Guide to Add a Subwoofer to Your Vehicle's Sound System

Most who are new to car audio associate good bass sound with the biggest and loudest subs in the store. In reality, they couldn't be farther from the truth. The first step to selecting the best subwoofer for your car or truck is to look for one that will compliment and not over power your entire sound system.

For example, if you desire to add a sub to a stock OEM sound system, you don't want to overwhelm the entire system with a pair of 15" competition level subs powered by a thousand watt amplifier. Of course some young people will take issue with this but this is general information for music lovers. You might be happy with an amplified powered subwoofer. This type of powered subwoofer is very easy and fast to install and will provide more then enough bass to compliment any stock sound system. They deliver that deep rich sound missing from standard OEM systems. Today you can find powered subs in the 8" and 10" range and many are made to fit nicely behind truck seats or on the side walls of car trunks or hatchback sidewalls.

In contrast, if you are going to upgrade your entire sound system with a new head unit and high quality component speakers and amplifiers, then you might consider a little or even a lot more powerful subwoofer system. You might first consider those subwoofer packages you see just about everywhere these days. These offer subs installed in a matching box and many come with a matching amplifier. Just a warning here, many buyers are not aware that in most cases you will find any amplifier provided in a package will be at the very lowest end of the subwoofer's capability. Manufacturers do this to keep the price as low as possible. But of course this is an easy way to ensure you have a decent sounding bass system with little work on your part.

For those serious about obtaining the best possible bass sound, the first step is to take your time and do a bit of research. The place to start is with your specific vehicle. You should determine exactly how much space you have to dedicate to your subwoofer system. This is going to include at least one subwoofer, one sub box and enough space to install your subwoofer's amplifier. Obviously, the larger the subwoofer, the more space the box will require. I know this sounds basic but you would be surprised how many new buyers don't take this into consideration. At this point you should also consider what your favorite type of music is and what type of sound you want from your bass system. We'll just consider the two most popular type sub boxes which are sealed and ported. Sealed boxes provide a tighter sounding bass and are associated with better sound quality. Ported or vented boxes will provide a louder, boomier sounding bass given the same power. The downside of ported boxes is that they will be larger then sealed boxes for the same subwoofer. Physically measure the height, width and depth of the space you have available for your install. Don't forget to allow a good amount of space for a proper amplifier install also.

In today's cars and trucks, space is usually a real concern. This is one reason vehicle specific or custom-fit sub boxes are so popular. These are made to fit in 'dead space' like behind or underneath truck seats or against truck or hatchback walls. One of my favorite type of sub boxes is the new MTX Thunderform line. These boxes offer standard and high powered subwoofers factory installed in fiberglass sub boxes made specifically for your vehicle. In addition to that, they also have amplified versions which incorporate powerful 'Class D' amps right into the box. So with the smallest footprint possible you can install a great sounding bass system. Plus, these come with complete wiring harnesses in most versions meaning a fast and easy install even for a do-it-yourselfer. These fiberglass and composite moulded subwoofer enclosures offer excellent sound quality.

If you have the space and want louder bass, you've got to go with factory made MDF sub boxes. In this case, your research is critical to your end results. The space available will tell you what size subwoofer you should focus on. Then your music tastes and budget will steer you toward which specific sub brands and models to consider. Pay particular attention to the sub box mounting cut-out size first. Then check the maximum depth allowed. This will narrow down the physical size of the sub you are able to install in any specific box. The next step is to check the box specs very carefully for air volume. You'll find most subwoofers will provide you with specifics for a sealed enclosure and vented enclosure. To provide some general guides, you'll find Kicker subs offer some killer SPL type subs. They provide square subs which are noted for loud booming bass when installed in matched ported boxes. When powered correctly these systems are guaranteed to rattle your neighbor's windows. MTX and Kicker in particular also offer new slim or shallow mount subs which provide excellent sound quality in smaller sealed enclosures.

You should always shop for a sub by looking at its RMS or continuous power rating. Most manufacturers advertise peak power and this is a marketing ploy to trick the buyer into thinking he is buying something much more powerful then it really is. So for example, if you have a sub with a dual 4 ohm voice coil rated at 700 watts RMS, you'll need a mono or class D amplifier capable of providing 525 to 575 watts RMS at 2 ohms. We always recommended staying at 75% to 80% of RMS to provide great performance while protecting you from blowing the sub. But this is a matter of personal opinion and subject to debate. In reality, as many subs are damaged by too low power as are by too high power. So just try to match the amp's output as closely as possible. Without going into a long discussion, you'll find subwoofers readily available in configurations of 2 ohms, 4 ohms, 8 ohms and dual 2 and 4 ohms. You need to match your combination of voice coils and ohm load to the amplifier.

While you are probably familiar with many amplifier brands, for argument sake, we could rank Boss, Pyle, Pioneer, Clarion, Alpine and Kenwood in the most affordable category. If you are looking for serious power though, I'd suggest considering MTX, JL Audio, Hifonics, Kicker or Rockford Fosgate. This is especially true if you need more powerful class D amps.

With your sub box, subwoofer and amplifier in hand, you'll need an appropriately matched amp install kit. Most components come with complete installation instructions. After making all these decisions, you'll find installing your subwoofer system is fun.