr (Nov 5, 2009)

SQ_Blaze said:


> Yeah, I definitely need to go with some kind of 6.5" subwoofer, and it has to be a shallow mount that's no more than 3" deep. Are there any other shallow subs out there other than Kicker that I could use? I've looked around a little today, but didn't come up with anything really. There's gotta be something better.


You might take a look at these , they have some really good reviews and I can tell you first hand these are excellent little subs .I used to run these in my doors and everyone swore i had 8s or 10's hidden somewhere in my truck!!!

Parts-Express.com:Tang Band W6-1139SI 6-1/2" Subwoofer | subwoofer 6" subwoofer neodynium subwoofer tangband tb speakers tangband-22008


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## dbiegel (Oct 15, 2006)

I had pretty good results with the CA18RNX in a subless system. In properly treated doors, they put out some serious midbass for a 6.5" driver. 

Running subless some serious compromises too, though:
1) If you're playing the 6.5s up to a tweeter, you'll likely have to flip the polarity of one of them to get the midrange in phase. Unfortunately, this usually makes the bass frequencies out of phase, so you'll have a tradeoff between impact and SQ.  Every car is different though, so you might get lucky.

2) You'll still be missing the bottom octaves, which are only present on some music. Might not bother you... If you like the "factory radio sound" with lots of midbass "snap" but no true low frequencies, you might be ok with this.

I'd recommend instead of running them to a tweet, put a 2" or 3" fullrange in your a-pillar instead and cross the 6.5s somewhere in the 300-1k range. This will give you a lot more flexibility with the midbass choices, tuning, and tradeoffs.

Be careful when looking at 6.5" dedicated subs. They are usually made to be used in a relatively small sealed enclosure, not an infinite baffle like your doors.


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

At the risk of being flamed try out the eD 3.6 subs. They are 6.5" subs that are IB compatible and are on sale for $40 each


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

chefhow said:


> At the risk of being flamed try out the eD 3.6 subs. They are 6.5" subs that are IB compatible and are on sale for $40 each


Ha! That's how I feel about suggesting these too. They look great on paper, and the price isn't bad at all. But it seems eD isn't all that popular on many forums these days...


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

spmpdr said:


> You might take a look at these , they have some really good reviews and I can tell you first hand these are excellent little subs .I used to run these in my doors and everyone swore i had 8s or 10's hidden somewhere in my truck!!!
> 
> Parts-Express.com:Tang Band W6-1139SI 6-1/2" Subwoofer | subwoofer 6" subwoofer neodynium subwoofer tangband tb speakers tangband-22008



That was the first driver I looked at actually, but the problem is they're mounting depth of 3-5/8". I can't go any deeper than 3" max. That sucks...


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

dbiegel said:


> I had pretty good results with the CA18RNX in a subless system. In properly treated doors, they put out some serious midbass for a 6.5" driver.
> 
> Running subless some serious compromises too, though:
> 1) If you're playing the 6.5s up to a tweeter, you'll likely have to flip the polarity of one of them to get the midrange in phase. Unfortunately, this usually makes the bass frequencies out of phase, so you'll have a tradeoff between impact and SQ.  Every car is different though, so you might get lucky.
> ...


I'll be getting a pair of SEAS CA18RLY 7" drivers for the front doors which will be crossed over around 4-5kHz to tweeters mounted in the A-pillars.

What I was referring to in my OP was putting subs in the rear doors which would only be playing up to 60-80Hz at most. They would also be playing in stereo because I want them as an extension to the front stage. 


AND, I can safely say that after just installing my new headunit, those rear doors are going to be excellent for subwoofer duty. I tuned in a local HD station that plays one of my most hated types of music (hip-hop/rap), and I have to say, those rear speakers were putting out some seriously low bass, shockingly low in fact! I couldn't believe it and actually started laughing! It's quite impressive to say the least.

As it sits right now, my system sounds much better in the front and hits much harder and lower than the top of the line Rockford system that uses tweeters in the A-pillars and an 8" powered sub in the rear tailgate. Now that's pretty sad.

I think running a pair of good subs in those rear doors are going to really set this system off. This headunit also did wonders for the Infinity Kappa's as well. The treble isn't bright and shrilly anymore, the bass is tight and punchy, and the midrange (which I can now adjust) is up front where it should be instead of being buried behind the rest of the music.

Now I really can't wait until I get the rest of the system going with quality diy components, amps and subs.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

chefhow said:


> At the risk of being flamed try out the eD 3.6 subs. They are 6.5" subs that are IB compatible and are on sale for $40 each


I would try these only if they weren't 3.5" deep. They won't fit in my doors. 


And why are they not too popular? I thought everybody used to praise them a while back.


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

chithead said:


> Ha! That's how I feel about suggesting these too. They look great on paper, and the price isn't bad at all. But it seems eD isn't all that popular on many forums these days...


You recommended them to me and I was going to order them but remembered I had 2 eD 9kv2's from an old install in my basement that I may use. I have always liked the eD subs and have owned MANY of them over the years going back to the original Nomex Flatcones in the early 00's. They have never failed me and for the money are a really good value.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

After hunting around a little bit, I came across Metra's website (who makes wire harness adapters and such), and according to them, my car has 3.5" of clearance in the front and rear doors. If this is true, and depending on how/where they measured this depth with the windows up or down, this means I am open to other subs other than the Kicker!

So what I'm going to do on my next day off (weather permitting), is yank off one of the rear door panels, roll the window down all the way, then take a measurement for myself. As far as I know, Metra could have measured the depth straight off the door itself. If they did that, then that means they didn't take into account the use of a mounting baffle which will be another 5/8-3/4". If this is the case and there really is 3.5" from the door itself, I could have upwards of 4" mounting depth!

On that note, I have started looking at other options which have been mentioned in this thread, including the Tang Band W6-1139SI and Elemental Designs 3.6 subs. Obviously these two (and I know everyone else here will agree) are superior units to the Kicker as I have never really cared for Kicker products, especially their subs.

Now I know this is highly subjective, but which one of these drivers do you think would do better in my situation. Keep in mind they will only be playing from 60-80Hz on down. They will be getting upwards of 150w each from my JL 300/4 v2 which I will be bridging to 2-ch mode.

These little subs will be getting matched up to a totally new front stage from what I had originally planned and/or mentioned earlier in this thread. I now have a barely used mint pair of HAT L6's headed my way! I'm still not 100% sure on tweeters, but I'm strongly leaning towards the Dayton ND20FA-6's in the stock A-pillar locations. I'm going to get a Kenwood Excelon KAC-X4R amp to power the front stage as it has a fully capable DSP built in with crossover, EQ, TA, etc, etc included. This will help loads with tuning!

Anyway, any thoughts, suggestions, ideas on everything thus far? Any other possible drivers to consider?

Thanks and sorry for the long post!


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## nar93da (Dec 11, 2008)

I'm pretty sure you have more then 3" of depth in the rear doors. I've done a bunch of the rear door handle recalls on Cube's and their is probably 2" from the back side of the door panel to the door itself. The panel is really open just to fore worn you and your gonna need some panels to cover up the holes.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

nar93da said:


> I'm pretty sure you have more then 3" of depth in the rear doors. I've done a bunch of the rear door handle recalls on Cube's and their is probably 2" from the back side of the door panel to the door itself. The panel is really open just to fore worn you and your gonna need some panels to cover up the holes.


I certainly hope so. I hope it's closer to 4" honestly. I remember reading about the door handles, but that was with the '09 models. Supposedly, they fixed that issue by the time the '10 models hit the show rooms. 

What ways can I go about sealing up those huge gaping holes? Oh, and do you know if the windows roll down behind the speaker openings or do they not reach that low? Just curious... Thanks!


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## nar93da (Dec 11, 2008)

You could use sheetmetal for the holes. Seen people take fiberglass molds of the holes. As long as it doesn't flex your good, make sure to use butly rope around edges to seal. Would also be wise to cover the piece with your preferred choice of deadener.

I'm pretty sure the window does roll down behind the speaker.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks for the info! 

So does anyone have anything to say about subwoofer choice?


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Well after installing my Sirius Radio tuner today, I opened up one of the rear doors to take some measurements. For one thing, the windows do NOT roll down behind the speakers. In fact, they stop about 2" above them. Secondly, there's a support (side impact) beam right behind the speakers that limits mounting depth in the doors.

Now on the plus side, there is clearance up to 4" if you mount speakers directly to the door surfaces. If you use baffles/adapter rings, you can have up to a total of 5", 5.25" if you really push it!

As far as I know, there aren't too many 6.5" subs out there that are 5" deep if any, so I'm good for just about anything at this point. 

So with all of that in mind, PLEASE feel free to pitch in some ideas on sub drivers that I could look at. Nothing super expensive please. 

Right now, my apparent options are:

Tang Band W6-1139SI
Elemental Designs 3.6
Kicker CVT65-4


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## Lanson (Jan 9, 2007)

I've run the W6-1139Sl before, three of them in a 1.2 cube sealed box in a small pickup. Definitely not a midbass sub, given the high inductance. But for sub duty they are nice. Three of them performed about as well as a high performance 10" or economy 12" sub.


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## tinctorus (Oct 5, 2009)

chefhow said:


> At the risk of being flamed try out the eD 3.6 subs. They are 6.5" subs that are IB compatible and are on sale for $40 each


I'm gonna have to agree with you completely on this one, I am running them IB in my doors right now and REALLY LOVE them....Eventually I will be making small sealed enclosures for them inside the door but as of right now they really do deliver what I am looking for in MY system...


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## redcalimp5 (Sep 10, 2007)

Adire Mpyre 6.5's, or maybe IDQ6's.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Possibly the JL Audio 6W3v3-4?

Looks like the IDQ6 is no longer made and the Mpyre looks to be more of a midbass. I'm looking for actual subwoofers.


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## tinctorus (Oct 5, 2009)

SQ_Blaze said:


> Possibly the JL Audio 6W3v3-4?
> 
> Looks like the IDQ6 is no longer made and the Mpyre looks to be more of a midbass. I'm looking for actual subwoofers.


Where in Florida are you located because if you're close by me I wouldn't mind lending a helping hand if you would like me to...I am in the plantation area BTW


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

tinctorus said:


> Where in Florida are you located because if you're close by me I wouldn't mind lending a helping hand if you would like me to...I am in the plantation area BTW


Thanks for the great offer. I would certainly be up for it, but I'm way up in St Pete, a bit of a trek from Plantation.


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## nar93da (Dec 11, 2008)

What about the Exodus Audio Anarchy's? I've got 2 coming for my car right now. Look very good for a 6.5", they have a good deal of excursion. I know your dead set on the back doors, but have you thought of putting an 8" in the rear gate and possibly seal it up the best you can? Maybe make a sealed box to fit inside the real gate.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

nar93da said:


> What about the Exodus Audio Anarchy's? I've got 2 coming for my car right now. Look very good for a 6.5", they have a good deal of excursion. I know your dead set on the back doors, but have you thought of putting an 8" in the rear gate and possibly seal it up the best you can? Maybe make a sealed box to fit inside the real gate.


Those look pretty impressive! Do you know how deep they are with those massive magnets on them?

The reason for using the rear doors is because I want to keep the bass as close to the front as possible, plus the stock speakers along with the new HU put out much deeper, cleaner bass than the upgraded OEM Rockford system that uses an 8" sub in the rear gate. 

Treating the rear doors, putting quality subs with good power going to them can only make things that much better. Not to mention I use that pocket in the rear gate all the time.


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## nar93da (Dec 11, 2008)

I understand you want to keep the bass as close as possible but those low of frequencies aren't going to be localized. The Anarchy's are 3.6" deep, overall they are 7.12". I just don't want you to be disappointed with the output from a 6.5" mid. I'm sure the OEM rockford sub is just mounted to the metal frame, that can be improved upon. Given the room you may fit a sealed box inside the rear gate assembly?


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

For the most part, frequencies that low are non-localized, but I can sometimes localize it, and since this system is being designed to be a stealthy, low powered SQ system, I want to have it a little different from the norm. 

I'm not looking for massive pounding bass, just quality, clean tight bass that blends seamlessly to the front stage. Plus like I said, I use that storage pocket in the rear gate all the time for stuff. It's very handy and I don't want to lose that.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

So does anybody else have any suggestions on 6.5" subwoofers for my rear doors?

The list I'm considering so far...

Tang Band W6-1139SI
Elemental Designs 3.6
JL Audio 6W0-4
JL Audio 6W3v3-4
CDT Audio Gold ES-06+
Kicker CVT65-4


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

Ultra Tech - Get Real, Get ULTRA - LV 6

Unfortunately, it doesn't list a mounting depth.

The Peerless SLS 6.5" are listed as subwoofers also.


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## guilty (Apr 16, 2010)

i have a similar lack of mid bass problem with my door mounted JBL GTO 607c components...

im running them on a Soundstream Tarantula TRA 680.4 amplifer....so they arent underpowered....

so any suggestions ? i have the EQ @ FLAT..and im using the pioneer 5650 head unit...

or wud damping the doors give a significant boost in performance ? shud i opt for that ?

thanks..


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## razholio (Apr 15, 2008)

guilty said:


> so any suggestions ? i have the EQ @ FLAT..and im using the pioneer 5650 head unit...


that's probably your problem right there. The HU's output is electrically flat, but acoustically, that's a very different story. While the sub frequencies (below 80hz or so) get a nice boost from cabin-gain (sound louder in the car, than in a large room or outside), the mid-bass freqs (above 80hz) do not, and are typically underpowered because of the typical small-driver + poor enclosure combination.

I be you can get very close to the sound you want by tweaking your EQ so it *sounds* flat, and doesn't just *look* flat.

another thing that I've discovered is that thanks to the dynamic (and very much not flat) noise floor of a car, I have 2 major EQ settings. 1 with less bass-boost for a parked car, and another with a few more db of bass for when I'm driving. Ever notice how that low-end you enjoy at the stop-light seems to disappear as you start driving?


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## AWC (Mar 31, 2008)

I'm gunna throw a wrench in yer gears and suggest that you ditch the current plan and look into making an AP enclosure for a decent subwoofer. A ten inch sub can easily fit in a .3 cube box. If you are ok with building a false floor, why don't you put a sub in said floor. Its easier than you might think and will make you happy


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

AWC said:


> I'm gunna throw a wrench in yer gears and suggest that you ditch the current plan and look into making an AP enclosure for a decent subwoofer. A ten inch sub can easily fit in a .3 cube box. If you are ok with building a false floor, why don't you put a sub in said floor. Its easier than you might think and will make you happy


I know it's quite easy enough to add a shallow mount sub back there in the false floor along with the amps, IF I had the room, but I don't. Even if I got the JL 12TW5-3, I would have to build the false floor higher than I want to. It's just not feasible for my situation. 

And as for subs, I'm kind of leaning towards the ED e3.6's.


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## guilty (Apr 16, 2010)

razholio said:


> that's probably your problem right there. The HU's output is electrically flat, but acoustically, that's a very different story. While the sub frequencies (below 80hz or so) get a nice boost from cabin-gain (sound louder in the car, than in a large room or outside), the mid-bass freqs (above 80hz) do not, and are typically underpowered because of the typical small-driver + poor enclosure combination.
> 
> I be you can get very close to the sound you want by tweaking your EQ so it *sounds* flat, and doesn't just *look* flat.
> 
> another thing that I've discovered is that thanks to the dynamic (and very much not flat) noise floor of a car, I have 2 major EQ settings. 1 with less bass-boost for a parked car, and another with a few more db of bass for when I'm driving. Ever notice how that low-end you enjoy at the stop-light seems to disappear as you start driving?



i feel ya man...that is exactly what happens...alright then im gonna work on my eq to achieve a Flat sound...ur right i do feel that the pre,s FLAT setting is just electrically flat...


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## rugdnit (Dec 24, 2007)

fish said:


> Ultra Tech - Get Real, Get ULTRA - LV 6
> 
> Unfortunately, it doesn't list a mounting depth.
> 
> The Peerless SLS 6.5" are listed as subwoofers also.


Those seem to have a decent spec for going into a door if you can get past the depth and the price tag.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

rugdnit said:


> Those seem to have a decent spec for going into a door if you can get past the depth and the price tag.


Yeah, if I knew the mounting depth of those Ultra LV 6's, I'd definitely give them a try if they were less expensive. Then again, there's no x-max info. Judging from the surrounds, it doesn't look like much. 

At that price, I'd be more out to get the JL 6W3v3's instead. At least with the JL's, I know what I'm getting as I've had plenty in my day.


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

Assuming that the mounting depth was 3" or less, could you fit a driver larger than a 6.5"??


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Boostedrex said:


> Assuming that the mounting depth was 3" or less, could you fit a driver larger than a 6.5"??


Sure I could... If I wanted to cut the doors, but I don't want to. What did you have in mind though?


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

I just wanted to see if a larger diameter driver would work for you. There are some 8-9" drivers out there with shallow mounting depths. But you say there's no way to fit something like that without hacking up your door card?


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Boostedrex said:


> I just wanted to see if a larger diameter driver would work for you. There are some 8-9" drivers out there with shallow mounting depths. But you say there's no way to fit something like that without hacking up your door card?


Yeah, if it was an older used car or one that I had for a few years, I would highly consider cutting the doors. But since this is a brand new vehicle with a full warranty for 10 years/100k miles, I'm not going to be chopping anything up anytime soon. 

Like I keep saying though, those rear doors with the stock speakers back there do an amazing job of putting out some seriously low bass. Of course it gets rather lean while cruising at 75mph and also gets a floppy/gargled sounding that loud. But with the bass output I am getting thus far, I know I can get some really deep, accurate, tuneful bass out of this system if I get the right drivers with a strong clean 150 watts to them and beef up the doors a little. It's really that good!


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## virtualmatt (Aug 26, 2008)

I recently purchased a bass control knob for my JL HD amps and have been granted the ability to turn down my 12w6v2 at will. This has allowed me to really tinker with the sound of my passive Focal 165KF components while listening to a variety of music (without going back and turning up/down sub gains manually). Doors with woofers were treated with Dynamat Extreme and the baffles were made from high density plastic (thick cutting boards) and mounted with butyl putty as solidly as I could do it. Tweets are in factory dash location on custom brackets firing toward the windshield angled slightly forward and toward center. 

Apparently I had the component set HPF'd way too high (fiddled around occasionally between 80-100) because they are rock steady down to 60 with kick drums and bass heavy music as loud as you want to go. These are powered by the front channels of a JL HD600/4 (2x RMS rating of the set but I don't overdo the gain). I even dropped the x-over point down to 40 and they handled it very nicely. So much so that I may do a sub-less install on my wife's new Camry with a component set in the front factory locations and a couple of Focal mid-bass drivers in the rear deck LPF'd appropriately if they'll fit.

Good luck, I'm confident you can accomplish your goal of full sound without giving up the cargo bay to MDF. You may not jiggle your stoplight neighbor's boobies, but no reason your car can't sound punchy and full inside with a little planning and careful install.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

virtualmatt said:


> I recently purchased a bass control knob for my JL HD amps and have been granted the ability to turn down my 12w6v2 at will. This has allowed me to really tinker with the sound of my passive Focal 165KF components while listening to a variety of music (without going back and turning up/down sub gains manually). Doors with woofers were treated with Dynamat Extreme and the baffles were made from high density plastic (thick cutting boards) and mounted with butyl putty as solidly as I could do it. Tweets are in factory dash location on custom brackets firing toward the windshield angled slightly forward and toward center.
> 
> Apparently I had the component set HPF'd way too high (fiddled around occasionally between 80-100) because they are rock steady down to 60 with kick drums and bass heavy music as loud as you want to go. These are powered by the front channels of a JL HD600/4 (2x RMS rating of the set but I don't overdo the gain). I even dropped the x-over point down to 40 and they handled it very nicely. So much so that I may do a sub-less install on my wife's new Camry with a component set in the front factory locations and a couple of Focal mid-bass drivers in the rear deck LPF'd appropriately if they'll fit.
> 
> Good luck, I'm confident you can accomplish your goal of full sound without giving up the cargo bay to MDF. You may not jiggle your stoplight neighbor's boobies, but no reason your car can't sound punchy and full inside with a little planning and careful install.


That's all I'm looking for really. Nothing super huge and loud, just clean, natural, dynamic and full IN the car. Although, the jiggling boobies would be a bonus! On that note, I do have my girlfriend for that!


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

SQ_Blaze said:


> Although, the jiggling boobies would be a bonus!


Bonus? I thought that was the primary function of subwoofers.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Knobby Digital said:


> Bonus? I thought that was the primary function of subwoofers.


Damn... Now you're making me rethink my entire system. Maybe I should just go with a wall of 15's and call it a day! :laugh:


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## Knobby Digital (Aug 17, 2008)

I like those little boxes like the Cube, XB, Element for their ultra-utility.

Of course, that would ruin their utility, but jiggling boobies is priority #1.


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## virtualmatt (Aug 26, 2008)

I dunno, do your doors this way with 4 Focals and you might just get some jigglage.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Those drivers are a bit too rich for me. Besides, I already have a pair of HAT L6's coming my way for my front stage. As for the subs, I'm leaning towards the JL 6W3v3's still.


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## virtualmatt (Aug 26, 2008)

Any quality drivers will do. I fell into these Focals at a closeout sale and aside from some issues with tweeter brightness I'm happy - for now - until the bug bites again to make changes. I almost bought HAT Legatia components but ran out of budget with the head unit, amp, sub enclosure, and wiring. 

I'd love nothing more than HAT 8s in the doors (if they'd fit) and the tweets and mids on the A-pillars in custom pods. I just don't have the 2 grand to drop on the pods and drivers.


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

Knobby Digital said:


> Bonus? I thought that was the primary function of subwoofers.


Not in my car. 12" subs under the front seats and firing up. What do you think I want to jiggle? ROFL!! 

And Blaze, you may want to just listen with the L6's only first. Those things are really impressive drivers man.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Boostedrex said:


> And Blaze, you may want to just listen with the L6's only first. Those things are really impressive drivers man.


That's most likely what I'm going to do anyway. Since the L6's will be here soon, I can just get a pair of those inexpensive Dayton tweeters to throw in the A-pillars and have a go at that for a short while.

I still have to do the most hated part of the whole system though, and that's running all the cables throughout the car. I absolutely despise doing that part of the install. I'd rather have my toenails pulled out with a pair of rusty pliers than run cables.


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## virtualmatt (Aug 26, 2008)

That is the sucky part. Just make sure to lube the power wire before you pull it through your firewall grommet or any other tight places, makes easy work of it.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

virtualmatt said:


> Just make sure to lube the power wire before you pull it through your firewall grommet or any other tight places, makes easy work of it.


Yeah, I'll have to barrow some from my girlfriend! :laugh:


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

I'm still trying to decide on 6.5" subs for my rear doors. I've got a JL 300/2v2 headed my way which will give me 150w per sub if that helps at all.


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## redcalimp5 (Sep 10, 2007)

SQ_Blaze said:


> I'm still trying to decide on 6.5" subs for my rear doors. I've got a JL 300/2v2 headed my way which will give me 150w per sub if that helps at all.


If you have the mounting depth, Peerless SLS 6.5's maybe?


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

redcalimp5 said:


> If you have the mounting depth, Peerless SLS 6.5's maybe?


Maybe... I have roughly 5" of mounting depth to play with, so just about any 6.5" driver will fit. 

So this is what I'm looking at now as I have whittled down the list some...

Tang Band W6-1139SI
Elemental Designs 3.6
Peerless 830946 SLS

It's a really tough choice. I need help deciding...


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Since the last post, I've looked at the specs of all three drivers listed above a little more and I think I'm going to go with the TB's. The reason being it has the highest Qts of the bunch, and since they will be installed in the rear doors, it's going to be somewhat of a quasi-IB on the drivers.

Here's the Qts of all three drivers...

TB - 0.40
SLS - 0.31
ED - 0.29

Plus I've read a couple reviews on Parts Express where people have said the TB beats a couple of different ED drivers. I haven't seen anything about the TB vs SLS yet though, but am still reading through them!


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

It's good to see you're doing your research on this. 

Good luck to ya!


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

fish said:


> It's good to see you're doing your research on this.
> 
> Good luck to ya!


I always do. I just ask questions to get an idea how certain drivers work in certain situations.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

Well here it is a couple weeks later and I'm still undecided on which subs to go with. 

Today I ran across a review thread that *Ge0* wrote a while back about the Peerless SLS6. He absolutely loves that driver in his 3-way setup as midbasses. I think he's running them at 60-350Hz or something like that. I'm going to be running them in the other direction, from 80Hz or so on down as these will be my sole subwoofers for the system.

The Qts of these are still lower than the TB's and they only have an xmax of 8mm whereas the TB's are 13mm. 

Everyone says the SLS6's have a very quiet motor system, even when pushed hard, but what about the TB's? How are they when pushed? Not that I'll really be pushing them hard, but they will be getting all the frequencies from 80Hz and below. 


Also, I've been thinking of possibly running the 8" version of these two drivers, but the more I think about it, the more I might not be as I'm afraid they won't fit through the factory cutouts even with a 1" baffle and I am not ready to start chopping up the doors on a new vehicle not to mention I've never done something like that before in my life.


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## galacticmonkey (Apr 28, 2010)

Id really like to hear this when its done. Im about 45 minutes from you in the New Port Richey area.


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## SQ_Blaze (Sep 29, 2008)

galacticmonkey said:


> Id really like to hear this when its done.


Haha... Me too!


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## kizz (Jun 22, 2009)

With 8's wuld you have to cut up the door card or the door itself? As long as its not the door card making ur mounting hole bigger isnt too difficult and you will benefit by going with 8's. Sounds like you have the depth so what the hell....why not?!!!!


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