DIY Stealth Subwoofer Alternative

TwistedFocus

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ohio
I think I may have found a good solution for anyone looking to make a Cubby Hole sub enclosure but not so sure about their fabrication skills (I know that's me, anyway). I spent a lot of time planning to build one and looking for something pre-fab so I thought I'd share with those of you that care.

Background: I do alot of driving and having some decent "tunes" is important to me. Mostly I was just looking for more low-end fill while retaining sound quality and cargo room, but couldn't seem to find anything pre-fabricated that fit the bill.


I have wanted to DIY something for a long time, and have seen many threads about it, but I have been putting it off for some time because I wanted something totally enclosed in back and sealed. Each time I got everything planned out I was afraid to start cutting. If the JL Stealthbox or something similar was still around, I probably would have bought that (I tried actually), but even that took up more space than I'd like. The only simple and semi-stealthy product I could find currently in production is the Select Increments XJ-pod, but I really don't like the idea of screwing thin plastic over more thin plastic and adding a sub. They also don't get very good reviews, so I wasn't sold on that idea. I haven't ever heard one personally so I don’t know; it just didn’t seem like the answer for me.


Finally I contacted the guys over at subthump.com about making me one since they come highly recommended on the Camaro/Firebird boards for stealth enclosures. They worked with me to figure out what they could fit in the space and how to make it look and sound best. In the end I got exactly what I was looking for at a great price. I was telling the owner, Steve, about my troubles finding a good solution on the market and he said he'd keep the plans around and if anyone's interested he can make another one up fairly quickly now that all the fabrication is out of the way.

sub.jpg


So, I just figured I'd spread the word that if you're looking for a good alternative to building something yourself the guys at
www.subthump.com can help you out. I wish I had gotten around to having this done sooner. It looks like they have the pics of mine on their homepage now too. I haven't decided yet, but I think I'm going to add a grille to keep all my camping junk off of it. I haven’t decided what type yet.

Also - I'm not affiliated with them, just spreading the word about this product because it seems to be a topic that comes up alot and I was impressed with the quality. It isn't often that impressed enough to run out and give positive reviews.:thumbup:
 
I like it! Can't get it to show up in the online shopping cart for a price though. Do you know what they will be selling for? Also, do they fit right into the existing space, or does it require you to cut out the plastic pocket to allow for more depth? I have the XJ Pod now and while it works fairly wll, it doesn't look nearly as clean as the one you had built.
 
:roflmao:
:roflmao:

Thanks, I needed a good laugh.

Well, if you're so sure what is it? Sometimes people glass in the back and attach it creating a sealed enclosure while others just throw a board in there with a bit of sound deadening which isn't actually sealed.
 
It's sealed in back. That's the biggest part I was unsure about doing myself. I didn't just want to do the single front plate with foam stuff to seal the fender. Some people say it sounds okay that way, but I didn't like the idea of that. They even rounded most of the external edges. The finish quality is really nice, so I see why they're so popular with the Camaro/Firebird guys. I had it out the other day to swap out the wiring because I only had 16 gauge running to it temporarily and I just went out and got some 12 gauge. I didn't think to take any pics since I was itching to try it out.

That's a 10" Dayton Audio sub. They recommended it, so I went with it even though I hadn't heard of them. I researched them a little and found they are mostly known for home theater, but this thing is rated for 600 watts rms (overkill for me... but I couldn't resist) and has a huge magnet. I'd say it's the maximum you could fit in there. I have been impressed with how it sounds too, it sounds very clear and tight. You could probably run just about any 10" that's no longer than this one though (~5" I'd say).

You do need to trim the plastic cubby hole out of the plastic, but that's really easy. The most trouble I had was getting the seat belt off and on, since it's a giant torx I didn't have.
 
Well, if you're so sure what is it? Sometimes people glass in the back and attach it creating a sealed enclosure while others just throw a board in there with a bit of sound deadening which isn't actually sealed.
I think he was joking because that could be confused with sub sandwich and free air...as if all air isn't free...and no one point out oxygen bars dammit...because I know someone will.
 
I just added it to the cart and it came up $115. And yes, you cut the existing plastic cubby away. The description tells all. Seems like a decent price if you don't want to make your own.
 
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I just added it to the cart and it came up $115. And yes, you cut the existing plastic cubby away. The description tells all. Seems like a decent price if you don't want to make your own.

Thats without the sub, add in what, another $100 or so. Nice install though, very clean. Our 97ZJ has the same cubby back there, it has a factory mesh cover that goes over it to hold stuff in.
 
sooooo how much was it ?
Sorry, forgot the price part. It was a couple hundred bucks or so (don't recall exactly), but I bought a sub too. I'm not sure what the enclosure was by itself. He had to make a couple of them before everything fit perfect, so I think it was a good deal.

Also, I forgot to mention that by adding a little polyfil to the box I made it sound even a little deeper than before, not that it wasn't already good. For the $2 I'd recommend it. I got mine from WalMart.
 
meh! i'm not too impressed with the choice of sub, just because they recommended it doesn't mean its good. I'll be building my sub box this weekend. so i see tons of resin and bondo and herculiner in the future:D
 
I just added it to the cart and it came up $115. And yes, you cut the existing plastic cubby away. The description tells all. Seems like a decent price if you don't want to make your own.

Cool, they updated their website since I checked it yesterday. None of the links were active when I tried.
 
OK, so what I can't quite wrap my head around is how the box is actually secured? Their web site makes it sound like the box is secured to the inner fender (metal) and then the plastic trim gets re-installed over it. Is this the case? My XJ Pod is just attached to the plastic which makes it prone to vibration. If they figured out a good way of securing it to the metal bracing inside the fender I'd say it is definately worth the $$$.
 
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