Thats the amplifier losing control over the subwoofer.

More power tightens up the response until you reach xmax. The paper is not the issue... the rubber surround is not the issue. It is control.

I did a test once on an old AIWA system to see what would happen if I hooked up my ACTUAL Mark Levinson no.335 (250 wpc RMS @ 8 ohms) power amplifier to the AIWA speakers. They had higher limits, higher SPL, and sounded better.

But then again... putting more power to the stock ML sub (when it is 8 ohms itself) would be a chore as most car audio amplifiers are designed (and rated) for 4 ohm loads.

Someday I'm going to put one of my PPI Pro 8 (flat pistons from the 90s) that PPI custom wound to 2 ohms in the spot where the stock sub is (with appropriate enclosure). Having kids really puts a damper on your 'government projects'

Good luck man!

 

The sub i've taken a liking too is an "Fi Car Audio IB3" which is designed as an "open air" or free-air subwoofer, it's rated mechanically at 550w RMS so u can power it to that power and not have to worry about killing it! It should be considerably better than the ML sub thats in here currently!

Simmsled you seem to know your stuff, I don't think I'm going to be happy until I've changed something in the car lol, It might teach me a few things along the way as well!

I just wondered if anyone had put a sub in the shelf of the 450h and it appears not or at least no one has wrote about it! So I'm paving new territory and hopefully it'll pay off!

 

Go get em tiger!

Be sure to dynamat the parcel shelf. I'd build a baffle out of MDF if you're going to use a sub that beefy. It will tear a stock rear parcel shelf to shreds!

 

I'm not in consultation with the ICE dealer, who has told me that it WON'T fit in the 11.5" gap between the bracing bars, so it looks like I'm even going to have to trim those down a bit! He also explained that I could trim the chassis on the sub driver and loose 2 of the mounting bolts to allow it to fit in, he said he had customers who have done this with great results! Sounds daunting but possible!
Roll on pay day!

 

BUMP!

Speedy0o,
Did you every complete your subwoofer project?

 

Doesn't JL Audio make IB subs for boats? Has anyone had experience with them?
JL Audio M10IB5-SG-TB might even work with the factory ML amp

 

Dope, if ya'll are feelin cheap (for experimentation purposes) there's kicker CVX or CVR 10s that do pretty decent for IB setups.

I've been wanting to do a SD-10 from Sundown Audio to see how the excursion is in an IB config

 

Haha, no it got shelved as the savings to buy a house took over my disposable income, plus the Mrs wasn't too keen on the idea

Still would love to do this mod but baby on way and I NEED to buy a house ASAP

 

Ah yes, family does have a way of prioritizing things - all good, of course!
I'm toying around with some ideas of my own, and will post once I take the plunge.
1. Dynamat doors and floors.
2. Add iPod integration - Vaistech top model maybe
3. Add amp between ML amp and ML sub, and have remote level control so that I can adjust sub level separate from the bass of the other speakers, and maybe dump more power into the sub.
4. Maybe replace the ML sub or add another free- air sub. All depends on how happy I am with results from #3.

Question for anyone: how much room is in the hybrid battery compartment (behind the wall in the trunk)? Are any pics posted of it?

Just wondering how much, if any, room I have for subs/amps in there so I do to take up any of that precious trunk space.

Thanks!

 

Page 1 of this topic has pics I took when i dismantled the boot compartment and parcel shelf

 

Lol! Yeah, yeah! I saw those but they look fairly close-up. I'm hoping for pics that are a bit more "wide angle" so I can see what kind of extra room there might be to each side of the battery, and on the "floor". Or do those pics show all the room there is? Hmmm.

 

Ahh ok I see what you mean, the carpet that hides the battery is really easy to take off, just a few trim clips that just pop off, then you can pull it back to reveal the beast! There really isn't much room either side of the battery especially for a sub box, plus obviously you don't want to crowd the battery too much and risk overheating the £4000 battery if you live in a warm place! You could probably manage to somehow mount an amp somewhere in there but again its pretty tight! Options are pretty limited with the hybrid seeing as boot space is so tight to start, and if you want to keep that space for luggage ect then an upgrade of the factory sub is really your only option!

 

That's what I was afraid of. Bummer!

Now I'll just need to be creative!

Thanks Speedy0o!!