Yoke's ICE question

[Vanquish]

Quote -Recently upgrade my ICE set-up, using Alpine HU, Steg 2 channel amp and Focal comp (for the front), got a 4 inch alpine replacing the rear original speaker (run by the HU amp). Currently lack bass and I was told (I know) that I need a sub very fast. I don't like enclosure sub as it will eat up the boot space of the already small E36 boot. Thinking of free air. Yoke,We do not have an ICE related zone but most of the ICE threads can be found in this sub-section. Now ... to answer your question -Yes - if you wanna hit the low notes, a sub is absolutely necessary. There are a a few way to do this ... some options1. A small 10 inch sub ... in a sealed 1.0 cft enclosure. Will take up some space but you will appreciate the low notes and bass extension.2. 2 x 8 or 10 inch units - free air install. Some mods to the rear parcel shelf will be needed. The stock rear speakers will go and the open cavity can be used to channel the bass into the cabin. A dedicated sub amp is a must.3. Bass tubes - saves space and still provides reasonable amount of bass. Some are self powered (active subs) while the others will need external amp. Please avoid the el cheapo China / Taiwan made tubes as they do not last long and sound boomy at times.I assume your Steg is being used to power the Focals rite ? Which model is it - QMs or AQs ? You will need a separate 2 channel amp for your sub later depending on what you pick. Brands are more of a personal choice ... and also budget dependent.Cheers.

 

[yoke]

The AQs (2 channel) that is powering my comp. Just want to know commonly done in the E36 by all the sifus for the sub. The reason been thinking hard on the open air is due to the fact of space availabilty in the boot. That's why been toying with the idea of 2x 10 inch sub to be powered by a mono/ stereo amp.
I've been told however, with an open air, its advisable to go for a stereo amp as its easier to tune and the bass is more senang to masuk with the front. Obviously, a 12'' in enclosure will give a deeper bass (not sure about the speed and extension though). Anyone you know used an open air sub, how's the bass speed/depth and integration with the front.
Currently the front set-up is bit sharp/upfront (might need more tuning) to my ears with not enough depth to the music.

Cheers.

 

[Vanquish]

For E36, all the 3 options above are workable. You would have to decide on what is your prefered set up but it looks like you want to retain the boot space as it is. I suppose 2 free air subs would be the way to go about this. You can find either a stereo amp / mono amp but much will depend on your subs specs.

To achieve proper staging of the low notes and allow it to filter into the cabin effectively, the stock rear speakers have to go. The subs will have to be installed onto thick solid MDF panels which then will be attached to the rear shelf. Some extra work is needed here but a good installer can handle it.

Which is better between free air / sealed enclosure ??? Both have their PROs and CONs but ultimately you go with what works for you. But I think the difference between these 2 is quite minimal as a well set up pair of free air subs can almost match a sealed enclosure's bass extension.

Which subs are you considering ? Cheers.

 

[yoke]

Been thinking about 2x 10" Alpine Type E or Type R, or Debezt (unsure about this though). It all depends on my budget, hate to stretch to much as I've already burn alot on my HU and comp. The instalation cost also a pain in the ass.
To power it not sure, might go for Tagwood either mono or stereo.. will dream of how to come up with the fund to finance it, as still need to do a few things on the wear and tear part on my E36.. Do advice if you have other alternative of the set-up combi..

Cheers

 

[Vanquish]

Bro,

Forget about the Alpine Tyre R as they do not do too well as free air subs. Plus they are very heavy and your installer will have a hard time mounting them to the rear shelf. If you are feeding them anything less than 300W RMS each, you're better off looking at other options.

I can suggest a few models but it's better for me to know your budget for this - amp + sub + install cost. It wud be easier to work our way thru this then.

Cheers.

 

[yoke]

Van, u got pm