Speakers and Sub connected to the same AMP?

[Reasy]

So, I recently bought a used BRZ and realized the prior owner had what looks to be the speakers in the car (I assume aftermarket) connected to an amp in the back(BOSS R1100M - https://www.amazon.com/Watts-Mosfet-.../dp/B004S4XNEO). Along with the AMP, he left a small sub in the back of the BRZ that was left unconnected. I just recently connected the sub to the AMP and to my surprise was somewhat of a letdown. I know actually nothing about wiring and was curious is this was just due to the sub being so small or if there is a powering issue. Prior to me connecting the sub(blue 10 gauge wires), there were already wires connected to the speaker positive/negative terminals and was wondering if anyone has any idea what those would be? I was thinking it was just aftermarket speakers but, with the sub controller switch in the front, wouldn't it also turn down the speakers if they are connected to the amp? Also, the sub is set for low pass rather than full range and, if both speakers and sub are connected to the amp, setting to low pass would limit the speakers and setting to full range would limit the sub correct?

Essentially, if the pre-existing wires that were connected to the amp were indeed speaker wires, then would I need to attach another AMP for the full low pass and could my car battery support two amps or am I completely wrong on all of this.

Let me preface this by saying I was going to take it to a shop and have someone check into what exactly is connected to the AMP prior to me connecting the sub but due to the virus, I am unable to. Like I said, I am very new to wiring and am making assumptions based on what I see in the car.


Images:




https://imgur.com/a/bqU3KlB

[Mr.ac]

Well, more pictures would help, but it's kinda hard to see what I'm looking at.
As for the let down, what do you mean? Was it not loud enough, or no sound, or crappy sound?

Are you 100% you connected the sub correctly? There could be a number of things that could be wrong. Blown sub, blown amp, blown fuse, who knows.

If the sub was the only thing connected then those wires are used to get the signal to the amp. Instead of using RCA cables you can tap into speakers wires to get the signal.

[soundman98]

what radio is installed in the car? i assume the stock radio?


the first thing i would do is disconnect everything from the speaker output of the amp, and see what goes dead. after figuring out what they control, put it back exactly as you found it-- with just first set of speaker wires connected.

the boss amp is using the speaker level inputs for an audio signal, which means that it is either tied into the signal at the rear speakers(most common spot for most installers), or after the door speaker amp. the easy way to confirm/deny this is to use the radio fade control to listen to how the speakers connected to the amp change in volume depending on if the fade is set to the front or back of the car.

start there, and i can go over more of it later


overall, despite the amp being a very cheap unit, the installation looks extremely professional, with care taken both in the connections and wire management.

[Reasy]

Originally Posted by soundman98

what radio is installed in the car? i assume the stock radio?


the first thing i would do is disconnect everything from the speaker output of the amp, and see what goes dead. after figuring out what they control, put it back exactly as you found it-- with just first set of speaker wires connected.

the boss amp is using the speaker level inputs for an audio signal, which means that it is either tied into the signal at the rear speakers(most common spot for most installers), or after the door speaker amp. the easy way to confirm/deny this is to use the radio fade control to listen to how the speakers connected to the amp change in volume depending on if the fade is set to the front or back of the car.

start there, and i can go over more of it later


overall, despite the amp being a very cheap unit, the installation looks extremely professional, with care taken both in the connections and wire management.

Stock radio is installed. I just removed all the speaker outputs and compared to just the original wiring that it was set up with on purchase and could tell no difference, even when adjusting levels.. now making me more confused as to what those wires are connected to at all..
I just borrowed a friend of mines' 12" sub and, although I wasn't able to fit it into my trunk for obvious reasons but it became clear that the amp and everything is working as it should and my small sub is just weak. So, with that being said I need to buy a new sub and have been looking at some dual subs considering I cant fit a large 12" into the car(if you have any recommendations of dual sub or a larger sub? 10 in maybe?).

Guess i'm still questioning what those wires are connected to

Also, you may know better than me, is it just me or is the stock head unit very, very slow? When I start the car it takes nearly 30 seconds to Bluetooth connect to my phone. Is there any settings I can change on it or do I need to completely upgrade the unit itself?

[Reasy]

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

Well, more pictures would help, but it's kinda hard to see what I'm looking at.
As for the let down, what do you mean? Was it not loud enough, or no sound, or crappy sound?

Are you 100% you connected the sub correctly? There could be a number of things that could be wrong. Blown sub, blown amp, blown fuse, who knows.

If the sub was the only thing connected then those wires are used to get the signal to the amp. Instead of using RCA cables you can tap into speakers wires to get the signal.

I just compared now with a friend of mines' larger sub and it is definitely just the fact that my sub is very weak, so guess I will need a new sub. On the other hand, the original wiring that went to the speaker output is still a mystery to me and I can tell no distinguishable difference when I disconnect them... hm

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Reasy

So, with that being said I need to buy a new sub and have been looking at some dual subs considering I cant fit a large 12" into the car(if you have any recommendations of dual sub or a larger sub? 10 in maybe?).

Guess i'm still questioning what those wires are connected to

Also, you may know better than me, is it just me or is the stock head unit very, very slow? When I start the car it takes nearly 30 seconds to Bluetooth connect to my phone. Is there any settings I can change on it or do I need to completely upgrade the unit itself?

i pulled my stock radio within the first week of owning the car in 2014, so i don't recall anything about it. but 30 seconds to connect is not entirely abnormal. my pioneer 80prs radio takes roughly 30 seconds to 2 minutes to connect every time. usually it's enough to start the car, do the seat belt, get situated, and run through a mental check of everything.

if the wires don't do anything, it's entirely possible that the wires go to something that is no longer installed. the easiest way to check that is with a digital multimeter set to the lowest ohm setting. if there's a speaker, there will be a resistance reading.

the only oddball setup i know of that you wouldn't notice in this scenario would be if they installed bass shakers in the car. but then you should notice the vibrations from them. but they will still have a resistance.


what subwoofer do you have now?

what kind of music do you listen to?

[Reasy]

Originally Posted by soundman98

i pulled my stock radio within the first week of owning the car in 2014, so i don't recall anything about it. but 30 seconds to connect is not entirely abnormal. my pioneer 80prs radio takes roughly 30 seconds to 2 minutes to connect every time. usually it's enough to start the car, do the seat belt, get situated, and run through a mental check of everything.

if the wires don't do anything, it's entirely possible that the wires go to something that is no longer installed. the easiest way to check that is with a digital multimeter set to the lowest ohm setting. if there's a speaker, there will be a resistance reading.

the only oddball setup i know of that you wouldn't notice in this scenario would be if they installed bass shakers in the car. but then you should notice the vibrations from them. but they will still have a resistance.


what subwoofer do you have now?

what kind of music do you listen to?

Gotcha, yeah I have been looking into headunits but haven't heard much about ones that cost less than around $500 and I didn't want to take a huge plunge like that at the moment. I already have the touch screen and would want to upgrade to a more responsive one.

I tested the wires and am just getting a flat 1 out of it so I assume there is nothing on the other end. I am not sure what would have been taken out of the car as nothing is really missing except the passenger upper foot trim, which I cant imagine a speaker being there as I see no open wires. Speaking of which, I know you have a lot of experience with BRZ's, do you know what this piece would be considered so I could replace?




I typically listen to R&B & Pop so bass is pretty important. I've been looking at a lot of reviews and found these PIONEER TS-SW2502S4 10-Inch (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A18CQ5FFITKTLU) with a slim enclosure that would fit the trunk well(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A2L77EE7U53NWQ). Much more of an economic build without sacrificing a ton of bass, i hope.

[Mr.ac]

Ok. If you hear no difference when you connect the sub that mean the amp has no power.
When you start the car the the amp have a light on some where?

100% of all amps have a "I'm on" light. If no light, check the fuse on the amp, the inline fuse from the battery.
Second, make sure the positive wire to the amp is connected to the battery. 75% of the time either some one will disconnect the amp wire from the battery for some reason or another.

If you have a good buddy have them test your sub on their amp or vise versa.

Also that last pic, that's your air conditioner dryer. Unless you ac doesn't work that should be the last place to get replaced.

[Reasy]

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

Ok. If you hear no difference when you connect the sub that mean the amp has no power.
When you start the car the the amp have a light on some where?

100% of all amps have a "I'm on" light. If no light, check the fuse on the amp, the inline fuse from the battery.
Second, make sure the positive wire to the amp is connected to the battery. 75% of the time either some one will disconnect the amp wire from the battery for some reason or another.

If you have a good buddy have them test your sub on their amp or vise versa.

Also that last pic, that's your air conditioner dryer. Unless you ac doesn't work that should be the last place to get replaced.

Oh, no I meant my AMP and sub are working. I plugged my friends 12" sub into the amp and it worked more than fine but I can't fit a 12" into my BRZ, its too large. The smaller sub was working correctly I suppose, but it was just such a small difference in sound that I barely noticed and assumed there was possibly an issue with the pre-existing wiring that was already mounted to the sub. I need a larger sub essentially but all the components are working correctly.

Also, the AC works fine but shouldn't there be a trim piece there or is it just exposed wiring and AC unit? I wasn't sure if the old owner had the piece taken out or if BRZ's just have nothing up there in the footwell.

[Mr.ac]

I see.
Sounds like your 10" sub is blown. If you want a 12" sub that's fine. But you'll need a custom size box for it.

There are two ways to tell if the sub is blown, one it smells like it's burnt electronics. Two, when you press down on the cone you hear/feel raspy.

Also there is no cover for the ac on the passenger side.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Reasy

I tested the wires and am just getting a flat 1 out of it so I assume there is nothing on the other end. I am not sure what would have been taken out of the car as nothing is really missing except the passenger upper foot trim, which I cant imagine a speaker being there as I see no open wires.

yep, sounds like they're not connected to anything, so i wouldn't worry about it!

Originally Posted by Reasy

Speaking of which, I know you have a lot of experience with BRZ's, do you know what this piece would be considered so I could replace?

nothing looks missing to me.

i took a picture of mine just to be sure:

Originally Posted by Reasy

I typically listen to R&B & Pop so bass is pretty important. I've been looking at a lot of reviews and found these PIONEER TS-SW2502S4 10-Inch (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A18CQ5FFITKTLU) with a slim enclosure that would fit the trunk well(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A2L77EE7U53NWQ). Much more of an economic build without sacrificing a ton of bass, i hope.

i've got this "sub" in my pickup:
https://soundstream.com/product/usb-10p/
it does not shake the mirror, it does not get louder than my door speakers. i had to resort to absurd eq settings to make it work in a capacity that doesn't make me want to throw it at something. but the urge still exists on certain songs.

the old adage "there's no replacement for displacement" tends to be the truest with subwoofers. you can't save space, and be loud.

i suggest taking up some almost forgotten space in the corners that most people don't use anyways:
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139789
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139665

[DarkPira7e]

In a previous car I had a shallow 12" sub mounted behind the fold down rear seats ( 3000GT VR4). I mounted the box to the floor and to the rear strut tower bar I had installed. It worked just well enough so I could feel the music, but not so much that it would vibrate the license plate.
I had dual 10s in another car with a large sealed box. This vibrated everything, but took up a lot of space. The only feasible way to get some punch out of a sub is to have it in a nice large enclosure. If you really need teh_bass, you could have a custom sub setup that raises the spare tire area, and converts it into a huge sub shelf. Bonus wire management and AMP mounting space included, but you lose the spare and tools..