adding a sub woofer in the Bose sub cavity?

Nissan 350z / Nissan 370z general community discussion forum
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bkreitzer
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Has anyone tried, or know of someone, that has tried to install a 10" sub woofer and amp in the place where the factory Bose sub is installed? Any thoughts or suggestions?

My goal is to preserve the hatch space, so adding a box is not preferable. I have a nice 10" sub and amp from a previous vehicle.


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carbon z
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I'm thinking about doing the same thing. First you need to measure the box area which will be the space left after removing the Bose woofer. A subwoofer has a specification for required air space. Lets say the box measures 1728 cubic inches. That would be a box 12inx12inx12in. You would need a sub which is optimized to work in that space. Check your paperwork or the manufacturers web site for the proper information. You also need to check the area behind the speaker, is it a sealed area or does it use an open type of enclosure. If the area is the proper size for the sub, if you plan on mounting the amp in that area, you will loose the right box area to the physical size of the amp.

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bkreitzer
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Thanks for the reply.

I do not have the Bose system installed (please see my bio for details). I installed an entire after-market system in my Z; doing things in stages. These upgrades get expensive -- quickly.

I already have my XM and Blue-tooth devices in the cavity, so I am somewhat familiar with the area. The sub I want to use can be used in both a sealed and vented application. The dimensions of the cavity are a little large for the sub, but given the cab dimensions and having a 10" sub firing in my back ( :D), it should be OK. Right? Also, I want to install the AMP in the same area.

NOTE: I am not looking to rattle the car, just simply add some low punch and thump -- not looking for a competition sound system, but I do consider myself an audiophile, so the sound must be clean and crisp! The Pioneer AVIC-D3 made a consider difference to the stock speakers.

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rmezz13
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You could try to find a free air subwoofer and then air space is no worry. I HAD one, at my friends house, but the chances of me finding it there are slim. If your interested i will look for it. 10" Kicker Free Air, Dual Voice Coil.

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evildky
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if the volume is too big you can add blocks of wood or whatever to reduce fill some of the excess volume, and be sure it's sealed up well, or the free air subs are an options I kinda forgot about those

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bkreitzer
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Thanks for the info.

1)I have a 10” Polk (older model) that is a great sub, with dual voice coils and is a free design. The amp I have is an older MTX 250W… it use to push 3 8” JLs with no issues and sounds good with the Polk.

Forgive me in advance for all the questions…

What do you think about using the DynaMat trunk sealing material to attempt to seal the cavity?

Also, do you think that having the AMP, Blue tooth, and XM modules in the same space as the Sub will damage the modules?

Do you think that heat will be an issue?

I wonder if the DynaMat will cause interference with the BlueTooth module???

The other major question is how the heck can I install a 10” with the factory opening? The cutout is not standard thanks to Bose and their ingenious design!

2)I am also toying with the idea of mounting 2 Blaupunkt THb 200A slim subs either in the hatch or behind the seats. Here is the link: http://www.crutchfield.com/App...p=114

I think that this installation will be easier, but it costs much more…. And I will not lose that much space.

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carbon z
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The amp would probably run hot in the sealed area. I would also worry about messing up the other equipment. The small enclosure flat subs would fit in the area between the rear bar and the rear speaker box.

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bkreitzer
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I think you are right and I think that I am leaning towards installing the thin subs against the rear speaker paneling, although this is going to cost me much more, but I think that in the long run it will be a better solution. I know the wiring and paneling well in the areas I need to go through (pretty much the whole cabin lol)

I need to take some measurements before I place the order. I will post pics no matter which way I go!

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rmezz13
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bkreitzer wrote:I think you are right and I think that I am leaning towards installing the thin subs against the rear speaker paneling, although this is going to cost me much more, but I think that in the long run it will be a better solution. I know the wiring and paneling well in the areas I need to go through (pretty much the whole cabin lol)

I need to take some measurements before I place the order. I will post pics no matter which way I go!
Before you BUY.... Techronics.com is so freaking cheap, do not buy crutchfield stuff. way too expensive. Techronics has like last year and overstock of discontinued products but things are marked down like up to 80% from original price, most are free shipping(6 day ground shipping from Cali to Ohio from my experiance). I hope this got to you before you paid too much for something. They have a lot of top brands i.e. MTX Rockford Fosgate, AudioBahn, JL, JBL, Infinity, Power Acoustic, Pioneer, Sony, Jensen, Blaupunkt, etc.

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bkreitzer
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Thank you for the site. I will check it out. FYI: I have not purchased anything as I am still in the research phase.

Does anyone know of someone that has installed a subwoofer in a 350z?

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carbon z
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If you check, most of the forums have a section for audio installs. You will find just about any type of sub, amp, and version of install imaginable. Most are not done to save any storage space. I'm wanting to keep all of the rear space open to keep the car practical. I used a PAC adapter to connect the Eclipse head unit into the Bose system. Sub hits pretty darn decent. I want to get all specs together and then install an aftermarket sub.

axh941
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Idk if this is much help but i've been thinking about doing the same thing too.

http://www.wickedcas.com/produ...age=1

Or scroll down some till you see the speakers on this linkhttp://www.swooby.com/z/navpc/journal%202004.htm

Hope this helps

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bkreitzer
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OK. I think that I am going to do the following:Use my 10" Polk GDX104 with an older Mono MTX low profile amp in the following enclosure (scroll down the view the pics):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...photo

I was excited when I first came across this various options. I like the look because it maintains the "stealth" appearance. I plan on mounting the amp towards the front on the cabin while firing the sub to the rear. Also, I plan on purchasing a stealthy grill to protect the sub as I know that my things slide around in the hatch when I drive

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Watermelonwarrior
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make sure you post pics if you get it finish. i think that setup would look great

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bkreitzer
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I surly will post pics. I have been meaning to post pics of all the mods...

I only want the single 10" enclosure because 1 10" is more than enough sound for the cabin dimensions.

I just ordered the Dynamat Xtreme Trunk kit as the Nismo version is much louder than a stock Z. This, I hope, is the first logical step in creating a balance between the sound system and listening to the engine sounds.

sliver
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has anyone tried to put a 12" sub in the factory bose spot? i just got the car and haven't attempted looking yet but i'll have 2 12" subs left over once i sell my cavalier. i'm just curious if i can put one in and not have to lose any hatch space.

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Bleach
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actually, a guy in my neighborhood said he installed a 10" aftermarket sub in the factory location and he bought a box that goes there. I'll have to go find out what company that was. I didn't look at the sub, but overall he has a very expensive system in there. DVD player and all.

I was planning to put an amp in there and get a box installed between the rear speakers and rear strut bar. this would leave the far back storage area open.The amp would take up most of the usable space in that area.

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carbon z
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As I said earlier in this thread, make sure the amp is allowed to breath. Without fresh air the amp will probably overheat.

shiftlock 350z
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id really like to see an install done in the factory location. everyone gives up and goes with a zenclosure it seems

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bkreitzer
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My thoughts:The factory compartment has a volume that does not work well with most 10" and is difficult to seal as there are many holes. The cutout requires modifications/replacement. So, you are looking at a lot of hours just to "create" the enclosure.

For me, the compartment is no longer an option as it stores other electronics such as Bluethooth, XM, and soon to be HD radio.

Do not get me wrong... I would rather utilize the space provided in the compartment, but it is just a hassle.

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carbon z
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I have a question. Of those that are still using the Bose system, Have you replaced the head unit using a good interface such as The one made by PAC. Now my solution. I replaced the rear 6.5's with Pioneer 3 ways and added Memphis Soft dome tweeters to the rear stage. The door speakers and sub are stock. I now get a great rear stage with very good clean base. The sub even hits clean and hard with Rap, hip hop, modern rock, classic rock. The front stage still stock seems to be a little weak when pushed really hard. The point is, you want a good sounding system while keeping your interior space. I believe I have the answer. It involves keeping the factory wiring, amp, and the sub. You can do it in steps. Replace the head unit with a quality radio, be it radio/cd radio/cd/dvd. Nav etc. Make sure the audio side is very good. Use the PAC Part# ROEM-NIS2. It plugs into the radio harness and has a control box with level sets. The front and rear speakers can be replaced a pair at a time. Keep the front door tweeters and the sub. I wish I could give you all a demo of my system. I think you would all be impressed. I installed stereos and assorted equipment for over 25 years. I think this is the way to go, unless you want heart stopping base, this will give you clean hard hitting base.

azim4u
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yeah i have done that thing...it sounds pretty lound and its the best system i ever had...i have a JL 10" sub and JL Amp..

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bkreitzer
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Can you post a picture of the install? How did you mount the sub to the factory bracket? My 10" sub does not even come close to fitting the factory bracket.Where did you install the amp?What cover did you use for the sub?

Can anyone provide details on sub mounting and installation???


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