1 subwoofer? - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

smartdustin · 03-13-2010, 02:12 AM

has anyone used just one subwoofer in their smart? i'm wanting some good bass that isn't overpowering and subs taking all the limited luggage space doesnt sound like fun. If you are running a single sub, where did you put it (pics would be nice)? I have a box but I'm thinking about building a smaller one.

also, I think I'm going to velcro the amp behind the passenger seat on the front of the luggage space or inside the tailgate. has anyone tried this before? if so, lets see the pix!

John_H · 03-13-2010, 05:35 AM

Many, many people have a single subwoofer tucked up under the passenger dash above the footwell.

How many subwoofers do you typically need to feel you have good sound? I thought only one was ever needed because the sound frequency is so low it's "felt" everywhere with about the same intensity and sense of location (everywhere).

Many vendors have under-dash boxes for 8" or 10" subs. My favorite smart center (in Portland) had a few boxes made with superb construction and fill. A discerning audiophile sought out his product because it seemed the others out there missed the mark on one item or another, but that solution is "only" an 8" sub.

sheureka · 03-13-2010, 08:34 AM

Congratulations on your new car! And I assume you know there is a sub under the driver's seat already. Not great, but it's there. Have fun! - sheureka

NeWave · 03-13-2010, 10:53 AM

I have an 8 inch JL audio woofer in an underdash box. More than plenty of sound for me. The amp is tucked under the passenger seat...

geosynch · 03-13-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeWave

I have an 8 inch JL audio woofer in an underdash box. More than plenty of sound for me. The amp is tucked under the passenger seat...

I have a very similar setup. Unless you are using your smart for "db drag races" you don't need more than that.

geosynch

NeWave · 03-13-2010, 08:14 PM

It's true! When I first got it, I was playing around tweaking the volume adjustment on the amp and thought I turned it all the way down. So I turned the radio on and BAM, it was full blast! Oops. That sucker puts out. The neighbors came out to see what the ruckus was while I was shocked, flustered and trying to get to the amp knobs under the seat. My doors were closed, too...
I just used it to give more range to the stock Radio 9 setup.

NeWave... feelin' those good vibrations

ElementalDragon · 03-13-2010, 10:38 PM

John: Well... yes.... bass is typically something that one prefers to "feel" more than "hear".... but depending on the situation (i.e. vehicle in question), more than one sub might be a decent idea to increase how much is felt. And i'm not talking about those stupid ricer's you see driving down the road.... where they throw an exhaust with a 5" tailpipe on a crappy old Civic they bought for $1,000 and think they have the hottest car in the world, so they throw some massive subs in it and crank it so loud you can basically hear all $1,000 of the car rattling.... including the exhaust. It may require more power due to doubling the output rating of the subs.... but it adds more punch to the bass. I really want to put a sub in my Brabus... but after putting a set of awesome freakin speakers in the doors, adding an amp to them, and swapping out the stock radio for an in-dash nav so i can have a bit more control over levels and such, i'm not even really sure i need one at this point. I could probably tweak it a bit more, since it doesn't seem that i always get the thump where it would be expected.... but it works freakin fantastic.

My '99 Dodge Durango on the other hand..... i had a pair of 12" subs in the far back (and no..... nothing major like Rockford Fosgate or that.... just Dual brand...), and that could THUMP! But the one thing i miss about that.... even though it could thump to it's heart's content.... the only thing ever heard rattling were the cabin pressure vents that Dodge so cleverly hid behind the taillights. Couldn't even really hear the bass from outside the car with the doors closed, and even with the doors open you practically had to have your head inside the car to hear the vast majority of the bass.

I honestly thought about trying to put those subs in the back of the Smart.... but i didn't keep any of the wiring besides what went from the sub to the amp.... so i'd have to go out and buy the power wires, ground wire, and RCA cable to hook it up... and that's a bit much just for an experiment.