patrickkelly_24

Hey guys,
just though I'd give a little review on my experience with the pioneer TS-SW841D, it's their 8" shallow subwoofer in my 2003 TL-S

First off, I'm pairing this with an Infinity 1300a mono subwoofer amp. At first glance they have proper match for stats, the sub runs 500w max but 150w rms. The amp does 400max, 300w rms at 2ohms but only 200w rms at 4ohms, so I thought it was a nice match.

My intention was to mount it in the factory location in replace of the 9" BOSE woofer. I was under the impression that it would be a fairly easy installation, the subwoofer has a mounting depth of 2.5", and numerous threads have said thats the most you'd be able to use comfortably.....well it was a pain in the ass to install this thing. I figured I'd need a spacer to match up with the factory holes, but turns out you need a 1" spacer. I had a shop make me the proper mount out of mdf for like $15. So after mounting the sub and testing it etc.. I went to place the factory cover back....nope....wouldn't close over top of it....ugh. So I spent some time shaving down the inside of the grill to give a bit more space...finally..VOILA! Awesome. I used some weather stripping on the factory grill to help against rattles, which did a good job, it will be much better once I dynamat it all though.

So now onto the review of the performance.
I was using this little thing for a few days, then, out of nowhere all of a sudden the thing goes whack. Starts vibrating and ends up making a funky smell. I tested all my connections, everything was good, went to plug the speaker wires back into the amp...sparks....figures.
So I read indepth of the subwoofer manual...turns out when being used free air, this sub only operates at 100w nominal..and 300w max....WTF?!?! You'd think they'd mention that on the website eh? Anyhoo.
Turned the gains down. (I had it about halfway before) so it's about 1/4 or 1/3 of the way up on the input.
So now after testing the sub with the level up high and the sub input at its max on the deck...no problems. So lets test it's quality.
I have a mix of music that I listen to, but mostly TOP 40.
This sub plays really well on all types of music, now it is NOT a deep high pressure subwoofer. If your music is at a lower level, you'd never really notice it's on unless ur right next to it. But when I turn the music up (bout half way power on deck) you can definatly hear it. It doesn;t thump or push, but it does recreate the low end very well and helps take away some of the effort from my main speakers. When listening to some Kanye West (808's) it did make some good thump on the lower notes, but the real beauty of this is how well it recreates bass notes from some good acoustic rock tracks. Doesn't over power at all.
Now this may not be for everyone and I don't expect it to be. But if you're like me and just want a little help on the low end and don't want to rattle your car, this might be a good choice. I imagine if you place it in a shallow box you'd get better performance, but my concern was maintaining trunk space and stock look.
Currently my settings for the amp is as follows:
Gain- 1/3 level.
Bass Boost- 1db
LPF Crossover- 120hz

On my pioneer deck my settings are:
EQ-EX: On
Loudness: Low
Subwoofer level: 4/6
Subwoofer frequency: 120hz

I intend on eventually adding a 4 channel amp to power my 4 infinity components that I have running in the doors. This will for sure add some new depth the sound and I will ponder where I'd like to go from there. But as it stands now this sub sounds great for me! Once I get the dynamat installed on the rear deck I'm sure the bass will feel much better and cleaner, I will let you guys know on my follow up!

eggyhustles

120 is too high

cross them @ 80

nbp03tl-s

I have the same sub and I love it, The install wasn't all that bad, but yes I did use a 3/4" spacer and a 1/4" foam spacer. Still, it sounds 10x better than the stock sub, imo. I agree through, mine is running at 80 hz and sounds great.

swoosh

iTrader: (5)

just an FYI....any sub which says it operates in free air use the following formula

rms free air = (rms enclosed)/2

Jerzyboi

thanks for the heads up im thinkin of this exact thing.just figuring out how imma explain this too my installer.

and nbp03tl-s id like to see your setup in your tl see exactly how you did yours?
if thats not problem for you

Jerzyboi

and did it make equal to or more bass then the stock sub did?

patrickkelly_24

Jerzyboi
I would consider the LOUDNESS of the bass similar to the stock BOSE setup, but it is much, much tighter. Remember, even though this sub is far more effecient than the paper factory sub, it's still only 8" and it's being used free air.

Jerzyboi

thats good
i might just end up doing this because i was afraid it wouldn't sound necessarily as loud because i do like the balance of sound and vibration in your seat the stock sub makes,especially with higher bit audio.

nbp03tl-s

I think it makes more bass than factory, but it is also cleaner, I will shoot you some pics when I get a chance. FYI, If you remove the seat belt mount in the back deck and put sound deadening around the assembly and the rest of the deck, then you will be able to turn up the gain on the amp and get a little more out of it, also I'm thinking of making a baffle for mine

nbp03tl-s

also, remove the factory clip that holds the trunk bars together, as well as the small black box bolted to the underside of the deck, not sure what it is, but it rattles like hell.

nbp03tl-s

Not sure where you are coming from, but I own a shop in commerce, you are welcome to come up and check it out.

sontipheap

I am planning to replace my stock subwoofer to a 10" speaker.
Is it possible. I am planning to purchase JL audio subwoofer and probably alphine 2 or 4 channel amp. Just hooking the amp to the subwoofer to my stock deck. What do I need to do, purchase the spacer and foam to make sure it fits in the back dashboard or it would be easier if I let the professional do the installation? Any suggestions would be great...

stenmeister3520

This is going to be hard. the factory sub is 9" so instead of a spacer you will need to cut a bigger hole. JL does make 8" subs. I think you can find shallow subs too that would be easier to mount because our trunks have transverse torsion springs that run across. if you want to mount a normal depth sub you will probably need to remove the springs or rig some other kind of trunk spring.