Budget Subwoofer and Amp install - Type S

Quick thread to share my budget Sub and Amp install project. After researching all of the posts about upgrading the weak 8" factory sub, most who did it seemed to report marginal improvement at best. I prefer a 12" sub to really hit the low frequencies. I listen to a wide variety of music and I like to feel the kick drum and bass drops, but I'm not trying to wake the neighbors
I ended up getting a sealed 12" Pioneer sub box and Pioneer amp on Amazon for under $400 all in, including a 4AWG wiring kit. I also picked up a line out converter (Audio control LC1) to run convert the signal from the factory sub. All in, the whole setup cost less than $500.

Straightforward install, but a few pointers for those who are considering doing this yourselves.

1. I disconnected the ANC device behind the glove box before getting into it. Plenty of info out there on how to do this (YouTube and on this forum).

2. Pulled the battery out and ran the 4 gauge power wire through the existing grommet. CAUTION - there is a bundle of wires going through this grommet and I don't recommend cutting and trying to go through it. I started to and ended up running the wire between the outside of the Grommet and the opening in the firewall.

3. I used an add a fuse tap to run the remote wire from the fuse box under the driver side dash panel. Fuse #47 is an accessory circuit that is switched (only on when the car is on).

4. This setup came with a bass knob so I mounted that just below the Temperature controls using Velcro. Wires are easy to tuck right in.

5. I built a simple amp rack to mount the LOC and amp to. I had a piece of carpet left over from another project and a stick it to a piece of plywood using double sided tape.

6. Using T taps, I pulled the speaker signal from the stock sub. I left the stock subwoofer connected and it still works fine with this setup.

7. While I had the panel removed for the sub, I found a decent ground to tie into for the amp and LOC.

8. I was able to run all of the wires to the spare tire well and mounted the amp and LOC there to keep the setup clean and out of the way. I used Gorilla tape to secure the amp rack. I had to sacrifice the big foam insert, but there's still plenty of storage under there.

9. I discretely ran the wire between the back seat and the floor and hooked up the sub box. This box has the option to add feet (included) and set it face down (downward firing) which seemed most stable for spirited driving. I strapped it to the built in latches on the floor....so far so good.

Overall, it sounds awesome compared to stock. There is way more bass than I would ever want, and I can adjust using the knob to suit whatever I am listening to. For under $500 all in, it was well worth it. I can easily upgrade components if I decide to, but so far this sounds pretty damn good. The rest of the speakers in this vehicle sound great, but the system definitely needed more bass.The 12" sub really completes the sound.

Hopefully this is helpful for anyone considering adding some more bass but with limited funds.


Components:

SUB: PIONEER A-Series TS-A3000LB 12” Subwoofer – 1500W Max

AMP: Pioneer GM-D8701 1600 Watts max

Line out Converter: AudioControl LC1i Active 2-Channel Line Driver/Line Output Converter

Other items:
4AWG amplifier installation kit (include with amp in package deal on Amazon)

Low profile micro fuse add-a-fuse kit

4 AWG to 12 AWG distribution block

T taps

Misc. Split wire loom, zip ties, cable tie downs to clean up wiring

I like it.

I'd love to put some JL W7's in mine like I had way back in the day (was in a '03 Buick Park Ave Ultra) but I actually need space back there these days.

Though later on in a different car I had just 1 Pioneer Champion and it hit pretty hard for a single sub. I miss those days, who needs trunk space when you're 20 years old joy riding with friends?

Good job!

Question for the DE5 bros...does the audio tuning menu have a separate page for Subwoofer adjustment? If not, I'd suggest trying a $20 Kicker LOC before an L2CI/Pro. There is an obvious difference in how Honda was handling low-end frequencies in my 10th gen Civic (had discreet settings for Subwoofer vs bass/treble) and an L2Ci was great here. However, in my FL5 I'm using the $20 Kicker LOC linked above with the same amp and subwoofer and it hits noticeably harder/deeper with no bass roll-off.

Just a tip that could save you near $100.