I know a lot of people out there have asked the same question (including me): how to add extra bass to a TL (or TL-S) that the stock sub can't produce.

Looking into the sub was easy: I had a brand new Soundstream SPL 10 in the box, so I decided to use that. I then looked into amps, most of which require a turn-on lead from the radio to work right and I won't rip apart the dash on a 6 week old car. I found an amp that uses speaker inputs for signal, turnon, and can run 2 ohms mono: Soundstream Angina (200w into 2 ohms).

I bought an 8ga wiring kit from Crutchfield for $35, make sure you buy a kit with 20' power wire-FYI. I also bought a Q Logic 1.25cu ft 10" box. The box is $90, but worth every penny. It comes with a grille, internal wiring, and a 3" port tube. I bought a 20oz package of fiberfill from AC Moore and threw it in with a 9.25" long port (according to SS specs).

The install was easy, took me 3 hours without drilling a hole, just mounting a few screws: power to battery, ground, speaker wires, signal wire (directly to stock Bose sub), and running the power from the battery to trunk. I did leave the power and ground long, in case I needed to move the sub for one reason or another.

All I have to say is Damn! It pounds like a mother. Playing regular "pop" cd's sound a million times better, but I threw in Prodigy - FOTL and it was amazing, very loud and clean. Can't hear anything outside with the windows closed either, which is good for theft reasons.

Breakdown:

Soundstream Angina amp: $150
Soundstream SPL 10 Sub: $150
Wiring kit: $35
Q Logic box: $90
Fiberfill: $2
I had speaker wire lying around: $0

I didn't include tax or shipping, but it still comes in under $475 total, a lot less than the $675 a local shop wanted for an equivalent system installed (Kicker amp and SB sub.

Paul

 

Nice post. Where did you run the power from the battery? Is there a grommet you used? Which side of the car did you run it on? Did you tap into the signal going to the factory amp on top of the trunk? The remote, also? Are you going to keep the factory sub in there? Some people have said it distorts, from your new sub pushing it. Plus, if you remove it, they say it acts like a port. Or, is your factory sub still working?
I plan to do the same thing, but will get a high-to-low converter so I can use my amp that needs RCA level inputs.
Thanks for the post.

 

Now that's not too bad at all! no drilling? Hmm.. i'll have to look into 1 10" Still don't understand the dynamics of it all, but if you say it sounds good..it just may be worth the investment.

 

I just tapped into the speaker wire that runs from the amp into the factory sub, not the signal wire to the amp. Since the sub frequencies are so low, distortion is hard to hear, though it will definitely be there if you give it 100% from the stock radio. The amp I used needs no remote, the speaker inputs on the amp turn it on as soon as signal is detected-no remote to run.

I ran the power wire on the driver's side of the car, through the top of the fender. It dumps into the gromet for the door stuff (slit and slid it in), running underneath the railing on the driver's side. I took all the panels out of the trunk and pushed it up behind the rear seat until it came through and made it neat. No drilling at all.

I kept the factory sub too, gives it more midbass than just a 10" in an enclosed trunk. Sounds pretty good and tight, with the 10 adding the rumble.

FYI: the sub I used is a DVC model. Brings the impedance to 2ohms, where the amp puts out 200watts. With the box I built and TF of the car, it should push 122-124db max (if distortion if low), not bad for a single 10" budget system.

I'll post pics and link to it on Monday.

 

now we need to see you at a meet to hear this in person... I like this idea because I really want to squeeze more bass out of the car and don't want a box in the trunk.

 

Thanks for the input, Paul. Some people have said that leaving the stock sub in there after putting a new sub abd amp in the trunk has made weird results; the new sub pushing more power causing the factory sub to push weird. I guess I can try it out. So, tapping off the speaker wires 'after' the factory amp is easy? What type of connector? Just jumpers of some type?
I am really thinking of just one 12" Polk, in a 1 sq ft enclosure that fits flush inside my trunk. Make a false wall so if I open the trunk, you can't see it until I remove the false wall. Have it fire right into the trunk pass-through. About 400 watts rms.

 

Sim Type S,

I actually tied right into the positive and negative posts on the Bose sub with a 14ga sp wire going through the little holes and twisted it back around to lock in. If you lay on your back in the trunk you can see what I mean.

I don't think the factory sub works any different with a speaker wire attached to it going to another amp, certainly doesn't lower the impedance. Of course it will distort once the factory sub amp starts pooping out, but that's the breaks of an add-on sub.

I guess a 12" Polk would be fine, as long as it is a tight sound in a small box. Usually 12" subs are really boomy in an enclosed trunk, but loud. Use fiberfill in the box to "tighten" up the sub, seems to work good with the SPL 10 in my box.

Paul