Well, I am cheap and lazy and really don't want enough bass to kill a small child. Please don't harass me about my choice of subwoofer enclosures. I am 40 years old. I built car stereos in my teens and early 20's and don't want to mess with it any more.

I just sold my last McIntosh amplifier from the early 90's...most of you have probably never heard of that brand.

With that said, I recently bought an MTX Thunderform box for my 08 F250 supercab. The truck has the Audiophile stereo, so I will be removing the factory sub enclosure and tapping into the harness for the signal. The box came with two 10" MTX Thunder 4510 subwoofers installed in them.

1. Do I need a Line Output Converter to connect the stock harness to an aftermarket amplifier?

2. What amplifier would you recommend to push this pair of 10's?

3. The box is 1.2 cubic feet. I don't know if it is divided between the subs, but what other "better" subs could I put in this MTX box? Mounting depth of the Thunder 4510's is 4.85", so I assume that many different subs will work.

4. One of the wires in the harness is labeled as "Subwoofer Amplifier Enable". Can this be used as the remote turn-on for the aftermarket amplifier?

Thanks in advance! I know a lot of you guys are really hardcore when it comes to car audio. I used to really be into all that, but now I just need a little extra bass.

 

I've heard of McIntosh...was and still is very top notch stuff. Way out of a lot of peoples price range.

Answers:
1) Yes

2) Something around 500 watts will be about right....preferably a class d monoblock amp designed for running subs.

3) Just about any sub with a mounting depth of less than 4.85 will work no problem.

4) Sounds like a remote wire to me. Grab a DMM or a test light and test it with the key on and with the key off. It should go to 12V+ with the key on. If it doesnt, you just need to find a switched 12V+ in the fuse box and run to the remote input on the amp.

Feel free to ask if you got any other questions.

 

Thanks Crewwzin! I am sure I will have more questions once I dig into it. Do you have any recommendations on the brand of the amp and Line Out Converter? I really want to buy an amp with an eye to the future, should I decide to replace the MTX subs that come in the box. Thanks again!

 

LOC--dont get the cheesy ones from Wal-mart or something like that. spend a couple of extra dollars and get a good one from a reputable sound shop.

amp--ahh yes, the old "which amp is better" question. Nowadays, most sub amps are at least 2 ohm stable, and some are 1 ohm stable. My recommendation would be to find one that is 1 ohm stable. Those are the most efficient, and will produce the most power for the space they take up. Alpine makes a wonderful 1000 watt amp that is the smallest on the market. Alpine, JL, Kicker, Memphis (Hey Low, noticed how I mentioned them last?...lol) and a few other name brands make great 500-1000 watt class d amps that would fit the bill quite nicely. Be prepared to come off a little coin though. You cant cheap out and buy some $150 Boss POS off ebay and expect it last you more than about 45 minutes (you know this off course...you've owned McIntosh for crissakes). You gotta pay to play.

Look around, do some shoppin and we'll help you out any way we can.

 

Thanks! I was actually looking at the new Alpines that are stackable. They are small and powerful. Might be just what the doctor ordered.

BTW - I like the amp on the headliner. It's not as stealth as I like, but it's out of the way and quite a conversation piece!

 

Ok, I just picked up a brand new Alpine PDX-1.1000 from a power seller on eBay (x-sounds) for $395. I liked the small size and the price seemed pretty good, especially since places like crutchfield are selling it for $699. I know it will outpower the subs that are in the thunderform box. I will turn the gain way down and see how they do. I am really wishing that I had bought the unloaded box for $80 less. Any suggestions on shallow mount 10" subs that have a mounting depth less than 5" and can handle a little more power?

 

Hmmm...I'm not real sure about the power handling on all those new shallow subs. We'll both have to do a little research on that. You should be fine for now if you just watch your settings. Keep us posted on how it sounds.

BTW, thanks for the compliments on the amp! I usually like the stealth look too, but I wanna do something wild and crazy with this truck. So, I decided not to hide anything. Plus, that amp is just too pretty to hide!

 

I agree! Back in 1989, I had an install that included a HiFonics Zeus and a HiFonics Gemini that I could not bring myself to hide. Of course, that was before HiFonics was bought out. My buddy had a Phoenix Gold amp that was about three feet long and only rated at something like 200 watts, but was stable down to about .5 ohms. He called it a "cheater" amp. Those were the days.

 

Haha...yeah, down to .5 ohms it was about 1200-1500 watts or something crazy like that if I remember correctly. Those cheater amps were beasts. My boss at the stereo shop still has 3 of the Orion HCCA 225's that actually work! I've been trying to buy one off him for years, but he wont budge.

 

Yeah! That's a really awesome "50-watt" amp! Come to think of it, I think they were Orion amps...and he had the chrome-plated ones!

 

Maybe I should start a new thread, but what about the Rockford Fosgate P3SD210 shallow mount subwoofers? They can handle 300 watts RMS, only need between 0.4-1.0 cubic feet of space, and have a mounting depth of 3.5". Has anyone used these subs?

 

No, you shouldnt start a new thread...we'd have to call you "king ranch"!!

I've heard a couple people talk good about the P3's. I personally havent had any dealings with them. I try to stay away from Rockford. They started really suckin a$$ about 2000 or so. I dont know if their quality has improved or not. Try 'em and let us know what you think.

 

Make sure you look at the specs on your Alpine birth sheet. I didn't
My PDX 4.150 pushed more than I thought

 

Thanks for the heads up! Will do!

 

Ive only had one problem with anything RF. And their warranty dept is one of the best I have ever dealt with, handled and back at my door in under 2 weeks, NO QUESTIONS ASKED! Theyll pay shipping back.

McIntosh, NICE.

Those Alpine PDX's are awesome. Real small footprint and that 1000W Alpine is prolly pushing 1350-1425W on the spec sheet.