kyee

Has anyone added an aftermarket subwoofer in their trunk? I have a new '04 E500 with Premium & Appearance packages. I don't have that pass thru compartment from the trunk thru the rear seat. I'm looking to add some extra THUMP to my sound system.

Brav

I am looking to do the same thing.. I haven't done it yet, but here is what I found out:

If you have Harmon Kardon, there is a humble sub located on the rear deck. From this, you have already wired for you a sub signal line. Also, the main battery is located in the truck as well, so wiring is very simple- nothing needs to go through the cabin or through the rear seats for that matter. You could wire it yourself very easily.

kyee

Yes, I do have the Harmon Kardon upgraded audio system.

So I would just pull the signal plug from the stock sub in the back, and plug it into an aftermarket one in the trunk? How would is sound without it being ported directly into the main cabin, though? Wouldn't most of the sound just get "muffled" by the rear cabin seats?

Brav

Not necessarily. First off, I am no expert, but I know or have heard a few things. Facing the subs towards the front of the car is not the best setup for harmonics. Deep bass is about bouncing big sound waves in the right places. The best result will come from a rear facing, or better yet, trunk mounted setup (facing up). For a box, just push it towards teh back and face it rear. For a 250 custom instal, one 10" woofer will fit ABOVE the spare tire, if you want to spend the money. This will be your best bet. I dont want monster sound drowing the stock system, just a cheep, easy aid. One 10" sub will be more than sufficient. A 12" sub will not replicate sound as well for most music, and 2 subs is an overkill.

My $0.02

alewifebp

I have been thinking about a speaker replacement myself for some time now. If this is that easy, this would probably be a very good mod to do. The HK has no bass, and sounds like crap when you try to put the bass up. I keep my bass on a very low level because of this. The stereo that was in my Lexus blows away this thing. And yes, I do listen to a lot of rap.

Any brand recommendations? I don't want any thumping bass, I just want crisp and accurate bass that does not crash.

Brav

I agree- my father's LS430 has the Mark Levinson stereo - its the best factory system i've ever heard.

For subs- if you want good clarity and value, go for a JL sub. I think the W-3 series is good. For better value, go with a W-0. I think the difference is that the W-3 handles 300 watts, the W-0 handles 100, and only has one voice coil.

I have always had good luck with them.

I dont think the amp choice is going to make a huge difference in this setup, but again JL makes amps now that are like the older PPI (competition grade).

There are probably a couple other makes that you could get cheeper, but you cant go wrong with JL. In the end, it probably wont matter too much. Just go with a name you trust, a setup you've heard, and do NOT get a bass tube. They suck.

I'm going to attempt to install my own setup when I get back from NY in 2 weeks, I'll keep us posted.

W210

Thanks, please keep us posted!

slytoksy

I think Phase linear has the best subs on the market right now-please consider them,I have them in my 2001 C200K in combination with 2 amps-BPX1100.1(2200W) for the sub and PX300.4(1200W) as 4 channel and trust me the combination is awesome but even if you are fixing the sub alone go for phase linear!!

JM88E500

I added a 12"phoenix gold titanium sub,2 5.25 2 way speakers in the rear. All in a custom box mounted under the rear deck. I only wanted to replace the sub but the hk sub had 2 spkrs on each side. I also replaced the front tweeters with jbl pro tweeters that really sound bright. The sub and the 2 5.25's is powered by a fosgate amp w/bass control. The bass control switch was mounted just under the cig lighter. The amp is hidden in the compartment just above the spare tire,it needed a fan inside the amp to cool it. Didnt really cost a lot but a huge improvement in the sound. It sounds better than my gs w/ML audio! I just didnt like my car going back to its stock height after the dealer dropped it when the amp was installed. Now I have to go back to the dealer to have it dropped again! Not everyone can really get away from the Mod bug!

kyee

JM88E500 - could you post some pics of your sub setup?

JM88E500

I'll try to post pix asap.

WannaBeAMG

where did you tap into the audio signal?

alewifebp

I'm looking really for an improvement, but also for it to be simple. Any recomendations for plug and play types without an amp? I've got the HK.

I'd love to see some pics of your setup JM88E500, but I don't think that the forum allows for posting pictures.

kyee

Email the pictures to me and I'll post them on my website.

kevin@islandriddim.com

kyee

Well, I was passing by a car stereo shop that I used to frequent in my 4x4 pickup truck days, so I decided to stop in to see what they would recommend. As this is a lease car, I want something that can be taken out easily, and put the car back to stock.

The installation shop was empty at the time, so I decided what the hell, and just went ahead and purchased an amp, sub, and had them install it.

I went with a JL Audio Enclosure ,model CVS112RG-W6v2 , along with a JL Audio mono sub amp, model 500/1 .

The install only took about 1 1/2 hours, looks clean, and bumps very nicely! I didn't want to rattle the windows of the cars on the road next to me, just supplement and reinforce the sound in my car. I think I met that goal perfectly. I'm happy with the results. I'll post some pictures soon.

kevin

JM88E500

Congratulations Kevin! You finally did it. Thats a good choice for the enclosure. BTW what did you do to those small speakers attached to the factory sub? Whats next?

alewifebp

Sounds great, kyee. I've got a shop that I can go to that I trust, so I may be doing this soon. Can't wait to see the pictures.

Care to share what the cost of the equipment was?

kyee

I don't have the per unit cost breakdown. Total out the door cost was $1300. This included the amp, sub enclosure, installation, cabling, and a couple of adapters that I don't recall (high/low converter?). I think that's a fair price.

TREZ63

Kyee, did you have the HK system or the MB stock? Has NE1 added sub to the non-HK system? If so how?

kyee

I have the App. and Premium Packages, which includes the H/K upgraded system.

Question, how many speakers are in the back? Are there three - rear R/L and the sub?

WannaBeAMG

thats a pretty nice sub. id say youre doing more than merely "enhancing and reinforcing" the sound with that thing.

kyee

As promised, here's some pictures of my sub and amp. The amp is mounted under the rear deck.

IMazz

Looks nice.

Does the trunk rattle at all..?? Is the sound muffled..?? Does the woofer move around the trunk or is it secured..??


I was thinking about doing the same...

kyee

I too was worried about any rattles, or the sound getting absorbed by the rear seats. None of that happened. No rattles or buzzing noises. Bass sounds deep and clean, to me at least. Then again, I don't listen at eardrum splitting levels either. Maybe if I turned it up that high then I'd hear some rattles.

alewifebp

And you have no problems getting to the so-called "spare" tire and equipment below?