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Big speakers/amps

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by partipilo, Oct 9, 2007.

  1. partipilo

    partipilo Weirdo

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    I'm not one of those types that rolls around setting off car alarms, just want to get that off the assumption pad ahead of time :) I just like a little more sound to my music.

    That being said, I do have a set of 12s with a rather modest 400w amplifier that I would like to install.

    Is it even possible to install something like this in a Prius? Can the 12v system accompany the addition of a big 12v amplifier without vomiting all over, or going up in smoke?
     
  2. Presto

    Presto Has his homepage set to PC

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    The 12Volt system is quite robust. You can probably run a 1000 watt RMS system without problems with the current power system in the Prius.
     
  3. xzacx

    xzacx New Member

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    I have 1 12" in a ported box with a 300w amp- no problem at all. No change in MPG, just better sound, and thumping bass.
     
  4. mikeski

    mikeski New Member

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    Where do you source the power for your amps? Do you attach the hot to the little 12v battery in the back? I just picked up a little 300W class D that should fit under the passenger seat with the JBL amp. I plan to drive it off the rear full range outputs into the hi level inputs. I can live with my JBL drivers for now. I will probably install some 200uF caps to block some of the bass going to the stockers so I can drive them a bit harder. I will be hooking the power to my Alpine Type R 12" sub in it's little 1 cu. ft. plastic box. It is coming out of the BMW I am selling.
     
  5. partipilo

    partipilo Weirdo

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    That's another thing. Where is the 12v battery in this car? Flog me appropriately for not reading the manual yet, but its barely 2 weeks old and the manual is 500 pages...
     
  6. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    oh boy.. i'll phrase it all this way..


    your accessory battery is used for minimal things. this being said, it's smaller than a car battery. imagine a harley bettery? the only thing this battery is used for smaller electronics.

    everything else gets powered by the hybrid battery. it's around 250V. it re charges your 12v very quickly. i drained mine the other day. i left my sub amp on and a couple doors open. oops.. i found everything almost dead later in the day. i went for a cruise to my friends, and when i returned, it wall all charged up nicely. it's been fine since.

    if anything dims oddly.. then put in a capacitor.

    oh yeah.. what i've also noticed...


    as you drive the bass.. it doesn't really leave the car too much. as a hatchback, you get most of the sound.



    Awesome idea! i'm looking to tweak my system as much as possible. i now have a 10" sub. it's ok. much better than the stock amp. i wish i had a custom fiberglass case.
     
  7. mikeski

    mikeski New Member

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    Too bad they don't make a plug n play Q form or thunderform box to go in the hatch opposite the battery. There is definately enough space to have a nice box with a single 10 in it.

    If I have any issues with the voltage dips I will probably replace the stock 12v battery with a Kinetic AGM. That's something like a 100 F capacitor. No real reason we wouldn't just leave the car on (unless it's in the garage)? It's a hybrid right!
     
  8. partipilo

    partipilo Weirdo

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    I'm guessing the 12v battery is behind one of the side panels in the rear. Really convenient actually. However, finding speakers to clip a line-level output to, that is another story. Are there speakers in the rear? Kinda impossible to clip onto the door speakers.
     
  9. beboyle

    beboyle Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(partipilo @ Oct 11 2007, 11:58 PM) [snapback]524462[/snapback]</div>
    It's under the pull-up floor panel in the right rear corner. Pretty easy to reach.
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(partipilo @ Oct 11 2007, 11:58 PM) [snapback]524462[/snapback]</div>
    The rear speaker wires go through the center door posts. Not hard to catch - just pull off the lower trim panel.
     
  10. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bruce Boyle @ Oct 13 2007, 12:20 PM) [snapback]525210[/snapback]</div>
    If you have a jbl amp, splice into the output from the jbl amp ( to whome this applies)

    Here is the JBL amp pin-out:

    Pink ------ Pin S15-8 --- LF+
    Violet ---- Pin S15-19 -- LF-
    Lt Green - Pin S15-9 --- RF+
    Blue ------ Pin S15-20 -- RF-
    Black ----- Pin S15-4 --- LR+
    Yellow ---- Pin S15-13 -- LR-
    Red ------- Pin S15-5 --- RR+
    White ----- Pin S15-14 -- RR-
    Pink ------ Pin S15-6 --- LF+ tweeter
    Violet ----- Pin S15-17 -- LF- tweeter
    Lt Green -- Pin S15-7 --- RF+ tweeter
    Blue ------ Pin S15-18 -- RF- tweeter
    Red ------- Pin S15-3 --- C+
    White ----- Pin S15-12 -- C-

    all speaker and even power are wrapped in pairs.. there is tape wrapped around them around 2 inches down from the connector.

    you can also purchase a clip that plugs in between them. i can't recall the name at this point.

    i tried to get creative and run the wires through the rear doors. i found out that as wires pass though,they go into a clip. you can't pass wires. *shrug* so yeah.. take them from the column. it's good advice ;)