Questions for CX-5 owners who installed subwoofers

[danieljw]

Crutchfield has a deal right now on the Sound Ordnance B-8PTD compact subwoofer with wiring kit and I am tempted. A few installation questions for those who have already installed subs in your CX-5s:

1) What is your cable route from the battery to the interior?

2) Where did you ground?

3) If you have a compact sub, where did you mount it and how? (i.e. velcro to carpet vs. screwed to something)

4) Did you have to mess with the Bose amp at all (if applicable)?

 

[squibcakes]

Hi Mate,

Power cable is through the firewall penetration. Once you remove the battery, you can clearly see the penetration. Running that cable is probably the trickiest bit imo.

I grounded to a exposed bolt post on the chassis behind the dashboard. There are plenty of these posts in there just clean and use nut to tie down.(My amp is under the passenger seat). My amp just sits hidden and not tied down. Doesn't move on carpet.

I don't have compact sub. These subs sounded ok in the showroom with no engine running or road noise but even then, they still lacked warmth and tone that you can get from a properly tuned sub in a box..... I think a 10" sub minimum is required for a car of this size to be honest. It all comes down to how much space you want to sacrifice in your trunk.

No bose in my car.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/51bk0wvlihrxwvg/IMG_2918.JPG

 

[mentalcase]

You shouldn't have to mess with your bose system at all. Just run the RCA cables from your subwoofer pre-outs to your or in this case the compact sub. Best spot would likely be under a seat.

I've thought about a compact hidden sub, but I have an 8in JBL sub from a failed 3hatch stealth box just sitting around begging to be used. Might just wire up one of my old amps and get a cheap box for some bass.

 

[tibimakai]

I have picked up one of these from craigslist, brand new for $200:
http://www.jlaudio.com/10tw3-d4-car-audio-tw3-subwoofer-drivers-92184
Thee are re-sellers who are selling these and other models on CL.
I haven't installed my system yet, but I'm almost there.
I have purchased 0AWG and 4AWG KnuKonzept wires, fuse housing by the battery, and two more after the power distributor for the 4AWG wires. I will install two Polk Audio amps(PA660&PA880) under both seats.
I will replace my stereo with a Kenwood DNX6990HD. I have ordered a step drill from Amazon to drill through the firewall and I will use a gland nut( http://www.stagelamps.co.uk/store/f...ut-black/4d55ada8928e0d46b625b4dc08006937.jpg ). I also have a grounding block. I still have to find a spot for it, somewhere under the seats. I have purchased a 6xRCA Stinger kit also. I have purchased a PAC steering wheel adapter to retain the steering wheel control.
I'm planning to install the subwoofer in the spare wheel. I will place a 3/4" MDF board, over the tire of the spare wheel, cut a hole for the sub and bolted down to seal it. I still have to figure this prt out, how to do it though. I have to see, if it fits under the rear cover, if not, then I will make another fake floor. The spare wheel it's sealed already with a big rubber seal and I have machined a big 6" Aluminum cover over the rubber seal. Used a regular bolt, to decrease the height of the original knob. Placed a wrench in there, to be able to remove the spare if I need it.
I'm thinking of drilling and taping(1/4-20") four holes in the spare wheel to bolt the MDF against the tire.

 

[danieljw]

You shouldn't have to mess with your bose system at all. Just run the RCA cables from your subwoofer pre-outs to your or in this case the compact sub. Best spot would likely be under a seat.

I've thought about a compact hidden sub, but I have an 8in JBL sub from a failed 3hatch stealth box just sitting around begging to be used. Might just wire up one of my old amps and get a cheap box for some bass.

I'm just trying to follow what you're saying here. Did you mean, "Just run the RCA cables from your headunit pre-outs to your compact sub" ?

 

[squibcakes]

These Sanyo radios don't have rca pre outputs - just a molded connector with preout signlas on them.

So you will most likely have to splice into the front door speaker high level signal (assuming your amp can take high level signal) or splice / adapter cable into the pre outs from the head unit and run cable into your amp.

Do you have the Bose system or not? If so, does the Bose lack that much bottom end?

 

[danieljw]

Sorry I didn't mention it in this particular thread, but I have an aftermarket receiver with RCA outs. I do have the Bose, and it's okay as far as bass response, but I just feel like I'm overdriving the speakers, and I don't even listen to bass-y music!

These Sanyo radios don't have rca pre outputs - just a molded connector with preout signlas on them.

So you will most likely have to splice into the front door speaker high level signal (assuming your amp can take high level signal) or splice / adapter cable into the pre outs from the head unit and run cable into your amp.

Do you have the Bose system or not? If so, does the Bose lack that much bottom end?

 

[mentalcase]

Sorry I didn't mention it in this particular thread, but I have an aftermarket receiver with RCA outs. I do have the Bose, and it's okay as far as bass response, but I just feel like I'm overdriving the speakers, and I don't even listen to bass-y music!

Agreed in regards to the bass response from stock. I need a sub ASAP so I can engage my HU's high pass filters.

 

[tibimakai]

I don't have the system installed yet, but I have everything purchased, I just need the time to work on the car.
The plan is, to install both amps under the seats. I will be using 1-1/2" spacers to raise them from the floor, this way, the air from the ducts are not blocked and they won't blow hot air into the amps.
From the sub amp, I will run a speaker wire in the spare wheel area, and hook them up to the sub.
The 6xRCAs will be run from the Kenwood receiver on the right side of the car, all the way under the driver side seat, where the sub amp will be located(4xchannel amp on passenger side for shorter RCA cable run). Same time, I will run the speaker wires also(for door speakers), together with the RCAs.

 

[tonyv46]

hi, im new onto this forum. i have a 2014 cx5 gt with the bose. and i felt that i could help shed some light on the matter. i put two 10" subs in mine really easy it has the bose, the the low is ok but just not enough.

i ran my power wire 8 gauge threw the driver side firewall i pushed the wire out of sight out of mind going to the back ran it under the rear seat leading into the trunk.
my ground wire i ran from one of the bolts that hold the rear seat brackets in. easy enough.
now this is were it gets interesting because i had a bose i had to run my rca wires different way bose converts there speaker signal after the bose amp so i got a schematic of the bose amp which is on the passenger side. ask your dealer for a printout of where it is.
then you need to find your front door speaker wire traces from your bose amp and tap into it. (with your high to low converter or if your amp has rca high low cables to splice into the wires even easier).
then after that its simple enough to plug it all together.
make sure to run a in-line fuse for your main power wire.
if your not running bose still run your power wires the same way and tap into your front door speaker wires the rear speakers in the hatch are tweeters i believe so you wont get a proper signal from it.

 

[vasichkin]

I have the touring non bose model and I yesterday installed 2 oem tweeters in the d pillars in the plastic housing from the bose system. I connected them to the rear door speakers and I also installed a very very old 10 inch self amplified 100 watt Kenwood sub which was also connected in the rear door speakers. Works quite well. I dont see the need to have sub connected to the front speakers unless you are putting it under the front seat. Otherwise it doesnt make a difference which speakers you use front or back.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

My sub (amp) has a digital converter for the bose amp, it's screwed into the carpet under the driver seat (along with a capacitor which I probably don't need now that I have a Optima yellow top), it doesn't move. The sub is in a custom box built into the rear lower cargo. It extends from the rear hatch until about halfway into the spare tire cutout. This way it can be removed. I can also put things on it.

 

[tonyv46]

the amp may be able to benefit more range running it to a more direct source. I don't like distortion, i like having a crisp sound with laud base. my amp pushes 300w rms at 4ohms on each channel, my subs can take 340w rms at 4 ohms.
the only issue i have is my interior lamp and rear view mirror vibrate which is annoying but ill fix that soon enough ill post some pictures later of the setup.

 

[tonyv46]

"Chris_Top_Her" nice setup.

 

[V8toilet]

Crutchfield has a deal right now on the Sound Ordnance B-8PTD compact subwoofer with wiring kit and I am tempted. A few installation questions for those who have already installed subs in your CX-5s:

1) What is your cable route from the battery to the interior?

2) Where did you ground?

3) If you have a compact sub, where did you mount it and how? (i.e. velcro to carpet vs. screwed to something)

4) Did you have to mess with the Bose amp at all (if applicable)?

I recommend you do not purchase that subwoofer. I had originally bought that same one and installed it in my wife's car. It does not sound good and lacks the low end bass a subwoofer should be able to produce. The aluminum driver also produces an overtone that makes it sound tinny. I returned that SO B-8PTD and got the JL Audio CS110-WXv2 sealed sub for my wife's 5 and the CP108LG-W3v3 ported Microsub for my CX5. The difference is astonishing! I slightly prefer the more accurate 10" sealed sub over the 8" micro sub but the micro sub is smaller and goes just as low but with more volume.

 

[mentalcase]

Chris top her, any more detailed photos of your custom box? I'd be interested in doing something like that and setting it in a little further to make it more stealthy.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

I suppose if you went with say, two small tube subwoofers you could not block off the spare tire well and have them on the side, bearing the same load and the Styrofoam.

 

[mentalcase]

That's a real interesting build and it has me thinking about doing the same thing. It looks like thats a 12in sub? What's the volume of your box? I'd need something around .75 cuft for an Infinity 100.9W.

And btw nice tire plug kit to make up for the spare.

 

[tibimakai]

My plan is, to keep the spare in place, just place a 3/4" MDF over it, cut a hole for the sub, install the sub and bolt the MDF to the spare. I have to do some more measurements to see if the sub will fit with the 3/4" MDF under the factory cover. Unfortunately, the JL Audio shallow sub, can not be mounted under the MDF, only on top of it. There is enough cubic feet in there, for a 10" sub. I have already sealed all the spare's holes with a 6" rubber seal and a 6" aluminum round plate. Used a regular hex head bolt, to bolt down the spare.

 

[squibcakes]

Nice tidy work there Chris. How heavy is the box? - just want to compare to my beast of a box which is pretty heavy... which reminds me I should post some pics later too.

Tibimakai, pull your finger out and lets see some progress eh?