Subwoofers

[shafik]

Hi can a subwoofer and amplifier be installed in a is200, if so can i please have some guidelines on how this is to be done.

Thanks

[JayJay1374]

yes subs and amps can easily be fitted, ideally you need an aftermarket head unit as they have specific pre outs although im sure the could be wired into the standard unit, running wires through the car is easy enough aswell, the main choice is what subs to go for and how many!

heres the only pic i have of mine:

2 12" vibe slicks with a vibe amp (not the best but the quality is good, only cost my £120 to do aswell)

[shafik]

Hi jonny, thanks 4 your reply m8...im going for 2 12inch subs and an amp. I also want to change the rear speakers ,what size are they? are they 6*9 or a different size

[JayJay1374]

I don't have a clue on the rear speakers size I would guess at 6x9. Try searching the forum. Just If you get a twin box make sure it fits in the boot before you buy. I got mine off eBay, I think it was about 33" wide and the boot space was 32 3/4" so I pushed in tight against the trim and doesn't slide about when driving!

[mikey's IS]

just replied to your other thread

its easy enough to get a sub in the boot i had 1 12'' hifonics 2412 and a maching amp i had much more deeper bass in the cabin when i removed the ski hatch and removed the 6x9 altogeather the mofo was flexin the rear screen

[nobby stylz]

hi shafik

yes te rear speakers are 6" x9",the fronts are 6" and the lexus amp is behind the glovebox.

Nobby Stylz

[DaBoI]

I replaced my factory radio, with pioneer aftermarket radio. Sounds so good. Now I want to instal my alpine subwoofer 12'' and amp. I will keep my orginal speakers. I got all the wires and things for the instalation, but in the weekend I runned in small problem. I dont have any idea where to run the power cable from Battery. Do I need to make new holes or is there some good hole to run the power cable. If anybody got some advices or pics, I would be really happy.

[mikey's IS]

There is a rubber gromet on the bulk head just below and left to the Battery feed it through there and rundown under the plastics by the door also you might need to take the back seats out to get the cable into the boot

Just saw your Location this is for RHD vehicle

[DaBoI]

Thanks. I saw the rubber thing next to the Battery. The cable comes where from that? I quess its comes behind the glove box? Thanks for the advice man!

[mikey's IS]

yea behind the glove box and run it down the side of the trim all along the car not to hard to do.

[DaBoI]

I installed everything and runned the cable just fine. Im going to take couple pictures and explain little bit what I did for the other guys who will install sub to IS. I runned to couple problems, because the sub is not playing as nice I expected, I quess my amp is too old.

[mikey's IS]

The problem might be the car its self as the whole back is enclosed, try pointing the box different ways, as my old setup was louder with the speaker pointing towards the back of the car and was quieter pointing through the ski hatch

[matt-c]

The direction a sub faces shouldn't make a difference, since a mono bass speaker is omni-directional, unlike a mid or tweeter that is directional and has to be placed correctly for focus. If changing it's direction changes the volume, then the amp or crossover settings are wrong.

Still, looks very cool with it peeping out the ski hatch

[sjrainsford]

As you say, low frequencies aren't directional unlike higher frequencies to the human hearing.

However, the direction of a subwoofer can in fact make a difference due to reflection, as can positioning in general.

Those are large frequencies to be cramming in a small space like a car. Just think how long a 40hz sound wave is! That's why there is so much natural clipping.

[mikey's IS]

The direction a sub faces shouldn't make a difference,

But it did that was tested with the db meter at the dash

[matt-c]

Then possibly you didn't have a true sub set up. Sub bass is omni directional, so maybe you had the frequency cut off at the wrong settings and were actually getting more mid range than LFE

[sjrainsford]

As I said, low frequencies are quite directional and effected by speaker placement. It's the human ear that is less directionally focussed toward lower frequencies.

Subwoofer placement and direction in relation to it's surroundings does make a difference.

It's also important to remember that the sound measured in one single place will differ with subwoofer placement and direction. The sound will never be equal throughout the cabin so the best advice I can give is to experiment and find the best position for the output and more importantly the response curve that you require.

[matt-c]

Human hearing sound localisation ends at about 80Hz - and most subwoofer set ups will be below that, making the bass frequency irrelevant to positioning; your hearing cannot tell you if it's in front, behind, above, or to the side of you.

Of course, if you face a speaker against a flat surface, such as a wall, you're going to limit it's performance by stifling the air flow in front the the speaker (unless you have correctly ported box to compensate for that positioning).

Since subs generally work with low frequencies, they move slower than other speakers, and their larger size makes them move a lot of air. Restrict that air flow and you will restrict the subs performance.

Get the box volume wrong for the sub, you get the same problem.

[sjrainsford]

I agree with what you say there Matt. The only thing being, which is the point I'm making, is that although the position doesn't really effect the sound as you say due loss of human ear localisation at low frequencies, it does however effect the SPL at the listening position. It can change the SPL across a broad spectrum, or sometimes at just certain frequencies causing spikes or dips. So placement is key to minimalising these to personal preference.

[mikey's IS]

Every speaker / box combo is going to be different i was using a Hifonics olm2412 - hifonics brutus amp - single side port box. At this time i had removed the 6x9 out of the back shelf and removed all the ski hatch gubbins, we tested it and got a slightly higher db reading with the front of the box facing toward the tailgate rarther than the front of the box facing the cabin thats all i can tell you.