Sub placement in a C6 coupe?
Thread Starter
Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 10,954
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From: Greensboro NC
2015 C6 of the Year Finalist
Sub placement in a C6 coupe?
I was just wondering how the placement of a 10" sub would affect the sound quality if it would at all. 
I have a sub box that fits in the driver's side cubby and faces up at around a 30 degree angle. (not installed yet)
I am going to build a bin to hold my Kenwood amp right behind the seats (on the shelf) and was considering building in a sub box into the bin as well.
Would this have a negative impact on the SQ? or is there a way to do this that would result in just as good (or better) SQ than having the sub in the back corner?
Oh yes, the amp will be built into the bin (not on top of it, exposed) and will be vented to keep the heat down.
Thanks, Randy
I have a sub box that fits in the driver's side cubby and faces up at around a 30 degree angle. (not installed yet)
I am going to build a bin to hold my Kenwood amp right behind the seats (on the shelf) and was considering building in a sub box into the bin as well.
Would this have a negative impact on the SQ? or is there a way to do this that would result in just as good (or better) SQ than having the sub in the back corner?
Oh yes, the amp will be built into the bin (not on top of it, exposed) and will be vented to keep the heat down.
Thanks, Randy
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,035
Likes: 134
From: North Augusta, SC
It depends 
The corner box may sound better than the box that I build, but it may be worse than the box that you build. Given the same equipment, similar air space, and assuming proper assembly, the only way to really compare the two is side-by-side in the same car.
Having said that, bass is non-directional. So, theoretically, it shouldn't matter where the box is in the car, but in a small car like the vette you do get reflections. Personally, I like the sub right behind the seats (pic in sig), but if C6 had a center tub it would be there in a second.
The corner box may sound better than the box that I build, but it may be worse than the box that you build. Given the same equipment, similar air space, and assuming proper assembly, the only way to really compare the two is side-by-side in the same car.
Having said that, bass is non-directional. So, theoretically, it shouldn't matter where the box is in the car, but in a small car like the vette you do get reflections. Personally, I like the sub right behind the seats (pic in sig), but if C6 had a center tub it would be there in a second.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,295
Likes: 8
From: Issaquah WA
Reflections are the key, Quite often the bass will be "louder" if placed behind the seats facing back. Haven't tried it in the Vette, but it's true on most cars. But for SQ, all else being equal, that's typically a bad setup. Pressure leaving the woofer goes back, and bounces off a bunch of stuff. Some of the waves will cancel each other out, others create new sounds. Some of it gets to your ear quickly, some bounces around more and arrives later. General muddiness is the result. More noticeable the higher the frequency of the crossover. With the size of the rear hatch, it shouldn't make a huge difference, but without experimenting, it's hard to say. If the sub is in the back, everything arrives in a more uniform timeframe.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 5,515
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From: Silicon Valley and Yosemite, CA
I have an 8" in the left rear cubby and it sounds fine. Does it kick the back of my seat when it hits, nope, but then I don't want that. I was looking for a clean install where the bass actually blended in at the correct volume, rather than overwhelm, and I got that. I did reinforce the cubby in and out with Dynamat and filled it with Polyfill about 1/3rd full. I had it flat on the floor and it was OK, but just a tad weak, so I added another 3/4" of MDF(basically a frame that is screwed to the frame of the cubby. It is about 5/8" wide) to raise it and add just a touch more volume to the box, and it worked. When you look into the hatch area you have no idea a sub is back there.
