Active Powered "All-N-One" Subwoofers

[Chris_G]

Does the Blaupunkt require a remote wire, or is it auto on/off like some of the other powered subs? If you need to run a remote, where did you run it to?

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[JerseyMike]

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Awesome. Thank you

 

[Thagh0st]

Personally I would be going with the audison apbx 10as2, great power, great amplifier built inside, and it's audison who only make great quality

 

[uh50]

I finally pulled the trigger and purchased things for a sound system. I bought the Infinity Reference 6432CFX 4” x 6” for the back and the Infinity Reference REF-6532IX 6.5" for the front. The set is on sale at Amazon for $99. ( Infinity Reference - REF-6532IX 6.5" 2-Way Car Audio Speakers, and REF-6432CFX 4x6 2-Way Car Audio Speakers Package). After a lot of research I purchased the Rockville RW68CA powered sub (Rockville RW68CA 400w 6x8 Slim Under-Seat Active Powered Car/Truck Subwoofer Sub) and at $109.95 it did not break the bank. I Actually found a Chinese 5" sub I wanted on Aliexpress that sounded great on a review, with fantastic mid bass, but I couldn't find anyone that sold it here in the states and Aliexpress was wanting over $100 in freight. Amazon paid the shipping on both the speakers and the Rockville sub.

I found a the Puzu PZ-C7 DSP Amp on Aliexpress, but because of the purchase requirement to provide photo copies of my driver's license, credit card, and credit card statement, I did not buy. What really intrigued me with the DSP Amp is tat the vendor supplies a 2018 and later Ford T-harness with loop back capabilities. That's Huge for me that it is plug and play but I don't trust anyone that needs so much information which would supply all they need for ID thief. I'm not down on Aliexpress, it's a great place for access to Asian goods, and the vendors there are seemingly very helpful. But, I found a vendor on eBay for the Puzu DSP Amp including the harness for $146 including shipping (PZ-C7 Car DSP Amplifier ISO Wiring Harness 4x150W Car Audio Amp 6CH Output 12V). Contact the vendor there and he'll hook you up with the Ford T-harness. The Amp is rated 45 Watts RMS and comes with software for Android and PC OS's. I'm told that if I use only the front inputs the DSP will allow me to customize the feed to the rears with a full signal to take advantage of the Infinity Reference 4" x 6" 75Hz - 21kHz frequency response. We'll see.

I ordered the Metro 72-5602 wiring adapters for the front speakers. The Infinities come with an adapter ring that works for the Ford mounts. They did not extend out as far as the stock speakers so I bought some closed foam gasket material. I also bought an Amp wiring kit from Amazon along with enough Kilmat for the front speakers and most of the back wall of the cab around the sub.

Last week I installed the rear 4" x 6" speakers and here is the link to the write up about my thoughts of the installation and how they sound: #220. Over the weekend I had to make several short trips and I'm please with the sound from the rear. Yesterday, late afternoon, I installed the left front Infinity speaker placement. At this point I think I'll like the sound when I get the right front replaced. After I get the right front speaker replaced, I'll write my thoughts about replacing them and how they sound on my continuing post: My humble review of my new Velocity Blue Maverick XL.

The DSP Amp is still three weeks or so from delivery and I'll have to load the software to program and install the Amp. Again, I'll report the information. By the way, the DSP Amp is only 6.67" long x 3.94" wide x 1.3" deep. Small form factor makes it easier to find a place to mount in the Maverick.

After a little research on the rear speaker frequency limitation I found a thread here on MTC that gave a little information about finding the ACM codes in Forscan. So, I went to the Bonco6G forum and read...and read, then I read some more. There are code available in Forscan or the dealer's software to change the limited rear speakers. Some in the Bronco and F-150 forums have been successful and removed the limitation. I posted links to some information here: #3.

Finally, thanks to dedMann for his great idea to use a properly sized cutting board to fasten to Ford's B&O sub mount and create a board to mount his sub. I robbed the idea and it works great and looks good. It took quite a while to layout the holes on the cutting board because the B&O sub mount holes are not aligned in any straight forward manner so I suppose they're location is a result of the B&O provided sub. Anyway, the sub is mounted but not connect yet. Again, thanks dedMann.

 

[colinl]

I finally pulled the trigger and purchased things for a sound system. I bought the Infinity Reference 6432CFX 4” x 6” for the back and the Infinity Reference REF-6532IX 6.5" for the front. The set is on sale at Amazon for $99. ( Infinity Reference - REF-6532IX 6.5" 2-Way Car Audio Speakers, and REF-6432CFX 4x6 2-Way Car Audio Speakers Package). After a lot of research I purchased the Rockville RW68CA powered sub (Rockville RW68CA 400w 6x8 Slim Under-Seat Active Powered Car/Truck Subwoofer Sub) and at $109.95 it did not break the bank. I Actually found a Chinese 5" sub I wanted on Aliexpress that sounded great on a review, with fantastic mid bass, but I couldn't find anyone that sold it here in the states and Aliexpress was wanting over $100 in freight. Amazon paid the shipping on both the speakers and the Rockville sub.

I found a the Puzu PZ-C7 DSP Amp on Aliexpress, but because of the purchase requirement to provide photo copies of my driver's license, credit card, and credit card statement, I did not buy. What really intrigued me with the DSP Amp is tat the vendor supplies a 2018 and later Ford T-harness with loop back capabilities. That's Huge for me that it is plug and play but I don't trust anyone that needs so much information which would supply all they need for ID thief. I'm not down on Aliexpress, it's a great place for access to Asian goods, and the vendors there are seemingly very helpful. But, I found a vendor on eBay for the Puzu DSP Amp including the harness for $146 including shipping (PZ-C7 Car DSP Amplifier ISO Wiring Harness 4x150W Car Audio Amp 6CH Output 12V). Contact the vendor there and he'll hook you up with the Ford T-harness. The Amp is rated 45 Watts RMS and comes with software for Android and PC OS's. I'm told that if I use only the front inputs the DSP will allow me to customize the feed to the rears with a full signal to take advantage of the Infinity Reference 4" x 6" 75Hz - 21kHz frequency response. We'll see.

I ordered the Metro 72-5602 wiring adapters for the front speakers. The Infinities come with an adapter ring that works for the Ford mounts. They did not extend out as far as the stock speakers so I bought some closed foam gasket material. I also bought an Amp wiring kit from Amazon along with enough Kilmat for the front speakers and most of the back wall of the cab around the sub.

Last week I installed the rear 4" x 6" speakers and here is the link to the write up about my thoughts of the installation and how they sound: #220. Over the weekend I had to make several short trips and I'm please with the sound from the rear. Yesterday, late afternoon, I installed the left front Infinity speaker placement. At this point I think I'll like the sound when I get the right front replaced. After I get the right front speaker replaced, I'll write my thoughts about replacing them and how they sound on my continuing post: My humble review of my new Velocity Blue Maverick XL.

The DSP Amp is still three weeks or so from delivery and I'll have to load the software to program and install the Amp. Again, I'll report the information. By the way, the DSP Amp is only 6.67" long x 3.94" wide x 1.3" deep. Small form factor makes it easier to find a place to mount in the Maverick.

After a little research on the rear speaker frequency limitation I found a thread here on MTC that gave a little information about finding the ACM codes in Forscan. So, I went to the Bonco6G forum and read...and read, then I read some more. There are code available in Forscan or the dealer's software to change the limited rear speakers. Some in the Bronco and F-150 forums have been successful and removed the limitation. I posted links to some information here: #3.

Finally, thanks to dedMann for his great idea to use a properly sized cutting board to fasten to Ford's B&O sub mount and create a board to mount his sub. I robbed the idea and it works great and looks good. It took quite a while to layout the holes on the cutting board because the B&O sub mount holes are not aligned in any straight forward manner so I suppose they're location is a result of the B&O provided sub. Anyway, the sub is mounted but not connect yet. Again, thanks dedMann.

That is interesting about the amp you found on eBay. I did some research and didn't find that option but I did find other DSP offerings that can take the A2B connection from the dash unit. I still have not yet found anything that can simply add-on to the B&O amp.

I find the doors can get loud enough for me so at this time I see no need to replace the factory amp. Since it surely is a single IC I also would not be surprised if it performs better at high volume when the factory sub is disconnected. Final comment on your amp, based on size and power input I doubt it even has the RMS output that the B&O amp has. I would use it as a source converter, but don't have any need.

Regarding the rear speakers I am not concerned if they're filtered by the ACM. Being only a 4", maybe 4x6, I don't have any expectation that they would do anything useful other than rear fill. I wouldn't play 4" much below 500hz; if you want midbass you'll need to convert the rear door pockets into enclosures, all the high budget shop-built trucks have this.

 

[uh50]

That is interesting about the amp you found on eBay. I did some research and didn't find that option but I did find other DSP offerings that can take the A2B connection from the dash unit. I still have not yet found anything that can simply add-on to the B&O amp.

I find the doors can get loud enough for me so at this time I see no need to replace the factory amp. Since it surely is a single IC I also would not be surprised if it performs better at high volume when the factory sub is disconnected. Final comment on your amp, based on size and power input I doubt it even has the RMS output that the B&O amp has. I would use it as a source converter, but don't have any need.

Regarding the rear speakers I am not concerned if they're filtered by the ACM. Being only a 4", maybe 4x6, I don't have any expectation that they would do anything useful other than rear fill. I wouldn't play 4" much below 500hz; if you want midbass you'll need to convert the rear door pockets into enclosures, all the high budget shop-built trucks have this.

Thanks for the info, but most of it doesn't apply to me.

Since I don't have the B&O system, that information is not pertinent to my install.

The stock rear speakers were 4", but I replaced with 4" x 6" that have a frequency range of 75Hz - 21kHz. I want to remove the limitation from the ACM to gain full use of the rated frequencies. I can do that through the use of the DSP or through changing the codes with Forscan. I'll test as I can. I'm old school when the old hifi systems were mostly add on rear deck speakers so I expect some accompanying sound from rear speakers.

I'm not looking for loudness, just clarity and the stock 6 speaker system, just is not good and gets fairly muddy at certain frequencies. Just with the Infinity replacement speakers, I now listen to my music at only a 9 or 10 volume level as opposed to a 14-15 level with stock speakers. So the Infinities are much more efficient and of course their sensitivity ratings are fairly high at 92db rear and 93db front. The Infinities were a big improvement over stock on all frequencies.

The connection for the harness I had to request from the dealer as there were no such offerings on eBay. However, the Puzu site did offer the harness connection for 2018 and up Fords so the dealer gladly is going to supply. It only took an email to get the Ford A2B harness.

Actually, I've been thinking about adding maybe 6.5 - 8" mid bass speakers to the back doors and have already used foam to get the form factor of building a pod for them. Again, that is just an option right now. Once I get the subwoofer wires run and connected and the Amp installed, then I'll make that determination.

Again, I'm not replacing a factory B&O amp, I don't have it, so the addition of the Puzu DSP Amp at 45 Watts RMS will be welcome. I'll test the output of the Amp to ensure it is near the RMS rating. Reviewers have reported it meets the rated output. So, we'll see.

I think if I have the B&O 8 speaker system, it would be fine for me.

Again, thanks for the information.

 

[colinl]

Thanks for the info, but most of it doesn't apply to me.

Since I don't have the B&O system, that information is not pertinent to my install.

The stock rear speakers were 4", but I replaced with 4" x 6" that have a frequency range of 75Hz - 21kHz. I want to remove the limitation from the ACM to gain full use of the rated frequencies. I can do that through the use of the DSP or through changing the codes with Forscan. I'll test as I can. I'm old school when the old hifi systems were mostly add on rear deck speakers so I expect some accompanying sound from rear speakers.

I'm not looking for loudness, just clarity and the stock 6 speaker system, just is not good and gets fairly muddy at certain frequencies. Just with the Infinity replacement speakers, I now listen to my music at only a 9 or 10 volume level as opposed to a 14-15 level with stock speakers. So the Infinities are much more efficient and of course their sensitivity ratings are fairly high at 92db rear and 93db front. The Infinities were a big improvement over stock on all frequencies.

The connection for the harness I had to request from the dealer as there were no such offerings on eBay. However, the Puzu site did offer the harness connection for 2018 and up Fords so the dealer gladly is going to supply. It only took an email to get the Ford A2B harness.

Actually, I've been thinking about adding maybe 6.5 - 8" mid bass speakers to the back doors and have already used foam to get the form factor of building a pod for them. Again, that is just an option right now. Once I get the subwoofer wires run and connected and the Amp installed, then I'll make that determination.

Again, I'm not replacing a factory B&O amp, I don't have it, so the addition of the Puzu DSP Amp at 45 Watts RMS will be welcome. I'll test the output of the Amp to ensure it is near the RMS rating. Reviewers have reported it meets the rated output. So, we'll see.

Again, thanks for the information.

sorry about that. I just saw you commenting on the B&O factory sub location and made an incorrect assumption you had it. I forgot to look over at your profile and if I had I would have seen XL trim.

if I didn't have B&O I would connect a Metra / Axxess ACM harness and put that into a Kicker keyloc. there is at least one thread here where someone has done this and it costs about the same as your eBay device. but your device is A2B, so that's cool and maybe worth trying.

 

[uh50]

sorry about that. I just saw you commenting on the B&O factory sub location and made an incorrect assumption you had it. I forgot to look over at your profile and if I had I would have seen XL trim.

if I didn't have B&O I would connect a Metra / Axxess ACM harness and put that into a Kicker keyloc. there is at least one thread here where someone has done this and it costs about the same as your eBay device. but your device is A2B, so that's cool and maybe worth trying.

Good suggestion and I followed the Kicker Key installation, but the Kicker Key at $269 + harness was more than I wanted to spend. I do hope that the Puzu is not just a cheaply built piece of junk. The reviews I read did not indicate it is, but If it is, I'll report it here. Again, we'll see.

I really do appreciate the suggestion and don't take offense. My knowledge of sound systems is old school but I'm not too old to learn. I appreciate the MTC is a great forum to learn from members like you. So, thanks.

 

[uh50]

Finished up the Infinity speaker install this week.

I've found that I listen to music about 4 or 5 levels lower since I replaced the stock speakers. I'm sure that is due to the sensitivity of the Infinity speakers. Last night I tried something different and browsed through my 4900 songs on my USB drive and found Acoustic Alchemy and put it on shuffle play.

As I listened to Acoustic Alchemy at a higher volume of 17 - 19, the sound, especially bass, reminded me of the duo's music I listened to in 1991-1992 on my Kenwood/Acoutic Research system. The sound was simply fantastic. The wooooff of the bass on Georgia Peach filled the cabin of the XL with a wonderful full mid bass yet it did not over power the melody or other harmonics. Using only power from the stock ACM, the speakers responded as if they were on a clean low THD amplifier. I had set the mid and high ranges on the equalizer to flat and the bass at maximum. Still the midbass did not get muddy at the volumes I used. I truly enjoyed the somewhat brilliant but clear highs and the full mid range guitars along with the mid bass sounds of the 6.5" Infinity speakers.

Hopefully the sound will improve even more when I get the DSP Amp installed along with the Rockville subwoofer connected, but, quite frankly for me, I could stop with just the replacement Infinity Reference speakers and would be satisfied.

 

[Allen King Jr]

I miss the old bazooka bass tube, I bought one on clearance from pepboys for $30 for an 8in powered model, I didn't realize it was a 2ohm speaker, blew it up in a month running on the positive from the left rear speaker, and the negative from the right rear speaker, it hit hard in my old 93 Ford Festiva

 

[uh50]

I received the Puzu PZ-C7 DSP Amp last night. I am impressed with the quality of build and the protective packaging. I checked the harness, and I think they sent the wrong one, but verifying will have to wait a couple of days as I have meetings all morning long in Tyler. I was also impressed with the quality of the harness build and comes with a cloth loom. The company has been very good with communication and delivered the DSP Amp two weeks early so I don't expect any difficulty in swapping out the harness if I need to. Stay tuned for more.

 

[Mavfreak]

I am curious about these contraptions!
This thread is not for the people who want to run dual voice coil subs running 2ohm, bridged and molded to the truck boxes with amps and capacitors..... A number of us just need a little seasoning to our taste in music. The future is here and we have a multitude of ways to improve our stereo. Lots of us have had cars with factory subs and decent sounds; for instance, my Honda Elements' tiny minuscule 6.5" (i think it has dual V.C.) provides enough lows to fulfill the missing sounds you find in a barely average system. I'd like to achieve this with minimal expense and efforts. In comes the Active/Powered Subwoofers. I am skeptical of the slimline low powered units, but as I said: The Future Is Here! Some of these may be transducer types more than woofer type. I'd like to highlight the high level (speaker output) no fuss option for us lazy and cheap connoisseurs of music. (quick note: I play Bass guitar from time to time and its my favorite parts of all music. Mesa Boogie/Ampeg bass amps ruined my enjoyment of basic sounds)...

Below is a small sampling of a list of options from cheapy to sorta cheapy:
(links will be from Amazon because of connivence. I am sure some are nearly identical to others)

Sound Storm LoPro10
Sound Ordnance B-8PTD
BLAUPUNKT GTHS81
MTX TN8MS
Rockville RW68CA
Nakamichi NBF618S
Alpine PWE-S8
Kicker Hideaway 10"
MB Quartz
Pioneer TS-WX130DA
JBL BassPro sl2
Kenwood KSC-SW11
Cerwin Vega Mobile 12"
KICKER 11HS8
RockFord Fosgate PS-8
Gravity GRWF10
JVC CW-DRA8
*** I believe these would all fit and use speaker level connections. If you have experience with any of these; PLEASE chime in! Cheers

Based on your provided list, I opted for the Kenwood KSC-SW11. The decision was based primarily on size. I don't want to give up any interior storage, nor am I enough of an audiofile to warrant it "booms in the trunk". I really want to mount this behind the rear seat using the factory amp mount that is already back there. At 11" x 7.5" x 2.75" this should fit the available space with a little room to spare.

 

[uh50]

Based on your provided list, I opted for the Kenwood KSC-SW11. The decision was based primarily on size. I don't want to give up any interior storage, nor am I enough of an audiofile to warrant it "booms in the trunk". I really want to mount this behind the rear seat using the factory amp mount that is already back there. At 11" x 7.5" x 2.75" this should fit the available space with a little room to spare.

The Kenwood KSC-SW11 should fit ok on the Ford subwoofer mount. I was torn between the Kenwood and the Rockville RW68CA 6" x 8" subwoofer, which I did purchase. It's similar in size to your Kenwood and measures 10.24” x 7.68” x 2.83.”Iit fits fine on the Ford subwoofer mount. I had to shorten the screws I used to mount a cutting board to the subwoofer mount because they liked to hammer against the back wall of the cab. Next up, sound insulation add on the back wall of the cab and more in the doors.

I'm still waiting on the Puzu Ford Maverick harness to connect my Puzu PZ-C7 DSP Amplifier and the Rockville subwoofer. It's been shipped, but it is in never-never-land between China and East Texas. None-the-less, the Infinity Reference speakers improved the response and fullness of sound tremendously.

The Kenwood should sound great, so let us know how you like it when you get it connected.

 

[Cowtown Husker]

Reading through this thread thinking how little I know about car stereo installs... Guess it's a good thing I have time to do my research while I wait for my Maverick to be built Thanks for this thread though @uh50 , definitely gives me lots of good options to look into. I really don't want to hassle with pulling the door panels apart to replace the factory speakers, do you think adding just the sub with the factory system is a waste?

*edited, sorry @dedMann, forgot this was your thread originally and you had posted the various options. Thanks to both of you for the info!

 

[uh50]

Reading through this thread thinking how little I know about car stereo installs... Guess it's a good thing I have time to do my research while I wait for my Maverick to be built Thanks for this thread though @uh50 , definitely gives me lots of good options to look into. I really don't want to hassle with pulling the door panels apart to replace the factory speakers, do you think adding just the sub with the factory system is a waste?

*edited, sorry @dedMann, forgot this was your thread originally and you had posted the various options. Thanks to both of you for the info!

No, I do not think just adding a subwoofer is a waste of time or effort. It is a fairly easy upgrade to the factory system. A sub will enhance the bass response to supplement the front speakers. Just make sure to take the feed to the subwoofer from the front speaker leads as the rear speaker frequency response is limited. Not sure where the limitation starts as I've seen 75Hz, 80Hz, and 150Hz.

With that said, the fronts were an easy install. Even the rears were fairly easy through taking the simple step by step process. Replacing the front speakers with 6.5” REF-6532IXm and rear speakers with 4” x 6” REF-6432CFX Infinity Reference was a tremendous improvement. After installing the Infinity speakers, I'm not so sure I would have installed a subwoofer and Amp, but they were already ordered.

Anyway, go for it, you'll be glad you did.

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