# Amps under front seats



## ebrahim (Sep 21, 2009)

I have a 2017 Toyota Corolla S and was wondering how difficult would be to put amps under the seat? Would be wise to do that as well if push comes to shove on this matter? 


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## SQLnovice (Jul 22, 2014)

If you have the room for your amps, I think under the seat is a great option. No need to take up extra trunk space. 

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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Just did a second install using the PPI iON 640.5 under the passenger seat. One was in a 95 200SX SE, another in a 2000 Camry XLE. Another install used the XD700/5 replacing the stock amp under the seat of a LS400. Fit perfectly. All have plenty of room to where the amps aren't visible while the seats are in normal seating position. No hint of overheating whatsoever. I did add a couple of strips of hook side velcro per amp to keep them from sliding around during rough driving. A little extra wiring was also left so the amp could be slid out a bit and seat moved forward for easy access.


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## vet883 (Feb 12, 2017)

Amps under the FRONT seats works.especially class d amps because the are smaller and run cooler. I have a PPI ion 1000 under passenger seat for over a year and a RE audio under driver seat for 4 years. Just unbolt the seat lean it back an slide amp under and check if it clears when seat is moved forward and back. Reaudio just touches with body weight in seat, PPI ion clears by an inch, really like that series .


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## JH1973 (Apr 21, 2017)

I have an 09 Sentra and put a JL XD500 under the driver's seat.Ran power line(4 awg) down drivers side and RCA's,speaker and remote wires down center console.

As far as mounting the amp I did not want to put holes in my floorboards so I did something a little different.Pulled out the thick piece of foam between the carpet and floorboard.Cut notches in 4 corners to fit treated 1x.Used doubled sided carpet tape to hold wood to foam then used the tape to hold foam to floorboard.I now had a mounting surface for the amp which works great and the amp feels like it's bolted to the floor literally.

In the 4th picture you can see RCA's,speaker and remote wires going up center console.Last picture is the finished result.With seat pushed all the way forward gives easy access to amp controls.


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## schmiddr2 (Aug 10, 2009)

Clearance is a real issue, and it's hard to know without trying whether it will fit. I also removed the under seat heat/air vents.


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## ebrahim (Sep 21, 2009)

Thank you to all. I truly don't want to remove vents at all. Also I don't want any wiring from the amp to anywhere regardless if it is ground, power, remote and RCA cables to be exposed. 

As for amps I am open to 5 channel or 3 channel depending on specs. If it comes with a built in dsp then I am happy. 


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Almost forgot.... got a set of PDX amps under the seats of my truck as well. :laugh: Dang.... guess all I've been doing is under seat amp installs lately. Still not a problem and I push those pretty good at times. 


As far as small amps with DSP ..... that's a toughy. More expensive and selections get slimmer... way slimmer. Helix P six... not bridgeable so that's a big con. There's Kicker IQ, but they're only available at brick & mortar dealers IIRC and still a bit pricey. Kenwood is supposed to be coming out with one... details are in a thread already. Then there's the older Zapco amps. 


Honestly, I'd skip around all of that and just find a trusty outboard DSP. That way you have all the options you want with amps.


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## vet883 (Feb 12, 2017)

Jh1973 that is a good idea.might do that when I re-wire and go active in the winter.


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## JH1973 (Apr 21, 2017)

vet883 said:


> Jh1973 that is a good idea.might do that when I re-wire and go active in the winter.


Thanks,if you do it an easy tool to do the "gutting" cut in the foam is a regular steak knife........but don't tell my wife.Luckily she was out of town when I was up to this


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## ebrahim (Sep 21, 2009)

I want something under the seat and not some crazy modifications to the floor. I did go through my amp collection and found my Arc Ks300.4, Arc Audio XXD 2080. In all honesty I might just sell the XXD. 

Also in my speakers collection I found my Helix, Morel and HAT Imagine. I would use the one set and sell the rest. 

The reasoning for all this JH1973 is that I don't want her to know I have upgraded the system because she would be  at me as well. I know the feeling of not letting the wife know. In my case it's more like girlfriend but hoping it become wife long story. 


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## ebrahim (Sep 21, 2009)

Bayboy said:


> Just did a second install using the PPI iON 640.5 under the passenger seat. One was in a 95 200SX SE, another in a 2000 Camry XLE. Another install used the XD700/5 replacing the stock amp under the seat of a LS400. Fit perfectly. All have plenty of room to where the amps aren't visible while the seats are in normal seating position. No hint of overheating whatsoever. I did add a couple of strips of hook side velcro per amp to keep them from sliding around during rough driving. A little extra wiring was also left so the amp could be slid out a bit and seat moved forward for easy access.




Do you have pics of those installs?


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## JH1973 (Apr 21, 2017)

ebrahim said:


> I want something under the seat and not some crazy modifications to the floor. I did go through my amp collection and found my Arc Ks300.4, Arc Audio XXD 2080. In all honesty I might just sell the XXD.
> 
> Also in my speakers collection I found my Helix, Morel and HAT Imagine. I would use the one set and sell the rest.
> 
> ...


My wife doesn't mind me indulging in my hobbies,she would just freak if she caught me using kitchenware to work on my car....LOL

BTW.....Not sure if you were referring to my idea in your first sentence but what I did was not a "crazy" modification at all.In fact it is a very simple solution for someone who doesn't want to polk through their floorboards.Lots of ideas out there and every car is different.


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## ebrahim (Sep 21, 2009)

JH1973 said:


> My wife doesn't mind me indulging in my hobbies,she would just freak if she caught me using kitchenware to work on my car....LOL
> 
> 
> 
> BTW.....Not sure if you were referring to my idea in your first sentence but what I did was not a "crazy" modification at all.In fact it is a very simple solution for someone who doesn't want to polk through their floorboards.Lots of ideas out there and every car is different.




Thanks. In my previous marriage when I used a kitchen knife for the install in my Kia she chased me around the house with a spatula in her hand. When she finally caught me she smacked my but with it . 

You are correct they are ton of ideas but I am in no rush at all since i just got the car last Friday. Ironic that I want to do this and the car is four days old. 


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## FordEscape (Nov 23, 2014)

For the 'gen 1' audio upgrade in my Escape I mounted a small MRV-F300 Alpine amp under the passenger seat _literally_ - the amp was mounted upside-down, on a board mounted to the seat bottom, rather than on the floor under the seat. This to allow uninhibited 'toe space' for rear passengers regardless of where the front seat was set in terms of front/rear travel. Also allowed me to keep the molded WeatherTech rear floor mats unmolested.

Long ago abandoned when I added DSP and my component-space requirements changed (I moved everything to under the rear cargo floor), but it worked just fine for the ~year that I ran this way.

Old pics of that install .......


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

ebrahim said:


> Do you have pics of those installs?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I've taken some, but over time I delete stuff. I'll check to see what I have.


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

I have a jl slash 300/2 under my seat right now haha, but smaller class D amps are obviously a wiser choice. But in my experience if someone besides myself messes with the seat then a wire gets pulled out (usually an rca), so make sure the wires are secured well just in case.


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## Howell (May 2, 2010)

EBRAHIM!!!! Long time brother! 

I have been loving the hell out of the tiny Zapco Studio X/B/D and D.BT amps lately. I have a StudioX ST-4 under my driver seat in my Chevy truck to run the front components and rear coaxials...and an ST-1 for my Diamond M308.4 8" subs. All of it is fed signal from an old Eclipse 2301 DSP/EQ processor (2.7v) that is linked to the mid-level Eclipse CD5423 (5v) HU.

Sounds amazing and there is PLENTY of room under the seat for such a tiny amp with great Class A/B sound.

I had my doubts since I'm addicted to Eclipse 8v and 16v Balanced stuff feeding signals into Zapco Reference and DC equipment...so running 5v into a 2.7v DSP and then to "low end" unbalanced tiny amplifiers was an exercise in "what can I get away with?" It worked very very well. Besides the truck is my beater/DSM parts-hauler anyway. The DSMs get the real nice stuff! 

I'll be doing a Ferrari 360 soon...and with all the "not space" available, the tiny Zapcos may do the trick again. Unless I can get a hold of one of those new ADSP-IV units. (DROOOOOOL!)

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## Howell (May 2, 2010)

I'll add that although I am almost always completely against using rear speakers...they were necessary to achieve the DSP effects, so in they went (and my Brother in Law gave me a set of Eclipse 4x6 coaxials for free so why not). I may eventually play with Center channel stuff as well since the DSP has a powered output for a center speaker...and an RCA out if I like it enough to add a small amp (probably a StudioX ST-2).

So 5.1 or DSP effects...ok, use rear speakers. Stereo? Heck NO!  Just bi-amp the fronts!

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## CivicEx'00 (Apr 7, 2017)

I put my BOSS 1100 watt amp under the front driver seat in my 2000 honda civic coupe

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