Fighting a battle against the bass box

[ricerokets4life]

hello, just a new member checking in from across the "pond", ive been checking out this site for quite a while and i have to say that its got great DIY instructions.

one of my rear shelf bose speakers blew a while back and i was wondering what the best, most cost effective solution is to fix the problem. should i purchase replacement bose speakers or get aftermarket ones? ive heard that aftermarket speakers require a lot of tweaking before they can be integrated into the bose system. any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[uumode]

Ideally you fit a base tube in the boot, but that of course consumes boot space.
However this idea is not good if you don't have a hatch as the sound doesn't escape from a boot. A booted car needs a speaker hole adding in the arm rest area.

If you don't use a base tube, you can use the expanse of the boot as the 'bass reflex area' You just need a BIG rear speaker, probably a 12" or better
mounted on Medium Density Fibre (MDF) board which is cut to your parcel shelf size. Normal parcel shelf stuff is a bit flimsey. Then you need a suitably powerful amplifier to drive this woofer, and bass tube or not, you will get DEEP bass.

 

[GrahamC230K]

Just get a sub and let it port through the old speaker holes. You won't get that sub like bass without one!

 

[Steve_Perry]

hello, just a new member checking in from across the "pond", ive been checking out this site for quite a while and i have to say that its got great DIY instructions.

one of my rear shelf bose speakers blew a while back and i was wondering what the best, most cost effective solution is to fix the problem. should i purchase replacement bose speakers or get aftermarket ones? ive heard that aftermarket speakers require a lot of tweaking before they can be integrated into the bose system. any input would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the forum Firstly I would check with your local stealership, how much a replacement Bose speaker is likely to cost. If you're happy with the cost all well and good... If not, at least you know that any 3rd party solution that you decide upon should be cheaper than the MB OEM option, even if it be Bose speakers from another source or direct from Bose themselves.

S.

 

[GrahamC230K]

Ideally you fit a base tube in the boot, but that of course consumes boot space.
However this idea is not good if you don't have a hatch as the sound doesn't escape from a boot. A booted car needs a speaker hole adding in the arm rest area.

If you don't use a base tube, you can use the expanse of the boot as the 'bass reflex area' You just need a BIG rear speaker, probably a 12" or better
mounted on Medium Density Fibre (MDF) board which is cut to your parcel shelf size. Normal parcel shelf stuff is a bit flimsey. Then you need a suitably powerful amplifier to drive this woofer, and bass tube or not, you will get DEEP bass.

Have to disagree.

There are plenty of small boxes that wont eat up a w202 boot.

The Stealthbox (search on the forum) range are excellent.

Vinay's is the best sounding W202 I have heard, bar Alps' monster install, and that consists of fronts speakers (amped) and a single 12" sub only.

If you don't have an OEM ski hatch amd don't want to cut one, the rear speaker holes work fine (this it is how Alps' car).

 

[ricerokets4life]

ok i did some more researching and i have found that i have 3 options.

1) just get replacement bose speakers (cheapest alternative but prone to breaking again)
2) get rid of my bose rear deck speakers and put in a new sub and amp
3) get a new headunit and new speakers (bypassing the bose amp)

are these bose speakers easy to break (i.e. if you play your music loudly occasionally)? i dont want the same thing to happen a couple months down the road.

 

[uumode]

Have to disagree.

There are plenty of small boxes that wont eat up a w202 boot.

The Stealthbox (search on the forum) range are excellent.

Vinay's is the best sounding W202 I have heard, bar Alps' monster install, and that consists of fronts speakers (amped) and a single 12" sub only.

If you don't have an OEM ski hatch amd don't want to cut one, the rear speaker holes work fine (this it is how Alps' car).

OK I'm not familar with Stealthbox, can the bass upset your heatbeat rhythm, and move so much volume of air that the hair on the back of your head moves, and you feel the bass rumble in the seat of your pants?
Some subwoofers can be excessive though, all bass and no detail.
But it's kinda fun when you can't see out of the rear view mirror because it is vibrating so violently! But it does become tiring.

I expect your recommendation is more detailed than the boomboxes of the boy racer going down the High Street.

Personally I prefer detail than raw bass, I've just sat in friends cars who have gone overboard with the bass.

 

[GrahamC230K]

OK I'm not familar with Stealthbox, can the bass upset your heatbeat rhythm, and move so much volume of air that the hair on the back of your head moves, and you feel the bass rumble in the seat of your pants?
Some subwoofers can be excessive though, all bass and no detail.
But it's kinda fun when you can't see out of the rear view mirror because it is vibrating so violently! But it does become tiring.

I expect your recommendation is more detailed than the boomboxes of the boy racer going down the High Street.

Personally I prefer detail than raw bass, I've just sat in friends cars who have gone overboard with the bass.

The setups I speak of are quality. It doesn't take much to vibrate a rear view mirror though - mine does and it's awfully annoying!

 

[roj]

Hi there. Has anyone tried these: http://www.raysmith.co.uk/index.php?cPath=10_11_12

Supposedly quite alot of Sound Quality competitors use them to bring bass up front. Not sure how they'd work in the rear 'shelf, ie. if they can drop low enough to be sub bass.

 

[guydewdney]

cool - want some... been loking for small subs for ages

freq response:-

size..

 

[roj]

Hmm...doesn't look as though they'll drop to the really low notes. Still, they're probably loads better than the standard fit rubbish!

 

[V12]

i have heard plenty of the focals, they are certainly surprising for 5"! a guy was running 4 built into his dash, and a 10 in his rear shelf, and it was adequate!

I love the sound of a 15, so i had to modify my car a bit to fit it, but im not worried about returning the car to standard at all.

the BOSE 6.5" subs are one of the best ive found in that size, better than the JL equivalent for sure.

 

[ricerokets4life]

ok, looks like im getting a subwoofer to stick in the boot/trunk. is it possible to just disconnect the rear deck speakers even with my Bose system? i thought the way they wired it was so that if you disconnected one speaker, the other speakers would get a different signal and it would then cause damage to them. i want to take out my rear deck speakers but im afraid im going to damage my other speakers.

 

[V12]

No, you will not damage any speakers by disconnecting another one...