bluntguy

I finally got around to taking some shots of my sub box. It's a JL Audio 13W7 and inside the box is a 1 Farad Cap and a 1000W JL Audio 1000/1 Amplifier. I replaced the stock battery with a Red Top and ran 0/1 AWG cable to supply the Amp.

Shawn

bluntguy

Here's one more... Shawn

Kash

woot thats very nice

ajayz

nice sub yo

kyee

Can you take the sub out easily? I'd like to do something like this, but I do need to haul stuff around on occasion, and would like to have the ability to easily remove the sub when needed.

craigt

bluntguy -

How does your JL amp get its audio signal? (ie. Is it connected to a low level signal before a factory amp or is it connected to speaker terminals)?
What about remote turn-on/off? What is that connected to?
Does the bass overpower the factory system?
I'm sure you have it crossed-over low (typically <60hz for a JL W7) so I was wondering if you moved the presence of bass to the back or does it still appear to come from the front soundstage?

I'm asking these questions because I'm an audio buff (with a 10W7 in my BMW M3) and I recently got the GX470 as a second car for my wife. It has the first factory radio that I considered not modifying since it is so good. But simple added bass might not hurt!

Craig

bluntguy

A few answers....

First - it won't come out. If you want portability, never buy yourself a W7. The woofer weighs a ton, especially a 13W7. The box is double walled 3/4" MDF for maximum stiffness. The box is so heavy, that it needed to be bolted to the chassis to make it safe if it were in a crash.

The signal comes from the same spot that the factory sub amp got its signal, (according to the installer). It does go through some line conversion too though, but as I think about this, I'm not 100% sure why, (I'll explain the issues I have w/all of this later). The installers could not find a 12V turn-on lead, so instead opted for a toggle switch in the dash area next to the, "2nd Start", button, which had nothing there. The bass can very easily overpower the main speakers, so I insisted on an Alpine level selector. This is just a potentiometer that will let you adjust the sub amp's gain manually. This way, you can adjust your bass level according to your music that you listen to. The bass presense really isn't all that different than it was before, just louder and lower. I haven't noticed a soundstage difference. Also, the factory sub has been disconnected.

Problems as of now....

I'm still not convinced the setup is correct as of today. The tuning just don't sound correct. I have a feeling it might be level related, the voltage conversions, crossover levels, or some factory head unit DSP that affects things. The bass sometimes sounds delayed. It seems very boomy too. The installer insists things are just fine, (why not when you don't want to do anymore work on it.) I'm going to take it in again to do some more testing on it to get this $3000 setup fixed. They did have it at one point where it did sound right, so I know it can happen. I also figure I'll post on http://www.termpro.com/ and see if I can get some more technical answers.

shawn

craigt

I suppose you will definately get some bass delay since the woofer faces towards the back. The bass wave travels toward the back wall and then rebounds forward until if finally gets to you. This is great to create deeper bass since the wave has a chance to completely form. As for tuning, you might want to wire it out of phase since you are actually hearing/feeling the mirror image of the wave off the back wall. I don't think a DSP type scenario is the problem because there is no reason to delay the bass expecially if your amp gets its signal from the factory sub signal.

Where is the factory amp? Where is the sub that you disconnected?
Do you have the NAV and DVD? If so, did your installed figure out how to defeat the feature that prevents the front screen from playing a movie while the car is in motion?

Craig

bluntguy

figured out a few more things today...

1. The factory amp is below the driver's seat.
2. The aftermarket sub's signal comes from an input to the amp below the seat.
3. My installer put in a line level converter, then a line booster before it hits the 1000W sub amp.
4. Phase won't cause delay in such a small airspace, but could cause discoloring of the bass. The sub amp has a phase inverter switch built in and I've tried that.
5. I dropped by Lexus today for a look at their electrical diagram. They don't have any repair manuals yet, but said they'd possibly have one in a week.

I think my best bet is to wait to see the actual electrical diagrams and determine where the best place is to tap an un-equalized, un DSP'd, full-range signal from the CD player.

Shawn

bluntguy

It looks like the problem likely was the aftermarket amp. The f'n installer set the, "bass Q" on and turned on the subsonic filter. It sounds much better now.

shawn

0260n5.7

You guys seem to be the "experts" on stereo equipment so here goes. Either of you heard of the Blaupunkt Overdrive Suacer Subwoofer? Is it available? If so, It may be an alternative. It perhaps could be installed in fiberglass on the rear door leaving all interior space untouched. I'd like to do this but can't seem to get my hands on a set. Please advise.

MAC

bluntguy

Never heard of it, but I bet these guys could help you out....

http://www.termpro.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi

shawn