Adding Bass to factory Systems - I'm a noob

DJin TX

CarAudio.com Recruit
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Houston
Ok, so I'm new here, first post, and new to car audio. My only experience was in high school. Had a very basic system put in my mustang (2 small Sabre Sound brand subs in ported boxes with an amplifier and an Alpine head unit, and a couple of 5 inch coaxial alpine door speakers). I bought these used off a buddy and had them installed. But to be clear, I know mostly nothing. That same buddy knew some, but more importantly had virtually unlimited funds and spent tons of his parent's money on a very powerful system. At the time he had a pair of alpine's most expensive competition-grade 12 in subs in a custom ported box powered by a high end alpine amp, 6 disk changer, and alpine full range speakers all through his car. Not only did it sound amazing, it also had unbelievable amounts of clear powerful, bone-rattling bass.

So, fast forward 30 years to now, and I am interested in having a solid system. I do not want to enter any competitions, and I do not want to annoy the neighbors, or rattle everyone's windows. I plan to buy a new silverado crew cab in the next 6 months, and would like to add a respectable amount of bass, to play all types of music, and sometimes pump some decent bass. I don't want to spend much (under $1000, maybe less). TO keep costs low, I want to keep the head unit/infotainment that comes with the truck to maintain all functionality of the back up cameras and other systems. Also, if I can keep the OEM full range speakers and only add the bass I am wanting, then that would save more money. I just want the sound to blend well and be balanced. To this end, I have many questions:

So, the main issue I am running into is the lack of space in the truck for mounting regular depth subs. I see many shallow sub options, as well as compact powered subs that are built to slide under seats. Obviously I want to avoid these more compact subs as I can't imagine they would add enough bass. I do not know if there is space behind the second row in a crew cab or under that second seat for a regular depth subwoofer, but maybe you all can guide me there. Right now, based on my high school experiences with my friend's system, I am gravitating toward the Alpine R-Series subs, possibly the 10 inchers, but it seems unlikely that these would be mountable in a truck due to their depth. Any thoughts there?

If the R-series subs just will not work physically, then my next choice is the S-Series, as I have read that the current S-series are much shallower than previous versions and have been updated with a lot of the tech found in the R-series. Yes, I do prefer Alpine. I know some here probably love Alpine, and others may not, but I want to stick with this brand. Partly because of my good experiences, and partly based on nostalgia.

So from there, I have read that some people run these subs with no amp, and some go with an amp. Would a no-amp setup really do much? Sounds very low power. This could save money, but if there is very little bass in this setup then I do not see the point of spending the money on subs. Another note is that I see some people talking about having to upgrade vehicle wiring, adding a second batter, or upgrading the alternator, and I am not interested in this at all. Finally, I am perfectly fine adding a single sub being that bass is omnidirectional. I would think 1 well-powered sub would be enough for my needs, but your thoughts here would be helpful.

In the ideal world that exists only in my head, I would keep the OEM head unit and full range speakers that come with the truck, and then add a single 10 inch R-series Alpine sub in a ported box, that magically would fit either under or behind the rear seat with no fit/space issues, and powere it with a perfectly matched amp, and this would all sound balanced and amazing together, and allow me to enjoy some serious bass with my music.

So who has thoughts on all this? I'm sure I am misguided on much of the above, but that is what is in my head.

I appreciate your feedback. Thanks!
--Derek
 
So who has thoughts on all this?
You best bet would be a shallow mount sub. JL Audio has the 10tw3 10" sub that only needs a 0.5 cu. ft. sealed box. It literally sounds like a conventional sub. That coupled with an 600 watts class D amp of your choice, you are set. If that is too steep, others have sugested the Dayton Audio LS10-44 10" shallow sub. I have never heard them so I cannot say how good they sound. As for an interface to get the signal from the OEM radio, I suggest the Audio Control LC2i Pro. It has a signal sense feature that turns it on when it senses voltage from your radio speakers, plus it sends out a remote voltage for the amplifier.
 
You best bet would be a shallow mount sub. JL Audio has the 10tw3 10" sub that only needs a 0.5 cu. ft. sealed box. It literally sounds like a conventional sub. That coupled with an 600 watts class D amp of your choice, you are set. If that is too steep, others have sugested the Dayton Audio LS10-44 10" shallow sub. I have never heard them so I cannot say how good they sound. As for an interface to get the signal from the OEM radio, I suggest the Audio Control LC2i Pro. It has a signal sense feature that turns it on when it senses voltage from your radio speakers, plus it sends out a remote voltage for the amplifier.

so Alpine has some truck series shallow subs, as well as their S series sub that is barely deeper than the truck series. I’m guessing the S series would be much better and potentially a good option? What about a single sub system compared to 2 subs? Will I get enough bass from a solo sub with the right amp?
 
Will I get enough bass from a solo sub with the right amp
I have never heard the Alpine shallows nor read the reviews so no idea about them. As far as the S Series, what you want to look at is their suggested box size. I prefer sealed to ported for the size requirements and build simplicity. As long as you stick to 3/4" wood, it will sound good. Two subs will sound better, but do you have room? Bass from a single 10 is pretty good from that JL, but if you doubt, then the 12tw3 needs only 0.9 cu. ft.
 
I have never heard the Alpine shallows nor read the reviews so no idea about them. As far as the S Series, what you want to look at is their suggested box size. I prefer sealed to ported for the size requirements and build simplicity. As long as you stick to 3/4" wood, it will sound good. Two subs will sound better, but do you have room? Bass from a single 10 is pretty good from that JL, but if you doubt, then the 12tw3 needs only 0.9 cu. ft.
The s series 10 inch recommended box size says 0.58 cubic ft. Interestingly, the R series 10 inch also says box size of 0.58 cubic ft. Is this correct? Seems like R would need bigger? There is likely much I am misunderstanding
 
Wow, you are right. 1.3cu.ft. ported for the TypeR is impressive. 0.58cu.ft. sealed is also impressive for a conventional sub. If depth permits, I would go with the TypeR. I have heard those, they kick quite nicely.
So not sure about depth, everything I read says too deep. If 1 R series were doable, is this better than 2 x S series?
 
Not having ever heard the TypeSs, I do not know. But I would prefer double the cone area, with around the same wattage. IMO, two TypeSs trump one TypeR.
I have done some research, and found some reviews of the S series and for my purposes I believe that will be the best fit. One question though, guide me through the choice between going with a single S series subwoofer versus a dual sub system. What are your thoughts on doing this? Also would you buy a different amplifier if you’re powering 1 vs 2 subs?
 
One question though, guide me through the choice between going with a single S series subwoofer versus a dual sub system.
Disclosure, this is from experience, not science. Two subs sound deeper and louder because two cones move more air than a single sub. IMO, they also seem to sound louder because the voice coils are spread apart instead of sound emanating from a single source. Now, this is for sealed sub boxes, which is what I mostly use. Vented/ported boxes are a whole different art of which I am on the outside looking in. I just build them to manufacturer specs and call it a day.
As for amplifier, just match the RMS wattage of the amp to the RMS sum of both subs. I personally enjoy subs at 600-750 watts total. So even if your subs can handle more power, there is no need to go that high. Also important is impedance. If amp is 1ohm stable, you want dual 4ohms subs. They will wire parallel to a final 1ohm impedance.
 
Disclosure, this is from experience, not science. Two subs sound deeper and louder because two cones move more air than a single sub. IMO, they also seem to sound louder because the voice coils are spread apart instead of sound emanating from a single source. Now, this is for sealed sub boxes, which is what I mostly use. Vented/ported boxes are a whole different art of which I am on the outside looking in. I just build them to manufacturer specs and call it a day.
As for amplifier, just match the RMS wattage of the amp to the RMS sum of both subs. I personally enjoy subs at 600-750 watts total. So even if your subs can handle more power, there is no need to go that high. Also important is impedance. If amp is 1ohm stable, you want dual 4ohms subs. They will wire parallel to a final 1ohm impedance.

This is great info. So a question about power. if I have a pair of S series 10 inch subs powered by Alpine S-A60M amp, will the factory speakers being driven just by the factory head unit be able to keep up or Will the subs drown them out?
 
will the factory speakers being driven just by the factory head unit be able to keep up or Will the subs drown them out?
That is where the amp's remote knob comes in. It mounts by the driver so you can adjust the volume of the subs on the fly. Really handy when you find that some songs really lack on the low end. Also, the lc2i pro has a volume control knob in case the amp does not.
 
That is where the amp's remote knob comes in. It mounts by the driver so you can adjust the volume of the subs on the fly. Really handy when you find that some songs really lack on the low end. Also, the lc2i pro has a volume control knob in case the amp does not.
I’m pretty set on the alpine subs, but less particular with amps. Is the alpine S-A60M a good choice? Are there better amps for these particular subs that are less expensive?
 
There are many good brands, but too many to list. I would just stick to the well known brands such as Pioneer, JBL, Kenwood, et cetera. I am partial to old amplifiers so I have no firsthand experience with most of today's big store amps. I would base my decision on customer reviews.
 
There are many good brands, but too many to list. I would just stick to the well known brands such as Pioneer, JBL, Kenwood, et cetera. I am partial to old amplifiers so I have no firsthand experience with most of today's big store amps. I would base my decision on customer reviews.
Would you expect a setup like I describe (two subs + amp) run into any power supply issues like needing a second battery or upgraded alternator?
 
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DJin TX

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