Another Sub woofer & Amp Installation

[hand-filer]

First off, I have to thank nate.co and his excellent thread Mega audio upgrade -- sound deadening, speakers, stealthbox sub, GMRS radio for guidance. The information was invaluable and a major time saver.
I went with the following components:
Hertz MPS 250 S2 shallow subwoofer
Hertz DIECI POWER DP 1.500 Mono Class-D Amplifier
Stealthtech Sub Enclosure
Kicker Keylok & Harness

I used 6061 T6 Aluminum 2'' x 1/8'' Flat Bar for the mounting brackets.
Tools used to fabricate the brackets:
-hack-saw
-assorted hand files
-1/2" disk sander
-6" bench vise

The factory sub is a 5 1/2" driver in a tuned wave enclosure. It operates in a very narrow frequency range. It sounds hideous and does more harm than good if you leave it connected.
My advice to anyone contemplating a similar upgrade is to shit can it and utilize the space to mount your amp.
I too had to reduce the gain on the KeyLok as it is pre-set way too high.
Overall I'm very happy with the outcome. I didn't bother upgrading the rest of the speakers. They sound pretty good once you remove the factory sub and add a real one.
Here are some images of what I concocted for bracketry and the end results:

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[BrrRaptor]

Why the need for a separate amp? Can't you just take the wires from the factory sub and put them on new sub?

 

[pablo94sc]

No. It's a low powered amp with something like 50w for the sub. You need quite a bit more power to properly drive a sub in a small enclosure.

 

[maus92]

One of my complaints about the factory B&O system is the front to back balance - the front is way too weighted even when fading all the way to the rear speakers. How is this imbalance addressed?

 

[pablo94sc]

One of my complaints about the factory B&O system is the front to back balance - the front is way too weighted even when fading all the way to the rear speakers. How is this imbalance addressed?

Simple answer - The sound stage is supposed to be in front of you. The rear speakers are meant for fill, to help add some volume and depth to the midrange. Think theater, not nightclub.

Longer answer from another forum -

https://www.f150forum.com/f30/realities-rear-fill-why-you-should-save-your-money-445164/

Either way, you address by spending thousands of dollars. I personally have always moved my sound stage forward in my cars.

 

[maus92]

Yea, I still hate it - I like the immersiveness (I realize it is not a word lol) of quasi-surround sound.

 

[hand-filer]

After living with this setup for about 10 days now, I can honestly say I'm still amazed by how this has improved on the B&O system.
The key to making it work is:
1-removing the distortion inducing mediocre factory sub.
2-using the Kicker Keylok and harness from Sounds Good Audio to integrate the components.

 

[DaStockST]

After living with this setup for about 10 days now, I can honestly say I'm still amazed by how this has improved on the B&O system.
The key to making it work is:
1-removing the distortion inducing mediocre factory sub.
2-using the Kicker Keylok and harness from Sounds Good Audio to integrate the components.

I have a Sounds Good Harness w/ KeyLoc, JL Stealthbox, and Audio Control 1.300 ready to install.

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