Modified BOSE sub advice?

[STU300TD]

Hello,

I'm a newbie with an ICE question.

My 199 W210 E300TD has a standard audio system (non-BOSE) which I wish to improve.

My plan is to upgrade the cabin speakers in the doors and have them run direct from the head unit which is a high spec/high power Alpine unit which has a built in internal high pass filter which I will set at 80htz.

I wish to install a small sub to fill the bottom end out and this will be run by a 350w Alpine mono amp under the rear seat.

Ideally I do not want to take up any room in the bootspace and so am considering the purchase of a BOSE sub for the W210.

Now I know enough to know the driver in the sub will need to be replaced as a non-bose amp will struggle to drive it effectively.

My pan is to replace the driver in the passive unit with an appropriate driver (8" if possible, though I suspect it will be a Kicker 6.6 inck shallow mount sub) and drive it with the Alpine amp.

My hope is that the BOSE sub enclosure, having been designed to fit in the awkward side space will give me the extra bottom end without losing storage space in the back?

Has anyone done this?

I read on the internet the BOSE systems come under a lot of criticism and many members remove them and upgrade.

However I do NOT want to install a huge box with 2x12" subs and rattle everything in the car.

I am led to believe that Harmon Kardon put some small bass drivers in the rear C pillars and that there might be room in the tailgate at the bottom for something?

Any ideas please?

Things I do not want are big bass boxes in the boot or active subs under the seats.

Stu.

 

[bolide]

To get bass you have two options: a big box with big speakers and small cone movement (Xmax) or a small box, small woofers with a big Xmax designed for use in a small enclosure and a meaty amp

If the Bose box fits the car I'd find one secondhand, throw the speaker away and replace it with the biggest unit that will fit and make sure it is a unit designed as a woofer. So it needs decent power handling & lots of cone movement to move air

The box will probably be thin plastic. I'd mass-load it using roofing flashing tape or sound-deadening pads on the outside. If it is a vented box I'd block up the vent and make sure it is airtight - that's crucial

At the front I'd sound-deaden the doors and fit the biggest mids you can (probably 6.5") plus tweeters and put the crossover in the door. The mids need to be solidly mounted and the inner part of the door needs to be as air-tight as possible

Personally I'd use an amp for the front speakers

In theory you'll get more bass out of a vented enclosure but if you're changing the driver the tuning that Bose designed won't be correct for the new driver. So best to seal the box up

Something like these e3.8s would work well

Elemental Designs: Car Stereo, Home Speakers, Electronics

Nick Froome

 

[timskemp]

Doesn't the 210 have space for a sub in the rear shelf like the 211 does?

Regardless of that, I'd stick a small box in the boot - mine has a Vibe Slick 12, they do a 10 inch as well.

 

[STU300TD]

The box will probably be thin plastic. I'd mass-load it using roofing flashing tape or sound-deadening pads on the outside. If it is a vented box I'd block up the vent and make sure it is airtight - that's crucial

Personally I'd use an amp for the front speakers

I have some left over sound deadening material for just this type of work.

The reason for not fitting a second amp is simply not wanting to run numerous speaker cables from the 2nd amp to the doors.

With one mono amp under the rear seat all I need is an RCA and a remote-on lead from the HU to the amp. I can manage this quite easily. Gone are my days of stripping a cars interior to run umpteen upgraded speaker cables from amps to doors. The battery is in the rear and so power is easy too - though I do accept an amp driving the fronts will add to the clarity and separation.

Ive just been out and removed some of the boot lining and to be honest it doesnt look as though fitting the BOSE sub is as easy as I thought. It also looks as though the carpeted cover will be different than the standard one and I don't have one!

I'm still looking at permanent fixtures as opposed to something like a removable tube and I wonder if the bottom of the tailgate will offer me any options?

 

[STU300TD]

Doesn't the 210 have space for a sub in the rear shelf like the 211 does?

Regardless of that, I'd stick a small box in the boot - mine has a Vibe Slick 12, they do a 10 inch as well.

There is no rear shelf on the estate.

The W210 saloon has two small bass drivers in the rear shelf using the bootspace as volume for them. It adds to the stock system but cant' compete with a sealed 10" unit. A great upgrade for the W210 is two 8 inch free air subs under the rear shelf using the original holes to allow the sound into the cabin. I don't have this option.

I really don't want anything in the bootspace at all hence the desire to find somewhere to fit something to give me more than the current 4 speakers even if it means a bit of a compromise on volume/depth.