My Adventures in Upgrading the Subwoofer and Center Speaker

[Starship Enterprise]

System; Agreed! But I didn't want to dive any deeper than I did.

Fruitstang: Agreed! trying to fill that 1300W Pioneer was like throwing a pebble in the ocean and expecting a big wave.

71Stang99: Link to the grill is on page 1 of this thread along with all other purchase links..

The 4 bar grill
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H9IL29S?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

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[71stang99]

System; Agreed! But I didn't want to dive any deeper than I did.

Fruitstang: Agreed! trying to fill that 1300W Pioneer was like throwing a pebble in the ocean and expecting a big wave.

71Stang99: Link to the grill is on page 1 of this thread along with all other purchase links..

The 4 bar grill
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H9IL29S?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Thanks, order placed!

 

[D/\rK•650]

OK, I installed the new sub today. Took 15 minutes. The sub has twin sets of 4 ohm spade connectors. It mounts using 8 screws vs. the 6 Pioneer screws. I just drilled 8 new holes in the box and found 2 more screws. Size-wise it's a perfect drop-in.

So I played SXM and music off my Samsung phone via bluetooth. The difference was staggering! Did it shake the windows? Hell no, but the sound was MUCH MUCH more pronounced than the Pioneer with MUCH more bass response.

Testing was also done with sound faded to 100% rear. Playing SXM, I could hear little digital artifacts, but not from bluetooth. But when sound was balanced to middle of the interior, it sounded FANTASTIC in all modes!!!

The difference was extremely noticeable and a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT over the Pioneer. The sound overall was louder, clearer, sharper with much better bass response. It just sounded so good!

200W RMS and 400W max, with 86 db. sensitivity, it is a MUCH better match to the stock stereo system vs. the Pioneer.

FWIW, I also keep one rear seat folded down which lets MUCH more sub sound carry through to the front.

I highly recommend this sub. Only $49 at Amazon. Others who got the DD sub probably got a big improvement I'm sure as it also has an 86 db sensitivity.

At this point on the stock amp, I would NOT recommend the Pioneer sub.

Live and learn....

Ok, so the higher the sensitivity and closer rms wattage to stock is the key? I mean without adding an amplifier? Thank you for posting and good job.

 

[System]

The sensitivity is the key. Don't sweat the RMS wattage.

 

[Starship Enterprise]

I'm not even close to being a expert on sound specs, but I'm going to say anyway, that it seems to me that higher wattage speaker has a lower sensitivity by default.

That said I originally thought a 74 db speaker has a higher sensitivity than an 86 db speaker, but it seems the opposite is true. Meaning I thought a 74 db speaker only needs 74 db of sound to react making it more sensitive than an 86 db speaker.

But the more I looked at lower wattage subs the higher the db sensitivity number was. So just looking for a lower wattage sub will get you more sensitivity. win/win.

My confusion on all this is why I bought the "wrong" sub first time.

Real world listening to this new sub has told me I was on the right track though. For what I have spent in the last few weeks at the vet for our sick kitty, $49 to try the new sub is a drop in the bucket. Hell, is $49 even a full tank of gas?!?

 

[System]

The higher the sensitivity #, the lower wattage the amp needs to be to drive it efficiently. So yes sir, you had it backwards. That said, it's a cost thing more than a wattage thing. You can buy a highly sensitive sub that can handle plenty of power...

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