Low Budget Substage

[MKader17 332]

Since I got some time and a little money (very little) on my hands I really want to start tinkering with something so I am going to add a substage to my truck.

First off my goals are to add a substage to take some pressure off the front stage and overall, make my system better sounding. I plan on running a Mach 5 MAW-10 with a Rockford Fosgate P325.1 amp in a sealed box (up or downfire) in an extended cab. I have set my budget at 220 dollars for everything including box supplies, distribution blocks, and extra wire. The budget really may be hard to not break but its all I can afford for a while.

I saw a MAW-10 used for $40, shipped on the forums here but noticed the thread dated back to April and the user, toolfan91, hasn't logged on since May 3rd, so that may not work out. The looks of getting one new from Mach5 looks to be over 80 after shipping is included.

I can find a P325.1 for around 125 on Ebay but wouldn't mind using something different or used especially if I can get it cheaper

Dristribution Blocks and such I plan on using knukoncepts for.

As far as the box is concerned do you guys prefer upfire or downfire? Also w/ the distribution blocks do I really need the power block with fuses in it? You don't use a fuse with a single amp I don't see why you really need it with two amps, but maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks for the help

[mrray13 30]

welcome to the forum!

i'm going to research a bit for ya, try and fit some things into your budget. any chance of going over it a bit? and if so, how much?

what kind of truck?

i'll be back in a few!

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[mrray13 30]

http://cgi.ebay.com/KICKER-ZX300-1-CAR-AUD...1QQcmdZViewItem

amp, jsut over $100 shipped adn there are like 12 listings for it.

that'll help keep your budget. a sheet of 1/2mdf will run around $25. 1/2" will be perfect for what your after. you'll have to brace a bit, but nothing big. and depending on overall box size, you might not need to brace at all.

what supplies do you have at the moment? wood glue? brads/screws? how are you going to finish the box?

as to what sounds the best is an xcab truck, i've done down firing, forward firing and upfiring. i prefer the downfiring box. the loading of the sub seem to help the sub drop lower and increase output. i haven't measured this yet, but i will, one of these days.

http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/forum/i...?showtopic=8719

he's got a pair of tens listed. maybe he'll split them up for $50 shipped for one. not mach5, but if it's a d4, it'll work with the amp posted above and have you in around $180 for sub, wood and amp.

also, hit mrgrowski up and see if he knows of any used maw10s you can get your hands on.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[///M5 2,833]

I can probably reach Ben (toolfan) for you if you need, but I think he sold that sub.

I see you had to re-log in here. The board went down for a little while and took a few months of data with it.

As long as the amp you used is fused and it is pretty close to the distro block you are fine.

One comment on the amp, perhaps finding a 2 or 4 chn that is bridgeable might be an interesting route since you could use it for something else later as well.

[MKader17 332]

like for some tweets or 3 inch mids in a active 3 way setup =) I think I want to run a little class D because I really don't see me ever pulling this system out of this truck because it will probably stay in my family forever (if I have anything to do with it ) and when I get a new truck I like the idea of starting from a fresh platform, but I guess I should leave my options open

As for the amp would you trust a refurbished amp from ebay? I see some auctions for the P325.1 so I may see if I can slip in and get a good deal unless you find a problem with the RF amp. The RF amp kinda matches my xt1600.2 which is why i'm leaning towards it

I'm really looking foward to trying out the Mach5's because if I like them I could be a repeat customer and I'll definately be the only one on the block with one

I can pick up some distro blocks and extra wiring from knukonceptz for about 21 dollars and you don't have to include brad nails and such towards the budget

So electrical items 21, MDF 25, RF amp 125 (hopefuly a bit less) that puts me at 171 and leaves me to find a MAW-10 for about 50 bucks shipped

Do you think the items you picked would make for a better overall system? or would they just keep me in budget? I noticed the Kicker would not be able to fully power the RF subs and i feel i might be dissapointed that I couldn't push the speaker to its max potential.

[mrray13 30]

teh kicker amp wouldn't push the pair to full potential, but it would shove one around, lol. i like the kicker better then any rf product. alot more amp, IMO, for the money. i have yet to see a kicker amp not underrated by at lest 100wrms.

the subs, jsut to keep you in budget. IME, the maw10 will crush the rf subs, but your budget is the killer, lol. teh maw10 would be a sweet sub to get. if nothing else, you've got $50 left in your budget, why not add the extra $20 and get a new maw10?

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[MKader17 332]

Yeah I'm not very thrilled about RF subs either. Well I think I'm going to go ahead and order a new MAW-10, and stick with the RF amp because its new, it matches, and it will put out the power I want it too. I can't wait. thanks for the help I'll post pics when I get it going.

I added everything together and I came up with 256.18 kept it close right? lol not like it was all that big to begin with.

Edited June 20, 2007 by MKader17

[MKader17 332]

I gotta quick question. I'm putting about 300w RMS TOTAL to my components and I'll be putting 250w or so to my sub. Both amps accept 4 gauge wiring. do you think I would be ok with a short run of 8 gauge from the distribution block the amplifiers?

[///M5 2,833]

As long as its short.

[MKader17 332]

I'm thinking a foot and a half, 2 feet tops. The Distroblock I'm getting accepts 4 8gauge outputs what if i doubled up and ran 2 8 gauges to each?

[///M5 2,833]

You might as well

[MKader17 332]

Couple more questions.

1. How much volume does the MAW-10 displace .

2. How far from the floor should the subwoofer be in a downfire setup

3. What is a sufficent size wire for the woofer?

4. Is there something special to connect the wire to the subwoofer?

5. Is it not ok to run your RCA's and your speaker wire parralel or is that just a myth?

Sorry for all the noob questions. thanks

[ANeonRider 3]

1. I used .1 when I built my enclosure.

2. 1/2"

3. anything bigger than 18ga.

4. ya, the connector on the subwoofer

5. complete myth

[///M5 2,833]

I'd like to see it a lot farther off the ground than 1/2", in your truck I'd actually say as high off as you can get it which I know isn't all that high. I don't remember if yours is, but if its an NBS you can easily just put a little piece of 3/4" ply under your seat mounts in the rear and gain a little more space. That and the seat can sort of rest on the box instead of the actual supports and still lock in if you are a little high.

[MKader17 332]

It's an OBS sadly and there is no chance of lifting the seat on them. Is an 1 1/2" sufficient? I keep drawing up box plans but after double baffle and lifting I'm really running out of room. I know if you take off the bottom of the seat there is a quite a bit of room in the seat. I might have to glass me a new panel for the bottom to take advantage of that room but I'd definately rather not.

[MKader17 332]

Thought I'd give a little update to everything...

I ended up buying a used Kicker ZX400.1 for 97 Shipped so I saved some money there and got a little more amp, not that I needed it but I got it

I decided to not skimp on the wiring and instead of like 25 dollars it ended up being 73 for the better distro blocks ($20 compared to $6), 4 gauge instead of 8, and 14 dollars in RCA and Speaker wire that I forgot about initially

I also ended up with a brand new Mach5 that I got for 80.31 shipped to Texas

All in All I'm still only going to end up spending only 270ish after I add in the box

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

THats a good amp, nice choice.

[Adrian_D 520]

sweet amp. it's a very compact powerhouse.