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Small Regular/Single Cab: Sub Placement?

18K views 23 replies 8 participants last post by  Mr.Anonymous 
#1 · (Edited)
I have been reading and looking at other peoples woofer setups for a small cab, placement seems to be all chosen according to preference and not so much the way it will sound. I have a first generation Dodge Dakota = very small truck, Focal KRX2's in my doors with a Zapco C2K-2.5X amplifier.

This is where I need YOUR input on comparison since I can not find a comparison such as mine so far. It pretty much breaks into two styles, behind the seats or the center console.

Lets talk about the behind the seats method first, which is my LEAST preferred. The most popular seems to be either two medium/small subs or one single larger one, is there a difference between two smaller or one larger? Either way I hate the behind the seats method because this is where I want my amps mounted.




The other style would be sub(s) in a center console, my MOST preferred. However even this breaks down into several ways of doing it, having a single sub between the seats or two (at least one facing straight upward further down/forward in the console).

This setup IMO is the ultimate variation, since you could still use your stock center console and have the sub behind it...but would the small size of the enclosure limit the sound quality??



Now this is basically the same exact thing; the sub is between the seats and appears to be angled with the windshield (intentionally?) BUT what is different here is the enclosure itself has a larger volume (with a loss of the stock center console). Is this larger enclosure space improving the sound quality over the above photo?



If I am limited on enclosure space inverting my sub would help, right??



The last center console design I am looking at is the double-sub with the one farthest toward the front facing straight up. I really hate this design because it just looks like a box, and the sub would collect with dust and is in the way, easily there to be spilled on. The ONLY way I would be able to tolerate this setup if it REALLY benefited my sound is what this guy did with the arm rest over it:



So all in all I am just looking for advice, I am hoping I can get away with one really nice high power woofer between the seats 10-15" ?
 
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#2 ·
I'm sure I'm going to sound like a broken record with these downfiring stealth boxes, but I really like how they intergrate and they don't look rediculess. I'd hate bumpin my elbow into some of those up firing consoles. Or worse yet, being paranoid about everybody and their brother being able to see my subs in plain view, while I'm shopping for groceries. The ones pictured are for other makes and models, but you can get the idea. You should be able to mimic one of them with a single 10" or maybe two 8's, and some cup holders on top to sell the stock look as much as possible. Maybe fish the local junkyard for some usable pieces, to intergate into the design. The last one is for beneath a 2nd row seat, but something like that might nestle behind the seats on a reg. cab.
 

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#3 · (Edited)
I'm not too worried about theft with an alarm and tinted windows but how does something like that even sound? I definitely do not have room for down-firing 8" subs behind my seats, it's that small! I heard that when done right you can use your windshield as a semi-deflex panel (not an inverted sub) like my 4th picture down ..had my eye on a Focal K2 13" (33kx)
 
#7 · (Edited)
WOW!! See I need some engineering like that in my cab, SERIOUSLY! My computer looks just like his only my monitors are larger, anyway, I have a question about this style approach. Yes that may sound strong and rich inside the vehicle but what about outside? This is NOT my goal but sometimes its nice to turn heads outside the vehicle or even piss somebody off for that matter :laugh:

I may need that room under the dash when I switch my transmission over to standard/manual. Why do you choose there?

Downfiring actually adds a couple decibels. Read up on "boundry loading" Just have to make sure the sub you choose is capable of being inverted. Formula is here: Parts Express - Subwoofer Qualification Formulae For Downfiring Configurations
Maybe down-firing in a custom T-Line box like the above video may be the answer here, much more research to do :D
 
#8 ·
Here's my setup when I was like 16 or 17 (reg. cab '03 F150). It was meant to sound good in the car and hit extremely hard, but also be loud....of course lol. Having the subs behind the seats definitely takes away from the "sub in front" feel. When you have 2 Digital Design 3510e subs in 3.25cuft on 900rms each....it was like a crazy back massage lol. This setup was cool for hard rock as it's punch you in the back and chest VERY hard but it'd be way off of what I'm going for nowadays. I just thought I'd throw this in here just for another idea for ya.

 
#9 ·
Here's my setup when I was like 16 or 17 (reg. cab '03 F150). It was meant to sound good in the car and hit extremely hard, but also be loud....of course lol. Having the subs behind the seats definitely takes away from the "sub in front" feel. When you have 2 Digital Design 3510e subs in 3.25cuft on 900rms each....it was like a crazy back massage lol. This setup was cool for hard rock as it's punch you in the back and chest VERY hard but it'd be way off of what I'm going for nowadays. I just thought I'd throw this in here just for another idea for ya.
That is what I will be listening to in this truck with this system, rock but mostly classic rock. Why didn't you even it out with one sub behind each seat instead of two behind one seat?
 
#14 · (Edited)
Not much, maybe 6" but I am yet to fit my new bucket seats. The JL 13TW53 looks pretty nice, not sure how it performs though.

I think the OP should read up on patrick bateman's newest thread on cabin gain. My recommendation would be a small sealed 8" alpine type r upwards firing in the center console.
I will look up the thread, these enclosures by HexiBase are really interesting me.

Are you referring to the 2000 Watt dual 4ohm version?

Seen what PWK Designs has been doing with a HAT small sub in a T-Line box?
Just Imagine - YouTube


See the only thing is his box fires straight out at the B-pillar that the seat belt is mounted to on my truck, I would need to modify that design to fire forward like this:

Of course I would need to knock 10" off that depth, but I can add 1ft+ to the 36" length ^ --OR-- I could use two miniature versions with an 8" in each box firing against the back of the seats, they could be flipped either way so the slotted ports are aligned both in the middle of the cab between the seats or reversed with one on each side of the cab on the outside of the seat edges. I dropped him a message asking for a quote on a box design for my cab, I will see what he has to say if anything (HexiBase).
 
#15 ·
The JL 13TW53 is an animal if used downfiring. I was quite impressed with it. I think you are on the right track as far as the bucket seats and center console idea.

Have you considered an isobaric setup? I know it's kind of outdated, but I've seen a center console with twin JBL W10Gti subwoofers mounted in an isobaric configuration, and it was a showstopper for sure.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I could try squeezing one under each seat, but the enclosures would be pretty basic.

Which style?


I was reading this page on it: Custom Car Audio Boxes

What about a crazyass isobaric T-line setup!? haha I'm sure isobaric setups hit hard but are they smooth with quality sounding bass, I listen to a lot of progressive rock. Same goes for subs under the seats, it will hit you hard but won't have the smooth airy bass sound.
 
#17 ·
My set up is a rear firing center console with a single 10" cerwin vega. The newer Vega series( it's inexpensive and sounds decent, but definitely not high end by any means).

I eeked out around 1.3 cubic feet and have about 4" of clearance between the cone and the rear cab wall. I mounted the enclosure on the factory center seat bracket and sloped the front of the enclosure a little bit. I built an arm rest out of 3/8" mdf and cut a piece of 2" foam, then got my mother to stitch up a cover out of a piece of suede like material. It is comfortable and didn't really take up too much space( the factory center seat had no adjustment and I never had a 3rd passenger anyway ).

Only thing I might really like to change is the shape of the arm rest. I made it in an oval shape, and it would look better visually( I think ) in more of a rectangular shape.

I really need to get some pictures up sometime. It does have a factory-ish look. Plus is that nothing is visible and it doesn't draw much attention. I also still maintain most of my behind the seat space for my jack and a few things like ratchet straps.
 
#20 ·
I can see that haha, I want to go even smaller (behind my seats) I may build a concept of theory box just to see how it sounds. In that guys videos he installs the enclosure in someones truck that had two 10's or 12's and it blew them away with 8's! Yet a center console woofer would give you a more central bass and not so much a "behind you" feel right?


As I mentioned I wanted to try to throw a box together as a test, looks like there has to be a formula for a rear passage/exit width percentage compared to the front passage area the woofers are mounted in. I have these 5-1/2" speakers laying around I salvaged from some large floor speakers (possibly Polk) a long time ago, they were a home entertainment style. Only thing is I think they are mid range speakers and not woofers, the magnets say 16ohm. Can't I run them like subs though in parallel on a single channel 8ohm amp w/ cross over? This is just as a test type of thing for the box, but my thoughts are my Focals will blow the box away and I will have to disable them just to test it haha.

 
#21 · (Edited)
I contacted Pete from HexiBase (PWK Designs) he is going to engineer me up an enclosure according to my cab dimensions and such. He decided 6-1/2" woofers behind the seat would be the best idea, both in a single box. Check out his newest video aimed toward some of the things he takes into account when designing an enclosure: At a Glance - YouTube

So right now I am between the Tang Band W6-1139SI and the JL AUDIO 6W3.




The 6-1/2" Tang Band is only 50W RMS compared to the 6" JL @ 125W RMS both are 4ohm. Something tells me 50W subs are not going to keep up with my 100W mid-range Focal's, I will probably have to use the JL's...then again the Tang Band looks a hell of a lot better on YouTube and I think it has a farther travel than the JL. Not sure if this makes a difference or not but my subwoofers will be a 1/2" smaller than my midrange drivers haha
 
#24 ·
So with my objective of quality bass in a confined space I have decided on the 6.5" woofers in a tuned T-line enclosure behind the seats [10"T x 7"D x 48"W]

The Tang Band W6-1139SI's are looking pretty promising for the $ and I am now wondering if my mid-range drivers were in kick panel pods that would free up my doors...I could put 2 more Tang Band W6-1139SI's in (one in each door) and maybe tune them to hit at a different cut-off point then the T-line enclosure for a wider range?
 
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