# Thinking about adding an amp to the factory stereo for the stock speakers.



## Patman (May 7, 2011)

There are lots of posts about upgrades to stereo/speakers. From what I have read, lots of guys go with a 50 W Bazooka bass tube. I am in the same boat, thinking about upgrade but to what? I have a 2011 LS.


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## albow77 (Feb 18, 2012)

I under stand the systems is lacing bass. Itis also lacking loud volume. This is by far the quietest stereo in a car that I have ever had. I don't want to go and replace all the speakers unless I have to. What I was thinking of doing is adding 50x4 amp for the stock speakers and adding a nice 10" sub driven by a mono amp. There are lots of threads that show you how to add the subs and comp speakers but none that have added an amp to the stock speakers. I don't know how it will sound or how long the speakers will alst with the extra power going to them. There has to be others that are thinking of doing what I want to do unless it is just my stereo that is lacking volume. The sound is great and I can't complain about that -- its just not loud enough for me. I had a VW with the monsoon system and I added a 10" sub to that and that system kicked ass. The volume was twice as loud as the cruse and that is what I wan't this system to be like with out changing out the stock speakers if possible.


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## pntballer925 (Feb 27, 2011)

i had an 8 inch bazooka tube hooked up to a 750W pioneer amp (turned down of course). and that thing rattled the car quite a bit. bu im getting a 12 inch L7 in a couple weeks so im looking to sell the bazooka. PM if interested. as far as hooking up an amp to factory speakers, i wouldnt. i highly doubt those sheets of paper could handle anything more than 30W. MAYBE. im upgrading to Rockford Fosgate P165's for my doors soon along with the L7. That will put some sound out.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

pntballer925 said:


> i had an 8 inch bazooka tube hooked up to a 750W pioneer amp (turned down of course). and that thing rattled the car quite a bit. bu im getting a 12 inch L7 in a couple weeks so im looking to sell the bazooka. PM if interested. as far as hooking up an amp to factory speakers, i wouldnt. i highly doubt those sheets of paper could handle anything more than 30W. MAYBE. im upgrading to Rockford Fosgate P165's for my doors soon along with the L7. That will put some sound out.


Why on earth would you get a Kicker L7? I'm not trying to be a snob, but those subs flat out suck for anything more than just plain loud and something you can abuse. There are so many better subs you can get for that kind of money that its not even funny. Not to mention, the square Kicker subs as a whole are horribly inefficient due to a very high moving mass. There's a reason nobody else makes square subs. 


There's no point in amplifying the stock speakers. All you'll get out of them is more distortion. If you want better sound, you'll need better speakers and an aftermarket amplifier. 

Keep in mind, wattage ratings on speakers and subwoofers are thermal ratings, not mechanical, and they are certainly not rated at under 10% distortion. The way manufacturers test wattage ratings is by applying a current to the leads and recording how much power they take before the voice coil melts, then stamping a number slightly below that to the speaker.


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## pntballer925 (Feb 27, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Why on earth would you get a Kicker L7? I'm not trying to be a snob, but those subs flat out suck for anything more than just plain loud and something you can abuse. There are so many better subs you can get for that kind of money that its not even funny. Not to mention, the square Kicker subs as a whole are horribly inefficient due to a very high moving mass. There's a reason nobody else makes square subs.


lol i just want loud. and im getting the sub and a 3.2 cubic foot probox from my buddy for $100. so why not jump on it? if i decide i dont want it, i could easily sell it for $250. and what is the main reason people put subs in their cars? So it will be loud. Thats not happening for a few more weeks though. Right now im focusing on changing out my door speakers and giving the system a tad more volume.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

pntballer925 said:


> lol i just want loud. and im getting the sub and a 3.2 cubic foot probox from my buddy for $100. so why not jump on it? if i decide i dont want it, i could easily sell it for $250. and what is the main reason people put subs in their cars? So it will be loud. Thats not happening for a few more weeks though. Right now im focusing on changing out my door speakers and giving the system a tad more volume.


Incorrect. The main reason people put subs in their cars is to complement an otherwise pathetic sub-bass. I have never heard a single factory system that I would call "decent" that could play bass cleanly below about 70hz. The purpose of a subwoofer is to extend your low frequency response to about 30hz linearly, which is about as low as most music will go. Synthetic bass from rap/hip-hop and dubstep will rarely go below 30hz. The lowest note on an electric bass guitar is 41hz, and the lowest note on a pipe organ is ~18hz, but I doubt most of you jam to organ music in your cars. 

Do a bit of research on a company called Image Dynamics. If you think they're just made to be loud, you're in for a real treat the first time you hear one. The difference is I can hear every individual note and and can play cleanly up to 125hz with excellent transient response. I can hear the bass, not the sub. With a kicker or similar SPL designed sub, not only do you require 2x more power to get the same output as an Image Dynamics sub, but you'll hear the sub and distortion more than you'll hear accurate bass notes. 

I'd straight up sell it for $250 and get something that might actually sound good instead of just shaking your car.


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## Dark Matter (May 16, 2012)

Upon entering the Cruze, from the thud of the doors to elegance of the dash the car wreaks of quality. There are few hints of cost savings in the design and build of the Cruze. One such area, though, is the pedestrian stock radio. While the aural experience is not painful, neither is it enjoyable or satisfying despite infinite fiddling with the tone controls. In an effort to improve my listening experience, I installed a JL sub (with its own 200W power unit). This gave me mediocre sound plus bass. So I installed the Kicker DSP/amp, which is a simple (1 hour) 200W plug and play install. This unit transformed the stock system into an impressive soundstage with depth, clarity and presence that defies its origins. Everything looks stock and all the integrated functions work as intended, but now when I push the power button the sound comes alive and expresses the same quality and refinement as the rest of the car. You might be able to get more power per dollar with other equipment, but as a novice I love the easy install and functionality of the Kicker unit. I am stunned by the crisp highs and stunning bass that emerge from the stock speakers. The volume is much better, though not earth shattering, and there is no clipping or distortion at full volume. The impact of the DSP/amp was much greater than that of the sub, and if I were going to do it again, I would first get the DSP/amp and then decide if you need more bottom end.


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