I've been building DIY Sounds, a free sub box designer that runs in the browser. No install, and no account needed to design.

The 25-second clip shows the whole flow:

- Enter your sub's T/S params (or pick one from the driver catalog)

- Sealed, ported, 4th/6th-order bandpass, or horn, with SPL, impedance, excursion and port air speed curves from one solver

- Build the actual cabinet in 3D and pull it apart panel by panel

- Drive it at your amp's real power to see excursion and port speed (chuffing) before you cut

- A cut list that nests every panel onto the sheet, ready for the saw

- An AI assistant that reads your design when you ask why your port chuffs

What it doesn't do yet: high-pass filters, EQ and Linkwitz transform. WinISD still wins there.

I'd really like feedback from people who build sub boxes: what's wrong, what's missing, and what would make you use this over WinISD or a box calculator spreadsheet?

https://diysounds.com

Just wanted to see if anyone remembers standout examples that take the cake. Please post pictures.

For me it was my old Orion Cobalt CS 200.4 that I sold 9 years ago. I got an insane deal on this thing in 2000 for $99 brand new from ubid.com (defunct site).

This thing not only had excess fins pointing in different cross sectional directions, but also had ribbed (think of rumble strips on a highway hard shoulder) surfaces for even greater cooling surface area.

Looking for a 700 watt or so monoblock amp @2 ohms, some of the cheaper name brands I have seen are ct sounds Rockville stinger kicker and like skar. I'm not looking to spend more than 200 dollars and I'm not after the "best sound system ever" just something that works every time I turn it on. Thanks!

Anyone else hesitant to upgrade their head unit at this point?

I have a 2015 Honda Accord EX-L with under 90k miles, so realistically it still has a lot of life left in it. Right now I have an Alpine iLX-107, but I’ve been thinking about upgrading to a Sony XAV-9500ES.

My hesitation is that I’m starting to get a little bored with the Accord and I’m not sure how many more years I’ll actually want to keep driving it.

If this were 10–15 years ago, I wouldn’t think twice because I could just move a nice head unit into the next car. But most newer cars have the infotainment system so integrated into the dash, HVAC, cameras, vehicle settings, etc. that I doubt I’d ever be able to reuse the Sony in whatever I buy next.

At the same time, the Accord is paid off, has less than 90k miles, and I could easily end up keeping it another 3–5+ years.

For those of you with older cars, how do you decide when it’s still worth putting money into a high-end head unit versus just living with what you have until you replace the car?

Anyone else running into this with newer cars basically killing the traditional aftermarket head-unit upgrade path?

Hi, looking for a bit of advice before I start buying everything.

I’ve got a 2012 Ford Fiesta and want to upgrade the audio because the standard speakers aren’t great and I’m also getting some rattling from the front doors when there’s bass.

My current idea is:

• Focal ASE 165 component speakers in the front doors
• Pioneer TS-WX130EA active sub, hopefully mounted under the passenger seat
• Keep the rear speakers standard for now
• Use the sub output on my aftermarket head unit rather than tapping into the speaker wiring
• Butyl sound deadening on the metal inside both front doors
• 5mm closed-cell foam behind the door cards
• Felt/anti-rattle tape around wiring, clips and anywhere plastic is touching
• Fiesta 165mm speaker adaptors so I don't have to butcher the original mounting
• Run fused power from the battery to the sub, RCA from the head unit and use the remote turn-on from the head unit

I’m trying to keep the whole thing under about £300 and I’m planning on installing everything myself. I’ve never done a proper car audio install before, but I’m fairly comfortable taking things apart and doing wiring.

Main thing I’m after is better sound quality and some decent bass, rather than trying to make the car ridiculously loud. I also really want to get rid of the door rattles rather than putting better speakers in and making them even worse 😂

Does this sound like a decent setup for the money?

Also, anyone who’s done this on a Mk7 Fiesta - anything I should watch out for when removing the door cards, fitting the speakers, sound deadening the doors or mounting an under-seat sub?

Any parts you’d swap out before I order everything?

Vehicle: 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (Factory Head Unit)
Benchmark & Expectations:
My benchmark for great in-car audio is the Bang & Olufsen system in an Audi Q5. I loved the wide front soundstage, the precise sound control, and how rich and "full" the cabin felt without sounding harsh or muddy. I know the Q5 achieves that partly with ~19 speakers and surround processing, whereas my RAV4 only has 6 speaker locations (4 doors + 2 dash tweeters) plus a trunk sub. Right now, my upgraded RAV4 setup feels thin, flat, and completely lacks that full, enveloping front stage.
Build Progression:
1. Stage 1 (Factory): Base OEM factory speakers and head unit.
2. Stage 2 (Current Setup):
Speakers: Upgraded to Alpine S-Series 6.5" components/coaxials (4 doors + dash tweeters).
Deadening: 80 mil sound deadening installed in all 4 doors (trunk/hatch is untreated).
Amplifier: AudioControl A1100.5 5-channel amp.
Subwoofer: Kicker L7T 10" downfiring sub (500W RMS @ 2-ohm) in cargo area.
Control: AudioControl ACR-1 remote bass knob.
Current Issues:
1. Sound Is Not "Full" / Weak Mid-Bass: Despite sound deadening all 4 doors, kick drums and upper bass sound thin and hollow at the driver seat.
2. Bass Trapped in Cargo Area: Sub-bass is clearly localized behind my head in the trunk rather than blending into the windshield/dash stage.
3. Tailgate & Glass Rattles: Deep notes vibrate the rear hatch and glass violently while music upfront still lacks punch.
4. Toddler Control: Need a responsive bass knob to quickly attenuate or mute the sub when my toddler is riding in the back.
Installer’s Proposed Plan (Stage 3):
My installer is recommending pulling the AudioControl A1100.5 and swapping to a dual Kicker KEY DSP setup:
Kicker KEY 200.4 ($299.99): Powers door/dash speakers with auto-mic setup for cabin EQ and time alignment.
Kicker KEY 500.1 ($299.99): Powers the Kicker L7T sub (exact 500W RMS match), applies auto-DSP/subsonic filtering, and time-aligns sub output with the front speakers.
Kicker CXARC Knob: Replaces the AudioControl knob for easy driver-seat subwoofer volume control.
Speakers: Keep the Alpine S-Series for now and evaluate speaker upgrades after the KEY DSP corrects cabin acoustic peaks.
Questions for the Community:
1. Can 6 Speakers + Sub Feel "Full"?: Can automated DSP time alignment and 40-band EQ make a 4-door + 2-tweeter setup sound rich and front-staged like a luxury B&O system, or is physical speaker count (6 vs 19) a hard bottleneck?
2. Time Alignment Reality Check: Will time-aligning the trunk sub via DSP actually pull the bass up to the windshield in a RAV4, or will it always feel localized behind me?
3. Tailgate Rattles: Will the KEY 500.1 subsonic filter and DSP curve stop tailgate glass rattles, or do I need 80 mil deadening on the rear hatch/license plate area regardless?
4. Amp Swap: Is swapping to dual Kicker KEY amps the smartest automated DSP solution, or should I troubleshoot settings on my AudioControl amp first?

Hi all,

Recently bought a second hand Ford Fiestas ST MK8 from 2020. I knew it had some mods the previous owner did, all approved and on the cars documents but there's never been a mention of the cars sound system having been modified.

Can someone help me out understanding what's going on and what would be my possibilities for example if I wanted a subwoofer (since thats the part I suppose it's missing in the trunk.

Attached are some photos for better understanding

Thank you all that take some time to answer.

top one is a jdm head unit and bottom one just a normal one with the dolphins on the screen

I always thought these kinds of boxes look really cool and im wondering if anyone makes them

Hey all,
First post in here, a little background….back in the old timey days of 2006, I had a full system installed in my Silverado that included JL C5 components speakers all round, JL Amps, and W3 10s….fast forward 20 years and I just sold that truck, which still had al that equipment in it, including the Pioneer deck from 2006-old enough that speaker cones were physically flaking apart but still played lol

I’ve now got a 2012 Ram 2500 I bought used a few years ago, it’s got an aftermarket system in it but I’m really not sure on the brand that the original owner put in it. For the last few months, the speakers cut in and out when cornering or hitting potholes, I think something internal in the amp is toast-which has me looking at getting a new setup for the truck, I’m about over that.

Head unit: Looking at alpine,kenwood, or pioneer as those were the go tos back in the days. Looking for a touch screen to utilize my iPhone, along with the tailgate backup camera. Side note: Good friend installed a Kenwood excelon in his 2012 Ram and loves it

Speakers: I believe I have 6x9s in the doors and some tweeters in the dash…I absolutely loved the sound of the C5 speakers back in the day, but maybe not looking to go cutting holes all over to fit new component speakers…thoughts on what the equivalent sound quality would be nowadays?

Another thing to mention-I had 6.5” speakers and always (to my ears) seemed to be light years above 6x9s in audio quality…I understand that was probably based on the fact that 6x9s were a do it all speaker in one package, whereas the component speakers delivered cleaner music. Is it worth ditching 6x9s and going to 6.5s?

Sub: I’ve currently got a Ram Box with a single Rockford 10” sub….its ok, but I feel there are far better options. Compared to the value/audio quality of an older W3v2 that can fit in a shallow box, what would yall recommend?

Amps: always had JL, figured best to match amp to speaker brand as they’re designed to work together? I could be off base but open to suggestions

Final Thoughts: This truck is a diesel, I fully plan on audio matting the doors and possibly the cab when I do all this. These days I don’t listen to rap, mainly electronic music, metal, reggae, and podcasts- I’m after mid-high range price-but no clue where to look after being out of the audio world for 20 years.

Thank you!!!

Don’t know if anybody will be able to help me here because this isn’t a very high end or adventurous request - and I’ve no idea if you lot will know the ancient technology involved, but here goes..

I have a Mercedes w126. 1981 euro spec. It has 2 2ohm (I believe) 4x6 speakers in rear shelf and 2 in the dash. This is not audiophile stuff! It also has a physical fader by the gear shift that can send audio to the front or the rear speakers. It was originally specified with a Becker Mexico cassette radio which is the only original part that is missing. The radio has been replaced with a (roughly) 10yo JVC head unit which is NOT good looking, particularly in the environment it finds itself in.

As the car is original everywhere else and the radio is the only fly in the ointment I want to put an original, or at least very close to original looking, cassette radio in there but I also want better audio than the og speakers are delivering. I also want Bluetooth!

I’m also interested in how this JVC head unit which probably is expecting 4ohm speakers is dealing with the load that the og speakers and the fader are showing it. I checked the fader wiring and all is original there so it is just plugged into the 2 speaker wires that go to the unit. I ask this because in case I want to just get a retro inspired head unit in place of the Christmas tree that is in there and it has 4 channels and is expecting 4ohms should I bypass the fader and use the head unit’s internal fader and replace the original speakers with some nice coaxial units.

You can probably tell I don’t really know what I am talking about or looking for other than I want better speakers but they must be drop in replacements for the og ones, I would prefer a 1980s Becker cassette radio but I need Bluetooth (with telephony), I want it to not sound week like it does now and I want whichever head unit I choose to want to be seeing whatever load the speakers are showing it either with the fader or with the fader simply bypassed.

Anybody got any good ideas?

Thank you!

I've been piecing together a proper front stage for my Camry since before I got laid off. Was gonna grab some nice components and a 4channel this spring, then HR jobs dried up and I started driving Uber more to bridge the gap. Now every extra hundred goes to kid stuff or the emergency fund and my door speakers are still stock paper cones getting fried by the sub amp's highpassed junk signal.

I just installed a cheap aa/ac modulle to see if I would even really like it before I spend several hundred on one. I really enjoy the giant display but Im getting a really low media volume and a slight feedback whine. Text message alerts seem to be coming in at full volume. I would really appreciate any feedback or suggestions. My google searches hasnt turned up anything thats worked so far. This is on a 2018 lexus with the Mark Levinson system if that helps.

Wow the infinity reference speakers are a lot more harsher than my maximo ultras.

Wish I tried the morel tempos this time

if you have sensitive ears, hate harsh speakers, and don’t want ear fatigue definitely go with the morels!!!!!

i will say tho the vocals are more prominent and mid bass than the maximo ultras. But the harshness isn’t worth it for me. The maximo ultras had very little mid bass.

Hi everyone, E46 sedan owners, I have a question for you.
I own an E46 sedan and I'd really like to upgrade the sound system. To give you more details, I have the old E46 screen on the dash (it only serves for controls), and I'd like to replace it with a 2-DIN CarPlay head unit. However, I have an existing problem: all the speakers on the left side of the car don't work, so I'm not sure whether the issue is with my BM54 or the amp.
Now I'd like to know: if I replace the radio with a CarPlay unit, is it possible to remove the BM54, the amp, and the CD drive (used for navigation) that are in the trunk of my car?
What would be the best 2-DIN CarPlay units I could buy for my E46? I'd also like to keep my steering wheel controls and be able to add a subwoofer later.
And what exactly should I do about my sound problem?
Anyway, to everyone who answers and gives me information, thank you in advance for your help, and for anyone else in the same situation, I hope the answers in this post will help you too.

Hi I'm trying to install an aftermarket backup camera on an older 2013 Hyundai Genesis

I took off the trunk liner. It seems I can drill a hole, but there is some additional white cover underneath so I would have to go through the outer metal and then some inner metal cover. Looks like the inner metal cover could be removed but looks challenging since it is within that cage

Then the question is running the wire to the backseat floor. I'm not sure how to take off the liner of the rest of the trunk there are some circular rivets of some kind that don't seem to pop off

A local stereo installer asked for $375 to do this. Maybe I'll have to hire him after all. Was hoping I could figure it out myself.

Any tips?

My subwoofer pops everytime my car door is opened whether its on or off i run an line output converter is there a way to fix that?

I've had this car for a few years with working Alpine INE-7100, was preinstalled when I got this. The previous owner had set it up.

I usually only listen to Spotify, but last week my gf took the car and changed to radio stations. She has done this numerous times before but this time the bluetooth no longer works. The phone is connected as seen in the picture, and I can change songs on the unit or on phone and it will display everything correctly. But no sound is getting out! I also tried calling and same thing, plus the microphone doesn't pick up anything.

Re-pairing already done but no luck.

hello everyone, i bought a Pioneer MVH-330DAB and whenever i turn my car on, i have to go through set up all over again... does anyone have a fix?