Product Spotlight: Alpine i407-WRA-JL

If you’ve been paying attention over the last few years, you’ll know that the folks at Alpine have been offering many different audio system upgrade solutions for Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles. These offerings range from head unit replacement solutions to complete audio systems with amplifiers and subwoofers. In this Product Spotlight, we will look at the i407-WRA-JL radio upgrade kit. Let’s check it out!

What is the Alpine i407-WRA-JL Kit?

The i407-WRA-JL is a radio upgrade kit for 2018 and newer JL chassis Jeep Wranglers and 2020 and newer JT chassis Jeep Gladiators. The kit includes an Alpine iLX-407 source unit along with mounting brackets, a radio trim kit, a new auxiliary input jack, all the wiring harnesses, a camera interface module, and an iDatalink Maestro RR integration module. The concept was to provide retailers with a package with everything needed to upgrade the entertainment system and prevent surprises in the installation bay.

Jeep Radio Upgrade Kit Features

The included dash kit and brackets take care of ensuring the radio is mounted in place of the stock source unit and looks great. The dash kit is molded to fit the complex shape of the dash for a clean, factory-like appearance.

In terms of integration, the factory-installed backup camera on these Wranglers and Gladiators uses a communication protocol called Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS). This signal isn’t directly compatible with aftermarket radios. As such, the i407-WRA-JL kit includes an interface module that converts the LVDS signal into a composite signal so the camera will work with the included iLX-407.

The kit also includes an iDatalink Maestro RR interface. This data interface and harness allows the new radio to plug into the wiring connectors from the original radio and provides access to the Jeep’s data network. Information like vehicle speed, engine RPM and much more can be displayed on the radio. The climate control settings are also adjustable from the face of the new radio.

One item worth noting is that if your Jeep is equipped with the factory amplifier, an optional interface module called the KCX-F200INT is available to let the new radio connect properly.

Alpine iLX-407 Features

The double-DIN iLX-407 is the radio at the heart of the i407-WRA-JL kit. This radio features a 7-inch anti-glare touch screen with a resolution of 800×480 pixels. The hard controls are along the bottom edge of the front panel. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, as is Bluetooth for hands-free streaming or phone calls. The tuner in the unit offers support for HD Radio, which dramatically improves the quality of FM radio. There’s an HDMI input on the rear of the chassis, so you can theoretically connect a gaming system or a laptop, if you want. There are two camera inputs and support for the SiriusXM SXV300 tuner module.

If you want the best sound quality from your music, playing digital audio files from a USB drive is the way to go. The iLX-407 supports MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, and WAV audio formats with a maximum sampling rate of 48 kHz. The unit will also play AVI, MP4, MPG, MOV and WMV video files with H.264 or MPEG-4 video encoding. The maximum video file size is 4 gigabytes.

Audio Processing Features

The deck includes a four-channel amplifier rated at 16 watts per channel and in compliance with the ANSI/CTA-2006 standards for car audio amplifier power specifications. The triple preamp outputs are rated for up to four volts.

The iLX-407 is impressive in its audio processing features. It has a simple five-band graphic equalizer to let you fine-tune the system to your listening preferences. The more advanced crossovers offer adjustable slopes from six to 24 dB/Octave and filter frequencies from 20 to 200 Hz with high-pass filtering on the front and rear channels and a low-pass filter for the subwoofer output. There’s also a level control for each output, which many source units overlook. Oh, and the subwoofer level control can be adjusted from 0 to 15 with a polarity inversion option to potentially help the subwoofer’s output blend with the woofers in the dash and overhead sound bar.

The Time Correction setting screen allows your installer to dial in delays to each of the six outputs (which include the four built-in amplifier outputs) in 1 millisecond steps or set distances to the speakers in 3.4 centimeter steps. There are three presets available to store different Time Correction configurations. This is ideal if you want one alone in the vehicle or have a passenger, which requires different settings.

Jeep Radio Upgrade Kits

Alpine offers four Jeep-specific radio upgrade kits, including the i407-WRA-JL and a similar solution for older Wranglers called the i407-WRA-JK, covering 2007 through 2018 applications. If you want something fancier, the I509-WRA-JL and I509-WRA-JK kits include a 9-inch weather-resistant display, more advanced audio processing, and wireless smartphone connectivity.

If your Jeep is lacking in the audio department, visit a local authorized Alpine retailer and ask about the available Jeep-specific solutions. You can find an authorized retailer using the Store Locator tool on the Alpine website. For more information about the audio upgrade solutions available from Alpine, follow them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Motorcycle Speakers and Big Bass – A Match Not Made in Heaven

We were recently talking with the owner of a motorcycle audio manufacturer. He mentioned that consumers seem to struggle with the concept that relatively small motorcycle speakers cannot produce large amounts of bass. In this context, a small speaker is something you’d find in the fairing or saddlebag on a motorcycle. By comparison, a large speaker would be an 8- or 10-inch subwoofer. Let’s look at how speakers work to explain why some are good for bass and others are best for midrange applications.

Speaker Design – Subwoofer or Midrange

This article will discuss 6.5-inch speakers, common in cars, trucks, motorcycles and boats. Let’s examine the predicted output response of two popular 6.5-inch speakers. The yellow trace is a JL Audio 6W3v3 subwoofer and the red is a Cicada Audio CX65.4 motorcycle audio midrange driver. We chose these drivers because their Thiele/Small parameters are readily available.

Motorcycle Speaker — Predicted frequency response of a Cicada Audio CX65.4 in red and a JL Audio 6W3v3 in yellow.

Throughout this article, we’ll unravel a few critical things about this simulation. The response graph you see here isn’t accurate below 100 hertz. Don’t fret; we’ll explain.

Frequency Response Considerations

The first data we want to analyze from the graph is the difference in midrange output. The Cicada Audio speaker (in red) shows good output through most of the audible range. The JL Audio subwoofer starts to roll off its output above 200 hertz.

First, we must clarify a crucial design decision for a speaker that plays a range of frequencies compared with a driver designed exclusively for bass duties. We’ll start with the mass of the woofer cone. The cone must be relatively light for a speaker to respond to signals up to 8 or 10 kHz. A midrange driver might have a moving mass specification of 10 to 15 grams. This would include the cone’s mass, the voice coil former and winding, half of the surround and half of the spider.

The moving mass specification for a subwoofer might be 50 grams. The increased mass adds inertia, making the cone harder to accelerate. The motor (voice coil winding and magnet) won’t be able to move the cone back and forth at high frequencies.

Voice Coil Inductance

The second item that affects high-frequency output is voice coil inductance. We’ve explained that an inductor opposes changes in current flow. For alternating current audio signals, high frequencies change direction thousands of times a second.

A speaker must have a large voice coil to handle large amounts of power. A large voice coil has more inductance and attenuates high-frequency information. The Cicada Audio midrange shown here has a voice coil inductance of 0.03 millihenry. The JL Audio 6W3v3 subwoofer has a voice coil inductance of 1.388 mH. This is logical, given that the winding is at least twice as long and likely has multiple layers.

We Need to Move Air

To reproduce low-frequency information, we need to move a significant amount of air. This means that a speaker needs a considerable amount of cone excursion capability. The Cicada driver, designed primarily for midrange duties, has a voice coil overhand-derived Xmax specification of 4 millimeters. On the other hand, the JL Audio subwoofer has an Xmax specification of 8.89 millimeters.

Let’s multiply those numbers by the effective cone area specification to see how much air the drivers can move. The Cicada can theoretically move 44.8 cubic centimeters of air, while the JL Audio subwoofer can move 107.48, which is 2.4 times as much.

Excursion Limits

Here’s where the frequency response chart above runs into an issue. The graph shows the drivers’ output when fed with 100 watts of power. We must also model the cone excursion behavior to understand a speaker’s suitability for a specific situation.

The yellow trace shows us that the subwoofer cone doesn’t move as much for a given amount of power. This correlates back to its mass. However, the 8.89-millimeter Xmax specification tells us the driver will work fine down to just above 30 hertz at this power level. Below that frequency, there will be physical power handling problems.

The Cicada Audio driver is much more efficient. Much of this efficiency comes from the lower moving mass. This is achieved with a much lighter cone and shorter voice coil. Being limited to 4 millimeters of excursion shows that the driver cannot safely play audio frequencies below 100 Hz at a power level of 100 watts.

A drawback for use in another application often offsets every decision in designing a speaker for a specific application. A tweeter won’t produce bass, and a subwoofer won’t produce high frequencies. Midrange drivers might not make much bass or high-frequency information.

No Transfer Function

Now, specific to a discussion about motorcycle audio and powersports speakers, we’re at a considerable disadvantage compared with a car or truck because we don’t have an enclosed vehicle that offers some gain. The interior of a car or truck provides a significant bass boost. In fact, 20 to 30 dB of boost at frequencies below 30 hertz isn’t uncommon. There’s usually 10 dB of boost at 50 Hz. We call this effect cabin gain.

Even a moderately capable small speaker can reproduce a reasonable amount of low-frequency energy in a vehicle. The same happens in our homes. A single good-quality 12-inch subwoofer with 500 or 600 watts of power in a home theater system can give your couch or chair a good shake. It takes dozens of 15- or 18-inch subwoofers and thousands of watts of power at an outdoor concert to reproduce those frequencies at the same volume level.

We lack this gain when creating an audio system for a boat, motorcycle or side-by-side. This means our small speakers are on their own to produce usable amounts of bass information. If we want to reproduce bass, we need speakers that can move a significant amount of air. We also likely want to hear vocals and instruments.

Our little circle of performance, however, makes this almost impossible. We need a driver with a large motor and cone assembly to move a lot of air. A large motor assembly is heavy. Heavy cones can’t respond to high-frequency information.

What’s the Solution if We Want Bass?

The answer to getting bass on your motorcycle, boat or side-by-side is to add a subwoofer. It’s not going to rumble like the same-size driver in a car, but it will fill in a lot of the information below 150 hertz. Crucially, having a subwoofer means the small speakers don’t need to try to reproduce bass information. They can focus on midrange frequencies, which means they’ll need a lot less power and will sound much better.

Is One of These Speakers Better Than the Other?

Before anyone thinks that the Cicada Audio or JL Audio speaker is better than the other, we’ll make it perfectly clear that each is designed for a different application. Which is better, a snowmobile or a top-fuel dragster? One is likely better than the other if you are in Alaska. It depends on what you’re trying to do.

The reality is that each speaker is designed for a specific application. JL Audio has many high-performance midrange speakers to accompany its subwoofers. Likewise, Cicada Audio has several woofers designed for motorcycle applications. Choosing the right speaker for your needs is the key to creating a mobile audio system that sounds great. Drop by a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer today and ask them for suggestions about speakers for upgrading your vehicle. Let them know your performance goals, and they’ll design a solution that will sound great!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

A Look at the Importance of Tweeter Installation Hardware

High-quality speakers and proper installation are crucial when upgrading your car’s audio system. The ease with which your installer can reliably integrate tweeters into your vehicle will determine a portion of the labor cost. Will the technician need to fabricate a mounting bracket? Will they need to create a little pod? Is there even enough hardware provided to ensure a reliable and safe installation? Let’s look at some tweeter installation hardware solutions.

Why Are Tweeters Important for Great Sound Quality?

Before discussing tweeter installation, we should review the importance of having dedicated tweeters in a car audio system. By definition, tweeters are relatively small speakers designed to play the highest audible frequencies. They vary from 0.5 to over 1.25 inches in size. The larger tweeters can typically play lower frequencies, making them ideal for two-way front speaker systems. However, a large diaphragm might have some resonance at extremely high frequencies.

Tweeters are made from a variety of materials. Textile domes like silk, metal domes like aluminum, titanium and beryllium and plastic materials like polyetherimide are among the most popular. While the metal versus textile performance discussions will go on forever, what’s more important is that the tweeter diaphragm doesn’t have resonance issues. Most companies add a damping material to the diaphragm to prevent this. The damping applies to both textile and metal designs.

Most tweeters in the car audio market use a dome-shaped diaphragm. However, some use a ring-radiator design, like the tweeters in the Rockford Fosgate T4652-S set. The concept of the ring tweeter is to eliminate the chance of resonance in the center of the dome. While it’s unwise to make blanket statements about one design over others, we were very impressed with the clarity of the T4 ring radiator tweeter.

Flush-Mount Tweeter Installation Options

There are four common options for tweeter installation. First, we have flush-mounting. In this type of installation, the tweeter and a grill are mounted in a panel, and the result is basically flush. This means the tweeter may only protrude a few millimeters or 0.25 inch. This type of installation requires that the panel be modified to accept the tweeter, which means a hole between 1 and 1.5 inches must be created.

The most basic reliable tweeter mounting method uses a U-shaped spring-steel bracket that bolts to the back of the tweeter assembly. The bracket must be spring steel to retain tension and hold the tweeter securely.

Some companies have created more complex installation solutions for flush-mount applications. For example, KICKER’s QS-Series speakers include a nut that threads onto the back of the tweeter to keep it pressed tightly against the mounting surface. The legs of the nut can be trimmed to work with mounting surfaces of different thicknesses.

Rockford Fosgate’s Dual Discrete Clamp mounting solution is one of the most elaborate mounting options we’ve seen. The DDC comprises two cast aluminum brackets sandwiched on either side of a mounting surface to hold the tweeter in place. Once the two clamps are secure, the tweeter locks into place, and a trim piece finishes the installation.

Surface Mounting Options

The second type of installation is to mount the tweeters on the surface of a dash or door panel. This is less invasive as there doesn’t need to be a huge hole cut. That said, holes for wiring or hardware might be required depending on the location. Many tweeters include surface-mounting solutions that position the tweeter parallel to the mounting or at an angle. Angled mounting solutions are helpful when mounting a tweeter off-axis to the listening position. Ideally, a tweeter should be within 15 to 20 degrees of being on-axis with the listener. Alternatively, the tweeter can point at the windshield, dispersing high-frequency information into the listening area.

Tweeter Pods

Another option for installing tweeters is to use pods included with the system. These pods are typically bullet-shaped and mount through a single hole. The design should have a way to conceal the wiring for a neat appearance. You will want to ensure that the pods can be directed at the listening position for maximum performance.

Original Equipment Locations

Most modern vehicles have tweeters integrated into the factory audio system. These are often behind small grilles in the A-pillars, the dash, the doors near the release handle, or the sail panels in the front corner. Often, the factory tweeters are quite small in diameter and overall size. As such, it can be tricky to replace them with aftermarket tweeters. Some companies offer tweeter designs specifically engineered to work in original equipment locations, eschewing grilles and other hardware.

The key to a successful installation in these locations is reliability. We’ll be very clear in stating that mounting with hot glue or butyl rubber is unsatisfactory. These materials can quickly melt when the vehicle interior gets hot in the summer, causing the tweeters to fall out of place. If there aren’t options for mechanical fastening solutions, an epoxy adhesive like 3M Scotch-Weld DP8005 designed to work with plastics is an acceptable alternative.

Custom Installations

Of course, a custom installation solution for your tweeters is always an option. You may want them to blend into the A-pillar, dash or door. You may want a technician to create a custom pod that puts the tweeters in a specific location or points them in a particular direction. You may wish for the installation to look unique. So long as the guidelines about tweeter directivity are heeded, you can have the technician construct almost anything.

The Importance of Proper Tweeter Installation

While a tweeter doesn’t seem like a large item, in the unfortunate event of an accident, the last thing you want is to get hit by a tweeter that’s come out of place. Yes, this is a bit extreme. However, true professionals put significant effort into ensuring that their upgrades to our cars and trucks are safe and reliable. Do you want a tweeter to fall into the door or an A-pillar because it was held in place with hot glue? Certainly not. When shopping for car audio speaker upgrades, drop by a local specialty mobile electronics retailer and ask them which component speaker systems they offer. Be sure to inquire about how they integrate the tweeters into client vehicles.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Product Spotlight: Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE

At their heart, most remote car starters are the same. When you press a button on a wireless remote, a remote start controller integrated into the vehicle will start the engine. In reality, the features of the remote and the controller play a significant role in determining the usability and features of the starter system. We will look at the Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE remote key in this Product Spotlight. Let’s check it out!

What is the Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE Remote Car Starter?

Compustar offers its dealers several different remote kits and controller modules so that they can piece together a remote car starter solution that offers the features you want at a number of price points. The 2WG18 kit is an affordable two-way remote kit, making it a popular solution.

Two remotes offer bidirectional communication with the remote start controller. Unlike one-way remotes, a two-way unit will notify you when the doors lock or unlock or when the remote start process has begun. The 2WG18 remotes have three LEDs across the top. They also have a built-in beeper to provide audible confirmation that the command has been executed.

Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE — The compact Pro 2WG18 remotes LEDs and integrated beeper let you know that commands from the remote have been executed.

The 2WG18 remotes have three buttons, one for lock, one for unlock and one for remote start. If you have a vehicle with a power trunk or tailgate release, the 2WG18 remotes will control up to two auxiliary outputs. Pressing the start button and the lock button twice activates auxiliary output one. Tapping the start button and then the unlock button twice will activate auxiliary output two. If you have a minivan with a power sliding door, this second output can be used to open it remotely.

Other features accessible by holding multiple buttons simultaneously include Turbo Timer activation, horn or siren chirp confirmation toggling, ignition-controlled door locks and more.

Under ideal conditions, the remotes offer up to 3000 feet of range. This means you can remote start the vehicle from the check-out at the local grocery store, from the table at your favorite restaurant, or anywhere inside your house.

Compustar Pro Remote Features and Components

The Pro 2WG17 LTE kit comes with a pair of remotes. There’s the main two-way three-button remote, and a secondary one-way companion remote. They look the same, but the second remote doesn’t have the two-way communication.

The kit also includes the antenna to connect to the controller and an FT-TEMP temperature sensor. This sensor lets the controller know the temperature inside the vehicle. Your installer can program the remote starter to activate optional outputs for the rear window defroster, heated seats or heated steering wheel if it’s below freezing when you start the vehicle.

All Compustar remotes are weather-resistant. Should you drop your keys in a puddle or a slushy snowbank, they will be OK. Further, because this is a Pro-Series solution, the remotes are backed by a three-year warranty against manufacturing defects.

DroneMobile Smartphone Control Solution

The kit also includes a DroneMobile X2-LTE smartphone control interface module. This computerized communication device allows you to send commands from the DroneMobile app on your smartphone to the vehicle over the cellular data network. The vehicle will confirm the command has been executed on the app, just like a two-way radio-frequency remote.

The DroneMobile system has additional features like GPS-based locating and tracking that are unlocked with more premium service plans. If your kids borrow your vehicle and you want to know where they are, a quick tap on your smartphone screen shows their location and speed if they are moving. You can configure location-based alerts as well. This is an excellent feature for commercial tracking applications. Geofences are an ideal solution if you want to know when a specific vehicle leaves the office. Your authorized DroneMobile retailer can explain all the options and the cost of the service plans.

The Industry’s Best Remote Car Starter Solutions

If you want an affordable two-way remote starter for the family SUV, a Compustar system with the Pro 2WG18 remotes is a perfect solution. Drop into a local Compustar retailer today to find out what options will make your vehicle more comfortable on a cold winter or hot summer day.

Compustar remote starters are designed to work with most vehicles equipped with a key or push-to-start ignition system. Likewise, they offer industry-leading safety interfaces for vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. Finally, they work with most gasoline, diesel and even hybrid vehicles.

You can find a retailer near you by visiting the Compustar website and using their dealer locator tool.

Follow Compustar on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay up to date with all their new product releases and educational videos.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Analyzing Sedan Subwoofer Location Performance

A while back, we looked at how different subwoofer locations affected system performance in a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. A client of ours asked if that information was relevant to a sedan. So, let’s take a cool little enclosure and see what happens when we try several different sedan subwoofer locations.

The Test Subject

Our goal in this experiment is to evaluate how the location of a subwoofer in a vehicle affects what we hear. We reached out to Lee Mattason at Burlington Radioactive in Burlington, Ontario. He let us use his 2001 Honda Accord for the test, lent us a subwoofer and provided room in the install bay to do the measurements. We’ve known Lee and his team for over 25 years, and he’s a class act.

We didn’t want the size of the subwoofer to affect the measurements, so the goal was to choose something very compact. Lee had a JL Audio CP108LG-W3v3 8-inch ported MicroSub enclosure in stock. This little monster measures 18.625 inches wide, 11 inches tall and only 5.125 inches deep. The enclosure uses a 8-inch 8W3v3-4 subwoofer. The sub is rated to handle 150 watts of power, and the enclosure’s build quality and finish are exemplary. Honestly, this is a subwoofer solution we’ve been curious about. Will it play low enough for this test? Let’s find out!

The Measurement Configuration

As we’ve seen with other subwoofer enclosure systems designed by manufacturers with extensive experience in the industry, they know how to get the most out of a system by taking advantage of the transfer function of a vehicle. Before doing a complete set of tests, we took a frequency response measurement to ensure that the little woofer was suitable for the application. We set up our Clio Pocket microphone in the front seat and powered the subwoofer with a home audio amplifier. The output level was set to produce a sine sweep referenced to 6.32 volts at 60 hertz. This works out to 10 watts of power into a 4-ohm load. Here’s the first measurement we made with the sub placed in the middle of the trunk.

Sedan Subwoofer — This is the first measurement of the JL Audio CP108LG-W3v3 in the trunk of the Burlington Radioactive Honda Accord sedan.

Um, what? This incredible little subwoofer measures ruler-flat to 10 hertz in the car at an output level of about 100 dB SPL when driven with 10 watts of power. Knowing it can handle 150 watts of power, it can easily produce 110 dB SPL. This is another prime example of expertise in subwoofer enclosure design and an understanding of vehicle acoustics. Sometimes, what looks “right” in a computer simulation might not transfer to in-car performance. There’s no equalization or filtering applied to this. It’s just a signal from the Clio Pocket to a full-range amp. Kudos to JL Audio; this is a little masterpiece!

Measurement Consistency

The graph above shows the subwoofer enclosure frequency response from 10 hertz to 1 kilohertz. We noted that the information below 20 hertz varied significantly during our measurement process. There is a machine shop next door to Burlington Radioactive. Whatever equipment they were using affected this infrasonic range. Sometimes the response was flat; sometimes it had a 10 dB peak at 13 hertz. We know the latter isn’t possible based on our measurement configuration and process. As such, we will leave that data out of the subsequent measurements.

Sedan Subwoofer Location Testing Round 1: The Middle

We started the testing with the enclosure in several locations through the middle of the trunk and facing different directions. The graph above, and as shown in light green in the chart below, shows the subwoofer in the middle of the trunk, standing up on its long side with the subwoofer facing rearward. The medium green trace has the subwoofer facing toward the front of the vehicle. Finally, the dark green trace has the subwoofer lying down on its back, with the driver pointed upward toward the trunk lid.

This graph will serve as a giveaway for what we’ll measure as we continue the testing. The direction doesn’t matter significantly in terms of deep bass, from about 45 hertz and down. The output levels are within a few decibels of each other. What does change is the upper bass performance around the crossover frequency. We’ll leave it at that until the summary at the end.

Round 2: To the Back!

The next three tests will have the little subwoofer enclosure placed at the very rear of the vehicle by the taillights and trunk latch. Once again, we repeated the testing with the subwoofer facing forward toward the front of the vehicle, facing upward toward the trunk lid and facing rearward toward the taillights.

The results mimic what we saw with the enclosure in the middle of the trunk. From about 45 hertz and up, the output is consistent. In this test, the upper bass output changes significantly.

Round 3: Back of Trunk

The next test has the enclosure at the back of the trunk, right up against the rear seats. It’s a long and painful story, but we lost a measurement here, so there are only two. We saw the graph of the subwoofer facing forward in this location, and it wasn’t much different than these two. I know it’s frustrating. It is for us as well. The car isn’t available to repeat the test, or we’d be on it in a flash. Sorry.

These measurements have the light orange line with the sub against the seat back and the driver facing rearward. The darker line shows the sub’s output, with it lying on its back and facing upward.

The conclusion is that there isn’t much difference in output from the various measurements at this location, though up is better than backward. If we recall the measurement with the driver facing forward, it was better in mid-bass output than either. Down low, it was the same.

Round 4: Hide in the Corner

The last location we’ll measure is the right corner of the trunk. We stood the enclosure up on its long side. There are measurements with the driver facing inward toward the vehicle’s center and outward towards the fender. We also flipped the enclosure over so the vent would be facing forward toward the front of the car and at the taillights.

Once again, the direction changes didn’t affect this location’s upper or lower bass output. The last measurement, with the woofer facing the fender and the port directed towards the rear, would be the “best.” However, there is just a few dB SPL variance across all the measurements.

Conclusions on Sedan Subwoofer Locations

In terms of deep bass, below 40 hertz, it doesn’t matter where the enclosure is located. The graph below shows maybe 2 dB SPL of variance across all the tests.

What does change, as we indicated earlier, is mid-bass performance. When installers experiment with different locations, the process likely won’t significantly affect how much bass you hear. The difference is in the mid-bass. The best location is in the corner of the trunk, with the subwoofer pointed outward to the fender and the vent pointed rearward. In contrast, the worst location was with the subwoofer lying flat on the floor at the back of the trunk, with the woofer pointing upward. At 90 hertz, there is more than 20 dB SPL less output. The lack of midbass is typically perceived as the presence of more deep bass. These measurements show otherwise.

If you compete in SPL competitions, this data might not be transferable to that application. At high excursion levels, the vent in an enclosure can be affected by its proximity to nearby surfaces. Moving an enclosure forward or rearward by an inch can yield measurable changes. You’re looking for a peak in the response, not flatness or extension. Different rules altogether.

Yes, different vehicles might present slightly different results. However, our editor-in-chief did this test 21 years ago for another publication and found the same results. Given the variance, we’d ignore that green trace.

When upgrading your car audio system with a subwoofer, the corner of the trunk is an excellent choice. This location keeps the subwoofer out of the way when carrying cargo. It also allows access to the spare tire or a battery that might be stored under the floor. Of course, if you want to run a pair of 12-inch subwoofers, then the back of the trunk will be about the only option. Drop by a local specialty mobile electronics retailer today and ask about adding a subwoofer to your car stereo system. It’s easily one of the best upgrades you can make.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

What is the Alpine i407-WRA-JL Kit?

Jeep Radio Upgrade Kit Features

Alpine iLX-407 Features

Audio Processing Features

Jeep Radio Upgrade Kits

Speaker Design – Subwoofer or Midrange

Frequency Response Considerations

Voice Coil Inductance

We Need to Move Air

Excursion Limits

No Transfer Function

What’s the Solution if We Want Bass?

Is One of These Speakers Better Than the Other?

Why Are Tweeters Important for Great Sound Quality?

Flush-Mount Tweeter Installation Options

Surface Mounting Options

Tweeter Pods

Original Equipment Locations

Custom Installations

The Importance of Proper Tweeter Installation

What is the Compustar Pro 2WG18 LTE Remote Car Starter?

Compustar Pro Remote Features and Components

DroneMobile Smartphone Control Solution

The Industry’s Best Remote Car Starter Solutions

The Test Subject

The Measurement Configuration

Measurement Consistency

Sedan Subwoofer Location Testing Round 1: The Middle

Round 2: To the Back!

Round 3: Back of Trunk

Round 4: Hide in the Corner

Conclusions on Sedan Subwoofer Locations

Customer Reviews

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