[Mr Ess]

Hi Guys,

Just thought I would let you know that I have a new design of subwoofer enclosure which has nearly 30% more volume than my original design. One of the reasons why I wanted to do this was open up the market for a few more subwoofer options which weren't designed for a smaller box design. I'm always trying to improve and push boundaries with this kit and still have a self fit mantra for those who just want to fit it in their own time with the minimum of effort.

The main design change is the angled sides to the box which, whilst harder to create, add much more internal volume. The volume has increased from around 0.32cuft to 0.43cuft. Its slightly larger in height, utilizing all the space behind the OEM Bose cover. You will see from one of the images below that I have even created a slope at the top where the car's shape naturally starts to rise. This allows a nice tight fit against the back of the firewall for a perfect fit. It also includes a larger notch cut out of the bottom to accommodate a fixing bolt built into the car.

The system is still plug and play and I am now using Audison only connectors and power wires for my kits. They are top quality connections and fuse holders.

My current subwoofer of choice has moved from Sundown to Kicker. The Kicker L7 Solobaric 8" driver is an awesome accompaniment to the enclosure. It needs the extra enclosure volume I've created and with a power rating 50% more than the Sundown, it really does kick hard. There is nothing wrong with the Sundown SD-2 sub and indeed, I still have some in stock I can fit but they are very difficult to get hold of in the UK and their customer service is not what I expected. I wanted to try the Kicker with its 20% more cone area than a traditional 8" round subwoofer. It also comes in both Dual 2 ohm or Dual 4 Ohm coils so I can present either a 4 ohm or a 2 ohm load to an amp which gives more flexibility. I am extremely pleased with the results and have the kicker in my car now rather than the Sundown.

Another subwoofer this new design has allowed me to use is the Hertz ES200.5 8" driver. This sub is Hertz latest 8" subwoofer, coming out only a couple of months ago. Whist this subwoofer can't create the same SPL level of the Kicker or Sundown, it a much more musical sub. It gives clear, clean solid bass and is very good value for money.

The price of this new enclosure including a Hertz ES200.5 is £259. The kit with the Kicker L7 Solobaric sub is £324.00. These prices include the plug and play wiring kit attached (power wiring up to 300w).

I personally use Hertz amplifiers due to their high power to size ratio and extraordinary sound quality. They have a range of amps which use a chassis size that fits perfectly behind the carpet in the trunk for an invisible install. There is a picture below of my Hertz HCP1D sitting in the recess behind the carpet. This little amp is digital so doesn't run warm. With 700w RMS from this little beast, it devours all the subs I've thrown at it. Not cheap at £249 but you get what you pay for.

If anyone is interested, they can be bought from my website http://www.R35Audio.com where there is a currency converter if required and US shipping is just £39.

Hertz ES200.5

Thanks, Andy

 

[3570.50]

Nice Andy!

Would you say the L7 requires more volume than the SD-2? I like my SD-2 but my amp can only do 4 ohm bridged loads so I'm currently having to run the SD-2 @ 8ohm. I'm intrigued by the L7 being able to pull some more power out of my amp, but not keen on making a whole new box just to swap it... Thumbs up for continuing the innovation on the audio front!

 

[Mr Ess]

Nice Andy!

Would you say the L7 requires more volume than the SD-2? I like my SD-2 but my amp can only do 4 ohm bridged loads so I'm currently having to run the SD-2 @ 8ohm. I'm intrigued by the L7 being able to pull some more power out of my amp, but not keen on making a whole new box just to swap it... Thumbs up for continuing the innovation on the audio front!

Thanks Mate !

I can't tell the difference between the SD-2 and the Kicker L7 so I would say they are both of similar sensitivity but then that's easily fixed with the gain control if they are slightly out. I put in 700w and they both perform admirably. I like the way the Kicker comes in two dual voice coil versions. Particularly good for systems where you have a 4 channel amp driver the fronts of two channels and the rear off the bridged rear channels. Most 4 channel amps will only do 4 ohms bridged when running a front set as well.

It would make more sense in your case to change your amp and re-wire your sub for 2 ohm that cut a new hole for the L7. You will most certainly hear a difference between 8 ohm and 4 ohm. Your amp with almost deliver quadruple the power

 

[Rez90]

Can an idiot such as myself install this?

 

[rcalcaide]

Hi Andy

How do you think your sub upgrade will work with the Bose noise cancellation system now in the 2015 gtr?

 

[MikelMarion]

Hi Andy

How do you think your sub upgrade will work with the Bose noise cancellation system now in the 2015 gtr?

Better yet, can someone design a aftermarket noise cancellation system?

 

[Mr Ess]

Can an idiot such as myself install this?

Its easy to install. My plug and play lead gives you the signal, power lead, earth cable and remote turn on without needing to find any wiring. You just attach the ends to your amp. I can fit these in around an hour. You get full instructions with color photos

 

[Mr Ess]

I've not got my hands on a 2015 GTR yet to see how this system works. In theory, the plug and play lead is receiving the exact same signal as the original Bose sub so if the OEM sub has some role in making the noises to cancel out the road noise then the new sub will just do the same job. It will be interesting to see which part of system does the processing. I would imagine it will at the head unit end, a bit like speed dependent volume on some cars. I have a feeling that it might be the main speakers that do this noise cancelling job rather than the sub but there are no cars yet in the UK at the dealers to even test drive.

Andy

Hi Andy

How do you think your sub upgrade will work with the Bose noise cancellation system now in the 2015 gtr?

 

[ricangtr]

Very cool. May get this soon.

 

[MEGATRON]

Verrrry nice

 

[CaneZMD]

Andy... Any way to isolate the sub box from the trunk wall so the vibrations aren't transmitted.

Like maybe a rubber grommet around the bolts that hold it down?

 

[Mr Ess]

I supply the kits with a piece of sponge on the back which helps with this. Also, I do recommend a few sheets of sound deadening around the back firewall to help. I've done my entire back seat area and have no problems with vibrations. Saying that, my sunglasses holder / map light thing does rattle at the front of the car. I need to find a way of taking it off and putting some sponge on the back of it.

 

[CaneZMD]

My sunglasses holder does to. Which tells me there are still a lot of vibrations being transmitted.

How much louder is the kicker than the sundown? (I have the sundown)

 

[Mr Ess]

Kicker is on par with the Sundown. Reasons why I've gone to Kicker are customer support and availability in the UK. Also, there are Dual 4 Ohm and Dual 2 Ohm versions of the L7 Kicker so if someone wants a full front and rear kit, it can save money by getting a four channel amp and using the two front channels for the doors and the two rear channels bridged can go into the Kicker sub. For that to work, the Sub needs to be 4 ohm and you can't get that from a sundown unless you get a twin sub setup. The Hertz HCP4D will run 2 x 85w + 1 x 290w RMS and its only £35 more than their sub amp on its own. For more power, the Hertz HDP4 is 2 x 150w for the doors and 1 x 500w for the sub

Kicker gives much more flexibility.

 

[Soccerking3000]

I agree with the lack of sundown customer service after mine went out after a month... How much for the new box with sub minus the wiring harness for a return customer?

I have the JL 500 watt amp, would you suggest running a new power wire for this sub and what ohm variant would you suggest?

 

[Mr Ess]

You have two options for the new sub actually. Another benefit of the Kicker is that its available as a 2+2ohm coil or a 4+4ohm coil so you could run it at 4 ohm or 2 ohm depending on what model you choose.

Surely you had a power wire installed with the old kit if you ran a JL JX500/1d on the Sundown as the Sundown is a 4+4ohm so gives a 2 ohm load and your amp will be running at 500w RMS (too much for the plug and play cable). If you didn't, were you not blowing Nissan fuses at full volume?

Happy to do you a deal anyway. I'll PM you

Andy

 

[SwissMTNAlien]

Wow.. looks nice.

 

[Johnsteph10]

I just finished installing my Sundown Kit/Enclosure from Andy after sitting on it for a number of months.
Took about 6 hours start to finish - most of that was spent putting in the sound dampening/vibration matting down all over the back seat area ("Dynamat" - although I got the Skinz from Andy which is thicker).

Andy's instructions are VERY clear and easy to understand.

The quality of his sub enclosure is great and he includes top quality interconnects/wiring, etc. with his kits.

I can't recommend his kits highly enough. It pressurizes the cabin just right with muscial, tight, clear bass.

Thanks, Andy!

 

[MEGATRON]

How much was it (USD)?

 

[Mr Ess]

Thanks for the great write up and kind words. Always great to hear positive feedback and that you're enjoying by kit. Yes, sound deadening takes around 3 hours for the back seat area but it's worth the extra effort.

MEGATRON, my prices are on the first post of this thread. There is a new mkII box now with greater volume inside and a kicker solobaric sub. Comes in at £324 (approx $530) plus £39 shipping. There is also a Hertz 8" sub version for just £259 (approx $425). They are on my website www.R35Audio.com as well for easy ordering

Andy

I just finished installing my Sundown Kit/Enclosure from Andy after sitting on it for a number of months.
Took about 6 hours start to finish - most of that was spent putting in the sound dampening/vibration matting down all over the back seat area ("Dynamat" - although I got the Skinz from Andy which is thicker).

Andy's instructions are VERY clear and easy to understand.

The quality of his sub enclosure is great and he includes top quality interconnects/wiring, etc. with his kits.

I can't recommend his kits highly enough. It pressurizes the cabin just right with muscial, tight, clear bass.

Thanks, Andy!