'Stealth' subwoofer box for Clk w208 convertible.

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steadyeddie

Active Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
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96
Car
Mercedes CLK 320 W208
I had a full Alpine system professionally installed last year - it sounds absolutely superb but my only gripe is how ugly the subwoofer looks in the boot. Not only that, it's a pain in the a*se to move the box when I want to put the roof down. Does anyone have a customised subwoofer in their boot or have any recommend where to look?

Thanks
 
Any decent car audio company will make one for you. They will need the car a few days though while the fibreglass mould of the side of the boot is made. If you want recommendations of who to use you need to state where your located.

Auto Acoustics sell them ready made but only for the W202.
 
hi i have been looking into the sound system and have a similar problem but i dont have the convertible but have kids so push chairs n that.
ive found if the rear seat side cards are removed they have lots n lots n lots of room for some thing in there but prob need to make a new side door card to do it properly.
not sure its the same on convert tho.
maybe worth a look.
 
I'm just about to fit one of these tomorrow (check out the bottom picture):

TS-WX77A Space-Saving Amplified Subwoofer (200W) - Pioneer Speakers & Subwoofers

Depends on your oomph requirements but sinewave on here has one and rates it highly.

It's active so doesn't require separate amp - leaving that to drive the rest of your speakers...

I'll post up when I've done it with my thoughts.

I've had a few subs over the years: Kenwood 8" x 2, 15" x 1, a massive bandpass box - so I have experienced varying levels of bass.

I'm not into volume these days but I still like to hear a rich pronounced lower order!
 
Well, there's mixed news really.

The recy I did last weekend certainly sped things up.

I managed to install it in about half an hour but only roughly and secured nothing down in case it didn't yield the results.

Whilst the unit works fine, it doesn't provide enough oomph in a saloon car.

I should have remembered this from before - whenever I used to install systems in hatchbacks, you could get away with anything and there would be plenty of oomph in the car. Childsplay. However, when I switched to buying German saloons, I found it a lot harder to get bass into the cabin - and this is the same.

So whilst I imagine it will work really well in a hatchback or estate, a saloon is a different proposition altogether.

I think convertibles will be the same as saloons - and so the only options are to either fit a traditional subwoofer with plenty of power. The problem you then have is vibrating body panels - so you will be Dynamatting for years to come! Or, fit a subwoofer in the parcel shelf pointing into the car or into the boot set to reverse phase.

For me, I'm going to sell the unit as by the time my music is on, and the car is on and running, you just aren't going to hear anything from the sub in the boot. I know someone at works who wants something like it in a camper - so this would be perfect.

I was able to remove the whole lot in 10 minutes and just plug the rear speakers back in as I'd used bullets... Hoorah!

I'm then going to decide whether I want to have a go at the parcel shelf sub (like the stock Karman Hardon system) or just call it a day...
 
Sorry to hear that JohnE, I'd not thought of the more substantial parcel shelf in a Saloon causing problems!

On the other hand I spose it's always a trade off between power and size of Sub box.

I agree, I would have more Base if I could but I'm not prepared to lose any more boot space as this was a primary reason for buying an E class Estate in the first place!
 
Yeah true - you did buy a wagon for a reason. Although you could fit a mahoosive box in there!

I've been doing some digging and it might be a single LARGE ish free-air sub might be the way to go. I can use the holes in the parcel shelf for the stock sub.

I don't use my boot much granted, but I don't want a f-o 85kg box to lift out either.

Installing the amp will be a piece of as I know where everything is.

A Pioneer dual-voice coil 12" 1000w RMS unit is about £80! That maybe overkill but I don't need it on full volume! It would bolt up to the parcel shelf with an MDF mount and not use up much space and I could Dynamat the inside of the remaining floppy parcel shelf cover. I could probably mount the amp on the inside of rear seats.

If you turn the gain to nothing on your sub - do you hear any difference on your setup?

I do wonder if the signals going to the front and rear sets of speakers are full range (mine has 5 channels running a centre, four small woofers and four tweeters - which I would assume take full range and have inline capacitors but I don't know for sure).
 
custom the boxes to the sides or have one made for the wheel well...?
They are not that hard to make yourself, as they are just fibre glass with mdf tops.

my CLK convertible install:

28062009076-1.jpg


DSCF4820InstalldonePS-1.jpg
 
Selling my custom 12" sub box enclosure for w208 clk320 convertable. Zeus Hifonics good as new woofer. 900 watts ???..I would say 450 RMS as advised, 1.28 liter enclosure sealed with woofer in, MDF and Fibreglass finished in black carpet.
£225 to go....lovely sound and great fit.
 
I have a box custom that fits perfectly into rear quarter panel..
 
Selling my custom 12" sub box enclosure for w208 clk320 convertable. Zeus Hifonics good as new woofer. 900 watts ???..I would say 450 RMS as advised, 1.28 liter enclosure sealed with woofer in, MDF and Fibreglass finished in black carpet.
£225 to go....lovely sound and great fit.
long shot i know... but do you still have this install?
cheers
 
long shot i know... but do you still have this install?
cheers
He has not visited the forum for nearly 3 years so dont hold your breath for a reply, in any case his setup was for a 208 not a 209
 

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