Sub Help

[Flashhx]

Recently replaced my standard dynamic clio front and back speakers however there is still not enough bass for my liking, im looking into getting just a small sub to give me bass but wont make me sound too chavvy haha, will it be possible to spend about £35-£45 or am I looking at a higher cost?

Here are the speakers I have upgraded too
http://www.halfords.com/sat-nav-aud...ems/fli-fi5-5-13cm-3-way-coaxial-car-speakers

 

[Dannyeff]

i have the bigger ones of these and they were great. actually enjoyed using them in my puma. tbh depending on what setup you have you can turn the bass up and down so dont worry to much about that just get good quality sub and amp

 

[Goodj]

You wont get any kind of heavy bass out of the speakers that fit in the stock holes, even if you cut them out.
A little sub in the boot would be the solution. Or an underseat number if you don't want to lose boot space (although these have less output, generally).

 

[Mendizmo]

If it's not enough bass for your liking then you need a quality sub & amp as above. As for "sounding chavvy" who gives a s**t?! All respect to yourself, I see that term floating round a lot on here & unless you're in your Nike TN cap at McDonald's with the boot open, flashing LED's & tunes up then I don't see what could possibly be "chavvy" about having some bass.
I've got twin 12s in my 172 & I don't care what anyone thinks, I love bassy music, keep it respectable near houses etc & wouldn't class myself as a "chav". There's an element of petrolhead/boy racer in all of us at the end of the day, but when it comes to music get it sounding how you like it mate. If that means a quality set of amp'ed up components or earth rumbling bass from one massive 15 & a mono amp then go for it. It's your car & your music! Apologies for the mini rant but IMO nothing is chavvy unless you conform to the stereotype of some mouthy little fucker in dirty air max trainers & Lonsdale joggers spinning up in a 1.2, yea blud fam ETC ETC ETC.

 

[Flashhx]

i have the bigger ones of these and they were great. actually enjoyed using them in my puma. tbh depending on what setup you have you can turn the bass up and down so dont worry to much about that just get good quality sub and amp

thanks mate, only problem is not sure about where to start with the amp becuase as i said, i dont want to spend s**t loads, any suggestions?

 

[Flashhx]

You wont get any kind of heavy bass out of the speakers that fit in the stock holes, even if you cut them out.
A little sub in the boot would be the solution. Or an underseat number if you don't want to lose boot space (although these have less output, generally).

Cheers mate, as i said above, any help with what sub would be effective for a reasonable price would be appreciated!

 

[Flashhx]

If it's not enough bass for your liking then you need a quality sub & amp as above. As for "sounding chavvy" who gives a s**t?! All respect to yourself, I see that term floating round a lot on here & unless you're in your Nike TN cap at McDonald's with the boot open, flashing LED's & tunes up then I don't see what could possibly be "chavvy" about having some bass.
I've got twin 12s in my 172 & I don't care what anyone thinks, I love bassy music, keep it respectable near houses etc & wouldn't class myself as a "chav". There's an element of petrolhead/boy racer in all of us at the end of the day, but when it comes to music get it sounding how you like it mate. If that means a quality set of amp'ed up components or earth rumbling bass from one massive 15 & a mono amp then go for it. It's your car & your music! Apologies for the mini rant but IMO nothing is chavvy unless you conform to the stereotype of some mouthy little fucker in dirty air max trainers & Lonsdale joggers spinning up in a 1.2, yea blud fam ETC ETC ETC.

valid point, think im going to have to agree with you on that, just don't want any problems such as a vibration sound etc coming from the boot!

 

[Goodj]

You're going to be looking at considerably more than £40 fella 😧
I'm using one of THESE in the Mazda, it helps flesh out the low-end but it's nothing like a chavvy BOOMZ box
but since you have a hatchback, if you don't mind losing a bit of boot space....
This?
Or maybe this?

As for the "sounding chavvy" argument. If you go around built-up errors rattling your windows out in a generic hatchback, you're going to look like a chav to anyone in respectable society.
BUT!
There is such a thing as a volume control, so you can wind up the boom on the open road, then back down again so that you can retain some dignity when you're stuck in city-centre traffic.

And for rattling noises from the boot.... Clios will rattle. Put bass in it and you'll be chasing rattles forever. Fact

 

[Mendizmo]

valid point, think im going to have to agree with you on that, just don't want any problems such as a vibration sound etc coming from the boot!

I've got a cup, so less soundproofing etc & I don't many rattles inside. In my old 1.2 I fitted soundproofing to behind the front door cars, the boot plastic & even behind the rear number plate.
The bigger the boom the louder the vibrations! As long as it sounds good inside I wouldn't worry too much although you can go to those lengths to stop any rattles.
If I was you I'd pop onto caraudiosecurity.com & check out their sub & amp deals. If you want a decent amount of bass then a 12 inch sub (best for all types of music) powered by a separate amp is the way to go. Look for good brands, Pioneer, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate are some of the better ones, but Sony, Vibe etc are all good too. Always look for the RMS wattage & not the MAX, & if you can it wouldn't hurt to match the numbers. Just stay with what you can afford & you can't go wrong. I'd stay away from the cheap stuff, hi fonics, edge, tornado & stuff like that. Also, if it was me I wouldn't go for an 'all in one' or active package. Separate or passive IMO is better.

 

[Flashhx]

You're going to be looking at considerably more than £40 fella 😧
I'm using one of THESE in the Mazda, it helps flesh out the low-end but it's nothing like a chavvy BOOMZ box
but since you have a hatchback, if you don't mind losing a bit of boot space....
This?
Or maybe this?

As for the "sounding chavvy" argument. If you go around built-up errors rattling your windows out in a generic hatchback, you're going to look like a chav to anyone in respectable society.
BUT!
There is such a thing as a volume control, so you can wind up the boom on the open road, then back down again so that you can retain some dignity when you're stuck in city-centre traffic.

And for rattling noises from the boot.... Clios will rattle. Put bass in it and you'll be chasing rattles forever. Fact

I have looked into the underseat subs and was considering this one due to my girlfriend having one fitted into her citreon C1. However, how would i find out whether i could fit it straight into my car? Stereo is of standard, only things changed are as mentioned the four new speakers i have fitted

 

[Dannyeff]

thanks mate, only problem is not sure about where to start with the amp becuase as i said, i dont want to spend s**t loads, any suggestions?

i managed to get one of these for 12 quid and had it in my puma - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mutant-Au...4?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3f00813892 it was cheap yeah and it was rubbish but it had some decent bass and tbh you pay for what you get but at the same time you dont need to be a snob about it. get what you can afford and get within your budget. it wont be the best but it will provide you with bass. personally im going to spend about 120 on sub and amp i think but al see nearer the time.

 

[Goodj]

OK.
You need a new head unit before you even think to do anything more. The weakest part of your setup is the HU at this point.
Indeed, your new speakers are a waste at this time

 

[Flashhx]

I've got a cup, so less soundproofing etc & I don't many rattles inside. In my old 1.2 I fitted soundproofing to behind the front door cars, the boot plastic & even behind the rear number plate.
The bigger the boom the louder the vibrations! As long as it sounds good inside I wouldn't worry too much although you can go to those lengths to stop any rattles.
If I was you I'd pop onto caraudiosecurity.com & check out their sub & amp deals. If you want a decent amount of bass then a 12 inch sub (best for all types of music) powered by a separate amp is the way to go. Look for good brands, Pioneer, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate are some of the better ones, but Sony, Vibe etc are all good too. Always look for the RMS wattage & not the MAX, & if you can it wouldn't hurt to match the numbers. Just stay with what you can afford & you can't go wrong. I'd stay away from the cheap stuff, hi fonics, edge, tornado & stuff like that. Also, if it was me I wouldn't go for an 'all in one' or active package. Separate or passive IMO is better.

Will check it out now, much appreciated. However as i just said, i have left the radio as standard, will i be able to fit a sub straight to it or will other modifcations need to be done?

 

[Goodj]

you can wire the sub to a standard HU, but you;ll lose your rear speakers as the speaker wires will feed into the sub as a "speaker line input".
As said, wait until you can get a decent HU in place before you go any further

 

[Flashhx]

i managed to get one of these for 12 quid and had it in my puma - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mutant-Au...4?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3f00813892 it was cheap yeah and it was rubbish but it had some decent bass and tbh you pay for what you get but at the same time you dont need to be a snob about it. get what you can afford and get within your budget. it wont be the best but it will provide you with bass. personally im going to spend about 120 on sub and amp i think but al see nearer the time.

Dont want to seem to thick, but i pressume you brought a sub box seperate? was that running with an amp? standard head unit or not? thanks

 

[Goodj]

here's what I'd suggest, without being a budget-blower:-
HU
Sub and amp
This in your doors
This behing the lining in the boot

You cant really run a sub from a headunit....it will either not work at all or be ultra-pap.

 

[Flashhx]

you can wire the sub to a standard HU, but you;ll lose your rear speakers as the speaker wires will feed into the sub as a "speaker line input".
As said, wait until you can get a decent HU in place before you go any further

If i was to get the sub before a HU upgrade, are there no splitters on the market? to allow all four speakers to work with the sub for example?

 

[Dannyeff]

Dont want to seem to thick, but i pressume you brought a sub box seperate? was that running with an amp? standard head unit or not? thanks

tbh mate i was a cheap skate i never got a sub box i wired up the amp and always ment to get a box but never got round to it ... eventually my sub blew and my amp - i left it in the car when getting scrapped or u could of had it. just get what you can afford or go down the 2nd hand route. im no expert but do try and get something decent because you will be in your car most days and it will be well worth it

 

[Goodj]

If i was to get the sub before a HU upgrade, are there no splitters on the market? to allow all four speakers to work with the sub for example?

in a word. no.
Which is why you should get the head unit sorted first. Indeed, it was a waste of effort changing your speakers at all since the originals are actually pretty good once you take bass off of them and feed them signal from a decent stereo

 

[Flashhx]

Will have to get assess all these options and see which route im going to take, thanks for all the help, much better understanding than i had yesterday haha

 

[Goodj]

not a problem fella, it's what the forum is here for
Summarise:
1) get a new head unit
2) sound-deaden your doors
3) get a sub and amplifier that suits your budget

ALso, keep your original stereo because then, at resale time, you can take all the new stuff out to put in your next car. I've had a sub for 12 years that will be used in the next car I have with a boot...it'll be it's 5th home

 

[Mendizmo]

Will check it out now, much appreciated. However as i just said, i have left the radio as standard, will i be able to fit a sub straight to it or will other modifcations need to be done?

As Goodj said mate, I'd wait & concentrate on getting a decent head unit before you consider adding a sub & amp. The new head unit will give the upgraded speakers a better kick as they have a (small) amplifier built it, 4x52watts or similar. That will improve the sound quality drastically, & from there you can see if the bass is enough. In my case you can't get enough lol.

Just as an edit: Goodj's posts above are spot on, follow his advice & you can't really go wrong (kissing arse much lol). Just for more input, subs perform best when powered by a dedicated amp. Trying to power it from the standard or even upgraded head unit would be pants! I've got a Sony Bluetooth head unit (pairs up with iPhone wirelessly for playing music) & I love it. Think it was around £120 from Halfords, (which tbh for ease of use & viewing head units is fine to buy from) & it's great. In my experience caraudiosecurity are great for subs/amps/speakers & I've never had any issues & they are also quite helpful on the phone. Keep us posted!

 

[levaz]

^^ what @Mendizmo said.

I'm running a not too dissimilar setup to him in my 172 and it gives a good hard thump.

I am running a vibe 800w underseat unit in my MGZR and it gives a lower note, but no real kick compared to a pair of 12"s

 

[Mendizmo]

^^ what @Mendizmo said.

I'm running a not too dissimilar setup to him in my 172 and it gives a good hard thump.

I am running a vibe 800w underseat unit in my MGZR and it gives a lower note, but no real kick compared to a pair of 12"s

Yeah ours are pretty much the same set up, albeit yours looks nester & takes up less space than my "just plonked in" style lol.

I've got 2 Pioneer 800w subs in the Fli wedge box & a Soundstream 2 channel 1600w amp. Gives it a nice deep rumble & the Pioneers can keep up with most frequencies (which my previous FLI subs couldn't handle) & for me is fine.
Although I would love to get a ported box for even lower bass at some point!
Also running Infinity speakers front & rear, powered by the HU as I'm too tight to amp them up lol.

 

[levaz]

mine are 2x 2ohm 500w rms Alpine Type R's running from a Vibe Slick A7 amp.
Headunit is a JVC and the rest is standard clio setup, for now. lol

 

[Flashhx]

mine are 2x 2ohm 500w rms Alpine Type R's running from a Vibe Slick A7 amp.
Headunit is a JVC and the rest is standard clio setup, for now. lol

Yeah ours are pretty much the same set up, albeit yours looks nester & takes up less space than my "just plonked in" style lol.

I've got 2 Pioneer 800w subs in the Fli wedge box & a Soundstream 2 channel 1600w amp. Gives it a nice deep rumble & the Pioneers can keep up with most frequencies (which my previous FLI subs couldn't handle) & for me is fine.
Although I would love to get a ported box for even lower bass at some point!
Also running Infinity speakers front & rear, powered by the HU as I'm too tight to amp them up lol.

Dont mean to be a nuisance, but does anyone know how to locate radios with the 6x output? struggling to find anything above 4 thats not a stupid price

 

[levaz]

You'll struggle tbh.
Most manufacturers only go 4 channel (front left / right, rear left / right)
Maybe a dedicated dvd unit would offer extra, but i cant think of any other occasion that would offer it.

If you just want it for extra speakers and aren't fussed about sound balance, you could use a 4 channel amp on the front or rear pre-amp and run 4 speakers off it that way, then use the remaining output for 2 more speakers?

 

[Flashhx]

You'll struggle tbh.
Most manufacturers only go 4 channel (front left / right, rear left / right)
Maybe a dedicated dvd unit would offer extra, but i cant think of any other occasion that would offer it.

If you just want it for extra speakers and aren't fussed about sound balance, you could use a 4 channel amp on the front or rear pre-amp and run 4 speakers off it that way, then use the remaining output for 2 more speakers?

Think i may have misunderstood something somewhere along the line then, ive brought four new speakers (front left/right, rear left/right) was under the impression i would need a 6 output HU to get a sub aswell, is that not the case or will i have to sacrifice the rear?

 

[levaz]

Ahh, i'm with you!

On the back of the headunit you should have some red/white phono sockets.
Maybe 2 or 3 pairs?

The amp for the sub wires to these, the 4 speakers connect to the plug with 8 wires on if you want to run them direct from the headunit

 

[Flashhx]

Ahh, i'm with you!

On the back of the headunit you should have some red/white phono sockets.
Maybe 2 or 3 pairs?

The amp for the sub wires to these, the 4 speakers connect to the plug with 8 wires on if you want to run them direct from the headunit

So i will need to find a HU with the normal speaker connector, then with the red&white phono sockets aswell?

 

[levaz]

Yea, the phonos will be labelled
Front, rear and sub if you have 3, or front rear/sub if you have 2.

Its quite common, most aftermarket hu's will have the normal connection and at least 1 phono output

 

[Flashhx]

Yea, the phonos will be labelled
Front, rear and sub if you have 3, or front rear/sub if you have 2.

Its quite common, most aftermarket hu's will have the normal connection and at least 1 phono output

great thanks

 

[Mendizmo]

Sorry mate, was a bit busy. Levaz has answered your question tbh. Most head units are plug & play so once it's in it's in. The red & white outputs on the back (check head unit comes with pre out) are for the RCA leads that go to the amp. I'd recommend running those, as well as the remote wire as your putting the new HU in. That way you won't have to take it back out once you get you get your sub & amp. It will save you time & you'll only have to fit the power & earth cables.

 

[levaz]

To add to mendizmos post (without taking anything away from it)
Run your remote and power lead down one side of the car (passenger side is easier for battery access)
And run your rca lines down the opposite side