MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGF Technical - Ice

Does anyone know how to wire a subwoofer to work with the standard radio/cassett unit fitted in my 1998 car?
Paul

hi paul
i tried to fit a s/ woofer to my f but really not a lot of space to work with man,i radically changed the rear speakers took out stock plastic boxes and built new one also had to recut the lining for the back to accomodate new size improved bass also fitted a 700 watt amp so now bass from the doors and more bass from rear speakers

friend of mine has bought a sub woofer box that he rests behind the seats where the top folds down to lots of bass but can only be used when top is up which if u live in bermuda that is a very rare day indeed i have owned my f for 8 months very rarely do i put top up even overnight hope i helped email for info and pics
luis

>how to wire a subwoofer
apart form the obvious placement issues, you will need a good bass amp - bass takes a lot more power as it is pushing more air. Then you need a good power source, the bass amp will have a 'remote' input, this should be wired to the powered ariel connector on the radio, the other power has to come from the battery directly, DO NOT take power from anywhere else or you will blow fuses or melt your loom!!!!!
Very thick wire is available from car audio shops, this will be complete with an inline fuse holder (you NEED one of these, wire does not look pretty after 500 amps flows thru it, neither will your car- insured for fire? )
Then you will need a signal feed, the easist way to get one of these is to buy a speaker to line converter (effectavly a big resistor), slap this across the out from your stereo, it doesn't matter which speaker you chose for this as bass is non directional and anyone putting together a stereo effect should know this and pump the bass from both sides.

HTH
Will
Will Munns

To get a sub to work with the standard MG head unit is feasible, and you have two options.

1. You buy a self powered sub (one of those units sold by Sony that looks rather like a torpedo! costs approx 150 notes). Probably the easiest/simplist solution. Wire in parallel to you rear speakers (or if yours is an early Mk1 car, wire it to the rear speaker connections on the back of the head unit that are currently redundant).

2. As Luis suggest, obtain a separate amp and sub. More choice of larger subs (finding somewhere to put it becomes more of a problem though!). You'll need to find an amp that'll take the already amplified signal from your head unit. The standard head unit has no pre-amp outputs. Shop around - they are available, but harder to find.

Hope this helps

See http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/recommended_ice_installations.htm for one rather radical (but very neat) sub install! :o)

Luis, if you want me to post your images on this page, I'd be delighted to do so! :o)
Rob Bell

I have one of the Pioneer tube style sub/amp units behind my passanger seat, these accept a speaker level signal from the head unit (althogh i use line level), it's 150W and is sufficiant to shake the rear view mirror top down stationary.
I wasn't after BIG bass just enough to hear on the motorway top down.
Kingsley

Kinsley can you post a photo?
I am looking for a sub that will fit in my car...
Hanah Kim

I'll dig my digicam out tonight and get some pics online.
Kingsley

Kingsley,
some time ago, I too considered on of these, but I found they restricted seat movement too much. Leaving the "gap" between the T-bar and seats to big and unaestetically. Never the less Iīm interested seeing your setup!!

Thanks,
David.
DAvid

Most sub installs seem to place somekind of absurd restriction of one type or another - as you probably know David. Most are in boxes behind the passenger seat - which is okay only when your passenger is small and enjoys a vibro-massage to the rhythm of "I'm totally addicted to bass."

There must be a better solution???

I liked SF's solution of mounting the sub inside the dash - in the area above the glove box. But this only works if you don't have EPAS fitted - which rules this option out for the majority of us.

How about locating it in the foot well area, in the space behind the central console? You'd need a very small sub and the enclosure space is a long way short of ideal, but at least it isn't restricting the practicality of the car?
Rob Bell

>But this only works if you don't have EPAS fitted
why? are you worried about EMC?

BOSE 802's (which are used in clubs) are ment to be able to handle full range (when used by small band PA's) these speakers are built from 8 x one ohm 10(?) cm drivers and a cental bass port, because they all move in unison the effect is a large bass driver without the need for a lot of depth. Could a simmiler arrangement with a low pass filter work for the F i wonder?

Will
Will Munns

a very quick google search later....
http://www.ntime2000.com/images/Bose802.jpg
Will Munns

Thereīs a lot of small subs that work very well. I think Focal developed a 13cm (5"1/5?) sub, that would fit neatly into the space behind the central cosole. Youīd only need a small amp to fit behind the seat. It (sub)would need to properly enclose it, leaving room for the ventilation pipes to run through might give some trouble !! Otherwise good idea.
Wouldnīt then the whole console (i.e. also beneath the hand break lever...) act as a bass box?

David.
David (MGF driver)

Will, actually hadn't considered EMFs. I was thinking about the physical restraints of space (or lack thereof) with the EPAS ECU fitted.

Might be wrong though - I haven't measured it up properly.

David - I guess using the whole space behind the console as a resonance box would be a hope - but there's a fair amount of wiring and heater-related assembles back there that efffectively limits the available volume.
Rob Bell

iv'e all but given up and dissapointed at crap sound and vibrations from my system ,bass sound is awful iv'e got a sony mdx-c6500r mini disc player 4x50 w plus D bass,2 ubl 70w speakers with directional tweeters in doors and 2 pioneer 70w speakers in t bar and as iv'e said sound is crap ,very little bass in t bar speakers , but rattles and virations from doors ,tried tightening everything and deadening pads insde door but lost heart now aghhhh.[
david morris

Thanks guys, plenty to think about. like the idea of Kingsley's Pioneer tube.
Paul

Ive just brought a pioneer sub/amp combination (Pioneer TS-WX10LPA subwoofer). Got mine from Halfords but it can be seen on

http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/695-pioneer-tube-subwoofers.html

Fits nicely behind the seats. Having it fitted on 5th Sept (probably an easy job but leaving it to the experts). Its had a good right up on elise web sites. Will tell you what its like when its fitted!

Chris
Chris

Wow, thatīs +/-30cm (12")in diameter, I donīt see how you can fit this behind the seat without giving up some comfort? Looking forward for pictures Chris.

I myself have small 10cm mid range 42i infinity in the T-bar (no bass banging in on my head) 62i compoīs in the doors and tweeters in the A-post (in the process of being fitted into a mold) 2 x15OW amp behind the seat, which still fully retractable; Especially with the aircon compressor and condensator in the way, passenger needs all possible legg space!

Check out the ice section Dieterīs web site; Showing some nice 2.5" subs with built in 100W (RMS) amp (Blaupunkt and pioneer) slim design and fits right behind the seats.

Cheers,
David. (pictures of setup available)
David

Chris, this is the same sub i've got. you'll be impressed with the sound from such a small unit.
Kingsley

David:

Did you scroll down the page to the right model? I didnt think it was that big!

Kingsley:

Excellent, im glad you said that. I was starting to get a bit worried not hearing it first!

Chris.
Chris

I want one... Kingsley or Chris, do you know anyone who would ship it to NZ? Also how heavy is it? (Postage..)

Cheers!
Hanah Kim

Oops, Sorry Chris, checked again. That indeed looks good.

cheers,
David. (still interested to see the result)
David

Not sure if anyone will ship to NZ from here, it's quite heavy, you should be able to source one from your local pioneer dealer, as it's a current model.

Kingsley

David:

No problem, a soon as its fitted (September 5th) I will post some pictures of the install.

Would be intrested to see pictures of your setup.

Chris.
C Birch

Chris,

Iīll take care of it tonight,
cheers,
David.
david

Chris/Kingsley, do you need an amp with this one or is wired straight from head unit ,thanks Dave.
david morris

150W amp built in, has line level inputs as well as speaker level inputs, you'll need to wire it in to your battery, an earth and the electric arial controll on your headunit, but all the wires and instruction manuals are supplied.
speaker level inputs are supposed to give the best sound on this unit.
It also comes with a belt to fasten it down with, but you can make brackets and screw it if you wish.
best but unseen feature is the UV light inside oooooh!
hidden behind the seat tho :(
Kingsley

Thanks Kingsley,think i will give it a try,as you say shame about lights,i wonder if it would be possible to cut out the light bit, extend wires and have the display up front somewhere ? just a thought. Dave.
david morris

you can turn the light on and off aswell as ajusting the gain and phase. but the unit is pretty much sealed up, and uv lights elsewhere in the car are a bit max power imho
kingsley

Kingsley,just another thought why couldnt this unit go on parcel shelf behind windstop?, any ideas, at least you would see lights,or does it have to go behind seat to get bass sound or something ?. Dave
david morris

oops,forgot about folding roof down,wonder if just might fit though?
david morris

not a chance of it fitting there, sorry. it's actualy quite big, but due to it's shape, and the shape of the space behind the passanger seat it fits well.
Also it's best to hide this type of thing in the car, so as not to say "please steal me" my whole install is virtualy unnoticable from outside the car.
Kingsley

Thanks for info Kingsley,Dave.
david morris

By the way Kingsley how did you fit yours?

Im getting mine fitted by Halfords. Its to big to mount on the floor due to the seat rails, so did you make a ledge for it or did you use the straps to attach it to the bulkhead?

Chris.
C Birch

Whatever you do DO NOT attach it to the bulkhead in any way, as it's actualy the petrol tank!
I made a MDF ledge for mine to sit on behind the seat. it rases the hight of the base and angles the sub back in line with the petrol tank.
Kingsley

Cheers Kingsley.

I thought as much. I started making a base the w/end.
Chris

This thread was discussed between 18/08/2002 and 27/08/2002

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGF Technical BBS now