CamryGuy

I tried this post in the Enclosure section, but no replies. So...in general, if I make a wedge style sub enclosure, will I see much of a performance difference if I mount the sub on the angled side of the box, facing the back of the rear seat, instead of on the vertical side facing the trunk latch? I'm into SQ, not SPL. The reason I ask, is two-fold. First, no one would see the sub when the trunk is open and second, there's less chance of anything puncturing the speaker, although I'll likely put a grill over it anyways. I would not put it right against the seat back, but only a few inches away. Has anyone done this? Does it work? Any suggestions to make it work? I want this as stealth as possible. The intention is to cover the box with carpet that matches the trunk carpet, so it blends in.

Dukk

In most cars with trunks, yes it will make a difference and sometimes the difference is dramatic.

If you want to put the woofer at the front of the trunk, behind the seat, spend a little extra time isolating the trunk from the cabin of the car. The problem here is reflections - the sound waves bouncing off the back of the trunk will interfere with those projected into the cabin right in the frequency range to cause trouble.

The better you seal the trunk to eliminate those rear reflections, the better.
An example:

Lyle's GTP

Well, did a little reading and didn't come up with much in regards to sound quality. But, if I were you and only interested in SQ. I would face the subs to the seat. Build a custom, sealed box (with the correct volume specs) that is a power-wedge design with the front angled to the same angle as the seat back. Make sure it covers as much of the back seat as possible, this will give you more room in your trunk and lock more sound into the cabin. Also when you build it, build it with a lip on the front all the way around about 2-3 inches. This will help project the sound as well and protect your speakers from being pushed into the back seat and damaged.

I would also do as the person above mentioned a seal the cabin from the trunk as much as possible. The first thing that comes to my mind is fiberglass. If possible from the front with the sub box already mounted. Remove the rear seats, back dash cover and speakers (if that is where they are) to expose the metal. Then do some good fiberglass matting of the sub box to the surrounding steel frame and closing up any holes in the back dash framework (allow for the speaker mounting if needed). Once that is complete, cover the back dash and adjacent metal/fiberglass with a sound deadening mat.

If you do all that, I think you will yield excellent bass response. Your box can be carpeted to match your trunk and take up minimal space as well.

In addition to all this, you could easily build a nice mount for you amp(s) on the back of the box. I envision something that is covered in plexi and fan cooled. This all would be very easy to accomplish even with basic knowledge and tools.

Hope this helps or at least gives you some ideas.

Lyle

CamryGuy

Thanks Dukk & Lyle! Great info. I'm fortunate in my '06 Camry that the rear seats fold down and it has a perfect opening about 4" behind the seat backs to seal the box to. I can actually install it from the back seat with the backs folded down. This will work really well. I was thinking I would have to seal the back side of the rear deck speakers against the pressure from the sub, but not now. Although.... it might be worth doing anyways???

Has anyone considered or done enclosures for rear deck speakers, similar to what we're talking about for my sub? Would there be any sound advantage? If so, how would you calculate the enclosure size? Some food for thought. Should this be a new thread?

Lyle, although I like your idea of the plexi, this install is to be as stealth as possible, although I will use your idea of the fan for cooling...maybe even two. I have great pricing and availability on 12V fans from my local Princess Auto. Lots of sizes and cfm's.

If anyone has more ideas, I'd love to hear them.