Sub woofer and Amp for Ford Fiesta

kumar7 · 20th December 2009, 23:45

Hi Guys, I am interested to installed 12 inch sub in my Fiesta having stock ICE setup.
I remember that some of BHPian recommended me to change HU and other pair of speakers as its of low watt and all.

I know the stock HU is very basic but its installed nicely on dash so don't want to touch it.

Over period of time I may or may not change stock speakers so please guide me such a way that even if I don't touch stock speakers it should not bother me. (Lets go with assumption that I will not change stock setup)

I checked few threads and I understand that JBL 12" sub is good one but again there are two types - cylindrical and box type.

What amp I should go for and how it should be connected to HU or stock speakers (basically the wiring)

So I need to know -

Amp model (price if available) & how to connect it to existing setup (don't want dealer to experiment)?
12" Sub model number?
Wiring setup?

I am fond of dhop dhop sound - I mean BASS

so don't say its not possible to just connect sub as it will not work. Experts please pour suggestions as BHPian can do what others can't.

sathee46 · 21st December 2009, 00:12

THe stock hu for the fiesta has no pre-outs, You can connect an amplifier with speaker level inputs. But be advised as this is not a great idea and you might not be satisfied.

kumar7 · 21st December 2009, 00:19

Sathee@ I followed your thread and impressed with ICE setup you have , specially Harman everywhere

I want to keep upgrading whole setup as second option which I may or may not go for. Do you suggest any specific amp or model I should look for? Is it 2ch or 4ch?

sathee46 · 21st December 2009, 00:29

This is how every one starts, LOL. There are many good amplifiers available, what is your intial budget?

kumar7 · 24th December 2009, 18:39

I believe 12" Sub cost you somewhere around 6K so I can spend 5K on top of it for amp.

sathee46 · 25th December 2009, 23:28

Adding just an amplifier and a subwoofer would not sound nice. You will hear only the sub-woofer and the speakers cant keep up with it being powered by only the HU. Get a good 4-channel amplifier and run the front components and the sub-woofer of it.

get a 12" subwoofer from 3-6k, for components you can get the JBL 608c for 4k. I have no proper suggestions for the 4 channel as you are planning to use speaker level inputs. I have no experience with it. The kenwood 8401, Blaupunkt 475 has it, but i have no idea of the cost right now.

kumar7 · 26th December 2009, 22:18

Today I gone to inquire about the setup and was not able to resist myself to fit the setup.

I was clear about which Components (JBL 608C) & Sub (JBL 1214) to buy however was not sure if I can get Amp as suggested by Sathee.

From dealer I came to know that Blaupank is closed and its difficult to get exact series. If dealers are having old stock then you are lucky else no dealer will order required system for you.

I wanted to stick to JBL brand and coincidently two dealers suggested to go for JBL 1004 Amp (4 channel).

So below is the setup I finalized:-

Component [JBL 608C] - Rs 5.5K
JBL 1004 Amp - Rs 12K
Sub JBL GTO 1214 (1400 Watt) - Rs 5.5K
Enclosure - Rs 500
Labour - Rs 1K
Wiring/RCA/Spacer - Rs 2500

(Enclosure/wiring/RCA/Spacer price is not exact as I will be getting bill on Monday)

When I checked with JBL distributor he said I will not get GTO 1214 as its stopped and its difficult to get unless if any dealer have it in stock.

I checked with other dealer where I planned to close the deal and he didn't said anything about unavialbility of GTO 1214 as he was very much sure that he will be having with him.

The work started and then news came saying that GTO 1214 not in stock and he checked with shop in Mumbai as well (don't know how much its true). He suggested to check JBL GT5 1204BR speakers of 1100W and not forcing to buy. After fixing comp,Amp,wiring he showed the demo with GT5 1204BR. I read on TBHP that GTO 1214 is good one so I had a deal saying that dealer will try to get GTO 1214 and by that time I can use GT5 1204BR Sub for which I paid additional Rs 1.5K (For Sub GT5 1204BR the dealer quoted price of Rs 8K) and if he unbale to get it and I wish to return GT5 1204BR speaker then he will take it back.

So in all I paid Rs 29.5K (Budget increased from 15K to 30K)

Now Please suggest whether I should keep GT5 1204BR sub or insist on GTO 1214?
Any suggestion on keeping bass/treble settings of Amp as I kept the default setting of Amp as dealer was asking me whether I want more Bass etc?
If I its recommed to go for GTO 1214 then what size and enclosure/cut I should I ask for?
Is Amp 1004 is costlier or I should had gone for lower range? I am getting feeling that its too costly for the setup I gone for.

I will post the picture tomorrow morning as it was too late to click photo.
Attached photo of Sub GT5 1204BR for reference.

nura · 27th December 2009, 00:06

Please check your manual & see whether the amp has speaker level inputs. I may be completely mistaken but I have a feeling that it does not. Please find out how the installers have connected it to the HU then. The stock HU supposedly has no pre-outs.
Please check whether you have been billed for RCAs. Since the HU does not have any pre-outs, it seems unlikely that RCAs could have been used.
I am hoping that the Gurus quickly announce that I am raising a false alarm.

sathee46 · 27th December 2009, 10:32

The 1004 is a very good amp, but afaik it does not have speaker level inputs. You might have to use something called a line out convertor. Have you installed it already?

kumar7 · 27th December 2009, 11:05

Yes, they installed 'Line Out Converter' and the dealer while giving the quote included RCA term.

I dont remember exactly but I saw two adapter sort of thing he connected behind HU. From one of that unit he did few adjustments so that 608c sound correctly.

What should I do with Sub I installed for time being?

Sometimes the car compartment is full of bhoom sound and not exactly the Bass punch which am looking for (In between I not able to hear rear speakers).

nitrous · 27th December 2009, 12:51

What wiring kit did you use?
The 1004 needs atleast 10 mm.sq. aka 8 ga.

kumar7 · 27th December 2009, 13:55

I thought about using JBL wiring but dealer said he have standard wires so rest assured. In layman term he used a thick red cable running from battery.

Then he ran bunch of cable from HU to Amp having connectors on both side. Also he ran a pair of thin wires (I believe that was coming from 608C if am not wrong).

Gilead · 27th December 2009, 22:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by kumar7

Sometimes the car compartment is full of bhoom sound and not exactly the Bass punch which am looking for (In between I not able to hear rear speakers).

This does not sound good. Set the bass on the HU to zero. Set all levels on the amp only.

kumar7 · 27th December 2009, 22:57

Thanks, I set the bass & treble to zero from HU. Its working nice and am enjoying the music like anything. Now feeling to retain GT5 1204 instead of going for GTO 1214 & customized enclosure.

Sometimes when there is a series of bass effect in a song then whole compartment of the car does bhroon..bhroon (sorry its sounding

) but just want you to understand

In this series of bhroon sometimes I miss the music or is it the way it works? Other than this its amazing experience!

sathee46 · 27th December 2009, 23:17

Set the gains for the woofer to a lower level if you feel the bass is too much or get some damping done.

20th December 2009, 23:45	#1
kumar7 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 320 Thanked: 28 Times View My Garage	Sub woofer and Amp for Ford Fiesta Hi Guys, I am interested to installed 12 inch sub in my Fiesta having stock ICE setup. I remember that some of BHPian recommended me to change HU and other pair of speakers as its of low watt and all. I know the stock HU is very basic but its installed nicely on dash so don't want to touch it. Over period of time I may or may not change stock speakers so please guide me such a way that even if I don't touch stock speakers it should not bother me. (Lets go with assumption that I will not change stock setup) I checked few threads and I understand that JBL 12" sub is good one but again there are two types - cylindrical and box type. What amp I should go for and how it should be connected to HU or stock speakers (basically the wiring) So I need to know - Amp model (price if available) & how to connect it to existing setup (don't want dealer to experiment)? 12" Sub model number? Wiring setup? I am fond of dhop dhop sound - I mean BASS so don't say its not possible to just connect sub as it will not work. Experts please pour suggestions as BHPian can do what others can't. Last edited by kumar7 : 20th December 2009 at 23:48.
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 00:12	#2
sathee46 BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 465 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	THe stock hu for the fiesta has no pre-outs, You can connect an amplifier with speaker level inputs. But be advised as this is not a great idea and you might not be satisfied.
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 00:19	#3
kumar7 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 320 Thanked: 28 Times View My Garage	Sathee@ I followed your thread and impressed with ICE setup you have , specially Harman everywhere I want to keep upgrading whole setup as second option which I may or may not go for. Do you suggest any specific amp or model I should look for? Is it 2ch or 4ch?
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 00:29	#4
sathee46 BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 465 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	This is how every one starts, LOL. There are many good amplifiers available, what is your intial budget?
	() Thanks

24th December 2009, 18:39	#5
kumar7 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 320 Thanked: 28 Times View My Garage	I believe 12" Sub cost you somewhere around 6K so I can spend 5K on top of it for amp.
	() Thanks

25th December 2009, 23:28	#6
sathee46 BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 465 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	Adding just an amplifier and a subwoofer would not sound nice. You will hear only the sub-woofer and the speakers cant keep up with it being powered by only the HU. Get a good 4-channel amplifier and run the front components and the sub-woofer of it. get a 12" subwoofer from 3-6k, for components you can get the JBL 608c for 4k. I have no proper suggestions for the 4 channel as you are planning to use speaker level inputs. I have no experience with it. The kenwood 8401, Blaupunkt 475 has it, but i have no idea of the cost right now.
	() Thanks

26th December 2009, 22:18	#7
kumar7 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 320 Thanked: 28 Times View My Garage	Installation done Today I gone to inquire about the setup and was not able to resist myself to fit the setup. I was clear about which Components (JBL 608C) & Sub (JBL 1214) to buy however was not sure if I can get Amp as suggested by Sathee. From dealer I came to know that Blaupank is closed and its difficult to get exact series. If dealers are having old stock then you are lucky else no dealer will order required system for you. I wanted to stick to JBL brand and coincidently two dealers suggested to go for JBL 1004 Amp (4 channel). So below is the setup I finalized:- Component [JBL 608C] - Rs 5.5K JBL 1004 Amp - Rs 12K Sub JBL GTO 1214 (1400 Watt) - Rs 5.5K Enclosure - Rs 500 Labour - Rs 1K Wiring/RCA/Spacer - Rs 2500 (Enclosure/wiring/RCA/Spacer price is not exact as I will be getting bill on Monday) When I checked with JBL distributor he said I will not get GTO 1214 as its stopped and its difficult to get unless if any dealer have it in stock. I checked with other dealer where I planned to close the deal and he didn't said anything about unavialbility of GTO 1214 as he was very much sure that he will be having with him. The work started and then news came saying that GTO 1214 not in stock and he checked with shop in Mumbai as well (don't know how much its true). He suggested to check JBL GT5 1204BR speakers of 1100W and not forcing to buy. After fixing comp,Amp,wiring he showed the demo with GT5 1204BR. I read on TBHP that GTO 1214 is good one so I had a deal saying that dealer will try to get GTO 1214 and by that time I can use GT5 1204BR Sub for which I paid additional Rs 1.5K (For Sub GT5 1204BR the dealer quoted price of Rs 8K) and if he unbale to get it and I wish to return GT5 1204BR speaker then he will take it back. So in all I paid Rs 29.5K (Budget increased from 15K to 30K) Now Please suggest whether I should keep GT5 1204BR sub or insist on GTO 1214? Any suggestion on keeping bass/treble settings of Amp as I kept the default setting of Amp as dealer was asking me whether I want more Bass etc? If I its recommed to go for GTO 1214 then what size and enclosure/cut I should I ask for? Is Amp 1004 is costlier or I should had gone for lower range? I am getting feeling that its too costly for the setup I gone for. I will post the picture tomorrow morning as it was too late to click photo. Attached photo of Sub GT5 1204BR for reference. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

27th December 2009, 00:06	#8
nura BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kolkata Posts: 599 Thanked: 17 Times	Please check your manual & see whether the amp has speaker level inputs. I may be completely mistaken but I have a feeling that it does not. Please find out how the installers have connected it to the HU then. The stock HU supposedly has no pre-outs. Please check whether you have been billed for RCAs. Since the HU does not have any pre-outs, it seems unlikely that RCAs could have been used. I am hoping that the Gurus quickly announce that I am raising a false alarm.
	() Thanks

27th December 2009, 10:32	#9
sathee46 BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 465 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	The 1004 is a very good amp, but afaik it does not have speaker level inputs. You might have to use something called a line out convertor. Have you installed it already?
	() Thanks

27th December 2009, 11:05	#10
kumar7 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 320 Thanked: 28 Times View My Garage	Yes, they installed 'Line Out Converter' and the dealer while giving the quote included RCA term. I dont remember exactly but I saw two adapter sort of thing he connected behind HU. From one of that unit he did few adjustments so that 608c sound correctly. What should I do with Sub I installed for time being? Sometimes the car compartment is full of bhoom sound and not exactly the Bass punch which am looking for (In between I not able to hear rear speakers). Attached Images
	() Thanks

27th December 2009, 12:51	#11
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	What wiring kit did you use? The 1004 needs atleast 10 mm.sq. aka 8 ga.
	() Thanks

27th December 2009, 13:55	#12
kumar7 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 320 Thanked: 28 Times View My Garage	I thought about using JBL wiring but dealer said he have standard wires so rest assured. In layman term he used a thick red cable running from battery. Then he ran bunch of cable from HU to Amp having connectors on both side. Also he ran a pair of thin wires (I believe that was coming from 608C if am not wrong).
	() Thanks

27th December 2009, 22:57	#14
kumar7 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 320 Thanked: 28 Times View My Garage	Thanks, I set the bass & treble to zero from HU. Its working nice and am enjoying the music like anything. Now feeling to retain GT5 1204 instead of going for GTO 1214 & customized enclosure. Sometimes when there is a series of bass effect in a song then whole compartment of the car does bhroon..bhroon (sorry its sounding ) but just want you to understand In this series of bhroon sometimes I miss the music or is it the way it works? Other than this its amazing experience!
	() Thanks

27th December 2009, 23:17	#15
sathee46 BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 465 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	Set the gains for the woofer to a lower level if you feel the bass is too much or get some damping done.
	() Thanks