sashley161
Member
- :
- Mazda 3 S 5-door
I bought my 2006 Mazda 3S 5 door thinking it was a very versatile and fun to drive car with enough room when I had my girls with me. I could even use it as a station wagon when I had larger items to haul. I don't think I have owned a car that I haven't upgraded the stereo. I found the Mazda's stereo sounded really good and a hack I found on the internet allowed me to plug in my MP3 player and enable the Media button. The sound was great except the low end punch left me wanting. Replacing the factory 5X7's with Pioneer 2 ways helped but it was clear that a sub-woofer was the answer; the only question was where to mount it. I felt that bazooka tube or a woofer mounted in an enclosure would kill the versatility of the car; also I wasn't looking to build one of those booming bass cars.
I finally came up with a location suitable for flush mounting a sub-woofer all be it one of the modest size of 6.5". I also did not want to drop a lot of money into the project so off to ebay in search of components. Here is the equipment and price list all prices include shipping:
Urban Audio Works UAW-2050 150 watt amp -- $22.50
Pyle PLPW6D sub-woofer -- 19.99
6" speaker grill -- $4.64
Scoschie LOC-80 Line out converter -- $9.48
For a budget friendly total of -- $56.61
How does it sound? Great. As long as you are not expecting a booming bass car. My dad has an RX330 with a high end 8 (12??) speaker stereo and my lowly Mazda stereo sounds just as good.
I am not re-inventing the wheel here and the how-to threads and You Tube videos already exist to help you get this done so don't expect a detailed proceedure in this thread but I will include all the links.
The only suitable location for mounting the woofer is in the jack compartment door in the trunk; and thus far the latch seems to withstand the extra weight and stress just fine. The access door does not seem to vibrate or buzz as well.
The Urban Audio Works amp was rocking a distinct 90's vibe with it purple color and all, but it fit perfectly in the cargo sub-compartment in the trunk so it is out of sight. It was not bridgeable so I purchased a sub-woofer that has dual voice coils. The amp moves the woofer quite well.
The stock Mazda radio does not feature a line output to hook up an auxiliary amp so you need to install a signal converter to the speaker leads. Like I said above the how to's are out there; I found this two part video most helpful although a bit dark and hard to see. It not only runs through the LOC install it also lists the wire colors and how to run the wires to the back of the car.
The last hint I have is running the power wire through the firewall. Most blogs suggest you take out the clutch pedal plate and drill a hole; which is all well and good unless you have a 5 speed. There is one other way; there is a hole behind the accelerator petal presumably there to accommodate a throttle cable which is filled with a white plug thanks to the drive-by-wire throttle. The plastic plug is located near the master cylinder and is quite easy to remove and drill out to accommodate a wire.
I finally came up with a location suitable for flush mounting a sub-woofer all be it one of the modest size of 6.5". I also did not want to drop a lot of money into the project so off to ebay in search of components. Here is the equipment and price list all prices include shipping:
Urban Audio Works UAW-2050 150 watt amp -- $22.50
Pyle PLPW6D sub-woofer -- 19.99
6" speaker grill -- $4.64
Scoschie LOC-80 Line out converter -- $9.48
For a budget friendly total of -- $56.61
How does it sound? Great. As long as you are not expecting a booming bass car. My dad has an RX330 with a high end 8 (12??) speaker stereo and my lowly Mazda stereo sounds just as good.
I am not re-inventing the wheel here and the how-to threads and You Tube videos already exist to help you get this done so don't expect a detailed proceedure in this thread but I will include all the links.
The only suitable location for mounting the woofer is in the jack compartment door in the trunk; and thus far the latch seems to withstand the extra weight and stress just fine. The access door does not seem to vibrate or buzz as well.
The Urban Audio Works amp was rocking a distinct 90's vibe with it purple color and all, but it fit perfectly in the cargo sub-compartment in the trunk so it is out of sight. It was not bridgeable so I purchased a sub-woofer that has dual voice coils. The amp moves the woofer quite well.
The stock Mazda radio does not feature a line output to hook up an auxiliary amp so you need to install a signal converter to the speaker leads. Like I said above the how to's are out there; I found this two part video most helpful although a bit dark and hard to see. It not only runs through the LOC install it also lists the wire colors and how to run the wires to the back of the car.
The last hint I have is running the power wire through the firewall. Most blogs suggest you take out the clutch pedal plate and drill a hole; which is all well and good unless you have a 5 speed. There is one other way; there is a hole behind the accelerator petal presumably there to accommodate a throttle cable which is filled with a white plug thanks to the drive-by-wire throttle. The plastic plug is located near the master cylinder and is quite easy to remove and drill out to accommodate a wire.
