1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Powered woofer install w/ pics n instructions

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by chrisspaulding, May 23, 2008.

  1. racerbob

    racerbob Member

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2008
    138
    6
    0
    Location:
    S Florida
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Chris,
    I have been thinking about that sub also. It got some good reviews. I too am not looking for great SPL, but I like clean extended bass. Does it seem to go as low as a good 10" in a sealed enclosure. I am just worried that many small speakers just won't go down to 30 HZ or lower.
     
  2. chrisspaulding

    chrisspaulding sexy, high tech, fun

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    556
    24
    0
    Location:
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    As a 10"? It's advertised to sound like TWO 10"'s!!
    It certainly doesn't seem like 5 little speakers. Whatever that new technology is they dialed it in pretty good for a powered sub!

    For the technical specs, and specifically your question on 'down to 30HZ'... I'm not sure.

    I can say though, with it in my spare wheel well, the sub vibrates my chest/temples and make my rear view mirror shake to 0 visibility!

    It sounds a little better on rap bass than rock bass (if that makes sense), but I haven't had it long to mess with all the knobs which may improve the quality even more.

    Overall, for the price $299 (regular $599 but on closeout from Crutchfield), I'm VERY satisfied!

    Crutchfield has a 30 day money back and free shipping back guarantee, so it's a deal at least to try (imo)

    Hope this helps
    .
     
  3. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2007
    1,555
    81
    0
    Location:
    Akron, OH
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I have the Non JBL system with a bridged 10" sub, the stereo sounds amazing with Rap / Hip Hop, but with Rock (Sirius Octane 20) it sounds weak. I have attributed it to the very weak stock OEM speakers that seem to have one of the muddiest midranges of any speaker I've ever heard.
     
  4. chrisspaulding

    chrisspaulding sexy, high tech, fun

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    556
    24
    0
    Location:
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    .
    i LOVE Sirius Octane 20!!!!!
    Kayla -or whatever her name is- is my favorite D.J.
    i FKING HATE Jason Ellis

    My audio system (JBL w/ powered sub) handles rock good too, I just like the bass tones more commonly used in rap
    .
     
  5. Five5Six

    Five5Six New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2008
    56
    1
    0
    Location:
    Los Osos, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Was there no remote line for this powered sub? Where are you guys pulling switched power from?
     
  6. Five5Six

    Five5Six New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2008
    56
    1
    0
    Location:
    Los Osos, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    If you tapped the yellow and black on the passenger side (which it looks like it from your picture), you tapped the wrong wires. You need to tap the yellow and black on the drivers side.
     
  7. Presto

    Presto Has his homepage set to PC

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2005
    1,326
    24
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Tire guys hate the fix-a-flat stuff. It's quite the fun to deal with all that messy goop! Even though flats are far and few between, these days, I can't bring myself to take out the spare tire. I fear Murphy's Law! I can't remember the last time I had to change a flat, though. I think it was more than 10 years ago with my '89 K-Car.
     
  8. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2007
    1,555
    81
    0
    Location:
    Akron, OH
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Do you know that the new version of the Ford Focus (2008 model) doesn't come with a spare tire as standard equipment with the base model. It is in an option package upgrade though. LOL
     
  9. racerbob

    racerbob Member

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2008
    138
    6
    0
    Location:
    S Florida
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Guys,
    Don't ever use Fix a Flat. It will plug up your tire pressure sensor. I had to post a notice for all the drivers in the fleet I maintain. TP sensors are expensive to replace.
    I tossed around 6 of them that have been ruined by that stuff.
     
  10. wgary

    wgary Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2007
    37
    36
    2
    Location:
    Auburn, Alabama USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I simply cannot believe that a comment like this would be tolerated in civil discourse. I find overt racism like this to be shameful beyond belief, but apparently other members of this list don't find this offensive?? Somehow I thought more of the human race, let alone my fellow Prius owners.
     
  11. chrisspaulding

    chrisspaulding sexy, high tech, fun

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    556
    24
    0
    Location:
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Forgive my lack of knowledge if this is wrong(total noob on electronics), but if I remember Crutchfield's explanation right, they said I did not need to use the remote because I was tapping the rear speakers.

    The only 'power' I used was connecting the power line in my cabling kit to my 12v battery.
    .
     
  12. chrisspaulding

    chrisspaulding sexy, high tech, fun

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    556
    24
    0
    Location:
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    The camera angles and later the picture orientation in Photoshop may be causing a reverse effect.

    Here are the rear speaker wire specs I used(for my 2008 w/jbl w/nav):

    driver side + = black
    driver side - = yellow

    passenger side + = red
    passenger side - = white
    .
     
  13. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2007
    1,555
    81
    0
    Location:
    Akron, OH
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    You still need to connect a remote otherwise your amplifier will remain powered with the car turned off.
     
  14. b11101100

    b11101100 Spectra Blue Mica Driver

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2008
    58
    2
    0
    Location:
    Arizona
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    The owner's manual for the sub installed by the OP states the remote turn on is "unnecessary if using speaker level input only". I would guess this means it uses some sort of level detection for turn on.

    The amp I installed did not have this feature so I connected the remote to the ACC at the JBL amp. I believe it was a gray wire, pin 12 of S15. When this is done the amplifier will be on anytime there is power to the radio.
     
  15. chrisspaulding

    chrisspaulding sexy, high tech, fun

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    556
    24
    0
    Location:
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    If this helps, my powered sub takes a few seconds(10) to turn on after the car/radio have. Also, it has a blue LED that turns off about that same amount of time after the car is shut down.

    p.s.
    I remember Crutchfield (my powered sub retailer) explaining I did not need to use the remote since tapping rear wires - least I think I do :| .

    If I needed to use the remote for caution against the 'staying on', wouldn't it have drained my 12v battery by now?

    Great, now I need to call Crutchfield again. LOL
    -but I think it's fine. so far no issues audio or battery using current configuration.
    .
     
  16. b11101100

    b11101100 Spectra Blue Mica Driver

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2008
    58
    2
    0
    Location:
    Arizona
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    That is correct for your specific situation. If you look in the owner's manual it says the same thing. Since you used speaker level inputs everything should be okay.

    The delay is probably due to the operation of the auto turn on/off circuitry. One minor down side to some auto turn on circuits is if there is a short period of silence they will assume the radio has been turned off and will shut down. If this happens, once the music starts again there will be a short turn-on delay before your bass returns. This doesn't hurt anything. It's just a minor annoyance.
     
  17. tkil

    tkil New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2006
    158
    2
    0
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    What part of "that I've experienced" did you not understand?

    If anything, I should perhaps reinforce that I've spent most of the last two years in Albuquerque, NM; specifically, on the west side. Sheer demographics would indicate that any large number of events would reflect most obviously among the local majority, which is in fact Latino.

    On the other hand, I haven't seen a "white pride" group come up and claim that making noise is a racial privilege -- Latinos have. (That doesn't mean that all white groups are off the hook; some of the pro-/anti- Columbus Day groups are just as guilty!)

    I'll offer you a challenge: come visit me for a weekend, and we'll drive around my neighborhood. I'll point out the jerks with loud bass, and you can tally their visible ethnicity makeup.

    I am willing to bet a substantial amount of money -- say at least 100 USD -- that the majority will be Latino males. There's been an upswing lately in Latino females with boom cars (boyfriends' car? family raised so that they think it's normal/right to abuse others' ears?). Then there are the white males who are trying desperately to look cool; in the land of Latino majority, they emulate that look/sound.

    The comment about Asians was more due to my experiences in San Diego and the Bay Area.

    So. When are you coming to visit? If not, please tell us where you live, how much you drive, and what you're using for a basis for comparison?

    If you want civilized discourse, get everyone to turn their volume down. But keep track of the ethnicity of those that you have to ask...
     
  18. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2007
    1,555
    81
    0
    Location:
    Akron, OH
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I live in a predominantly white neighborhood. Therefore everyone I see with the loud systems are 90 % young white kids. Its not a race thing it is a generation thing, I'm just a 30 y/o white country boy and I've been "bumping" since I was 17.
     
  19. chrisspaulding

    chrisspaulding sexy, high tech, fun

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    556
    24
    0
    Location:
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    .
    when I bump, I'm not trying to emulate anyone, just feelin the music.

    BTW, I think my amp is perfect for both respects as it's loud and vibrating inside my Prii but drops off just outside the car.

    Also, and this may get some replies, an added bonus of bass is it's 'feel good' effect w/ intending listeners - hence so many women loving dance clubs with boom and so many guys lovin rocking concerts with boom. [there's a couple generalizations for ya]

    If you put a girl and guy that like each other together in a car with boom, that attraction will amplify from the 'feel good' effect of the boom. Another reason I like bass.

    (imo)
    .
     
  20. LoriCz

    LoriCz New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2008
    1
    1
    0
    Location:
    Deltona, FL
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Thanks for the post, Chris. I'm going to try it!!!!! I too am a newbie when it comes to car audio so I appreciate the pics and detailed descriptions.

    Unfortunately the Alpine PLT-5 has been discontinued so I'm having a hard time finding one. :-( Bummer though, I see it got rave reviews on Crutchfield.com and you seem very happy with it. I have one last retailer that's checking with several suppliers... if he does't find it then I'll have to find something similar. Crutchfield recommends this one, but I just don't know. The reviews are not nearly as good.

    Anyway, just wanted to let you know I'm going to give it a shot. I'll let you know how it turns out! :)
     
    1 person likes this.