Active Powered "All-N-One" Subwoofers

[DiveBombDom]

So, I gave it a shot. This cheap little kit was about $160 on Amazon. Had everything I needed for the sub wiring. Pulled panels all the way to the rear speakers, skinned a section near the factory connector and soldered my speaker leads for each channel, ran to hi level inputs for auto on/off. Remote got mounted under the steering wheel with VHB Extreme with the wire getting tucked all the way back without removing trim. Works like a charm. I've never done any sort of audio/speaker install before, so it's not pretty, but it was a shit load of fun. About 5.5 hours total, including the 1/4 MDF mount wrapped in orange foam/felt for vibration reduction/matching the accents of the rest of the truck. Mounted the plate to the existing amp mount after some minor modifications. I don't have photos of that, but I had to unbend a couple spots to flatten it out, and I installed (4) 10/24 rivnuts to attach the plate.

Rockville RW10CA 10" 800 Watt Under-Seat Slim Amplified Car Subwoofer +Wire Kit https://a.co/d/ad4hGhy

Sponsored

 

[huunvubu]

So, I gave it a shot. This cheap little kit was about $160 on Amazon. Had everything I needed for the sub wiring. Pulled panels all the way to the rear speakers, skinned a section near the factory connector and soldered my speaker leads for each channel, ran to hi level inputs for auto on/off. Remote got mounted under the steering wheel with VHB Extreme with the wire getting tucked all the way back without removing trim. Works like a charm. I've never done any sort of audio/speaker install before, so it's not pretty, but it was a shit load of fun. About 5.5 hours total, including the 1/4 MDF mount wrapped in orange foam/felt for vibration reduction/matching the accents of the rest of the truck. Mounted the plate to the existing amp mount after some minor modifications. I don't have photos of that, but I had to unbend a couple spots to flatten it out, and I installed (4) 10/24 rivnuts to attach the plate.

Rockville RW10CA 10" 800 Watt Under-Seat Slim Amplified Car Subwoofer +Wire Kit https://a.co/d/ad4hGhy

Nice

Questions?

Why did you wire up the remote?

You state that you wired the speaker leads for each channel to hi level inputs for auto on/off.
The remote allows on/off which seems redundant with the Auto on/off from the hi level inputs.

I see Rockville also has a RW8CA unit that does 150W for $20 less.
What do you think about that unit 150W vs 200W.
Is it really necessary to have the extra 50 watts available?

For me with a Hybrid wiring power from the 12V battery under the back seat will be easy.

Also since I have plenty of wiring available I will save $10 by ordering the unit without the wiring kit.

$149.95 Rockville RW10CA 10" 800 Watt Slim Low Profile Active Powered Car Subwoofer Sub

$129.95 Rockville RW8CA 8" 600 Watt Low Profile Under-Seat Active Powered Car Subwoofer

Owners/Wiring Manual

 

[DiveBombDom]

Nice

Questions?

Why did you wire up the remote?

You state that you wired the speaker leads for each channel to hi level inputs for auto on/off.
The remote allows on/off which seems redundant with the Auto on/off from the hi level inputs.

I see Rockville also has a RW8CA unit that does 150W for $20 less.
What do you think about that unit 150W vs 200W.
Is it really necessary to have the extra 50 watts available?

For me with a Hybrid wiring power from the 12V battery under the back seat will be easy.

Also since I have plenty of wiring available I will save $10 by ordering the unit without the wiring kit.

$149.95 Rockville RW10CA 10" 800 Watt Slim Low Profile Active Powered Car Subwoofer Sub

$129.95 Rockville RW8CA 8" 600 Watt Low Profile Under-Seat Active Powered Car Subwoofer

Owners/Wiring Manual

The remote that comes with it is to adjust the sub level, not necessarily on/off. That's why I installed it. It's just an rj45 wire.

As far as saving some money on a smaller unit, that's up to you. I would venture to say the smaller, 8" one would be sufficient to balance out the rest of the stock speakers. The 10" actually hits too hard in some genres and I have to use the remote to turn it down. I'm not displeased with it at all, just a matter of how hard you want it to hit. Also, take my recommendations with caution, I'm a total noob at car audio. This was my intro to it.

 

[huunvubu]

The remote that comes with it is to adjust the sub level, not necessarily on/off. That's why I installed it. It's just an rj45 wire.

As far as saving some money on a smaller unit, that's up to you. I would venture to say the smaller, 8" one would be sufficient to balance out the rest of the stock speakers. The 10" actually hits too hard in some genres and I have to use the remote to turn it down. I'm not displeased with it at all, just a matter of how hard you want it to hit. Also, take my recommendations with caution, I'm a total noob at car audio. This was my intro to it.

Thanks for the input. I am going with the 8" $129.95 unit as I like my brains to stay in my skull and not leak out from excessive base.

EDIT: I went with a Certified - Refurbished Rockville RW10CA from Audiosavings Electronics Superstore on eBay for $86.46 + Sales Tax with free shipping. It comes with a 2 year warranty.

Sorry to say I bought the last one of the 129 they had for sale:
They now have 2 more in stock:
Rockville RW10CA 10" 800 Watt Slim Low Profile Active Powered Car Subwoofer Sub

As you state I can use the Remote to turn down the base level if necessary.

Sometimes I am next to a vehicle and the base even with all the windows closed on my and their vehicle is causing stuff to vibrate/jump in my vehicle and my head to hurt/throb. I really wonder how their brains aren't leaking out listing to that level of base in their vehicle.

 

[DiveBombDom]

Thanks for the input. I am going with the 8" $129.95 unit as I like my brains to stay in my skull and not leak out from excessive base.

EDIT: I went with a Certified - Refurbished Rockville RW10CA from Audiosavings Electronics Superstore on eBay for $86.46 + Sales Tax with free shipping. It comes with a 2 year warranty.

Sorry to say I bought the last one of the 129 they had for sale:
Rockville RW10CA 10" 800 Watt Slim Low Profile Active Powered Car Subwoofer Sub

As you state I can use the Remote to turn down the base level if necessary.

Sometimes I am next to a vehicle and the base even with all the windows closed on my and their vehicle is causing stuff to vibrate/jump in my vehicle and my head to hurt/throb. I really wonder how their brains aren't leaking out listing to that level of base in their vehicle.

Sounds like a win to me. That's a hell of a deal on the sub. Good luck on the install. Post pics when you finish.

I am one of those people. I've been banging some grimy dubstep for the pask week or so. The people around where I work probably hate me.

 

[huunvubu]

So, I gave it a shot. This cheap little kit was about $160 on Amazon. Had everything I needed for the sub wiring.

Pulled panels all the way to the rear speakers, skinned a section near the factory connector and soldered my speaker leads for each channel, ran to hi level inputs for auto on/off.

Can you provide more details on the panels pulled or provide links showing how/which ones to pull?

Remote got mounted under the steering wheel with VHB Extreme with the wire getting tucked all the way back without removing trim.

Why was the remote wiring not in the same area of the pulled trim where the front speaker wiring was run to the SubWoofer?

Thanks

 

[DiveBombDom]

Can you provide more details on the panels pulled or provide links showing how/which ones to pull?



Why was the remote wiring not in the same area of the pulled trim where the front speaker wiring was run to the SubWoofer?

Thanks

Here is a link to the video I used to pull the back panels.



I regards to the remote, it's an rj45 cable for the remote to control the sub level. It's not wired to any speakers in the front. It plugs in like a phone jack or ethernet. One end into the remote itself, wherever you decide to mount it, then you have to run it all the way to the subwoofer and plug it into there as well. You should be able to zoom in on my original photo of the sub and see the other end plugged in.

 

[Aaron F]

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

I wish this was possible. I have this unit that I pulled out of my leased 2020 Equinox, where I had it mounted on the floor behind the drivers seat. I checked the maverick, and there is not enough room behind the seat for it, at least not the drivers seat. I have not yet measured to see if the passenger is any different. But yes, that little 10 inch sub running with 400 watts is a good thumper and decent sound quality.

 

[Ford Truck Guy]

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.

Are you still using the factory tweeters in the dash with the infinities two-ways in the doors?

 

[uh50]

Are you still using the factory tweeters in the dash with the infinities two-ways in the doors?

Good question. After I installed the the DSP Amp I listened to the system with Ford's dash tweeters connected and with them disconnected. I'm not going to say there was a lot of difference one way or the other, so I'm assuming the efficiency of the tweeters on the Infinities allowed them to dominate the sound. I left them connected after the last test.

 

[Ford Truck Guy]

Good question. After I installed the the DSP Amp I listened to the system with Ford's dash tweeters connected and with them disconnected. I'm not going to say there was a lot of difference one way or the other, so I'm assuming the efficiency of the tweeters on the Infinities allowed them to dominate the sound. I left them connected after the last test.

If I just did the infinities in the doors and nothing else, is that worthwhile in your opinion. XLT stock stereo. Also, what do you think of these? Are they much different than the ones you used. I have no interest in that package because I will not be doing the rear speakers. Thanks.

 

[uh50]

If I just did the infinities in the doors and nothing else, is that worthwhile in your opinion. XLT stock stereo. Also, what do you think of these? Are they much different than the ones you used. I have no interest in that package because I will not be doing the rear speakers. Thanks.

Another great question.

I have no doubt you will like the Infinity REF 6532ex much better than the Ford stock front 6 1/2" speakers. I installed mine in stages and received the most improvement when replacing the front speakers.

Here are the specs of your proposed speaker and the one I used in the front.

REF 6532ex (your proposed)
Description: 6-1/2" (160mm) shallow-mount coaxial car speaker
Power Handling: 55W RMS, 165W peak
Sensitivity (@ 2.83V): 93dB
Frequency Response: 57Hz – 21kHz
Impedance: 3.0 ohms

REF 6532ix (my installation)
Description: 6-1/2" (160mm) coaxial car speaker
Power Handling: 60W RMS, 180W peak
Sensitivity (@ 2.83V): 93dB
Frequency Response: 53Hz – 21kHz
Impedance: 3.0 ohms

Great specs for both speakers. The Frequency Response is great and the Sensitivity will work great with Ford's ACM power. It looks like the primary difference is that the ex model is a shallow-mount speaker, which would be fine for the Ford Mount, especially since the Infinities come with a mounting bracket.

The low end of the frequency response is a little lower on the ix that I installed, but it's not an appreciable difference. That's probably due to the woofer having more speaker cone area since it is not shallow-mount.

One final note. The DSP AMP that I installed is a very small and somewhat low power amp at 45W RMS. When I installed that the overall system came alive and if I had to give a number, I would say it gave a 20-25% improvement in sound quality and added separation. I doubt the power claims from the manufacturer, but I know there are some power gains given I don't turn my audio too loud, but overall, I listen to it now at less volume now than I did before the DSP Amp install. But the improvement of the sound separation at various frequencies is truly amazing and the tuning is fun to play with on my computer. You can also use a phone to tune the Amp exactly how you want the system to sound.

The Puzu PZ-C7 DSP Amp It is a very small cost and such an easy install with he provided loop harness that comes with he DSP Amp. They are $135 on eBay. I didn't find a late model Ford listed but all you have to do is message the guy and tell him what you need and they will provide the harness.

I still have some work to do to finish up my installation. I'm going to add more sound insulation in the back and probably move the subwoofer from the back bracket behind the seat to the center hump under the rear seat or the right side well under the seat. We'll see. Also, right now I have the DSP Amp just thrown under the front seat. There are two things I need to accomplish in the final location. I want to be able to see the led on the DSP and I need to mount it more securely; however, don't want to see the wiring harness. So, I may parallel the LED on the Amp with a remote one in the dash someplace...not sure at this time what I'll do.

We'll that's more information than you asked for. Sorry, it's just in my nature. Let me know what you finally decide and install and please, give me your impressions of your install. Good luck!

 

[Gullzway]

I installed a Kicker Hideaway 8" a few days ago. Huge improvement to my B&O system, quite impressed. Easy install, especially on a hybrid with the 12v already under the rear seat.

On sale for $254 at several places (Bestbuy, Crutchfield, Amazon,) I got an Open Box at BestBuy for $165.

 

[Ford Truck Guy]

Another great question.

I have no doubt you will like the Infinity REF 6532ex much better than the Ford stock front 6 1/2" speakers. I installed mine in stages and received the most improvement when replacing the front speakers.

Here are the specs of your proposed speaker and the one I used in the front.

REF 6532ex (your proposed)
Description: 6-1/2" (160mm) shallow-mount coaxial car speaker
Power Handling: 55W RMS, 165W peak
Sensitivity (@ 2.83V): 93dB
Frequency Response: 57Hz – 21kHz
Impedance: 3.0 ohms

REF 6532ix (my installation)
Description: 6-1/2" (160mm) coaxial car speaker
Power Handling: 60W RMS, 180W peak
Sensitivity (@ 2.83V): 93dB
Frequency Response: 53Hz – 21kHz
Impedance: 3.0 ohms

Great specs for both speakers. The Frequency Response is great and the Sensitivity will work great with Ford's ACM power. It looks like the primary difference is that the ex model is a shallow-mount speaker, which would be fine for the Ford Mount, especially since the Infinities come with a mounting bracket.

The low end of the frequency response is a little lower on the ix that I installed, but it's not an appreciable difference. That's probably due to the woofer having more speaker cone area since it is not shallow-mount.

One final note. The DSP AMP that I installed is a very small and somewhat low power amp at 45W RMS. When I installed that the overall system came alive and if I had to give a number, I would say it gave a 20-25% improvement in sound quality and added separation. I doubt the power claims from the manufacturer, but I know there are some power gains given I don't turn my audio too loud, but overall, I listen to it now at less volume now than I did before the DSP Amp install. But the improvement of the sound separation at various frequencies is truly amazing and the tuning is fun to play with on my computer. You can also use a phone to tune the Amp exactly how you want the system to sound.

The Puzu PZ-C7 DSP Amp It is a very small cost and such an easy install with he provided loop harness that comes with he DSP Amp. They are $135 on eBay. I didn't find a late model Ford listed but all you have to do is message the guy and tell him what you need and they will provide the harness.

I still have some work to do to finish up my installation. I'm going to add more sound insulation in the back and probably move the subwoofer from the back bracket behind the seat to the center hump under the rear seat or the right side well under the seat. We'll see. Also, right now I have the DSP Amp just thrown under the front seat. There are two things I need to accomplish in the final location. I want to be able to see the led on the DSP and I need to mount it more securely; however, don't want to see the wiring harness. So, I may parallel the LED on the Amp with a remote one in the dash someplace...not sure at this time what I'll do.

We'll that's more information than you asked for. Sorry, it's just in my nature. Let me know what you finally decide and install and please, give me your impressions of your install. Good luck!

You can never have too much information. Is that DSP really as simple as hooking this up? Just the one cable hooked up between the radio and the wiring in the truck?

If so, where/how do I locate and get to this connection in the Maverick?
Would pairing this up with the speakers I showed you for the doors make a big improvement to what stock system sounds like? Is the low end much better? I'm thinking of doing the DSP(if it's easy to get to the wiring) and the infinities in the doors and that's all. Is it worth my trouble? Would really like some more low end and don't want to have to install a sub and run inputs from the front speakers to the back. Having a hybrid, it would be simple to power a sub under the back seat since the battery is right there but then there's the problem of getting the signal from the speakers to the back.
It's all pretty simple just thinking about what you need to do but tearing apart the interior of your truck is not simple.

Thanks again.

 

[uh50]

You can never have too much information. Is that DSP really as simple as hooking this up? Just the one cable hooked up between the radio and the wiring in the truck?

If so, where/how do I locate and get to this connection in the Maverick?
Would pairing this up with the speakers I showed you for the doors make a big improvement to what stock system sounds like? Is the low end much better? I'm thinking of doing the DSP(if it's easy to get to the wiring) and the infinities in the doors and that's all. Is it worth my trouble? Would really like some more low end and don't want to have to install a sub and run inputs from the front speakers to the back. Having a hybrid, it would be simple to power a sub under the back seat since the battery is right there but then there's the problem of getting the signal from the speakers to the back.
It's all pretty simple just thinking about what you need to do but tearing apart the interior of your truck is not simple.

Thanks again.

The info about location of the ACM connection is below. The low end is better than without the DSP Amp, but remember you can tune the DSP the way you want it to sound. As you can see in the photo below of the tuning screen, there is 15 bands you can fiddle with.

For me, adding the sub power connection was the most difficult task; but for you with a hybrid, that part should be easy for you. The sub input comes directly from the DSP sub output.

I ran my sub RCA wiring and remote wire along with my Sirius antenna wiring under the right side sill trims all the way to the dash area and it was about a 30 minute task. But there are other paths that may be just as easy.

I don't want to try and convince you one way or the other but for me, the sub was not worth the effort and did not add much of what I wanted to my sound. But, that is entirely up to a personal choice. I love mid bass but not the hammering bump of a loud subwoofer. I listen to all parts of the music and appreciate the sounds of the instruments and don't care to show off a thumping subwoofer. I've tried to tune my sub to the upper frequencies that it is capable of handling without distortion and even then I turn the remote level adjustment almost all the way down.

If I had it to do over, I would find someplace to put a couple of mid bass woofers and still may do so at some time in the future. The idea is to clearly play the mid bass where it is played by an instrument and not add a thump just because I can.

The harness connection couldn't be easier.

Here are the steps:

1. Pull off the center dash trim piece that holds the HVAC vents.

It's easy as it comes straight out and is held by four clips; 2 near the top on each side and two near the bottom on each side. All you have to do is get underneath on each side with a plastic trim tool and then pull straight out. The first time it is attached a little firm, but it does come out. You don't have to disconnect anything, just fold the trim piece out of the way.

2. Next unplug the Ford Harness on the right side of the ACM (circled in red shown the following photo).

3. Plug the harness marked Male plug to the ACM where you unplugged the vehicle's harness wiring. Plug the harness marked Remale plug into the connection you unplugged from the ACM.

4. Fish the remaining end with a white rectangular connection that goes to the DSP amplifier down inside the dash on the side you want to put the DSP Amp. The length is considerable and is long enough to put under either seat. I'm thinking about putting mine near the bottom of the cavity beside the fuse box at the front of the right side floor board.
5. Plug the white connector into the DSP.

Then follow the instructions to connect a computer or smart phone and tune the DSP.

6. Put the trim piece back on then using the palm of your hand hammer it home seating the clips.

And that is it. It took me less than 20 minutes to connect the DSP and sit it on the right front seat. The tuning is specifically a personal choice and takes as long as it takes.

By the way, I have an ongoing thread that covers many things that may be helpful for you. It's long (18 Pages), but also has my trials of installation and discovery.

It's here: My humble review of my new Velocity Blue Maverick XL

I hope all this helps and does not dissuade you from doing what you want.

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