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Kenwood KSC-SW11 or Rockville RW8CA

21K views 50 replies 14 participants last post by  CosmicColorado 
#1 ·
Hey Guys,
I love my Bose stereo but it's missing a little low end for regular rock music
Don't get me wrong, if I crank it I can get the mirrors to shake but at normal listening levels there's really not much in terms of bass.

My question is, has anybody installed one of these two low profile powered amps
( Kenwood KSC-SW11 or Rockville RW8CA)
and did you like the results
Thanks
 
#2 ·
Hey Guys,
My question is, has anybody installed one of these two low profile powered amps
( Kenwood KSC-SW11 or Rockville RW8CA)
and did you like the results
Thanks
Check out the YouTube review with sound test below. Use some decent headphones so you can hear the improvement. One other thing I noticed when reading reviews, is that some apparently install this sub woofer "wrong". I'm guessing they get the polarity or phasing of the left and right inputs to the Kenwood incorrect so the bass comes out weak.
But from I can tell. . it gives a nice satisfying boost to the low end.

Got this today and plan on installing under the rear seat. Plenty of room and I could fit two in there with room to spare.
It won't "blow the windows out", but it will definitely add more solid lower bass if you have the stock 6 speaker system as I do.
I was looking at the similar Kicker 11HS8 SW, but it is a bit larger, would require some cutting, and according to reviews, the Kenwood does a great job of just filling in the bottom end. There are a few YouTubes on it and reviews.
And. .. I could fit TWO of them in the cab if I wanted to. . maybe even under the front seats! :grin2:
Also, I liked these because they do not require more than 12AWG for power since they are 75watts RMS (150 peak).
https://ridebass.com/reviewing-some-of-the-best-underseat-subwoofers/

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#3 ·
Check out the YouTube review with sound test below. Use some decent headphones so you can hear the improvement. One other thing I noticed when reading reviews, is that some apparently install this sub woofer "wrong". I'm guessing they get the polarity or phasing of the left and right inputs to the Kenwood incorrect so the bass comes out weak.
But from I can tell. . it gives a nice satisfying boost to the low end.

Got this today and plan on installing under the rear seat. Plenty of room and I could fit two in there with room to spare.
It won't "blow the windows out", but it will definitely add more solid lower bass if you have the stock 6 speaker system as I do.
I was looking at the similar Kicker 11HS8 SW, but it is a bit larger, would require some cutting, and according to reviews, the Kenwood does a great job of just filling in the bottom end. There are a few YouTubes on it and reviews.
And. .. I could fit TWO of them in the cab if I wanted to. . maybe even under the front seats! :grin2:
Also, I liked these because they do not require more than 12AWG for power since they are 75watts RMS (150 peak).
https://ridebass.com/reviewing-some-of-the-best-underseat-subwoofers/

*



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sJp7XVlBPw

Awesome
Where did you get it from and how much did it cost you??

I'm leaning toward the Kenwood I was just worried about my sound system drowning it out at higher volumes. I would love to hear what you think about it after you've finished your install.
And I too am thinking about going with 2 of them. Hopfully one under each front seat. and I saw vid on youtube where a guy hooked up one remote to both units.
 
#7 ·
I've the Kenwood one under the drivers seat in my VW Tdi. Pretty solid unit. Very well made. No hissing or buzzing. Bass is pretty decent if you turn it up via the remote volume and gain control that comes with it. It's not going to rattle the sheet metal, but its got an ok thump for a small unit. I'd recommend it. Only got it because my Passat was a little weak in the bass department.

My Z-71 will have the Bose system so I'm hoping I will not have to do anything to it.
 
#8 ·
my truck has the Bose system. If you crank it you can get it to bump a little but but for regular listening there's not much
But the highs and mids are real nice and crisp
it really depends on what you listen to. To give you an example my favorite bands are Metallica, Megadeth and Avenged Sevenfold. and well the kick drum isn't as pronounced as i would like it to be,
But my wife listens to pop and dance and her music has a nice bump to it
 
#24 ·
I actually like that Cerwin Vega unit. I see it has an auto on feature, I wonder if that would prevent having to splice into any of the accessories cables for it be be told to turn on. I don't mind tapping into the door speakers and running power but I don't want to rip the dash open. Those days are gone and I don't have any rattles now, I really don't want to create any.
 
#29 ·
I'm also thinking about a small sub woofer, maybe the Kenwood or a Pioneer to go under the rear seat.

Can anyone give me some guidance on splicing into the REAR speaker wires? Just from taking a quick look they appear to maybe be running under the front door jam sill and then going up the center door jam pillar.
 
#32 · (Edited)
It is believed that tapping into the front door wiring would be better for use with a sub. The rear door speakers have a weaker and possibly limited sound output.

Wiring diagram is attached below.

I'm curious also how to get into the door compartments. I ordered the Cerwin Vega unit last night. I've figured my route through the firewall but getting into the front door compartment looks a little more difficult.
From what I've read and seen on the forum here, you should be able to tap into the front speaker wiring from under the dash. . . or even the top L/R front dash speakers, since they are in parallel with the door speakers. Then no need to get into the doors if you just want to add a sub.
 

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#31 ·
I'm curious also how to get into the door compartments. I ordered the Cerwin Vega unit last night. I've figured my route through the firewall but getting into the front door compartment looks a little more difficult.
Sometimes I wish all trim was held in place by screws. I hate clip on fasteners. More about cosmetics than functionally with some stuff. Bout have to know the way they remove or you can mess the fastener up.
 
#40 · (Edited)
Finished with this project. Really a simple basic upgrade. I just used the power port on the rear console for power. No splicing for power required. It has a 10 amp fuse so the current draw is minimal. I believe the ports are actually 20 amp.

I was able to remove the glove box door and access the wiring harness coming off the amp. I decided not to disconnect the center speaker. There was not much room or extra length of the harness wire and I was afraid to cut the wire thinking it would be hard to splice back if I wanted to reconnect. So I just did a vampire tap, removed insulation from the +/- center speaker wires and soldered a single lead wire. Ran that to the sub under the seat and spliced it to both right and left channels.

It definitively adds some low end. I have the volume (gain) and freq, phase controller in the pocket just in from of the center console.

I'm really satisfied with the system now. If it's like my VW the sound quality does improve with time as the speakers tend to break in. The compressed signal from Sirus/XM is nowhere as good as what I receive over FM. The stuff I have on the flash drive really sounds great.
 

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#41 ·
** Update **

I went ahead and disconnected the Bose center speaker. My entire life I've listened to right/left channel stereo systems in my vehicles, and just could not warm up to the center speaker, even though I tried.

I like it much better now. It sounds more like my VW Passat which has an incredible sound system. More defined stereo separation and it appears to be louder.

And I did one more mod. The subwoofer under the rear seat needed some way to allow it to breath. I used a 3" hold saw and made two cuts under the rear seat front. Originally I was going to place some small speaker grills over the cutouts, but you really cannot see them at all with the rear seats down.

All and all I'm really liking the system now.
 

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#43 ·
I did get the sub installed locally for $89 bucks, totally worth it. The sub itself is fantastic, highly recommended. It has a great sound and hits hard for what it is. It won't shatter any windows but you can definitely feel the bass.

I have it installed under the driver's seat and with the motorized components it does stick out about 8 inches into the passenger floorboard. This doesn't bother me too much, I rarely have someone sit behind me and if they do, the sub has a metal housing and metal grate over the sub itself.
 
#45 ·
I picked up the CDT Minimax 400 after reading through this thread. It's still breaking in but it "leveled" out the sound of the Bose system in my truck. It fills the cab with sound nicely. The bass output is close to the same as the front door speakers in my opinion. But now I can feel the bass in my seats more. I'm very satisfied with the purchase.
 
#46 ·
This thread convinced me to go with the Minimax 400 option as well. A question for you, Copper. Did you wire the sub using the left and right outputs of the front door speakers? Or just double tap one side?
 
#48 ·
Thanks for the response. I plan on using the front doors for sure. The question I have is whether or not it matters to wire in stereo (L/R, having to route to both sides of the cab) considering it is just a sub. Or if for ease of installation, I could tap both the L/R channels of the sub to one side of the cab (mono).

I apologize if I'm overcomplicating something that isn't. First time audio upgrade'r here!
 
#51 ·
finally got the Cerwin Vega sub installed and I'm actually impressed. It's more than I expected, it really kicks. Does not and don't think it will ever kick or go down to the levels as a separate amp and custom sub box but for what it is, it rocks. Adds the right amount of noise without making people blocks away turn their head.

Chris
 

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