DIY: Custom Sub Box Install- pics and plans
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Custom Sub Box Install- pics and plans
While I'm relatively happy with my Bose system, I feel it really lacks any semblance of bass. I had a Bazooka 10" in my Miata's trunk, which did exactly what I wanted- filled in the low's with solid, tight bass that was heard in the car, not out of it. I wanted the same for my RX8, but I wanted to take advantage of the larger trunk to create a small enclosure with a little more power.
This weekend I put together a custom subwoofer box with plans I made in Visio after measuring the space I wanted the box to occupy (basically the space between the seats and the back lip of the trunk). I wanted clean, tight bass in a small package so I went for a sealed box design at the minimum recommended volume for my subs of choice (Alpine 10" Type E "budget" subs . It's been about 15 years since I last built a box, so I wanted to do this one right- I used 3/4" MDF, liquid nails, sound deadener spray, polyfill, speaker gaskets, OFHC 10Ga speaker wire and power wire, etc.
Anyway, if anyone is interested, I'll convert the plans from visio to GIF and post them... but for now, below are a few pics of the box, pre-construction and installed.
This weekend I put together a custom subwoofer box with plans I made in Visio after measuring the space I wanted the box to occupy (basically the space between the seats and the back lip of the trunk). I wanted clean, tight bass in a small package so I went for a sealed box design at the minimum recommended volume for my subs of choice (Alpine 10" Type E "budget" subs . It's been about 15 years since I last built a box, so I wanted to do this one right- I used 3/4" MDF, liquid nails, sound deadener spray, polyfill, speaker gaskets, OFHC 10Ga speaker wire and power wire, etc.
Anyway, if anyone is interested, I'll convert the plans from visio to GIF and post them... but for now, below are a few pics of the box, pre-construction and installed.
Last edited by G8rboy; 02-02-2004 at 02:28 PM.
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JimmyV (01-27-2019)
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The last two shots really show how much trunk space is left. I did have to remove my spare tire and mounting kit (I didn't really want it, but it was already installed on this car when I found it on the lot). I maximized space by matching the slope of the box's face to the slope of the back seats (65 degrees), and making the bottom just large enough to easily slip in and out if I need to remove the box for long trips, etc.
As for the sound- it's exactly what I was looking for- not ear shattering or sheet-metal rattling- just low, tight bass to supplement the Bose. I still have some tweaking to the cut-off and gain to make it agreeable to all types of music, but it's helluva improvement so far.
As I mentioned- I'll convert the detailed design docs to .gif if there's any interest.
-Sean
As for the sound- it's exactly what I was looking for- not ear shattering or sheet-metal rattling- just low, tight bass to supplement the Bose. I still have some tweaking to the cut-off and gain to make it agreeable to all types of music, but it's helluva improvement so far.
As I mentioned- I'll convert the detailed design docs to .gif if there's any interest.
-Sean
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Absolutely amazing man! And you still have room to throw your crap in the back! I wish you were in FL to make me 1. I would pay high dollar for that.
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Originally posted by Jeff_pap31s
Absolutely amazing man! And you still have room to throw your crap in the back! I wish you were in FL to make me 1. I would pay high dollar for that.
Absolutely amazing man! And you still have room to throw your crap in the back! I wish you were in FL to make me 1. I would pay high dollar for that.
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Originally posted by Outlaws eXtreme
Very nice job, I'm impressed!
Just shows you how much room there is in our 8's...
Very nice job, I'm impressed!
Just shows you how much room there is in our 8's...
Yeah- I was amazed how much space was back there when I pulled the spare tire. That damn thing takes up so much room, and effectively blocks even more from being usable below it.
One aspect of the design I didn't mention was to make sure that the "emergency tire repair kit" still had room to attach to it's factory strap, so I didn't have to find another home for it.
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I had some time to convert the plans to .gif from my other PC and put them on my server:
http://www.theswamp.com/rx8/rx8boxplans.gif
Something I didn't mention earlier is that these plans will adapt easily to a 2x8" setup, 1x 10", or 1x 8" - the latter two by omitting the center divider piece.
If anyone finds it helpful, enjoy!
Here's a preview...
http://www.theswamp.com/rx8/rx8boxplans.gif
Something I didn't mention earlier is that these plans will adapt easily to a 2x8" setup, 1x 10", or 1x 8" - the latter two by omitting the center divider piece.
If anyone finds it helpful, enjoy!
Here's a preview...
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G8rboy - Very well done!!!! I went to the link and it looks very thorough, thank you for your time and effort on this.
Couple ques. - Did you tap into the rear speakers and as a result is there any interference or static?
Why do you need the board to separate the two woofers? Is the sound distorted if it isn't used?
Thanks in advance.
Couple ques. - Did you tap into the rear speakers and as a result is there any interference or static?
Why do you need the board to separate the two woofers? Is the sound distorted if it isn't used?
Thanks in advance.
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Originally posted by success07
G8rboy - Very well done!!!! I went to the link and it looks very thorough, thank you for your time and effort on this.
Couple ques. - Did you tap into the rear speakers and as a result is there any interference or static?
Why do you need the board to separate the two woofers? Is the sound distorted if it isn't used?
Thanks in advance.
G8rboy - Very well done!!!! I went to the link and it looks very thorough, thank you for your time and effort on this.
Couple ques. - Did you tap into the rear speakers and as a result is there any interference or static?
Why do you need the board to separate the two woofers? Is the sound distorted if it isn't used?
Thanks in advance.
As for the partition between the woofers- some say you don't need it, some say you do. Maybe Rotarygod or someone with more experience with subs will answer this more definitively. I figured if they both had their own private air space it would be the optimal situation. If I had been looking for "boomier" sound for rap/hip-hop, then I would have probably just done a single 10" in the middle with no partition, essentially doubling the airspace the sub could have. It's a pretty flexible design...
-Sean