Simple Subwoofer Upgrade!?

[Ghostwolf]

I was going to upgrade my stereo, but I realized I love having the ability to leave my top open in the rain, hose down the interior, and go through water so deep it comes in through the doors. The oem weather resistance is a nice feature, even if it’s just for piece of mind.

Copy that - I may be adventurous and game for anything where I can break my leg or crack my skull open yet I don't see any real off-road or creek driving in the near future . . . but agree the OEM+ is ideal . . . but Jesus tap dancing Christ is it expensive . . . but I could include that in the resale further down the line . . .

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[Ghostwolf]

I forgot to add the RCA connection from the Audio Control LC2i to the amp.

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here but could possibly explain your set up using natural blonde terms . . . like . . . treat me like I'm a 6th grader that's getting their first soldering iron set for their little R.C. Car . . . and maybe some suggestions on brands and products but I am at the point of taking out the dash, just to upgrade the knee speakers with some 6" low end . . . Just wish there was a plug and play sub - Jeep really dropped the ball on this one - my only gripe . . . Sans the fact, the previous owner had an ice cream social in this JL before selling it - still finding chocolate syrup and sprinkles all over the upholstery and ceiling! Carvana did reimburse me 50 bucks for cleaning supplies and noted their lack in attention to detailing the interior . . . The other day, I was dodging the street sweep and figured I would recline the driver's seat (for the first time) and looked directly up at the freedom top and discovered more chocolate syrup and strawberry this time (maybe cherry?)!! Seriously, what the hell!? Why can't I have nice things! Ugh . . .

 

[1Evil55]

You can still have a nice aftermarket stereo and take the top off and not worry about weather ruining it if that is what you're after. If boats can have music, a topless Jeep isn't much different.

I gradually upgraded mine starting with the dash upgrade to new JL 3.5s. Then did the sound bar with JL 6.5s. Eventually found a used Stealthbox and added my amplification with a 5 channel. The OEM 5" system is worthless compared to where I am now. Topless cruising the highway with volume up close to 25-30 is JAMMING!

 

[driventoadventure]

If you are thinking of putting the sub under the rear seat, don't forget that when you fold it down the seat itself lowers to the ground so that the backs are flush... I can't even store a box of nitrile gloves (for fueling and additives you dirty minded people) under my rear seats when they are folded down...

If you put a sub under the rear seat you will not be able to fold it down.

As a fellow audiophile, you're not going to have good bass. If you put a sub in the saddle area similar to what the factory subs do, you will have decent bass, but its always going to be muddy regardless. Honestly one of the best improvements after upgrading the speakers you already have, is to add insulation to the top, like the Boom mat or the Hothead Headliners.

 

[1Evil55]

+1 to headliners. I just finished a HotHead install last weekend in mine. What a difference driving highway speeds.

 

[JasonInDLH]

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here but could possibly explain your set up using natural blonde terms . . . like . . . treat me like I'm a 6th grader that's getting their first soldering iron set for their little R.C. Car . . . and maybe some suggestions on brands and products but I am at the point of taking out the dash, just to upgrade the knee speakers with some 6" low end . . . Just wish there was a plug and play sub - Jeep really dropped the ball on this one - my only gripe . . . Sans the fact, the previous owner had an ice cream social in this JL before selling it - still finding chocolate syrup and sprinkles all over the upholstery and ceiling! Carvana did reimburse me 50 bucks for cleaning supplies and noted their lack in attention to detailing the interior . . . The other day, I was dodging the street sweep and figured I would recline the driver's seat (for the first time) and looked directly up at the freedom top and discovered more chocolate syrup and strawberry this time (maybe cherry?)!! Seriously, what the hell!? Why can't I have nice things! Ugh . . .

Sounds like someone had a birthday party in your Jeep with all that chocolate and strawberry syrup!?

So one thing to consider is PreAmp output volts. Higher the better because then you can use lower gain on your amp. An amplifier not only amplifies the music, but also amplifies the noise. When the gain is higher, then you’ll get more noise. The lower the gain, the lower the noise. However, I bet we wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference of noise (due to amp gain and volts mentioned above) between the Pac and the Audio Control.

In regards to adding a sub to my factory system (which has the Alpine audio upgrade):

Note: I’m going to leave out my Capacitor in the following steps since we really don’t need it (I’m mostly using it to help filter out noise).

I ran 4 awg power (Oxygen Free Copper, or O.F.C. for short, that Crutchfield sells by the foot) from the battery, in through the floor board (as seen in a post above) to my amp. I ran a 12 inch long, 4 awg ground wire (again, OFC that Crutchfield sells by the foot) to a factory ground bolt I found nearby. These two wires power my amp.

To send my factory amplified audio signal to my amp I needed to install a Line Output Converter (basically to flatten the already amplified sound). The Line Output Converter (L.O.C.) I chose was the Audio Control LC2i Pro (there are plenty to choose from if you go this route). I needed to run power wire and ground wire (much like the amp). I chose to tap into speaker wires that go to my soundbar speakers and this goes into the speaker level input into the unit. From this unit I will run my RCA wires (I opted for 1.5 foot long T-Spec Premium RCA’s) to my amp which is only 1 foot away.

Next I need to send signal to my sub (this part you won’t have to worry about since your amp and sub are in one unit). I chose 10 awg O.F.C. Speaker wire that (you guessed it!) Crutchfield sells by the foot. This wire connects my new amplifier to my new JL Audio sub.

It’s super late and I feel like I’m forgetting something. ?

 

[Ghostwolf]

Most helpful . . . Thanks for the details and your process - I think I'm starting to understand - I watched a vid on LOCs by CAF (car audio fabrication) and thinking I need to get a LC2i Pro - power, ground and tap / connect it into the B pillar (sound bar speaker wires) and then run that info and wiring to powered subwoofer (or individual amp / separate bigger sub if I go that route) - hoping the LOC can read / process the signal from the head unit well enough by just tapping into the B pillar speaker wires? CAF did an okay job explaining everything "in theory" but no actual connecting and wiring on camera (found several LOC reviews and some "top 5 LOCs" but again, no real time install on a Jeep JL) . . .

 

[JasonInDLH]

After writing all of that, I realized you probably won’t actually need an L.O.C. with a powered sub (much like @TheBirdie72 has). Most powered subs has an internal L.O.C. or some sort of signal processor (albeit not as good as the Audio Control) I believe.

@TheBirdie72: Did you simply tap into the speaker wire and connect directly to the speaker level inputs on your Kicker? Do you have the Alpine upgrade?

 

[Ghostwolf]

After writing all of that, I realized you probably won’t actually need an L.O.C. with a powered sub (much like @TheBirdie72 has). Most powered subs has an internal L.O.C. or some sort of signal processor (albeit not as good as the Audio Control) I believe.

@TheBirdie72: Did you simply tap into the speaker wire and connect directly to the speaker level inputs on your Kicker? Do you have the Alpine upgrade?

If I remember correctly - Best Buy did the install but one could properly see the wiring and where and when and how and who and what . . .

 

[Opus]

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here but could possibly explain your set up using natural blonde terms . . . like . . . treat me like I'm a 6th grader that's getting their first soldering iron set for their little R.C. Car . . . and maybe some suggestions on brands and products but I am at the point of taking out the dash, just to upgrade the knee speakers with some 6" low end . . . Just wish there was a plug and play sub - Jeep really dropped the ball on this one - my only gripe . . . Sans the fact, the previous owner had an ice cream social in this JL before selling it - still finding chocolate syrup and sprinkles all over the upholstery and ceiling! Carvana did reimburse me 50 bucks for cleaning supplies and noted their lack in attention to detailing the interior . . . The other day, I was dodging the street sweep and figured I would recline the driver's seat (for the first time) and looked directly up at the freedom top and discovered more chocolate syrup and strawberry this time (maybe cherry?)!! Seriously, what the hell!? Why can't I have nice things! Ugh . . .

I'm sorry, brother, but if you're finding syrup on the headliner... those people had a party in your Jeep that you don't really want to dwell on... just clean it and move on with your life. Ignorance is bliss...

 

[Ghostwolf]

I'm sorry, brother, but if you're finding syrup on the headliner... those people had a party in your Jeep that you don't really want to dwell on... just clean it and move on with your life. Ignorance is bliss...

LOL, right? And someone wore glitter. Glitter. GLITTER!!!! Sparkle here and sparkle there - were they slaughtering unicorns up in this JL!? I felt heard when Carvana offered to reimburse me for the cleaning supplies - I feel good about it now (and can laugh) but for the amount I dished out for this beast . . . That interior, should have been spotless! Not one grain or glint of glitter anywhere . . . Anyways . . . I am very pleased with the elbow grease and sweat equity I put into cleaning it . . . Very proud and some really great cleaning products out there! Who knew? Carvana sure the eff didn't . . . But I too wondered if it was really chocolate? Yeah, that's definitely not a party I want to attend . . . When I found sprinkles under the mats and in crevices, I felt it was definitely chocolate . . . It's definitely chocolate, right!?

 

[TheBirdie72]

After writing all of that, I realized you probably won’t actually need an L.O.C. with a powered sub (much like @TheBirdie72 has). Most powered subs has an internal L.O.C. or some sort of signal processor (albeit not as good as the Audio Control) I believe.

@TheBirdie72: Did you simply tap into the speaker wire and connect directly to the speaker level inputs on your Kicker? Do you have the Alpine upgrade?

I believe that is what the install tech did, yes.
And, No alpine, had stock factory 7” head unit and speakers. Kept the 7”, but upgraded dash, soundbar, and added sub.

 

[lashlee]

A lot of good information here, but I want to caution the preference of the LOC over the Amp Pro. The LOC is an excellent choice if the signal on the speaker wires you are attaching to has what you need (i.e. low frequencies for a sub). If you want to add an amp for the front speakers and use the low frequency feed, the outcome will be terrible. The Amp Pro pulls signal before the OEM amp so you get full range signal out of all 4 front and rears, and a sub controller for the sub pair of outputs.

A good LOC can be a fantastic choice, but it has a place for a particular install.

 

[JasonInDLH]

A lot of good information here, but I want to caution the preference of the LOC over the Amp Pro. The LOC is an excellent choice if the signal on the speaker wires you are attaching to has what you need (i.e. low frequencies for a sub). If you want to add an amp for the front speakers and use the low frequency feed, the outcome will be terrible. The Amp Pro pulls signal before the OEM amp so you get full range signal out of all 4 front and rears, and a sub controller for the sub pair of outputs.

A good LOC can be a fantastic choice, but it has a place for a particular install.

Thanks for mentioning this. I’ll be sure to tap into the sub wires and not the full range speakers. I got confused from another post doing a similar setup, but they needed the full range signal because they were adding all new mids and highs.

Man…after 25 years of playing around with mobile audio I keep realizing the more I don’t know! ?? Last night, for instance, I finally learned how to properly tune the amp gain (and LOC) using a DMM to come to the correct volts. Not only that, but how to arrive at the correct voltage in the first place. In fact, I always thought setting the gain was done by ear all these years! ?

 

[lashlee]

I agree that we used some different methods in the old days to achieve stellar results! One of the installers I worked with shunned the DMM method for years until we started to play a game during installs, to see if we could set the gains by ear and then with a meter to see if we were "leaving any signal on the table". In most cases (like 19 out of 20 times) we were almost always within a fraction of an amp of to what the manufacturer said we should be. Fact is, if you've got a good ear, and know what distortion sounds like, you'll be fine. I've got a DD-1+ and a TPI-440 oscilloscope along with a Fluke 87 V meter and will use some or all to set up an amp "correctly".

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