DIY: Subwoofer and Amplifier Installation

[Debonair]

A. I did not figure it out, I read it on several forums when searching for subwoofer installs. I think it affected other years of the M series as well.

B. ACN (Active Noise Control) - This system uses microphones located inside the vehicle to detect engine booming sound. The system then automatically produces a muted engine booming sound through the speakers and woofer (if so equipped) to reduce engine booming sound.

I for one do not notice any additional engine booming sound.

[TreyhunnaM37x]

Appreciate it man!

[wideopn11]

Nice write up! I'll need to double check my settings; but I thought there was a way to turn off ACN. Maybe I'm confusing a different setting.

[Debonair]

Nice write up! I'll need to double check my settings; but I thought there was a way to turn off ACN. Maybe I'm confusing a different setting.

Thanks!

There is no way to disable ANC that I am aware of (other then with wire cutters). I actually read threads from people stating they doubt it works especially since you can not easy disable it to compare on and off noise levels.

[DM37x]

Awesome write up. I've been waiting for something like this to install my sub.

Thanks

[Darthswan]

I got my subwoofer back, they did a fabulous job. I built my box last weekend. Now I have to find a weekend to run the cable for the amplifier.

[Debonair]

I got my subwoofer back, they did a fabulous job. I built my box last weekend. Now I have to find a weekend to run the cable for the amplifier.

Nice! And that box look shiney!

[Darthswan]

Nice! And that box look shiney!

I'm a fan of GOLD(AU), SILVER(AG) too.

[mrnix]

Now you guys have me itching to get my 10W6 repaired and installed in my M. I had a 15W6 in my G, but it was a little too much, and the fiberglass box I made ate up a little more trunk space than I want to concede.

[Darthswan]

LOL, this thread got me itching. Had to scratch the itch, then put some oil on it. I'm still determining where to put my amp. So I have a little more planning to do.

[Darthswan]

Ran the power cord yesterday. Dropped the sub in today. Oh how I missed the sound.

[Debonair]

Ran the power cord yesterday. Dropped the sub in today. Oh how I missed the sound.

Awesome! Yeah, it's almost better after being away from it for a while. I still have work to do on mine to get it where it needs to be. Free time is always the issue.

[Darthswan]

Awesome! Yeah, it's almost better after being away from it for a while. I still have work to do on mine to get it where it needs to be. Free time is always the issue.

I feel you. Had a free weekend and a loving wife. I do have some fine tuning todo. think I'm going to rebuild my amp rack, I want to and a cap. Some rearranging has to be done. Didn't cut the green wire yet, I get the hum periodically. Was thinking about adding a switch to go back and forth.

Damn I miss the low end..

[MY2J]

just got my "new" to me M37 over the weekend. Dropping in my sub was number one on my to-do list. I have one question concerning the LOC tap... would tapping into a different speaker other than the factory sub still cause this humming sound from the ACN? In my old car (IS300) I didn't have a factory sub so I tapped into a rear 6x9. Honestly, I haven't even looked to see how many speakers come in the rear deck thanks in advance!

[Debonair]

just got my "new" to me M37 over the weekend. Dropping in my sub was number one on my to-do list. I have one question concerning the LOC tap... would tapping into a different speaker other than the factory sub still cause this humming sound from the ACN? In my old car (IS300) I didn't have a factory sub so I tapped into a rear 6x9. Honestly, I haven't even looked to see how many speakers come in the rear deck thanks in advance!

Welcome fellow former Lexi owner! I don't know for sure but I think the hum will still occur. You can do the whole install and then cut the wire later if you want. It's easy enough to solder or crimp it back together if needed anyways.

Only the 16-speaker system has speakers other than the subwoofer in the rear deck. Here is some info from the Speaker Sizes / Placement thread.

Here are the sizes:

10 Speaker System

• One 3-inch mid-highrange speaker in the dash
  
  Two 1-inch tweeters in the side-view mirror panels
  
  Two 3-inch midhigh-range speakers in the front doors
  
  Two 6x9-inch woofers in the front doors
  
  Two 6.5-inch wide-range speakers in the rear doors
  
  One 10-inch woofer in the rear shelf

16 Speaker System

• Four 2-inch speakers in the front seats
  
  Two 3-inch midhigh-range speakers in the rear shelf

Someone else posted up a link to this PDF from Bose. I added the 'murica speaker sizes and the green rings around the speakers that are part of the 16-speaker system. But this shows you where they are at.

[MY2J]

thanks! so cutting this wire won't effect anything in the factory sound system, right? should a setting be turned off or anything like that? I was looking at a pricier LOC in hopes that they would say something about this active noise control system but I didn't have much luck... and I don't speak audio language so that didn't help much either lol

here's what I was looking at: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8HrGzcVf99 ... -LC2i.html

[Darthswan]

thanks! so cutting this wire won't effect anything in the factory sound system, right? should a setting be turned off or anything like that? I was looking at a pricier LOC in hopes that they would say something about this active noise control system but I didn't have much luck... and I don't speak audio language so that didn't help much either lol

here's what I was looking at: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8HrGzcVf99 ... -LC2i.html

I have the LC2i. Works perfect.


Here's a question for you all. I tapped off the subwoofer line and using the subwoofer out on the LC2i. Will I be able to add another amp to the other output for the mids and highs? Plan on, at least, replacing the front door speaker with 3 way component. I asked the question because of the subwoofer signal.

Thanks.

[MY2J]

thanks! so cutting this wire won't effect anything in the factory sound system, right? should a setting be turned off or anything like that? I was looking at a pricier LOC in hopes that they would say something about this active noise control system but I didn't have much luck... and I don't speak audio language so that didn't help much either lol

here's what I was looking at: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8HrGzcVf99 ... -LC2i.html

I have the LC2i. Works perfect.


Here's a question for you all. I tapped off the subwoofer line and using the subwoofer out on the LC2i. Will I be able to add another amp to the other output for the mids and highs? Plan on, at least, replacing the front door speaker with 3 way component. I asked the question because of the subwoofer signal.

Thanks.

so you were able to achieve this without having to cut the ANC wire?

[Debonair]

thanks! so cutting this wire won't effect anything in the factory sound system, right? should a setting be turned off or anything like that?

Cutting the wire will only disable the rear Active Noise Control (ANC) microphone, nothing else. There is no known (to me at least) way to disable the ANC through the vehicles software.

[Darthswan]

so you were able to achieve this without having to cut the ANC wire?

I haven't cut it yet. I mainly notice the hum when I start the car. It did hum a couple of times, while in traffic. When I reconfigure, I'll just probably cut it.

[mrnix]

You guys got me itching to put a sub in my 2012 M37. The 10 speaker setup is lacking, and I'm going to start by adding a 10 in the trunk. I started laying down some fiberglass on the driver's side of the trunk over the weekend, so I can do a small box that's out of the way. At my pace, it will probably take me 4-6 months to actually do it all though.

[Debonair]

You guys got me itching to put a sub in my 2012 M37. The 10 speaker setup is lacking, and I'm going to start by adding a 10 in the trunk. I started laying down some fiberglass on the driver's side of the trunk over the weekend, so I can do a small box that's out of the way. At my pace, it will probably take me 4-6 months to actually do it all though.

Sweet! Fiberglass is pretty easy and fun, just time consuming. Start a thread and post some pics, keep us updated!

[mrnix]

You guys got me itching to put a sub in my 2012 M37. The 10 speaker setup is lacking, and I'm going to start by adding a 10 in the trunk. I started laying down some fiberglass on the driver's side of the trunk over the weekend, so I can do a small box that's out of the way. At my pace, it will probably take me 4-6 months to actually do it all though.

Sweet! Fiberglass is pretty easy and fun, just time consuming. Start a thread and post some pics, keep us updated!

thanks. I will try to get some pics and start a thread as time allows. I built a fiberglass box for a JL 15W6 in my G35, but I am not willing to concede as much trunk space in the M. I fiberglassed a box for 2 15W6s in my 3000GT, which consumed the entire hatch area, but was LOUD. Now that I'm a grown up, I can't really go all-in like that anymore.
One drawback so far is the resin odor that lingers in the car after putting down the first rounds of fiberglass.

[M37xfan]

thanks! so cutting this wire won't effect anything in the factory sound system, right? should a setting be turned off or anything like that?

Cutting the wire will only disable the rear Active Noise Control (ANC) microphone, nothing else. There is no known (to me at least) way to disable the ANC through the vehicles software.

So I have done some research myself. So right now I am experimenting with just covering the mics in the car. And I have noticed that you do get some better low end punch...but I think I am just going to disable the mic at the amp.

Is it that light green wire?

[reggiebrown40]

Covering the mic hole won't work, I tried already. I had to cut the green wire.

I've built a subwoofer box and amp rack out of fiberglass and I'm almost finished. The problem is the sound quality still isn't that great, especially since there seems to be a hole in the frequency response somewhere between 50k and 100k. I'll need to see it on an RTA to be sure but i'm curious to see if anyone has noticed this. A good test is if you can hear 808 kick drums fairly well but not bass guitars.

[Debonair]

Covering the mic hole won't work, I tried already. I had to cut the green wire.

I've built a subwoofer box and amp rack out of fiberglass and I'm almost finished. The problem is the sound quality still isn't that great, especially since there seems to be a hole in the frequency response somewhere between 50k and 100k. I'll need to see it on an RTA to be sure but i'm curious to see if anyone has noticed this. A good test is if you can hear 808 kick drums fairly well but not bass guitars.

Nice work on the box!

Well my bass is still not where it needs to be, it gets low but only on a limited frequency range. But my box is too big to be sealed since it was intended to be ported. I am going to build the port into the box while my car is getting the timing chain recall work done. Hopefully that brings it to where it needs to be.

[mrnix]

Covering the mic hole won't work, I tried already. I had to cut the green wire.

I've built a subwoofer box and amp rack out of fiberglass and I'm almost finished. The problem is the sound quality still isn't that great, especially since there seems to be a hole in the frequency response somewhere between 50k and 100k. I'll need to see it on an RTA to be sure but i'm curious to see if anyone has noticed this. A good test is if you can hear 808 kick drums fairly well but not bass guitars.

nice work on the box, sir. I never have the patience to get the exterior of my fiberglass smooth enough to paint, so I end up carpeting the whole exterior. My box location will be on the driver side, so opposite of where your amp is going. If I'm not mistaken, the jack is on the passenger side, so I decided, in the interest of caution, not to impede access to it.

[reggiebrown40]

Covering the mic hole won't work, I tried already. I had to cut the green wire.

I've built a subwoofer box and amp rack out of fiberglass and I'm almost finished. The problem is the sound quality still isn't that great, especially since there seems to be a hole in the frequency response somewhere between 50k and 100k. I'll need to see it on an RTA to be sure but i'm curious to see if anyone has noticed this. A good test is if you can hear 808 kick drums fairly well but not bass guitars.

Nice work on the box!

Well my bass is still not where it needs to be, it gets low but only on a limited frequency range. But my box is too big to be sealed since it was intended to be ported. I am going to build the port into the box while my car is getting the timing chain recall work done. Hopefully that brings it to where it needs to be.

Thanks Debonair. That's the same issue I'm having -- the frequency range. Hopefully your box rebuild will fix your issue. If it doesn't, I think the Bose system is to blame and I'm going to have to look into buying a signal processor. Even then there's not guarrantee. Can't put back what Bose has taken out with their stupid EQ.

[reggiebrown40]

Covering the mic hole won't work, I tried already. I had to cut the green wire.

I've built a sub woofer box and amp rack out of fiberglass and I'm almost finished. The problem is the sound quality still isn't that great, especially since there seems to be a hole in the frequency response somewhere between 50k and 100k. I'll need to see it on an RTA to be sure but I'm curious to see if anyone has noticed this. A good test is if you can hear 808 kick drums fairly well but not bass guitars.

nice work on the box, sir. I never have the patience to get the exterior of my fiberglass smooth enough to paint, so I end up carpeting the whole exterior. My box location will be on the driver side, so opposite of where your amp is going. If I'm not mistaken, the jack is on the passenger side, so I decided, in the interest of caution, not to impede access to it.

Thanks Mr. Nix. My first intention was to paint but I think I'm going to carpet the same way I did the amp rack. Paint would have looked great but it's just too much sanding and this project has worn me down. I put the box on the passenger side because it's the side the battery was on - made it an easier install. The fuse holders, relay and amp are all housed in the amp rack. I used the existing hole to secure the rack mount with a bolt and wing nut. You're right though, it's a pain if I had to get to the jack.

Did you end up installing an aftermarket amp? If yes, where did you put it? under the rear deck?

[mrnix]

Thanks Mr. Nix. My first intention was to paint but I think I'm going to carpet the same way I did the amp rack. Paint would have looked great but it's just too much sanding and this project has worn me down. I put the box on the passenger side because it's the side the battery was on - made it an easier install. The fuse holders, relay and amp are all housed in the amp rack. I used the existing hole to secure the rack mount with a bolt and wing nut. You're right though, it's a pain if I had to get to the jack.

Did you end up installing an aftermarket amp? If yes, where did you put it? under the rear deck?

I am still working on the box, I expect it will take many more weeks before I am ready for an amp install, but I was considering putting on the back of one of the seats. That's where I had them in my G, and it worked out all right. I have a bunch of older (circa late 90's) car audio stuff - amps, eqs, head units, etc. around so I will most likely use one of those amps. They get relatively warm, so I wouldn't want to put them under the rear deck, so as to not impede airflow and heat dissipation.