# Kicker sub install



## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

Post some pictures! How do you like it?


Just Cruzin'


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## Jonnyukon (Aug 20, 2013)

Did u do just the sub upgrade or the digital amp upgrade for the front speakers to? 


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## RWise (Sep 23, 2013)

I had the full upgrade done. Amp up front and amp plus sub in the trunk. It sounds great. My 16yo kid loves it. Will post a picture later. You can't see anything but the sub in the trunk. Everything else is hidden within the car. You can sure hear it when you crank it up though. We'll worth the grand I put in it.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

I guess you haven't seen (or heard) what I can do with a grand.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Somehow that word, "kit" triggers me off and generates curiosity. 

WHAT KIND OF A KIT? LOL.


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

NickD said:


> Somehow that word, "kit" triggers me off and generates curiosity.
> 
> WHAT KIND OF A KIT? LOL.


Its a gm kit(in conjunction with kicker), If I am not mistaken I think its a dsp that kicker set the tune for and it appears he had the kicker sub too.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

hificruzer226 said:


> Its a gm kit(in conjunction with kicker), If I am not mistaken I think its a dsp that kicker set the tune for and it appears he had the kicker sub too.


Part Number? Has to be on the box someplace. LOL, getting lazy.


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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

Awesome! I put the full Kicker upgrade in as well. I am very impressed too, now that I have played with it a bit and tweaked the settings a bit. It seems many people bag on it's cost, but overall I think it's worth it. Yeah, I could have put in a bigger system for the same cost, but I didn't want to hassle with it. The way I see it, I paid for the convenience of it, and I don't mind it one bit. I think people would be pleasantly surprised at how nice it sounds. Does it shake the block....no, but the imaging is great and there's plenty of low end to give it a nice rich sound. And for me, one of the benefits is the retained trunk space. As I was loading up the trunk at Costco yesterday, I was loving all the room I had. I have had some nice systems over the last 20 years too, so I know what a quality system sounds like. I would rate this a strong 9/10. If you enjoy a nice full, rich sound, then I would definitely recommend it.


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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

NickD said:


> Part Number? Has to be on the box someplace. LOL, getting lazy.


SoundGate Chevy | KICKER


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## AlcoholicPolak (Dec 28, 2013)

As much as I want to do my own custom setup, I myself think this is worth the ease of installation/plug n play nature. I would have to hear it in person to really be sold on it though.

I would much rather have a pair of 8's though...one in each corner of the back than the kicker sub. I also don't really have interest in tearing apart the door panels to upgrade the speakers or anything else. If I go this route, I'll do the install myself. If I decide to go aftermarket/custom, I'll pay the local audio shop to install everything so I don't have to (in which case I'll wind up paying more for sure than I would with the Kicker SoundGate).


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

Its good to go with the kicker set up if you do not have a talented and educated audio engineer or installer near you......
However there is plenty of help on this forum from such gurus such as my self and a few others. I have RTA'd the kicker dsp and it has a decent waterfall curve there are a few blips I would adjust personally but its a box tune vs a 1 on 1 custom tune. Not to down play it but there are other options with equal to greater results that are readily available , however I understand the temptation of quick and easy with factory backing. Eventually he industry will be box tunes with sub add ons that are plug and play. 

If you want quick and easy the Kicker gm set up is the way to go. If you want max performance and max performance per $ than custom is the way to go.


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## Agent_Orange (Jan 20, 2014)

That might be next year's "gift" to myself after tax time...

Thanks for sharing!!


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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

hificruzer226 said:


> If you want quick and easy the Kicker gm set up is the way to go. If you want max performance and max performance per $ than custom is the way to go.


I agree. That was the allure for me.....plug and play, quick install and didn't void any warranties. I wasn't looking for anything extreme either, as the Cruze is my commuter/kid hauler & grocery getter. I wanted an upgrade for the sad stock stereo, but I needed to retain the trunk space, so for me, the Kicker Soundgate fit my needs perfectly. Price is really the only negative about the system. If you can look past the initial high cost, it is a great upgrade. It puts a smile on my face every time I get in and turn on the radio, and in the end, that's all that matters. The whole package was put together nicely and was built with great quality too. My install took about 2 hours in my freezing garage, and that's with taking trips into the house to warm up. In nice weather, an hour and a half would be no problem.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Looks like over the existing system, just adding a lower mid range speaker inside of the trunk. Such installations result in being more of an annoyance to the guy next to you stopped at a traffic light. Then to add more bass to the interior of the vehicle.

"KICKER® PowerStage™ Multi-Channel Amplifier & Powered Subwoofer Upgrade Kit for 2011 - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze with base audio. *Multi-channel amplifier is not compatible with vehicles that have Pioneer factory premium audio systems, only able to install subwoofer."

Can't seem to find any specifications for this system or to determine the enclosure type for that trunk mounted speaker. Best guess would be of the infinite baffle type, way to small would be something like a bass reflex enclosure.

A best guess for that "multi-channel amplifier" would be just a take off point from the existing factory speaker system, any more power to these speakers would just end up in distortion. But does need a means to exact the signals from the existing speaker system to feed what they call a subwoofer. No power specifications are given either.

Not sure if I would want to spend $1,249.00 plus whatever shipping and taxes on a system like this.

Sure Xtreme Revolution could do much much better.


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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

That's MSRP.....dealer price was a little over $900. I paid just about $1,000 with tax. Still high, but saving a few extra bucks is always nice. Like everyone says, there's no doubt that you can get a "nicer" system for less. But let me tell you, Kicker really did a nice job with this. At high volume, there is no distortion.......I know, hard to believe with the stock speakers, but the DSP does a great job. I researched the net hard for a couple weeks before I decided to pull the trigger on this purchase. On all the forums, of all the different makes /models that the Soundgate is made for, the consensus of people that actually owned the Kicker Soundgate, loved it and had glowing reviews. Most people that talk crap about it have no actual seat time with it, but just go off of price and specs alone......but hey, that's what the internet is known for isn't it. Sure Xtreme Revolution could do much much better....I'm sure there's no doubt, but I just wanted to give my thoughts on it to others who are contemplating buying it. Like every other mod, to each his own........now it's time to start researching Trifecta vs VT for when my factory warranty expires. :biggrin:


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## Chase Toole (Feb 4, 2013)

Does anyone have the specs on it? I'd consider it if was on par with an aftermarket set up..

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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Online reviews are made by people such as yourself. That's not an insult, but an important point to consider. They aren't made by speaker designers or by experts even if they may claim to be. This is the reason why companies like BOSE are successful. The speakers are downright terrible and they are so insanely overpriced that it's ridiculous, but someone who doesn't know anything will go into their outlet store listening to an acoustically perfect listening room and coming out spending $1500 on $200 worth of electronics. That's the nature of marketing. 

When people say I could have done better, they don't tell you just HOW much better I could have done. You would have spent maybe $300 more for the install but you would have had 10x the sound and still kept your trunk space. People pay for convenience. Makes me wonder why I charge so little for my products and services sometimes. 



Chase Toole said:


> Does anyone have the specs on it? I'd consider it if was on par with an aftermarket set up..
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Specs? The DSP will be proprietary but the subwoofer will be poor. It's a shallow mount which means weak motor structure and minimal excursion and a small box which means poor low end extension below 50Hz. If you define bass with words such as "thump, beat, drop," or "kick," you will probably be pleased with it. 

If you define bass with words such as "extension, linear, accurate, transparent," or "transient response," then this is not for you. 

It's sole allure is a simple install and a brand name. I cannot call it a total waste of money because it does do *something*. Its just that I can do that same something for half the price and twice the quality. 

I'm not trying to hawk my products or services here. Believe me, I'm backed up enough on orders right not to be glad to not have any recent orders come in.

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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

I agree with your post Xtreme. People pay for convenience......not because we are suckers or aren't knowledgeable, but heck, sometimes it's easier.....or maybe I'm getting old and lazy, hahaha. I work full time and go to school full time as well as raise 4 kids, so it was just easier for me to call the dealership, pick it up and take 2 hrs to install and be done. It was just that easy for me.......and besides, I rarely get to crank it too much these days anyways.


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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

This is why I didn't want to lose trunk space.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The only thing that I really disliked about that kicker installation picture was the white straps. It's a black trunk liner - the straps should be black.


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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

obermd said:


> The only thing that I really disliked about that kicker installation picture was the white straps. It's a black trunk liner - the straps should be black.


I was worried about that too.....figured I'd have to hit them with some black Rustoleum, but fortunately, mine came with black straps. Perhaps that was a prototype or early marketing pic?


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## Chevyderek72 (May 16, 2011)

Holy tons of milk! That'd take me months to go through. Well until it went bad. 

I'd love to hear what it sounds like in person, glad you're liking it! 

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## RWise (Sep 23, 2013)

I've had this system for a week now and I'm impressed with it. The audio is so clear. There is no hissing sound between songs, no loud thump when you cut the system on or off. The sound separation is perfect. It's got crisp high notes, it's got thunderous bass. I was real surprised when I loaded one of my old DJ Magic Mike CD's and could fill the bass in my chest. Brought back the good old days of cruising. I was even more impressed when I got out of the car and the only thing vibrating on the car was the tag. LOL glad I grew out of that..... I'll stick to my Pink Floyd.



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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

RWise said:


> I've had this system for a week now and I'm impressed with it. The audio is so clear. There is no hissing sound between songs, no loud thump when you cut the system on or off. The sound separation is perfect. It's got crisp high notes, it's got thunderous bass. I was real surprised when I loaded one of my old DJ Magic Mike CD's and could fill the bass in my chest. Brought back the good old days of cruising. I was even more impressed when I got out of the car and the only thing vibrating on the car was the tag. LOL glad I grew out of that..... I'll stick to my Pink Floyd.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Find your post a bit incomprehensible in the fact that the same OE radio and speaker system is still employed. What does adding a woofer have to do with getting high crisp notes, reducing power on thumps, or reducing hiss?


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## RWise (Sep 23, 2013)

First off its more than adding a subwoofer. There is a 200w DSP amp added to the stock cabin speakers. That amp crosses out low frequencies so that those speakers don't blow with the additional power giving you better sound in the mid range (door speakers), high (pillar tweeters) sound frequencies. Then there is a 200w subwoofer added into the system that has its own additional 200w DSP amp that crosses out mid and high frequencies. 



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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

As I stated before its is not the biggest bang for buck I would recommend everyone go to a custom set up based on your own ear, However you can can have the best set up in the world and if it is not tuned properly it will sound worse than the factory set up. The most important thing is having your equipment properly tuned in, crap speakers can sound good with the power of educated mechanical, electrical and acoustic tuning (to a point). Its like building a turbo kit instead of buying one.


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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

Chevyderek72 said:


> Holy tons of milk! That'd take me months to go through. Well until it went bad.
> 
> I'd love to hear what it sounds like in person, glad you're liking it!
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


Haha.....yeah it seems like much. I have 6 in my family and that will last us about 3 or 4 days maybe. My kids are crazy about cereal for some reason and they'd eat it for days if we let them.


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## dtour (Jan 20, 2014)

RWise said:


> First off its more than adding a subwoofer. There is a 200w DSP amp added to the stock cabin speakers. That amp crosses out low frequencies so that those speakers don't blow with the additional power giving you better sound in the mid range (door speakers), high (pillar tweeters) sound frequencies. Then there is a 200w subwoofer added into the system that has its own additional 200w DSP amp that crosses out mid and high frequencies.]
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Most people wouldn't believe it until they heard it themselves. I'll admit I was skeptical until I fired it up for the first time. I was truly expecting to be let down, but thankfully I was wrong. Kicker spent lots of time with the DSP tuning. I know it was tuned for the Cruze and the Cruze only.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

RWise said:


> First off its more than adding a subwoofer. There is a 200w DSP amp added to the stock cabin speakers. That amp crosses out low frequencies so that those speakers don't blow with the additional power giving you better sound in the mid range (door speakers), high (pillar tweeters) sound frequencies. Then there is a 200w subwoofer added into the system that has its own additional 200w DSP amp that crosses out mid and high frequencies.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Sounds more comprehensible if the low frequency components are removed from the factory speakers. These are the components that ram the speaker cones against there maximum limit of travel. But also can be accomplished with a single 10 cent bipolar electrolytic capacitor for a 3db per octave drop. For more, need to add an rather expensive inductor. This is the old way.

Later systems did this with cheap integrated circuits for cross overs, even cheaper is to use an A to D converter 89 cent microcontroller witha small bit of RAM, but with the disadvantage of being unrepairable. 

In a convention automotive power amplifier with a bridged output and a 14V source, peak voltage output for each alternation is about 12 V that has an RMS output of 8.5 V, with a 4 ohm speaker, RMS power is 18 watts, like to round that off to 20 watts. A 2 ohm speaker if the amp can handle one will output twice this, rounded off to 40 watts, but with two channels, like to call this 80 watts. Four channels, 160 watts.

They like printing high numbers and some will in post peak power that will up these numbers to 360 watts! Ha, even some print peak to peak power that doesn't even exist in nature. So tend to take these numbers with a grain of salt.

Even a cheap speaker will output 105 dbm at 1Khz with only one watt applied, far above the OSHA requirement of 85 dbm where ear protection must be incorporated. Ha, if I like reading BS, enjoy reading audio specifications.


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## kylevh21 (Mar 3, 2012)

trunk space? 
I got a XL 15" DC audio on 2k









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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

If Kicker is Kicker saw a 10" Kicker woofer at my Walmart Store. Not that I was looking was right next to the Mobil 1 display. Only spec on the box was 140 W Peak that would convert to 70 watts RMS. But what they don't say you can power these speakers to levels like this without getting distortion. More of a low duty cycle power that won't burn up the voice coil. From the weight of the box, would estimate a maximum of 7 watts RMS before getting distortion.

Last time I can recall reading and testing accurate speaker specifications was in the early 60's, 35 watts RMS, but was in a 15" woofer with +/- 1" excursion with a 30 pound magnet. With outdoor testing, people drove over from 3 miles away thinking a party was going on. What, no beer?


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## Gnfanatic (Oct 2, 2013)

My Lord, kickers are sold in walmart now?? I remember back in the day they were high quality, what a shame. The whole audio industry went to crap. I am happy I saved my old school PPI and soundstream amps.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Gnfanatic said:


> My Lord, kickers are sold in walmart now?? I remember back in the day they were high quality, what a shame. The whole audio industry went to crap. I am happy I saved my old school PPI and soundstream amps.


Aye. There were a few remaining brands that still had some great quality but they've all pretty much changed or disappeared. Image Dynamics got acquired by powerbass and the subs were redesigned to require larger enclosures. Nobody makes an affordable SQ sub anymore, aside from the "home theater" brands.

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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Nobody makes an affordable SQ sub anymore, aside from the "home theater" brands.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


I disagree strongly. There are a ton of affordable sq subs readily available, however no where near the amount ther used to be ill give you that Nakamichi CDT and MMats to list a few, have affordable sq subs (yes I do understand that affordable is a relative term to the viewer but in the grand scheme they are)


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## hificruzer226 (Mar 27, 2013)

Also enclosure design for a given driver in a specific environment is just as important as the selected sub(yes I understand that subwoofers themselves given perfect signal will generally distort to varying degrees).


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## Jaycruze (Jul 11, 2011)

Hope you cranked it and blew up your papertowel for fun :smile:


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

hificruzer226 said:


> I disagree strongly. There are a ton of affordable sq subs readily available, however no where near the amount ther used to be ill give you that Nakamichi CDT and MMats to list a few, have affordable sq subs (yes I do understand that affordable is a relative term to the viewer but in the grand scheme they are)


I am being told this repeatedly, yet every time someone asks me to look at one, I find glaring issues. 

Affordable is indeed relative. I do not consider a subwoofer priced in excess of $300 to be affordable. There are plenty of options made by companies primarily focused on the home audio market that perform to considerably high standards at affordable prices. 



hificruzer226 said:


> Also enclosure design for a given driver in a specific environment is just as important as the selected sub(yes I understand that subwoofers themselves given perfect signal will generally distort to varying degrees).


I was referring specifically to the Image Dynamics IDQ and IDMax drivers, which moved to a stiffer suspension for the V4 lineup over the V3 lineup. The end result was a significant increase in Qts that required a larger enclosure to meet the same frequency response. If I wanted a higher Qts driver, I would buy a higher Qts driver. The IDQ and IDMax drivers were excellent for their ability to play low and loud in small enclosures. They dropped off of my recommended list. The IDQ was replaced with the TC Sounds Epic line in my recommendations.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

If you want any more than 20 watts RMS from a 4 ohm speaker with a 14.5 volt source, need an amplifier with a step up converter built in. For 100 watts output, need a Vcc of at least 30 volts.

For a booming bass, just set the resonant frequency of the enclosure at 150 Hz, not talking about HiFi, just a booming bass.










Walmart online is showing a different Kicker than I saw in the store with these specifications: For about a nine pound speaker, to me like reading science fiction, price tag is $71.93. Have fun.

*Kicker 10C104 10" (250mm) 4-Ohm Subwoofer:*

10" single 4-ohm competition (Comp) series subwoofer
Power Handling: Peak: 300W, RMS: 150W
Impedance: 4 ohms
Injection molded SoloKon cone
Optimized polyfoam ribbed surround
Extremely rigid cone, along with 360-degree back bracing eliminates distortion
Double stitched surround for enhanced durability
Tinsel leads woven into the spider with Kicker's Spiralead technology
Single high-temperature voice coil
45oz. magnet structure
Frequency response: 30-500Hz
Sensitivity: 86.2 dB
Mounting Depth: 5-1/16"
One Subwoofer
Shipping Weight (in pounds): 9.25


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## mjspiess (Nov 11, 2013)

I've had subs in every car I've owned. I'm not an audiophile though. In fact, I'm a huge cheapskate and often bought the cheapest stuff available. I just wanted some bass at the cheapest route. However, my Eco is the newest, nicest car I've owned and I'm willing to spend a little more so I explored subwoofer possibilities and came across this Kicker setup pretty quickly. 

Me being as cheap as I am said I would never pay full price for it though, so I waited patiently and finally spotted a seller on eBay to list it with a Buy It Now at $699.95 or Best Offer. Out of curiosity, last month I offered the seller $350 and asked what his bottom dollar was. To my surprise, he counter offered at $432. As much as I wanted to buy it then, my wife really wanted a puppy, so I bought her a puppy instead. In the mean time I sold some things to justify this purchase a little better. I offered the same seller $350 today. He counter offered at $497. I counter offered at $432 that he offered last month and he accepted. I saved $267.95. Makes me wonder what the profit margin is on these things?! He still has 8 more available. He also sells the more expensive combo with front amp, but I wasn't interested in that, but I can only imagine how cheap he would go on that too.

Anyway, I just wanted to pass along the fantastic deal I came across. I should be getting it next week. Hopefully others jump on it. There are only 3 days left on both of his auctions. It'd be fun to see how low he goes.


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## RWise (Sep 23, 2013)

I didn't know the made a kit with just the rear sub with rear amp. You might have lucked up and got the full set.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

RWise said:


> I didn't know the made a kit with just the rear sub with rear amp. You might have lucked up and got the full set.
> 
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App



Yes, the substage kit is $699, the powerstage kit is $1200.


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## mjspiess (Nov 11, 2013)

I finally got around to installing my Kicker substage kit this weekend. I handled the inside & engine bay while my brother handled the trunk & running the wire. It was a pretty easy install. I think the hardest part was fishing the power wire through the firewall grommet.

At first, I wasn't all that impressed and a little let down. It seemed under powered in my opinion and just not as good as I anticipated. Keep in mind, I did not opt for the optional front amp. I came back to it later and messed with the tone settings and noticed when I messed with the balance from center (0) to left (15) the sub's bass didn't change at all. When I balanced it to the right (15) the sub's bass was gone. So I tore it all apart to confirm the wires were spliced correctly. So I did some research & found that the directions have you splice into the Left Front speaker: (+) dark blue & (-) brown with dark blue stripe which explains why adjusting the balance to the Left didn't change anything & Right muted the sub. It just didn't seem right to me, so I decided to stick with the Left Front (+) dark blue, but switched the other to the Right Front (-) yellow with black stripe & it sounds much fuller. I don't know exactly how the amp is setup, but I'm guessing this would be a "bridged" install? Either way, it sounds much better. It has more power output and now matches my expectations and in my opinion, how it should be. Now when I balance from left to right, the sub just quiets down some, but is never muted.

Any other thoughts on this? I'd like to hear other opinions or have others try it and see if their results are similar. At least adjust the balance and see what your sub does. Thanks!


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

You had to splice wires? I thought that was the whole point of this kit so you did not have to do anything like that. I have not looked at the substage kit but thought the soundstage one actually comes with wiring harness to grab the signal behind the stereo.


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## AlcoholicPolak (Dec 28, 2013)

Yeah, I'm not sure what you have or installed, but the Kicker is completely plug and play....has all the connections you need so that there is no guessing, no splicing, etc.


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## mjspiess (Nov 11, 2013)

Based on what I've found, if you go with the subwoofer & amplifier upgrade, the installation is entirely plug n play. If you go with just the subwoofer, the kit comes with 2 Wire Taps & a 6" Adapter Harness (Speaker-Level Input), so 98% plug n play.

Here are the instructions:

Subwoofer Input Connection with Optional Amplifier
20. Connect the white two-pin connector of the amplifier harness to the corresponding connector of the subwoofer harness.

Subwoofer Input Connection with Optional Amplifier and without Factory Premium Audio
21. Connect the six inch adapter harness to the end of the two-pin connecter. Locate position 40 and 32 on the radio connecter and install one of the blue self stripping connectors onto the wire. Lay the wire in the open channel, fold the connector body over and squeeze with a pair of pliers until connecter snaps shut. Fig. 18. Connect the green wire of the adapter harness to the wire in position 40 and the brown wire to the wire in position 32.

I'd still be interested to see what happens when the others who have installed this upgrade adjust their balance Left or Right.


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