The Nissan Frontier Crewcab SubSolutions fits neatly behind the rear seat of this 2000 model. This customer had room left over to also mount his amp, CD Changer, and first aid kit!
You can see that after the Toyota Double Cab SubSolutions box is installed, the box does not interfere at all with the functioning of the center console or armrest.
One of our most popular SubSolutions is our Toyota Double Cab SubSolutions box. You can see from the image how the SubSolutions box is wired before it is set into place.
$249.99
TSCS
The same phenomenal performance from our special small, high output subwoofer, only in a low profile configuration!
Durable charcoal gray finish. Extremely high sound-to-size ratio exclusively from Acoustic Solutions’ IntraPortTM Technology. In-car sensitivity 102 db spl, 1 watt, 1 meter
Dimensions: 20″ x 6.5″ x 9.5″
Driver: One, SSCTM SubSolution driver, 220w.
$249.99
TSSS
The best sounding small subwoofer available (also the best looking) with efficient, flat response to 41hz. This small enclosure is perfect for SUVs and Crossover vehicles, as it takes up very little cargo area, and give you BIG sound.
Durable charcoal gray finish. Extremely high sound-to-size ratio exclusively from Acoustic Solutions’ IntraPortTM Technology.
Dimensions: 10.6″ x 10.6″ x 9.7″
Driver: One, SSCTM SubSolution driver, 220w.
Purpose
The purpose of this test is to accurately compare the differences in frequency response of four different automotive subwoofers in their proper enclosures:
Conditions
The Results
The graph accurately shows the frequency response of each speaker system in the same acoustic environment. The ACA W160 is a fourth order bandpass enclosure with a high “s” Ratio and high gain which provides more SPL, but results in a extremely narrow bandwidth. The SAS T80 is a bass reflex design with its acoustic power centered at 60 hz. and typical sharp roll-off. The JBL GTM80 is also a bass reflex enclosure with a 60 hz. center frequency. However, the vent on the JBL is located on the opposite end of the enclosure from the driver, whereas the driver and vent on the SAS unit are on the same plane. This explains the difference in the response curves in the 20 to 40 hz range. The Acoustic Solutions TSSS enclosure design is called an IntraportedTM Bandpass. Similar to a 4th order bandpass design but with an additional vent between the front and rear volumes. The acoustic center of the TSSS is 50hz and it exhibits an unusually broad bandwidth. Achieving this wide of a bandwidth with a 4th order design would use a “s” of .4 and would suffer the subsequent 2.7db dip in middle of the passband. As the graph shows, however, the TSSS not only avoids the center frequency dip, it actually goes up about 1.5db! The response curve of the Acoustic Solutions TSSS looks like the smooth, “s” ratio of .7 or higher, but without the narrow bandwidth limitations.
Yes, in most cases, if you are even considering the idea,
Signal / Head Units
Receivers (“deck”, “source”, “radio”, “tape deck”, “CD Tuner”, or whatever you want to call them), are simply the component that generates the signal that you are trying to hear. The “format” is always changing, and although the Compact Disc is currently dominant, in the future we may (soon) be playing decompressed digital audio files (such as the MP3 format) in our vehicles that we have downloaded from the Internet, or using some digital broadcasting system.
Of all the components in your sound system, the signal source component you choose has the least amount of affect on the acoustic performance of your sound system. You can build a fantastic sounding system around an entry-level CD deck. Of course it will sound a little bit better with a high dollar head unit, but, if, for example, you have an extra $100 to add to the budget for your system, and you want to have it help with the sound more than say, looks or ease of use, add it to your speakers or amplifier(s).
Factory Head Units
Many vehicles now feature CD players from the factory. These decks can be used as a source if a line level converter (about $25) is added since they only have speaker output leads and not “pre-amp outputs”. The performance can be satisfactory but never superb because the signal is still traveling through the IC chip amp inside the deck, which adds distortion and muddys-up the over all signal a little.
Amplifiers
“Factory” or “stock” sound systems that come with vehicles today sound a little better than they used to. Many people, after buying a car, can be heard saying that they sound “not too bad”. That’s great that they don’t sound too bad, but shouldn’t the goal be to get it to sound GOOD? Your listening to music in your car MUCH more than at home, not that you’re in your car more, but when your home there’s TV, phone, conversation, sleeping, etc. and we just don’t get around to really listening all that carefully even if the stereo is on. Your car is the place to listen to what you want when you want, as loud as you want, singing along if you want, and it can actually be a great “room” to listen in. Although the road noise can detract somewhat from appreciating the quiet parts of the music, the small dimensions of the room and the fixed listening position are actually ideal for creating a superb acoustic demo chamber. So, ironically, at home we have a quiet noise floor (10 to 20 db) and 100 watts per channel and in our vehicles we have a loud noise floor ( 50 to 80 db) and yet people try to get away with listening to just 12 watts per channel !? The 12 watts refers to the little amp built in to your deck. All radios now a days have the same little amp in them (no matter what they claim to have for power – “40 x 4″ is just a marketing trick – read lie) There are really just two types of amp designs found in 12 volt environments.
The first type of amp is found inside radios and is commonly referred to as a “chip amp,” or “IC amplifier.” These are extremely low cost “amps” that use the 12 volts DC that is present in the car to produce a maximum of about 12 watts of usable power. This is the most they can make due to the Laws of Physics: power (watts) = current (amps) X voltage (volts). Some additional drawbacks to this type of amp design are: high distortion (typically 1% THD-”Total Harmonic Distortion”), low signal to noise ratio (slight hiss always in your speakers), and crummy stereo separation. The advantage is that it is a small integrated circuit chip and does not give off much heat and so they are included “free” inside all radios. The confusing part is that the manufacturers, who are not regulated regarding this, put numbers like “30 or even 45 watts per channel” on these units, which sounds as if it might have enough power. They do produce micro-second long spikes up to 40 watts, (if turned way up), but it is then accompanied by about 20% distortion–and when you turn it down until it sounds okay, it is then at about 12 watts again. Remember that number – 12 watts at 1% distortion.
Amplifiers that use the second type of design are called “transformered” or “discreet” since they have separate power transistors and true power supplies. These amps take the 12 volts DC and convert it to AC. Only after you have AC, can you make higher voltage. This lets you produce more than 12 watts, and at much less distortion (typically .1% distortion [a tenth of one percent]- that’s ten times cleaner than IC chip amps, and a lot more power). The disadvantages to these amps is that they are expensive (starting at $100 for a 50 w. / chan.), big and heavy (need to be mounted under seat), and they need a big, fat, wire hooked up to the battery to run them. However, it is all well worth it once you hear the difference!
Most speakers will handle more power than you think. What they can’t handle is distortion. Distortion is what an amplifier puts out when it isn’t big enough to play as loud as you would like it to. It’s that extra, fuzzy sound over the top of your music when you reach the limit. All amplifiers distort when you turn them up past their maximum output limit. Your amp tries to amplify the small signal from your deck without altering its smooth shape. Your amp has a “voltage rail” limit of how big it can do that before it chops off the top and bottom of the sine wave, causing distortion-which will damage your speakers.
To summarize, if your stereo is not loud enough, or if you’ve blown a speaker from distortion (which isn’t covered under any warranty) and had to get another one, buy a bigger amp. Almost every time a speaker “blows” it is due to distortion. It is very rare indeed that a manufacturing defect doesn’t show up in the first few hours or minutes of play. For best performance use an amplifier that puts out as much power as the rating of the speaker. The only other way a speaker can blow (even with clean power) is from over-excursion. However, you need to play it at over-excursion levels for a while in order to break it, and it sounds so terrible and obvious, that anyone would turn it down long before that would happen.
Bigger the Better? Yes. That is, the more power an amp can produce, the better the sound quality will be, all other things being equal. The physical size of an amp, however, will not tell you much about how much usable power it can produce. In fact it is quite common for cheaper, lower quality amps to feature a huge, over-sized heatsink to try to look big and powerful.
Power ratings. Since there are no regulations to ensure truthful, comparable power ratings of car amps, the best way to determine the output of a particular model is to look in the owners manual, and under specifications, read what is usually the SECOND line (the first is just Maximum power with any amount of distortion) that should state the “RMS” (average) continuous power at a certain distortion rate (.1% or less), per channel, at 4 ohms, while playing a full-frequency signal (20-20khz). Only then can you know how much “usable” power is available, and even then there are other aspects of a amps’ design that can make one sound better than another with the same power specs.
Speakers
Factory vs Aftermarket
A discussion of speakers must always refer to the amplifier that will drive the speaker. This is very important to understanding speakers, so be sure you’ve read the discussion on “Amplifiers”. “Stock” or “factory” speakers that come with your car are often good enough to be part of a great sounding system IF you power them with a clean, discreet amp. As an additional measure of building a really great sound system, you could upgrade the door speakers and lastly the rear speakers.
Do I really need “midbass” drivers? “Midbass” drivers in a car audio system are ones that only play a narrow band of frequencies typically between 70 and 2or300hz. They usually are in the form of a pair of 6″drivers shoe-horned into the front doors. There needs to be a midrange speaker to play above 300 hz. and advanced crossovers and/or a dedicated amp for the midbass drivers as well. In other words, midbass drivers are usually only found in very elaborate systems and provide only minor enhancement to a sound system when compared with other options available with that much time, energy, and money (like a trunk e.q., for example).
Subwoofers
In order to make the right decision on which type, size, and model of subwoofer you may need, you should ask yourself a few key questions: “What type of vehicle do I have” (if sedan, see “Cars with Trunks”) “What level of sound performance do I need?” “How much space am I willing to give up?” “What other items do I sometimes need to have in my car?” (recreational gear, etc.) “What is the approximate budget for the system or components being added at this time?”(sub, amp, etc.)
Placement
In optimizing placement of subwoofers in vehicles, one must be aware of the “transfer function” of the interior space of the vehicle, commonly referred to as “corner loading”. Bass is resonating air, and it’s easier to do that in the semi-trapped air of a corner. Therefore, the best place to locate your sub for maximum output is in and toward a corner. Unfortunately, this is not always where you would like it for aesthetics or ease of use, however, it will be loudest there and may allow you to have a smaller box and/or amp. Also, if you use a “bandpass box” (which is the best type for use in vehicles, which need small size and high output over a narrow band), it will also minimize the slight port noise inherent in all ported boxes. In home stereos, this corner loading is undesirable, producing an unnatural peak of sound energy at a low frequency, however in a car, or especially a truck, it is very welcome to do battle with the road rumble trying to mask your music’s rhythm.
Sedans (cars with trunks)
Bass is the resonating of air. In order to hear (or feel) bass, you need to resonate the air near you. If you put a subwoofer inside a closed trunk only a small portion of the bass can be heard or felt in the cab of the vehicle. However, in sedans, there is no other place for a sub, and so one theory (not a very good one), is to put in a huge sub and huge amp and hope it can be heard up front. This idea of wasting
That is, the more power an amp can produce, the better the sound quality will be, all other things being equal. The physical size of an amp, however, will not tell you much about how much usable power it can produce. In fact it is quite common for cheaper, lower quality amps to feature a huge, over-sized heatsink to try to look big and powerful.
Power ratings. Since there are no regulations to ensure truthful, comparable power ratings of car amps, the best way to determine the output of a particular model is to look in the owners manual, and under specifications, read what is usually the SECOND line (the first is just Maximum power with any amount of distortion) that should state the “RMS” (average) continuous power at a certain distortion rate (.1% or less), per channel, at 4 ohms, while playing a full-frequency signal (20-20khz). Only then can you know how much “usable” power is available, and even then there are other aspects of a amps’ design that can make one sound better than another with the same power specs.
No. In fact most all people agree that smaller drivers sound better since they can react to the changes in the music faster. Larger cones have significantly more mass and it is very hard to get them to stop moving at one speed and start moving at another speed, which is what they need to do. This aspect is measured and referred to as “transient response”.
“Efficiency” or “Sensitivity” refers to how loud a speaker will play with a specified amount of power on it. The standard for measuring it is to play 1 watt of power into it, and measure the sound pressure level (SPL) at 1 meter away, measured in decibels. For example, 89 db, @1 watt, @1 meter. In general, drivers with larger cones will be more efficient than smaller cones, all else being equal.
“Midbass” drivers in a car audio system are ones that only play a narrow band of frequencies typically between 70 and 2or300hz. They usually are in the form of a pair of 6″drivers shoe-horned into the front doors. There needs to be a midrange speaker to play above 300 hz. and advanced crossovers and/or a dedicated amp for the midbass drivers as well. In other words, midbass drivers are usually only found in very elaborate systems and provide only minor enhancement to a sound system when compared with other options available with that much time, energy, and money (like a trunk e.q., for example).
Amps are designed to “see” or “be hooked up to” a specific electrical resistive load called “impedance”. This impedance rating of speakers is measured in ohms, and will always be written on the speaker. And so, amps are rated as being able to produce a certain amount of power AT a certain load impedance. And then it will list an even higher output power rating at a lower impedance.
For example, 50 watts per channel at 4 ohms, AND 100 watts per channel at 2 ohms. This is the same exact amp, mind you. And so, if you buy this amp, and hook up a 4 ohm speaker to each channel, you’ll have 50 watts/chan. But if you just hook up 2 ohm speakers to each channel (or two, 4 ohm speakers in parallel), you’ll have 100 watts per channel!!?!? Wow, something for nothing? No, remember, that doesn’t exist in physics. And here too, when we drop the impedance, although the wattage does increase, so does the distortion (muddier sound), the current draw (potential damage to the alternator and regulator), and the uncontrollability of the speaker (“damping factor” and “slew rate” decrease, causing less accurate sound and potential speaker failure). It is always better (sound quality-wise), to run an amp in a higher impedance configuration. BRIDGING refers to when you gang both channels together (adding their wattages together), into a single channel for use with one woofer. When you Bridge two channels of an amp that would normally put out 50 watts per channel into 4 ohms stereo, you need to provide a single 8 ohm load in order to get the same impedance configuration (“4 ohm mode” = 4 ohm per chan. stereo, OR, 8 ohm bridged mono), and, the same total wattage from the amp (100 watts total). Likewise, if you provide a single (bridged) 4 ohm load to that amp, it will be in a “2 ohm load configuration”, and will put out up to 200 watts (mono/total). It is a worth-while compromise to run a subwoofer at the lower impedance (bridged into 4 ohms), since we don’t notice the increased distortion as we do in the mids, and, even the decrease in damping factor is acceptable, in order to get the increase in power (we need lots ‘o bass in cars to play over the road rumble).
If you are doing 4 high-pass channels, in order to use the “pre-amp fader” in your deck, just repeat the line level converter install procedure above, on the back of the radio, then run the four speaker wire pairs down to the amp, and set both the “channels 1&2″, and the “channels 3&4″ to high-pass. Also, for the input signal, run the two RCA’s from the deck and then use the RCA “Y” splitters on the front channels, and split off to the low-pass amp using RCA barrels and a 3′ RCA cable.
Recently, some audio engineers working on noise cancellation technology, made a major breakthrough in small enclosure/speaker designs. This technology represents the most dramatic development in small-sized subwoofer engineering since the emergence of band pass enclosures in the 1980s and is fully implemented for the first time in the form of SubSolutions
“What the heck is Bi-amping?”
It’s very important to understand the need to “bi-amp” your vehicles’ sound system. That is, to make sure you have a power amp for your door speakers as well as one for your subwoofer. If you don’t, and you use the little, “BTL, IC chip” amp that is in your radio (“deck”, or “head unit”), you will be missing out on an awful lot of sound quality.
ALL IC chip amps (despite what they say), put out just 12 watts, at 1% (or more!) distortion, rotten signal to noise ratio, crummy stereo separation, and absolutely no headroom. ALL of them. All decks. Even expensive aftermarket decks. However, when you use a real, “discreet” amp, your door speakers will receive a wonderfully clean, powerful signal, with high power, low distortion, Suddenly the music will sound so clear and detailed, that you will wonder how you ever listened to it the other way (with just the high distortion, IC chip amp in the radio). Real amps don’t put up with the limit of 12 volts DC. They have “switching power supplies” that make AC, and they raise the voltage way above12 volts. Then they use “discreet” transistors just like your home amp. The reason it will sound ten times better, is that the power will go from 10 watts to 50, the distortion will go from 5% to .01%, the signal to noise ratio will go from 40 to 95, the stereo separation will go from 45 to 90, and, instead of trying to play full frequencies into your mids, you will have a crossover that will block the deep bass, allowing the door speakers to play just the midrange and highs, tracking the music perfectly! You will hear subtle parts of your music you’ve never heard before, and find that you can listen for hours on end, as opposed to the way it is now, when sometimes you just turn it off for a while, to give yourself a “rest” from the music (the “distortion”). Get an amp on your high frequency speakers, and it will completely change your life! (at least as far as your car stereo is concerned) Your door speakers will play a whole new tune. Your ears will hear an incredible difference. Your brain will think it’s the best idea it ever had!
10. Having a sub box that takes up all of my cargo room means that my wife can’t ask me to run errands.
9. I don’t need to hear full, deep, linear bass. Just “one-note” bass is fine for me.
8. My gas mileage is too good, so, having an extremely heavy sub box helps me waste gas.
7. Having subs that show, gives my young kids something to poke holes in while I drive.
6. Even though I have a beautiful new vehicle, I want to clutter it up with a big ugly sub box.
5. I like the idea of an in-efficient sub, so that I can buy a huge, gigantic amp to run it.
4. I enjoy hearing the slop and delay of large drivers. It makes the notes blur together nicely.
3. If I’m in an accident, my huge box can kill me, so I won’t have to pay the deductible.
2. I like having a standard, ordinary, big box, like everyone else. I’m unique like everyone else.
AND,
Subject: 1980 Porsche 911sc
I have a 1980 911sc that is in need of more bass. I saw the install on the 1974 I’m not sure if I need that much of a system. I was wondering if there was a low cost and simpler install for my car ? thanks, don j.
Dear Don, The Porsche SubSolution is the only subwoofer I know of, short of sitting a box in your back seat. We do offer several, small, great sounding, good looking models to consider doing that with, including The Sports Car SubSolution. The main reason to use the Porsche SubSolution, aside from the fact that a box in the back would flop around, look stupid, and take up precious cargo space, is the sound. The sound of the bass playing in front of you instead of behind is so terrific that if you ever have the opportunity to do it (which you do with a 911), you definitely should. The bass couples with the door speakers and sounds so natural and realistic, that you start to think there is no “subwoofer” at all, and yet, all the deep bass you could ever need. A sub in the back of a car always tells your brain “I’m in the back, I’m sorry, I know I should be up front with the rest of the front sound stage, but I can’t fit up there”. As far as the install goes, it really isn’t very hard to install, and does not require any cutting or drilling, so, even if you sold the car one day, (and were getting another 911/912, and wanted to keep your SubSolution), it unbolts with no sign of having been there! The important thing to make sure you understand is the need for the four channel amp. Your deck only has a tiny amp in it and can’t even give your door spks the power they need to sound good, and can’t run a sub at all. A small 4 chan amp is all you need for good sound in that car. A 50 wattx4 amp (with built-in crossover) can be purchased for as little as $199 nowadays, and will provide you with true, high performance sound. A classic car like yours deserves a great sound system.
Be sure to let me know if I can answer any other questions.
Sincerely,
\/\/\.Dr. Sub
