codeblue5007

First off I wish to thank Vic Viper, Icon, Akadan, Doanster, lewylou78, Acapulco Bill and all the others in this forum who posted pictures and advice on how to install a powered speaker and other DIY threads.

About a month ago I installed Infinity speakers front and back, as described in the 204 Third Party Component Speaker upgrade started by Icon. See the last posts by me.

Over the weekend I installed a Kenwood KSC-SW11 in the passenger footwell. It fits right in the map net. It is the smallest 8" powered subwoofer on the market and robs little space from the passenger footwell.

To do all this I had to remove the HU, the panel under the glovebox, the glovebox, the right kick panel (and sill), the dasboard end piece on the right, and pull out the carpet from under the plastic cover of the center console.

Briefly, I uninstalled the head unit (see the excellent DIY) and tapped into the line level left and right rear speaker wires (white and white/brown for the rear right, pink and pink/brown for the left rear). I used a 9 volt battery with two leads to locate the speakers.

Next I connected the ground to the clip and screw in the right dash panel cover, which I had to unscrew anyway to remove the glovebox. Next I removed the glove box (Vic posted a DIY) and connected the remote cable to the striped wire to the 12V outlet. Next I connected the constant 12V by tapping into the fat red striped wire going to the blower. The connector is located behind the right kick panel and secured to the metal with a clip.

The decision to chance tapping into that 12V wire was suffered. For one thing I didn't want to remove the battery and go through the grommet behind the battery as others have done. (The grommet to the right of the battery does not lead to the cabin interior as far as I could see.) For another, the power wire to the sub is very light, with a 10 A fuse. Much lighter than the red striped wire I tapped into. If this turns out to be a mistake, blowing a fuse, I may just tap into the fat red cable running down the right side, which looks like the power cable to the SAM unit.

I tucked all the cables behind the footwell carpet and tested it with some trepidation. The sub turns on (the remote control lights blue) when the key is in the second position.

The sub lends a full low midrange sound, lower and more powerful than the infinity speakers. I can feel it vibrating interior surfaces. And as others have pointed out, the source material is crucial to good sound. FM radio and SAT are poor sources. A recently recorded CD is best. Unfortunately I don't have an iPod as I refuse to join the Apple universe.

Finally, I began tinkering with the parametric equalizer and went with Bill's settings - essentially flat. Note that you have to press PREV twice to move from one speaker to the next after you've SET the speaker.

All in all the sub is a very worthwhile addition for better sound. It sounds better than the Bose in my daughter's Altima.

codeblue5007

Some pics

Rodpwnz

Thanks for sharing Codeblue, I'm actually really interested in doing the same setup. I was actually looking at a compact Pioneer subwoofer in the trunk or one of the three available footwells. LINK: http://amzn.com/B004HW6F9M
But this seems like a cleaner alternative without sacrificing too much bass.

I'd also love to do the install myself, but I really don't want to screw anything up. I'll probably have a professional do it.

codeblue5007

Glad you found my bass solution worth thinking about. The setup is very efficient, as the footwell acts as an enclosure of sorts. Another added bonus is that the sub can be removed easily by simply unplugging it in case you want to sell the car stock.

Installing it is not particularly difficult. Less difficult than installing the infinity speakers in the doors. Good luck.

Doanster

Nicely done, Code! I'm running out of excuses to not add a sub now.
The unit is compact indeed, but I don't think I could put up with seeing it there in the footwell everyday. I should see if there's 2.8" of clearance under the passenger seat...

codeblue5007

Installing the little sub under the driver's or passenger's seat was my original intention, Doanster, but it won't fit under either with the seat all the way down. There's not an inch to spare in the C class. It could be attached under the glove box to be out of sight. Good luck and keep us posted.

Rodpwnz

The sub just got here and it looks really good! I tested fitment in the map net inside the passenger footwell and it's a really tight fit, but it worked. I had to unhook the net from a corner in order to stuff it in there. Anyways, I'm having it installed tomorrow afternoon and the audio tech I'm taking it to says I don't need a high to low converter, is that true? I don't want to beat on my stock door speakers anymore. I like how the sub comes with all necessary wires and cables too! It looks and feels really premium, so I know this will be an aesthetic improvement. Thanks again Codeblue for sharing this subwoofer and placement with us, I would have never gone through with something like this if you hadn't tested the waters first! =)

codeblue5007

Glad you found the installation notes useful, Rod. No need for a high to low converter. (This wasn't clear to me either and I bought one just in case.) Your installer will need to connect the remote to the 12V plug in the glovebox (which has to be uninstalled to get to the right wires) and find a suitable continuous 12V power source. The Kenwood draws little power and I don't think it's necessary to connect to the battery.


I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but don't expect a deep powerful base sound. It adds useful base to the existing speakers, which imo would have sounded better in the dash and the rear deck. Finally, eliminate any boominess with the sub and radio tone controls and the equalizer if you can find the right frequency to tamp down. Good luck.

Rodpwnz

Don't worry friend, I've probably read just about every review on amazon, and if it still isn't enough for me, I'll return it and get something bigger. This is such an awesome setup, it's worth a shot. I appreciate the tips though.

janusgrimnitz

Very interesting !! I didnt even think of putting a sub there. I just ordered a P300-10 last week and will have installed maybe this coming weekend.. Have to consider this option also for a little extra bass in the front! Very good !

Rodpwnz

I got it installed today and the tech made an effort of warning me not to get my hopes up too high. He told me there was a very very high chance that it would not be enough for me, and that he's installed subwoofers like these in many other cars, sometimes double subs, and the customers wanted more. I knew of the reviewers on amazon, and of codeblue's warnings already, and like I stated earlier, such a clean and compact install was worth a shot for me. The bass probably doubled (maybe even more) when I set the subwoofer to max power, and that is a good enough amount for me. Yes, maybe a little more headroom would be nice in case I want more in the future or maybe so that it isn't at 100% all the time, but from what I've heard, or more like felt haha, I really like it. I have it set to 3/4th for now, just in case I need to break it in. I just want to thank codeblue again for sharing this idea and setup.

codeblue5007

Glad to hear your first impressions are good. enjoy!

bcmakesiteasy

how much is the audio tech charging you for the install? I had to sell my JL audio subs and amp when I got my 2014 c250 cause all the places I called charged $300+ for install or flat out wouldnt do it because the sheer complexity/labor of installing sound systems for newer european cars

Rodpwnz

$90 since I specified that I wanted it in the passenger footwell and this particular already powered subwoofer came with all necessary cables and wires. It took the tech about an hour from start to finish. I remember calling for a quote a while back and I didn't specify where or what kind of subwoofer. With high low converter and all the cables included in price, the same guy quoted me $168 for install, and I already told him what car it was over the phone. The tech I went to had the best reviews and pricing I could find on yelp in my area.

After owning this sub for a few days, I guess my tech was right about wanting more. Maybe I would just want more no matter how big I went, but to go more than this would be to lose the classy and low profile bass I was looking for in the first place.