Darthspeed

Hi guys! Just wanted to share my findings. I installed a 500 watt Alpine MRD-500 for the sub amp. I replaced the factory sub with an Image Dynamics ID8 D4 v3. I hooked up a line output converter as many here said to do and used the output from the front door woofers. This was "just ok" for a while. I was worried about trying to feed too much power from the ML amp to a LOC. I just wasn't happy with what I heard. The bass was ok, but would start to drop off after 40 on the volume. I purchased an amp controller, rux-4280 so I could fine tune the sub from the drivers seat. This helped alot, but still not right. I thought what the heck, let's try feeding the sub output from the factory sub speaker output to the LOC. I initially thought that it would be too much power for the LOC to handle, but Wow!!! What a difference. The bass was soo much deeper and stronger. Definitely made a huge difference. I had the top down and was tuning the amp while sitting in the garage and was rattling the garage door. Well, not alot but it was some. It's still an 8" sub!! Much better than using the door speaker output. My advice do not use the door woofer outputs. I think that the amp must be limiting the bass as the volume reaches a higher level. I am so much happier now, finally.

robertrios

iTrader: (11)

the door speakers are not getting the low bass that the sub is getting, this is all part of design for efficient use of wattage pumping out of the mark levingson amp. So on any car with a stock sub you must tap the wires that are powering the stock sub. On cars without a stock sub like most older cars the speakers are recieving full range singals and thus why they sound so horrible. With this type of set up you can tap any speaker and let the filter on the amp comb the input and just send the low frequencies to the sub. You figured it out though sounds awesome that its in the stock location I did a old bazooka tube enclosure- removed the old bazooka speaker out of it and replaced it with a JLW1 powered by an Alpine amp tapped into the stock sub. Sounds pretty good and lets me still drop the top!

Darthspeed

Yeah, I understand what you were saying. Just was trying what I read here. But, I have installed complete systems for about 25 years and didn't agree with what was recommended but thought since that's what others were doing must be what to use. I thought that the sub out would be just too much "power" watts for a LOC to handle. I never use LOC, since everything I do have at least a 4 volt out rca. The front woofers do seem to go low, but I'm sure they are limited by the speakers frequency response. I do know that the sub will produce to at least 20 hz did some test tones with a little 30 band spectrum analyzer and was able to go below 20 hz. I have the amp subsonic filter set at 25 hz so I can still have some low end, and control the sub better for more power handling.

Pnuge88

iTrader: (1)

do you remember what color the wires were for the stock sub output? i was thinking that in the first place as to why i wouldn't have just tapped for signal from the original factory sub output

Z3NK1

iTrader: (2)

I just hooked up an LOC last weekend and was wondering the same thing...hmmm

justinbig8

iTrader: (1)

Did you splice all 4 loc wires to the two factory sub wires? I would like to go do this!

Jace_91

iTrader: (1)

Thats my question, only reason I went to the front speakers is because there is a L/R and the subwoofer only has a single output, did you hook up the both the 2+ and 2- of the LOC to the +/- of the subout? and please let us know what color, I have to re-run the signal wire so i may try this out as well

Darthspeed

Guys, sorry don't remember what the colors were, however I will look tomorrow. I just lifted the back seat out and used the disconnected speaker wires at were they plugged into the factory sub. I ran the wire thru a hole where I had run my power wire (no noise or RFI) for the amp. I just connected the 2 wires to the LOC and used one RCA. My amp allows one RCA to be connected and sends out the power via a mono channel. But in another amplifier set up a person could either run the wires to both a left and right channel LOC and use positive and negative in parallel. Seriously, this took the system from a 3 or 4 to a 10 and I'm hard to please. I'm satisfied now with the bass. That little image dynamics hits low and never sounds like it's over driving. It helps with and Xmax of 18mm. Polk has a new mm series with 20mm Xmax, however the qts is a little bight for good low bass in a freeair application. I have a kicker 8" freeair for sale if anyone interested? I've tried several different subs, I thought about looking at a jl w3, the new version, but not real efficient as the Polk. I have the jl w6 in my truck and they sound good. So either the jl or Polk would be a good choice to.

Jace_91

iTrader: (1)

Thanks darthspeed, I'll have to do this because I am not getting the right sound from my sub either, I think this will definitely help.

Darthspeed

Yeah, let us know your results. Hope it's a good fix for those who were using the front woofer mod.

Pnuge88

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the heads up. I'm gonna work on the car tomorrow and figure out the colors on the connector. There was always something about my bass i didnt like. Having tapped into the door speakers that means vocals are coming out from the sub too. I want bass only from my sub!

Darthspeed

I think the amp is also using some DSP to alter the sound. My sub did sound like a big midbass speaker, not a sub.

Pnuge88

iTrader: (1)

alright. swapped it today. sound is MUCH MORE CLEANER!!! i had to turn the gains down on my amp cause it hit harder too. the color of the wire is red and blue stripe and blue and red stripe. i also took the time to mount my amp underneath my seat.. much cleaner install. Kinda wanna add another 8" kicker enclosed in a box and push that along side the 8" in the factory mount. I'm Very happy with the sub now so far. enclosed box is still the way to go

Z3NK1

iTrader: (2)

Are you only using 2 of the 4 speaker signal wires on your LOC, or do you have 2 wires tapped into each of the stock sub wires?

Pnuge88

iTrader: (1)

I just t-tapped the factory sub connector for signal (two wires, one pos one neg) But those are the colors behind the ML factory amp connector too. I also have a scosche loc from walmart that works perfectly as designed which Enables me to put multiple wiring to it. I only used two.