Subwoofer Project FINISHED!!! (Enclosure Dimensions Included)

[carlgo]

Built mine yesterday, got it in this morning. Followed Essam's instructions and used the amended 11 cm top measurement straight across. These dimensions are right at the limit for a simple design made of wood that will fit that odd little X cavity.

Some notes and observations:

It was made of 3/4 (19mm) MDF for the sides and 1/2 (13mm) for the front and back. You could use 1/2 all-around, but you would have to be careful to drill and screw each hole very accurately.

It was glued with construction adhesive and screwed with Spax brand screws made for MDF. They don't need drilling but you should pre-drill those that are near the ends of a panel, or on little pieces. Even these screws will split the material in those situations.

The Pioneer speaker is an unusual design, pretty spacey looking. Has a bit of heft, seems like a quality device. Not happy that they only included five of the required six mounting screws

I lined the inside with spongy rubber sheets found in the shelf lining section of OSH.

I also got a recessed terminal connector so the wires from the amp just hook right up to the outside of the box. It was mounted in the middle of the front of the lower section.

The housing was painted silver cuz I like silver stuff and had a can of it.

It fits in easily when the right end and middle screws on the little relay/fuse box assy are removed.

I used foam weatherstrip tape on all areas of the box that touched the body. It kind of squeezes in and stays in place. One can always go back and add a bracket or two if necessary. There is naturally some vibration when the woofer is woofing, so you do have to be careful the box isn't touching anything hard. I don't think the box flexes at all, so it doesn't add any coloration.

The cover closes easily. Totally stealth. I experimented with the cover on and off. I don't have golden ears anymore, but there might be just a hair of difference. I might add a grill to the cover, or maybe not. I don't think it matters.

The bass is somewhat better than my previous free-standing box with an 8" woofer. It is not like my home theater sub, not at all, and you won't get pulled over by the police for scaring people with ominous chest-thumping pressure waves or anything.

If you want to enter sound contests or impose your taste in music on everyone within a mile of you, then you will simply have to get an engineered free-standing box filled with those really expensive competition woofers and giant amps.

It does provide all the bass actually found in music and then some. You get a solid foundation, a solid thump and easily enough bass coverage for any bass-producing instrument. The stock speaker system actually sounds better now as there is a nice solid sound that wasn't there before and that seems to uplift the existing speakers. Hard to describe, but I think this or a commercial unit is an excellent investment.

I cannot tell you how it compares to a BSW system. Frankly, I doubt the slightly bigger driver is going to go much, or any, lower, but this is a decent project if you have the tools and the time.

I thank Essam for sharing his project. There have been a lot of posts about various home-made boxes, but this was the only one that was practical and where all the information was shared.
-------------------
After driving around for an hour, accessing my most bassy iTunes, it seems to be loosening up. It really seems to have a smoother and better bass now. I think I can turn up the gain some more and still not get distortion. That is good and it is getting better.

[Essam Khafagi]

carlgo,
I am happy that everything went OK
What amp are you using?
.... and

[Essam Khafagi]

carlgo... Try to replace the tweeters for much better sound... BSW tweeters are excellent and very easy to install (but you still have to remove the door panels)

[carlgo]

Originally Posted by Essam Khafagi

carlgo,
I am happy that everything went OK
What amp are you using?
.... and

The amp is an Alpine M450, 400 watt, mono. This is discontinued now I think, but there are a lot of similar units in this price/wattage range.

No photo because it was the same as yours, except for the silver paint and the terminals. Maybe I will take a photo as part of a description of the entire project.

I have been interested in upgrading the front six front speakers, not all ten, but so far BSW hasn't been able to supply the 5.25 door speakers separately and I have been trying for awhile.

I can get the tweeters and the midranges. You think those alone will be worth getting? I would appreciate your feedback on that.

Oh, for those in the building process, some more tips:

Don't even try to get the box into the X without first removing the fuse box.

The terminals on the woofer can be very close, and even touch, the bottom rear box panel. This all depends on how you tie that panel into the top rear panel. In the end, you may have to turn the woofer so that its terminals face a corner. Most people would like the logo to be level because that looks more professional, so just beware of this.

I suggest assembling the box with just a few screws to make sure it all is good, make any adjustments, then glue and screw it permanently.

[Essam Khafagi]

Originally Posted by carlgo

I can get the tweeters and the midranges. You think those alone will be worth getting? I would appreciate your feedback on that.

My setup is as follows:

Midbasses (two on each door): Pioneer TS-G1612R. They are verrrry cheap and gives outstanding result. I used to have them before the sub and the bass is much better than BSW and of course the OEM midbasses. I bought BSW stage1 and returned everything back except the tweeters. The Pioneers fits like magic in the speaker housing.

Midranges: Two on the back doors and two on the dashboard, all kept OEM.

Tweeters: BSW Tweeters (faaaaaaar better than the OEM)

The final result is excellent and you can hear each and every note whatever what kind of music you listen to.

[carlgo]

Originally Posted by Essam Khafagi

My setup is as follows:

Midbasses (two on each door): Pioneer TS-G1612R. They are verrrry cheap and gives outstanding result. I used to have them before the sub and the bass is much better than BSW and of course the OEM midbasses. I bought BSW stage1 and returned everything back except the tweeters. The Pioneers fits like magic in the speaker housing.

Midranges: Two on the back doors and two on the dashboard, all kept OEM.

Tweeters: BSW Tweeters (faaaaaaar better than the OEM)

The final result is excellent and you can hear each and every note whatever what kind of music you listen to.

Thanks. Maybe I will replace the tweeters and the little midranges with BSWs and get the midbasses elsewhere, like you did. I was worried about incompatibilities because the X5 has an unusual way of crossing the frequencies over. The midbass on the front door supposedly only gets bass signals, so it would seem a two, three or four-way speaker would be wasted, but a two-way is the lowest available from what I can find.

The Pioneers you mention are not available in the US. Crutchfield.com has what seem to be a similar model for $50/pair (!). They also supply adapters for the X, so installation should be fine. I emailed them for recommendations and what feedback they have gotten. I'll pass that info on.

The BSW site mentions glueing some part onto the replacement speaker. Is this an issue with the Pioneers?

Thanks for your advice.

[Essam Khafagi]

Originally Posted by carlgo

The midbass on the front door supposedly only gets bass signals, so it would seem a two, three or four-way speaker would be wasted, but a two-way is the lowest available from what I can find.

My Pioneers are Dual Cone

Originally Posted by carlgo

The Pioneers you mention are not available in the US. Crutchfield.com has what seem to be a similar model for $50/pair (!). They also supply adapters for the X, so installation should be fine. I emailed them for recommendations and what feedback they have gotten. I'll pass that info on.

The BSW site mentions glueing some part onto the replacement speaker. Is this an issue with the Pioneers?

Thanks for your advice.

You will not need any adapters. The speaker looks like this:


What I did is bending the 4 outer tabs then force it down inside the OEM housing. You have to keep trying until you get the perfect bend. I did not use glue or silicon. I did not even screw them!

[Essam Khafagi]

Just make sure it is 16cm speaker (6.5 inch approx.)
This will make it fit as I described
BSW midbasses are 13cm (5.25 inch approx.) and they are using an outer ring as an adapter

[carlgo]

The Pioneers sold here are 1642s. The base looks to be the same as yours, but the tweeter looks more complex. I think that part is wasted because supposedly only base sounds are sent to this speaker location.

Crutchfield says theirs are sent with adapters specific to the vehicle, so the installation should be easy. They do say I will have to spice the wires. I wonder if the 5.25 size would be more compatible, more the same frequency response as original.

[X5-limo]

Originally Posted by carlgo

I have been interested in upgrading the front six front speakers, not all ten, but so far BSW hasn't been able to supply the 5.25 door speakers separately and I have been trying for awhile.

I can get the tweeters and the midranges. You think those alone will be worth getting? I would appreciate your feedback on that.

Oh, for those in the building process, some more tips:
.......The terminals on the woofer can be very close, and even touch, the bottom rear box panel. This all depends on how you tie that panel into the top rear panel. In the end, you may have to turn the woofer so that its terminals face a corner. Most people would like the logo to be level because that looks more professional, so just beware of this.

I suggest assembling the box with just a few screws to make sure it all is good, make any adjustments, then glue and screw it permanently.

Kudos to you and Essam!!!
What year is your X5?
When you built your subwoofer enclosure to Essam's using the 11cm dimension:
(1) Did it fit right into the compartment the first time?
(2) Did you attach (bolt it...) to anything?
(3) You mentioned turning the woofer so it's terminals are in the best position......would you better describe the optimum position for the terminals and, beginning with the letter 'P' and ending with 'R', would you describe the position of the word 'Pioneer', ie., P = 7 o'clock - R = 1 o'clock or whatever yours are now at.

Which speakers are you planning to choose and with what models?

Kudo