Way to Enhance Factory Kicker Subwoofer

[Nafter]

Quote: Originally Posted by tanker19kilo

Where do you get pollyfill at?

Fabric stores, also online. It's called polyester fill. Very cheap, I use the stuff alot when building boxes for space/weight limited cars.

[mathew]

Yep ^ same here, just make sure its the non-flameable stuff lol!

[t0ny]

I did this today and it really helps a lot when you have an upgraded sub that requires a larger box in the stock box. The difference in sound is very noticeable.

[Polygon]

A good place online to get it is Parts Express.

[jbova]

Good to know, thanks!

[mathew]

If any does this LMK how it turns out for you!

[Srt4SC]

I recently ordered the factory kicker subwoofer upgrade from moparperformance.com part 77KICK01.

I am pleased with it for he most part.

I am glad to have found this post about using polyfill. I may end up trying to do that to see if it sounds better or not.

I have not tried adjusting my stereo yet. I basically have my bass around -1, treble -4, and fad about -5. This is just a setting that I have found that I like. (everybody is different).

I was afraid that I after installing it, with my setting's that I would not be able to hear it. BUt was pleased to find out I can hear it very well. I can tell a noticable difference between with sub on, and with sub disconnected.

I plan to install a switch to turn off/on the sub so I can tell more easily what the sub is doing and what not.

But it certainly COMPLIMENTED the factory system.

I like how the factory speakers sounds. And I had it set that I liked it for over 3 years! but, I accidentally bumped it a couple months ago and I could not get it to sound exactly the same, so I ordered the subwoofer system.

In summary,I think the 77KICK01 factory Kicker upgrade(sub only) is a very nice compliment to a factory neon stereo. It gives the sound a better quality imo. It's a more quality than quantity upgrade, but I can definately hear a difference.

I THINK some people have said they can't hear it, and I THINK it is becuase they have the other kicker speakers from the factory which to me has a much "BRIGHTER" sound which probably over-rides hearing the sub. But the factory speakers are not that bright, and I think the sub compliments them nicely.

[ValleyRacer]

Most good loudspeaker companies fill the speaker cabinets with some type of acoustic foam.
You could also potentially reinforce the woofer box interior panels by gluing some very solid wood (or bracing) inside the box.
If you took the woofer out, and there was any way to stiffen the box, you'd have tighter bass.
The foam is a good idea.

[pco1988]

A great tip to know if I end up changing to a factory kicker.

[Srt4SC]

im curious how much polyfill do u fill in the space with? do you cram as much as you can in there? or do you want it fairly loose in there?


AG Free

[pco1988]

Quote: Originally Posted by Srt4SC

im curious how much polyfill do u fill in the space with? do you cram as much as you can in there? or do you want it fairly loose in there?


AG Free

You need to leave room for the sub to breathe. This same concept is used in base drums in percussion equipment. I just never thought about using this method in a woofer box.

[Srt4SC]

With my next question, you are really going to be able to tell how non-mechanical I am.

You said it was easy to disassemble the subwoofer from the box and place the polyfill in?

Roughly what are the steps to do that? How many screws/bolts did you have to disassemble? Did you have to remove the entire box assembly? Or can you get to it from the side and just pop out the side grill, remove the speaker(if necessary), and place polyfill, reassemble?

[nineball]

Quote: Originally Posted by Srt4SC

im curious how much polyfill do u fill in the space with? do you cram as much as you can in there? or do you want it fairly loose in there?


AG Free

the general rule of thumb is 1lb per ft2.

[Srt4SC]

last night i spent few hours trying to tune the sub.
i notice 4 screws holding sub in so figure just taje those 4 hours and try putting polyfill in..
but i took out 1st screw theb notice 2nd screw was
not tighten all the way so tighten all 4 screws and tried that... i actually did not like it and loosened the screws hopefully close to how it was.
my thinking was on my old box w kicker sub i notice that my bass got loose and less and notice my screws were loose, so tightening them restores my bass in my older situation. but that did not help this case, i fact i kinda think too tight was not good..
ok so that i grabbed 2-3 towels and padded the outer showing edge of pladtic box w the towels. under it and partially covering the sub.
i felt like i heard i drastic improvement with my 1st towel. i added a 2nd, felt like it improved. and added a 3rd towel and felt like it maybe got a little too muffled. so i am using 2 1/2 towels in front of the sub.
ill know more later today when i drive it to hopefully see if it still sounds good to me. i know i was getting happy w it last night.
but i think the sound if i had to describe it, and btw havent put polyfill in it yet.. it sounds more like a ported box bass . where i rather have non-ported box bass, but i at least felt i got a better bass response out of it.
im thinking maybe adding polyfill will make it sound more like a non-ported
bass, so who knows may venture into trying combinations of both.
i think the 1st towel helps alot as that plastic box vibrated alot, so it kinda insulates it.
i just thought id share. who knows i my drive it this afternoon and find what i did did not improve it at all.


AG Free

[ValleyRacer]

There is another thing you can do to upgrade your bass performance. Really cost effective here too. Depending your knowledge of wiring and cables, make an upgrade to the wire going to the speaker terminals or speaker driver connection points.
If the existing speaker wire looks like dental floss (as I found in my 99 NEON recently) - get something fatter and splice it on with crimps and tape as needed.
This is the bi-wire I have on my home speakers, nice fatty cable from Wireworld.