Subwoofer placement and other speaker questions

In my experience with dealing with stock car stereo systems, I would have to go with adding a sub making the biggest initial difference. Having a pronounced low-end of sound is instantly noticeable. Of course, you'll want to upgrade the rest shortly after. Like home audio, there's always a way to make it sound better

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nstevens @ Jun 17 2006, 12:32 PM) [snapback]272707[/snapback]</div>

If you mount the sub in the trunk space with extra wire left in the wire harness ( best thing to do is put electric tape around the first 2 feet of the excess to keep it neat), then there is more than enough play to drop the back seats and lift the plastic storage box and rest it forward of the spare on top the back of the folded seats.

IMHO the Kenwood, with one 6" speaker and one 6" passive speaker and 150 watts ( 75 watts RMS) is a superior choice to the Clarion.

 

nstevens,
If your a big home audio guy, then my guess is that you're most disappointed with
the factory mids & highs. The other posters are right about the subwoffer making
the biggest splash, but I'll bet that your ears might appreciate a good upgrade of the
factory speakers with a clean amp driving them (even more).
I had the same setup as you, '06 Package 4 with base radio.
I busted out laughing when I actually took out the factory speakers and had a look
at their thimble-sized (literally) magnets......"no wonder they sound like crap" I thought to myself.
The good news is that a good set of component speakers (5.25 to 6.5-inch mid-bass with separate
tweeters & cross-over) with a decent amp makes a world of difference. The factory speaker
locations and the accoustics of the car are capable of setting up a very nice sound stage
(both good center imaging & separation). Personally, I have Diamond Audio separates & an Xtant
amplifier & love 'em, but I suspect you could go with any decent separates & amp and be very happy.
Then if you want, you can still add a powered sub if you're looking for more low-end.
Just my two cents.....
Cheers,
Matt

 

I'm looking to upgrade my 06 package 8. The amps I'm looking at are made by Zed Audio. Zed Audio has been in the business for quite some time and has designed amps for many different companies. The four channel amp is not the cheapest you're going to find but if your into quality I think you'll find it to be a very good value.

Ken

 

I just installed the Kenwood SW1 under the driver's seat in 2001 Prius. I am very satisfied with its performance so far. I will note that if boosted way up it will vibrate the seat. Somewhat distracting. I normally don't run it that high.

Presumably it could fit in the same place in the new model Prius?

Not familiar with the Clarion - you mean SRV 303? The epinions reviews are not promising (if that matters)

http://www.epinions.com/pr-Clarion_SRV303_...isplay_~reviews

compare

http://www.epinions.com/Kenwood_KSC_SW1_W_...isplay_~reviews

 

No protrusion. To check, I built a cardboard box to the specification size and tested the fit, before buying.


There is a rear seat HVAC vent that got blocked. I tried to redirect its flow, crudely, but I think that it should be regarded as effectively blocked.

 

oh oh........ i just ordered a 2006 with package #5 that has the 9 speaker JBL disc changer and Mp3 plug thinking this will be a kick nice person stereo........ from what I am reading here, it's not very good??? Is the sound in the factory speakers really bad? will I have to replace all nine of them? The amp also? I thought the "voice" was somehow integrated in the amp.... if I replace the amp, will I lose the voice as well?

Crap, this 4-6 week waiting period, and I only have a week under my belt... seems like forever...... help?!?!?!!

 

Check my other post about mounting the Kenwood sub in the tray, I used quick release connectors, so you can take the tray out completely very easily. I also left enough slack where you can prop up the tray and take the spare out if you don't want to remove the tray.

I've read many reviews on the Clarion and everyone says it's really bad, distorts way too early and just does not sound good at all. I have this Kenwood sub in 3 of my cars, works very well as long as you're not looking for booming bass.

As for cheap good 4 channel amps, I usually go with Rockford Fosgate, you can find some under $200 on ebay. I got a deal on a Pioneer from a friend who works there, it works well for the price, you can get it for under $150 on ebay.

 

Rangerdavid,

The sound from the JBL system is significantly better than the non-JBL system, but it starts to lacck power, and clarity compared to aftermarket systems. If you're used to aftermarket sound, then you may be disappointed with the JBL. I thought it was pretty good for stock equipment, but I knew I was going to upgrade it immediately... I have yet to find a stock stereo system that I really like.

Just try it out. You may like it. You may not. Don't let the other posts influence you. It's all a matter of preference.

 

Hey RangerDavid,
Congrats on your order. I think for the regular person the JBL premium system is adequate depending on what type of music you listened too. I found regular radio wasn't that great, but when listening to CD's and the Ipod, there was definitely a sound improvement. Definitely remove/unplug the center speaker for better seperation, and think about adding a subwoofer for a little more low-end sound/bass. I've seen and heard one of the cars that had an amp and 10" subwoofer installed, and although it was a huge improvement, the cost was a little more then I expected to spend and to be honest I don't listen to my music that loud. I personally had a good experience with the Kenwood and would recommend that as a low cost alternative. IF you are an audiophile, then you might want to look at the posts regarding replacing all or some of the speakers/tweeters.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nstevens @ Jun 19 2006, 05:19 PM) [snapback]273703[/snapback]</div>

The connections to be made are quite simple, but I don't know where the wires are found in the new model Prius. The speaker level inputs are what I would call "sense" rather than "pass-through". Was expecting the latter, similar to home theater subwoofers. The sense wires just have to make contact with the (front door) speaker wires somewhere. Polarity (which is to say phasing) matters here. Somebody who knows new Prius audio will have to tell you the color coding.

Main power is your choice. It will typically draw a few amps, but it's fused for 10. Make sure you connect it to a very capable power line (I went straight to the lead acid battery). There is also a "power on sensing" line, which needs to connect to something that only shows 12 volts when the car is in "ready" mode. It has a miniscule current draw (about a milliamp) so I just sniffed around in some connectors until I found a suitable wire. To tell the truth I have no idea what that wire really does!

Car still works though.

 

I wrote about my upgrade on this linked thread. I think adding a sub without changing out the paper speakers, with magnets the size of a quarter, would be just covering up the bass distortion without really fixing the mids.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nstevens @ Jun 19 2006, 05:19 PM) [snapback]273703[/snapback]</div>

I've had mine for over a year now and haven't had any issues with rattles - and I crank the system up pretty high. I don't remember if the unit has rubber feet or if I had to apply my own. Either way, it sits on the hard plastic of the tray and doesn't move around.

I did the install myself, but it might be tricky if you don't feel comfortable pulling power and finding a switched line (I used the 12V outlet on the passenger side). I also spliced/soldered into the rear speaker signals, but I don't know if everyone does it this way. Hiding the wires was simple.