Newb needs help w/ subs for 04 Ddge Ram

[str86diesel 10+ year member]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here and was hoping that you guys can help me with placing a sub and sub amp in my 04 dodge ram quad cab.

If any of you guys have worked on the new dodge rams, then you know how limited the space is. Under the back seat there are two holes (I can provide pics of necessary) in which is the only place subs can be placed. My problem starts here. MTX makes a box for my truck, but the space is only .66^3, which I believe is the maximum space that I will be able to achieve. So here is where I definately am needing some help

1) what size sub would have best sound quality and decent bass in the available space, 8 or 10 inch (I was looking at the L5)

2) will the back seat being almost directly on top of the sub affect the sound quality?

3) Once the subs are chosen, I need help deciding on an amp, which brings up another delima.

I already have a Hifonics Zeus 6400 powering my MB Quarts in front and back (fused off at 60 amps, per the manual). My truck being a diesel has 2 725 cca batteries, with a 136 amp stock alternator. Now high output alternators are really hard to find for diesels at a good price, due to the low RPMs that diesels turn. If I get a good sub amp, am I going to over power my electrical system? What can I do besides caps, to protect my alternator?

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Kev

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[nosaj070 10+ year member]

What sort of budget are you on for the sub and amp? That is probably the most important information at this point.

 

[str86diesel 10+ year member]

I'm sorry, I should have said something about that before. Honestly, I am not too worried about the money. I know with the way that this truck is setup that I will have to put some custom work into it. So Money is not my main concern. As long as I can get some quality workmanship and sound out of this truck.

If a dollar figure is needed though...I'd like to keep this below $3000.

Kev

 

[nosaj070 10+ year member]

You should have absolutely no problem what so ever pulling off this install for less than 1000 in my opinion. Building a sealed enclosure is very simple, and with a few tools it can be done in a few hours. For the sub, because you are concerned with the capacity of your electrical system I would recomend getting the Stereo Integrity Magnum D2, it will sound incredible, and should get moving pretty will with power that won't put a damper on your electrical system. That sub is also only 300shipped. As for the amp you will most likely want to look into a class-d amp. Although they aren't known for their SQ, they aren't bad, and are the most efficient to my knowledge. On the very low budget side there is JBL, either the 600.1 or 1200.1 would do the job, midrange there is the Kickers kx. I used to own a kx600.1 and loved it, due to the vc config of the d2 though, you would need the kx1200.1 so it could run at 1 ohm. Another amp worth checking out would be the Hifonics BX1000d. I am not overly familiar with very high quality amps, so hopefully someone else will chime in here. All of those amps would be very good choices though. The sub should get very loud being in a truck, and will sound awesome.

 

[str86diesel 10+ year member]

So getting off of the electrical stuff, Which 8 or 10 inch sub do you guys think would function best and have the best sound quality in the .66^3 that I can come up with?

I am not looking for terribly low bass, just something to add some tone into my music.

Thanks

Kev

 

[nosaj070 10+ year member]

Ok, well you have a few options. If you are willing to try your best to upgrade your electrical system, get a XXX10 and some kind of high powered amp. You could get by with something around 1000 watts without upgrading your electrical system though. So maybe the JL 1000/1 would be a good choice. If you really don't mind spending money the JL W7 10 would be a very good choice as well. I think between those two choices you cannot go wrong.

 

[BIG_SUPERMAN72 10+ year member]

Man go with 2 12" SXs that would hit better than a 10" XXX or go with 1 12" XXX.

power them by 1000Ds or XXX 1500D all Hifonics or amp similar. If you do job it will look pimp with the blue hifonics names lit up at night.

 

[nosaj070 10+ year member]

Man go with 2 12" SXs that would hit better than a 10" XXX or go with 1 12" XXX. power them by 1000Ds or XXX 1500D all Hifonics or amp similar. If you do job it will look pimp with the blue hifonics names lit up at night.

Good idea.....minus that sx's need 1000 watts a piece to get moving pretty well, and he doesn't have the space for it, and also is by no means going after an spl record. Next he has a good amount of money to spend, there is absolutely no reason to buy a Hifonics amp, although they are decent there is tons of stuff that is leaps and bounds better.

 

[str86diesel 10+ year member]

Well, the 12's would be nice, but unfortunately, I do not have the space for them...LITERALLY. The biggest enclosure that I can seem to fit back there is this.

http://www.subbox.net/DodgeRamQuadCabDualUpfireSubwooferBox(2002-2004).html

These truck **** for space..

I am just afraid that I don't even have enough airspace for even a 10. Though I would rather stick with dual 10's.

I'm with you though on the pimpish look with the hifonics amp. I have a hifonics zeus 6400 on the way right now..so with both hifonics amps lit up..that'd look pretty styl'n.

Kev

 

[Lowridin_Chevy 10+ year member]

considerin he wants to put them UNDER the back seats (a fact yall completely ignored) he want be able to fit suuch think subs back. i swear someone gets stuck on ONE sub they like and recommend it to everyone regardless of their situation.....my recomendation would be 2 re se 10"....only 6" thick and then get a jbl 1200.1 to power them suckers....IF those sub are too thick here's my next suggestion.....make 2 boxes (1 in each space up under the seat) put 2 re8's in EACH box ad port them to 34 hz and get about a 600 watt amp to power all 4 re8's......any rec. 600 watt amps for this job

 

[str86diesel 10+ year member]

IF those sub are too thick here's my next suggestion.....make 2 boxes (1 in each space up under the seat) put 2 re8's in EACH box ad port them to 34 hz and get about a 600 watt amp to power all 4 re8's......any rec. 600 watt amps for this job

Now that is a pretty clever idea, thanks a bunch. You wouldn't happen to know where I could pick up some RE8's would you?

The other precrafted box I was looking at was the probox. But I am not really sold on the idea of the rear of the speaker being a free air, with the front of the sub being enclosed. Is it just me, or does that sound like the sound quality would ****?

Kev

 

[nosaj070 10+ year member]

Now that is a pretty clever idea, thanks a bunch. You wouldn't happen to know where I could pick up some RE8's would you?
The other precrafted box I was looking at was the probox. But I am not really sold on the idea of the rear of the speaker being a free air, with the front of the sub being enclosed. Is it just me, or does that sound like the sound quality would ****?

Kev

it is called inverting the subs. The SQ does not ****, it makes no difference. The only thing I could think of though is that you won thave enough space with them sticking up. Also the RE8's basket is nothing to show off, so those may not be the best subs cosmetically to invert.

 

[str86diesel 10+ year member]

it is called inverting the subs. The SQ does not ****, it makes no difference. The only thing I could think of though is that you won thave enough space with them sticking up. Also the RE8's basket is nothing to show off, so those may not be the best subs cosmetically to invert.

Even though the subs are installed in an Inverted type install, the basket will actually be hidden. Here is what the probox looks like. I'm not too sure if I trust it.

http://www.proboxrocks.com/dodge/02upquad.shtml

Does this make better sense?

Kev

 

[jemorgan85 10+ year member]

Ok you guys are all missing the point.

If she only has .66 cubes to work with, why are you recommending Magnums and XXX's?

They are going to be severely starved in those boxes, and more than likely they won't fit anyway. The RE 8 idea was ok, but you aren't including port displacement in your idea.

The best thing to do for some tone in your music would be to get a shallow driver, maybe an Elemental Designs Kx 10 or something to that effect. If the only thing this person wants is tone, then it doesn't have to be ported.

There are many nice sounding, inexpensive woofers out there that will fit your application. Don't get the idea of putting a thousand watt system in your truck like everyone else is saying. You would do well with a single small, low powered woofer.

Look at:

Elemental Designs Kx (http://www.edesignaudio.com)

RE 8 (http://www.reaudio.com)

Peerless XLS (http://www.partsexpress.com) (http://www.d-s-t.com)

Tangband 8 (http://www.partsexpress.com)

 

[str86diesel 10+ year member]

jemorgan85 - You are correct, I don't need any high SPL, nor earth shattering Bass. I definately like having bass, but in this ride, If I can just get something such as dual 10's to tone up the music, that will be sufficient. Do you really think a single sub would work? The reason that I was looking at dual subs was just so the music didn't sound lopsided.

One question that I can't seem to get an answer. Being that the subs have to go under the back seat...will the seat muffle the sound enough that a higher power sub may be needed? Honestly I've got my eye on either Orion, JL or Kicker subs (I kind of prefer the Kicker L5).

Thanks

Kev