Car stereo/ sub advice

[hutchjnr- MTM GTi]

Hi guys,

Let me just start off saying... I have very little idea when it comes to car stereo's and electronics... so apologies in advance if my question is a bit simple!!

I currently have a MkIV GTi... As far as I know, the speakers are stock, there are 6 speakers (what they are comprised off i'm not sure, hopefully someone already knows that!).

I purchased a Pioneer USB HU in Dec ($450) not sure on the model, but its quite good... i have a 32GB flash drive hooked up in the glove box...
The sounds quality is quite good, no real distortion and the bass is not bad...

All i really want is to put a sub in... however i know very little about them!
I am thinking 10"... outside of that?!
Open to all ideas/ advice!
I listen mainly to house/techno...

Prob looking to spend $300...

[TSi2NV]

a 10" 0r 12" will e nice and punchy in the back of your golf and you should be able to pick one up for reasonable $$$$

Only advise I would have is dont skimp on the amp, you can make a $50 sub sound really good with a decent amp.

DUF DUF :biggrin:

[RhysQ]

your best bet if you want bass at a low cost and to save space is to go with a sub and amp tube.

i did this with my last car because i did not want to take up too much space. the product i got was an Audiobahn 12" sub and amp tube/cylinder/cannon (whatever the f**k you want to call it). the amp is attached to the back of the box and all cabling etc. comes with it. there is also a bass boost dial which can be installed close by you up front so you never have to play around with the amp or settings in the head unit.

and take my word, it puts out some serious bass with the booster up a bit (it shook my number plate screws out of my Peugeot).

AFAIK they only cost a few hundred dollars plus about a $66 install cost from JB-HIFI.

check out this link to see what it looks like:
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/pictures.php?id=120

[The_Hawk]

If you want a [relatively] cheap and very easy solution, try the response amp from JayCar. It's an amp and sub in one. It won't provide the thump of a full on unit, but it's designed to go under your seat and be 'enough'.... also you wont sacrifice your boot space.

To get your boot space back you can always go the effort of building a custom box like the one below or any other placement you could imagine.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/05/IMG_0370-1.jpg
(thanks again Louis ;))

[Brisben]

If it for a sub make sure you buy a MONO block amp or a bridgeable one.

The shop will help you, tell them what you need it for.

Also buy good quality amp leads and do the job properly and it will serve you well.

Bolt the box down to stop theives and hide all the wiring under the carpet etc.

I wouldn't go any larger than 10" as you begin to loose the punchiness.

12" is more of a drone than a punch, I find 10" gives a good kick and still plenty of deep bass!

I had two 12" once and it bloody punded your chest..Loved it, But ten is the way forward I reckon !

[hutchjnr- MTM GTi]

i like the sounds of Polo GTi's idea...

can anyone else shed any light on poss costs?

[RhysQ]

the one i was talking about cost somewhere between $200-$300 i think. however that was 2.5 years ago and i did get a good price from JB-HIFI. chances are it is cheaper now...i've noticed that car audio stuff these days is ridiculously cheap.

makes me angry thinking back when i was 16/17 spending thousands of dollars on all this audio gear......going into my $4,000 Barina j:...good times! the little red sound-off machine.
nowadays you can get quite a decent set-up for under $1,000.

[hutchjnr- MTM GTi]

Cheers mate...
I prob just want a 10" sub... might go see someone at JB over the weekend for prices etc...

Anyone else got any idea's or can recommend where to go...

[RhysQ]

FYI, the tube is available in 8", 10" and 12"...

[Brisben]

Cheers mate...
I prob just want a 10" sub... might go see someone at JB over the weekend for prices etc...

Anyone else got any idea's or can recommend where to go...

Not sure if you have a STRATHPINE near you but they have better audio gear !

[hutchjnr- MTM GTi]

is that the same as Strathfield?!

Never heard of Strathpine?! Are they big in Bris?

[The_Hawk]

If it for a sub make sure you buy a MONO block amp or a bridgeable one.
Also buy good quality amp leads and do the job properly and it will serve you well.


Yes mono block amps are better, but they are much more expensive. In my case I have a $99 4 channel amp and a $49 12" Sub which work suprisingly well together.

[hutchjnr- MTM GTi]

Has anybody had any bad experiences/ flaws of the 'all in one' cylinder/ tube?!

[thestu]

hey mate jb is really good for prices...when you wanna buy something always ask what is the best price and they will bring it dow heaps ;) and also jaycar has really really good cheap amps :)

[Mr ©harisma]

Has anybody had any bad experiences/ flaws of the 'all in one' cylinder/ tube?!

They are round, and so a little harder to secure down. At the end of the day it's still just a box with an amp on the back.

[RhysQ]

the only bad experience i had with mine was it wasn't secured down properly on install (they use the straps provided and strap it to the rear of the back seats). i took a few quick corners and the strap flicked over the top causing the box to slide around (it has a flat bottom so it wont roll), in turn, ripping the wires clean from the plug that connects to the box. i got JB HIFI to solder the wires back in and i fixed the main problem myself with a couple of small screws that i drilled through the strap and into the front of the box... it hasn't moved an inch since (3 years later - my sister now has the car with setup).

you can always get some small steel brackets and do a DIY job through the boot carpet but not recommended i wouldn't think. it would probably still move around and take the carpet with it. :(

as 'thestu' said, always ask JB what their best price is and they will get a book out with the 'real' prices which are generally a lot lower than marked price.

the good thing about the combo tubes are they are the same brand and have been designed for each other, so you shouldn't have any issues.

[ScienceVR6]

I have seen clarion 12" subs in box with a 2ch built into it for sale quite cheep at autobarn. For all the talk of 10's vs 12's, I have heard 12's that kick and punch way harder than a 10, and 10's that drone worse than 15's. Its all down to the set up and the box design. My mate is running a SQ car with a pair of 13" eclipes subs, and they are so much tighter than my 10".

[RhysQ]

I have seen clarion 12" subs in box with a 2ch built into it for sale quite cheep at autobarn. For all the talk of 10's vs 12's, I have heard 12's that kick and punch way harder than a 10, and 10's that drone worse than 15's. Its all down to the set up and the box design. My mate is running a SQ car with a pair of 13" eclipes subs, and they are so much tighter than my 10".

yep, spot on there!

in my time i've had three 10"s, two 12"s, and a 15" (only ever 1 at a time). depending on the box, they all have been very different. i had the 10" in a huge box for a short while an had it hitting much lower droning bass lines than the 12" (which was really strange) and the 12" tube i had could hit a lot tighter crisper electro beats than the 10"... its all about the box. the 15" was in a custom made box made by moi and used for competition and hip hop/RnB when i was into that sort of thing...hearing has never been the same :(

also, make sure you decide what music you mostly listen to before choosing a sub. if you are into your deep bass such as the hip hop/RnB stuff, definitely go with a 15" cos the 10" or 12" won't hit the long deep bass lines (it'll just be a quiet vibration). whereas if you like your rock,punk,pop,dance,house etc a 10" or a 12" will deliver a lot crisper bass kicks and lower end guitar notes than the 15" which can tend to be a bit sloppy and slightly delayed with that type of music. but once again, a box size and whether or not it is ported can help these issues.

just something to think about, i'm sorry if i ramble on. :drinkbeer:

[Mr ©harisma]

You don't need a 15inch to rumble down low... 12inch Alpine Type X, Boston G5, Oz Audio ME, Hertz Mille, IDMAX are all dominant in playing kidney crunching lows at very high volumes in the correct enclosure.

Preparation of the box is the most important part. For example, really basic sealed enclourses, the larger they are the lower the -3db point will be. It does come at the expense of efficiency though. Just give it more power :biggrin:

[hutchjnr- MTM GTi]

so the 'all in one' tubes... can anyone recommend a good one?
around the $250 mark...

will they give a nice crisp bass line... as i generally listen to house/ techno.

[RhysQ]

well, the first obvious is the Audiobahn one (that i had) and they also have a Dub series as well. i was extremely happy with the crisp sound of mine and i also listen to house, electro etc.

don't bother listening to them in-store because they will sound nothing like when in your car.

Happy hunting.

[Brisben]

Yep Strathfield, sorry buddy !

[hutchjnr- MTM GTi]

Any body got any quick and effective ways of securing the tube/cylinder in place...

What do we think of the flat 'all in one' sub/amp boxes?

Any one had any experience with them?

[Brisben]

Any body got any quick and effective ways of securing the tube/cylinder in place...

What do we think of the flat 'all in one' sub/amp boxes?

Any one had any experience with them?

Personally I find putting it all together easy so would always go for seperate sub and amp, just gives you more options down the track.

However if you want to cut costs and have an easy install, buy an all in one.

Just use a bunji strap to secure the tube in place.

[RhysQ]

Personally I find putting it all together easy so would always go for seperate sub and amp, just gives you more options down the track.

However if you want to cut costs and have an easy install, buy an all in one.

Just use a bunji strap to secure the tube in place.

the one i got came with two straps to use - see link on page 1. no extra bits needed at all, everything was supplied.

if you go the separate sub and amp combo just remember that you will also need a cabling kit which could cost you around the $80 - $100 mark depending on the quality.

[RhysQ]

Any body got any quick and effective ways of securing the tube/cylinder in place...

What do we think of the flat 'all in one' sub/amp boxes?

Any one had any experience with them?

1. i've already told you how to secure it properly.

2. what do you mean by flat 'all in one' sub/amp boxes? like the one that goes under your seat??

[hutchjnr- MTM GTi]

This is an example of one of the flat one's...

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/pictures.php?id=13248

Any thoughts?

[Brisben]

;196251']the one i got came with two straps to use - see link on page 1. no extra bits needed at all, everything was supplied.

if you go the separate sub and amp combo just remember that you will also need a cabling kit which could cost you around the $80 - $100 mark depending on the quality.

Agree with all that.

Like I said before buy decent cabling if your going that route.

[Mr ©harisma]

so the 'all in one' tubes... can anyone recommend a good one?
around the $250 mark...

will they give a nice crisp bass line... as i generally listen to house/ techno.


We can tell you whats out their but at the end of the day it's up to you and go find one that you like. Audition audition audition... don't be lazy. :drinkbeer: