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!Help! Subwoofer location

4K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  WI_Hedgehog 
#1 ·
Hey guys, just bought a 2009 Rav4 as my first car. I have the non JBL and no navigation model. I am looking to put a sub in the car. I don’t want to lose any cargo space. I was looking for the storage area in the cargo area to put the sub. I’m wondering where did you guys put your subs and amp and what are your setups. Pictures are very helpful. Thanks ❤
 
#2 ·
Four 15's take up a lot of space. Gotta break an egg to make an omelet.

Just kidding. Which amp, sub and box are you checking out?

I've thought of putting a compact amp in the useless plastic organizing bins under the cargo area. The unused spare tire area is utterly massive under the cargo mat. You could get a small-medium sized box down there and lose no cargo space! The 4.3 would probably be the best of all RAVs for this project. :)
 
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#3 ·
Four 15's take up a lot of space. Gotta break an egg to make an omelet.

Just kidding. Which amp, sub and box are you checking out?

I've thought of putting a compact amp in the useless plastic organizing bins under the cargo area. The unused spare tire area is utterly massive under the cargo mat. You could get a small-medium sized box down there and lose no cargo space! The 4.3 would probably be the best of all RAVs for this project. :)
Yeah this is where I was looking to put it but I need to fin the what sub/box/amp I will be using
 
#5 ·
My biggest recommendation like you guys already said... as long as you don't have the 3rd row seats would be putting it in that huge storage space under the trunk. That is exactly what I did and full built a custom fitted fiberglass box down there. Takes some time and energy but worth every minute and absolutely love it. When I load the trunk I can easily just close the panel, still get some bass, and all my storage space. Here is a few photos of what I did. I also have a post about it on my car instagram page @wild_rav4 that has a couple of progress photos.
Car Vehicle Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Hood
Purple Light Violet Magenta Audio equipment
 
#6 ·
The goodness keeps coming from your Rav! And you have auxiliary reverse lights too :D An ewilda build thread coming up? Or maybe list mods in signature
 
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#14 ·
ewilda100
very nice work!! Definitely in agreeance with making use of the storage underneath. I went sealed box (like the balance) and had room for a capacitor and compact amp to feed my sub. I pull the mat over when I'm carrying groceries and suck in the back but saves the use of the full back if I'm moving anything big (as you can see by the dents in the grill).
Hood Trunk Audio equipment Gas Electronic instrument
Electrical wiring Automotive exterior Bumper Audio equipment Gas
Car Motor vehicle Automotive design Trunk Vehicle
 
#15 ·
I'm working on this myself, have all of the interior removed except the door panels...they're next.

I see guys here putting JL Audio and Focal in...WTF. It will never sound "great." The most you can hope for is "really, really good, relatively speaking" so match your components accordingly.

Think about listening to a quality sound system. Are you picturing yourself in a sewer pipe? Oversized tuna can with a monkey banging on it like a steel drum? Because that's basically what any vehicle is, a tiny, cramped, unsuitable listening space with lots of reflective surfaces most of the drivers (speakers) are firing at instead of the listener.

From an engineering perspective, the first thing you want to do is get rid of the monkey. I don't know if you noticed this, but it's PRETTY LOUD inside a RAV4, and without changing out all the glass it's always going to be imperfect. However, it's better to cut the road noise down to a manageable level than to try to overpower it. There are several threads on this, some going into pretty good detail on what to expect.

Next, read up on SPL and plan out a system that's not going to tax your alternator. Please. We can do so much better with so much less.
Decibel Scale
Avoid Common Audio Mistakes (When Setting Up a Home Theater System)
The Decibel (dB) Scale & Audio Rules 101
 
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