Just thought I'd document my aftermarket sound upgrade for anyone else considering their options. I've got a 2010 Prius 2, base with no options except for those darn floormats. I added a handy little Kenwood KSC-SW10 powered sub under the seat, full-range Alpine speakers in the rear doors, component Alpine speakers in the front doors and dash, and dynamat in the front doors (the goal was to reduce roadnoise and make the doors feel more substantial). A local shop charged five hours labor for the installation including building adapter plates. I did not add an amplifier nor replace the head unit. The new sound is hugely improved over the factory sound (including the upgraded JBL system which didn't impress me). The drawbacks are limited sound volume due to the weak head unit (although it gets plenty loud for everyday use), a bit too much brightness (which is corrected by adjusting the head unit Treble), and some obvious limitations in the bass (which would require much more extensive work to address properly). The overall result is a very nice sound at moderate expense, without sacrificing any usable space for a sub and without any visible signs of aftermarket modifications.
Alpine SPS-600 in the back and SPS-600C in the front. I wasn't able to go with a 6x9 in front because they didn't have anything cost-effective in that size with a component tweeter. And I probably also ought to add that my prior vehicle was running a dedicated subwoofer amp and a nice 10" driver in a trunk enclosure. When I say that my Prius setup has some limitations in the bass, it's still pretty darn good in comparison to most vehicles. Anyone but an extreme audio enthusiast would be quite pleased with this setup.
Did you put the tweeter under the factory grill? Underseat sub is pretty cool...I'm sure it has its limitations, but it looks to be a nice compromise....you could always buy a second for under the other seat...
I was interested in an underseat mounting of this subwoofer too. In my model V, there is already something mounted under both the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. Anyone know if it will fit anyway? As long as I'm asking questions, what is down there? (think someone in the USB thread said the driver's side has the XM, which is where they plugged one end of the interface cable). When you say rear door, do you mean replacing what was there, or putting something lower in the door?
All speakers replace the existing factory speakers, underneath the grill and visually indistinguishable from stock. The only visible difference is the sub remote, which is attached under the front console near the 12v outlet. Nice idea re adding a second sub. My original plan was to put an amplifier under the second seat. Perhaps the best plan would be to install two subs and replace the head unit with something a bit more powerful. My opinion was that replacing the dash tweeters was crucial to the project, since the factory tweeters sounded harsh and since the door speakers are so deep in the footwell. The tweeters did add a bit to the materials cost and at least an hour to the labor. (quickly re-posting the highlights since my proxy server ate my reply)
Depending on how good the bass is sounding now, you might be better off with an amp. Even the best head units use pretty lame amps compared to dedicated outboard amplifiers. If it was a choice between more sub, or an outboard amp, I'd go with the amp. It'll make the whole system sound better...I'm not a thumper though, more of a fidelity guy... Mike
I also would like to know about the install of a sub under the seat. Does anyone have the information on where to hook everything up to for a clean install of a sub such as the: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OSZA44/ref=ox_ya_oh_product Thanks.
Sorry, I can't help with that. I paid to have mine professionally installed. I paid one hour labor for the sub as part of the total system installation, plus a few bucks for shop materials. They would have charged two hours if this was the only item they had installed.
You'd need to get power, remote turn on, line outs, etc. to that unit. Its just like wiring up an amp except you don't need to run speaker lines from the amp to the speaker.
