Hi,

I'm thinking of buying a Sound Ordnance B-8PT powered sub (http://www.crutchfield.com/p_777B8PT...Sound+Ordnance) to compliment my DB6501's and Alpine HU. I'd like to keep the sub enclosure within the cabin. I haven't been able to find many posts on this but will it comfortably fit behind the drivers side seat or somewhere else in the cabin? I'd like to keep my spare tire and all of my trunk space. Any advice is appreciated.

Also, does anyone have this sub? Can they vouch for sound quality? I'm not looking for anything crazy but something more than what the DB6501's provide.

Thanks!!

 

My setup is very similar to yours and this is my next upgrade as well. It will fit behind the seat, and will also fit under the drivers seat (but will block the sliding mechanism a little). If you're not too tall, behind should be the way to go. Also, the specs on the newer B-8PTD say it's 1/8" thinner than the B-8PT. Not sure if it's worth the $50 price bump, but worth a call to Crutchfield to confirm at least.

I don't have first hand experience with the sub yet, but your impression of this sub is the same as mine I think. It won't thump as hard as a "real" sub, but it does a great job filling out the low end at higher volumes so the front speakers don't have to work as hard.

 

Thanks, I think I'll grab the B-8PT off of Crutchfield and give it a shot. Under the seat would be ideal. I'm about 5' 10". I measured behind my seat and it's pretty close to the 3.25" so it's going to be tight if it does fit. If it seems like the extra 1/8" will make a difference, I'll swap it out for that one instead. I'll let you know how it goes. You're right, i'm just looking for something to fill out the low end. The DB6501's are great but very little bass.

 

It will fit behind a seat if you are of average height or smaller (too tall means the seat will be too far back for it to fit). I don't think it will fit under the seat, at least the B-8PT I have won't (passenger seat that is). I have it mounted in the passenger footwell area. Fits just about right there (although it is rectangular in shape and the footwell area is anything but) and allows for easier connection access.

I have had it for a week or so and like it. It doesn't drop heavy and hard but for our cabin, it shouldn't need to. It gives the right amount of bass and is definitely noticeable and I listen to alot of house/trance and rap/r&b. For the price, I would recommend it for sure.

Here are some pics of how I have it right now...plan on doing some clean up in the near future but since no one rides in the S but me, I am not in a rush.

 

Thanks a lot for the pictures and the review! I'm going to try and fit it under the drivers seat. If it doesn't fit there, I'll try behind the seat. I'm into the same kind of music as you so I'm looking forward to the extra bass. I put in an Alpine HU tonight, world of difference from the stock HU. Makes me wonder how much better it would be if I added in the alpine inline amp as well. Hrmm....

Thanks again!

 

Reckon, that's a nice looking setup. What did you use for the flap that covers the left side of the sub? Do you have the sub secured or does it stay put in the footwell by itself?

crypto, IIRC, I was able to get my alpine HU all the way to max volume without distortion in the db6501s without the amp. Once I added the amp, I got a good bit more clean volume but started getting distortion long before I hit max volume. So the amp won't work miracles, but it will definitely squeeze some extra performance out of the polks with power to spare. Having that extra juice at speed with the top down is really nice. Overall, very worth it, especially if you can find the amp at a discount - I got mine for $105. Be sure to get the 445U, not the 445. The install won't be plug and play like the 445, but the 445U is cheaper and is bridgeable to 2 channels x 90. 445 can be bridged with some surgery, but it voids the warranty.

 

I used part of the rubber floor mat that you see in front of it. I cut the mat in half and used a piece of it to cover the left hand side of the sub where you can see the remote and ground wires. It works for now but I will probably try to think of something nicer for the future.

The sub is actually wedged between the carpet/footwell and the lower hanging of the dash - hasn't moved and seems secure for now. I didn't want to do anything permanent just yet as I think about how to clean up that area. I am the only one in my S so I wasn't concerned with looks when I installed.

The power pack does make a noticeable difference. I have the 445 (when it first came out) and noticed improvement right away. I did try to bridge the power pack but it is not bridgeable (there are a few posts out there that say they can do it but I have not found it to be successful at all). I agree with you that he should definitely go with the 445U if he is comfortable with wiring (not all that hard though).

The sub does add much noticeable difference too - it actually kicks pretty nicely, especially in our cabin. In a bigger car, I would say the gains are marginal, but for the S, it's a huge improvement. Well worth the money.

 

It definitely packs a punch in our cabin. I keep saying that because I believe it would be marginal at best in a larger car, but in our tight enclosed cabin, it really hits hard. Make sure you take the time to tune it right, especially if your HU allows for it (mine does and had very nice controls for it including a HPF and frequency handling). I also have aftermarket mid woofers and tweeters which help the overall sound quality.

The sub is well worth the money (got mine for $149 from Crutchfield and also ordered the Rockford amp connection package, for a total of $179).

Which HU did you put in?

 

That sub looks enticing, especially for the price. I have an amp pushing my polk db's (RF 87.5x2 RMS) as well, and the amp made a pretty big difference imo. For our cars, especially since there aren't rear fill speakers (i don't consider the headrest speakers real speakers), amping the front speakers helps. I'd highly recommend an amp for the front speakers. I drove the front components for a little while off my alpine headunit, but when you turn it louder, the speakers just aren't getting enough power.

Any of your guys around the mid-atlantic region? I'd love to hear this sub, as I've long been considering a sub, but don't want to drop $500+ on a custom made footwell box. How much space did you lose in the footwell area w/ the sub box? It looks like it takes up a decent amount of space..?

 

The awkward shape of the footwell is the issue. The sub itself is small, but since it is rectangular it does pose a location issue in the footwell. For now, I have it unsecured in the position you see it in. I have not had it move one bit since I have put it on and I go over some bumpy roads. It will also do well laying down which will help minimize space.

A tall person in the passenger seat will not be comfortable, but an average to short person won't notice much of an issue with legspace. The other place to put it is behind the passenger seat. As long as the seat doesn't need to go all the way back (will lose about 1-2 positions in the back if you put it there), that would be a great place for it.

As for an amp for the front speakers, if the speakers are high enough power rated to handle an amp, then definitely. The Alpine Power Pack (in line class D amp) does well and gives that extra boost without the 'hassles' of a higher power rated amp and the wiring that goes into adding it into the system (not difficult but can get less cost effective - all depends on budget and skill).

I'm in Huntsville, AL so probably not very close to you .