Aside from the size limitation under my seat, I went with Kenwood because it had the most power with 150 RMS / 250 max vs. Pioneer's 50 RMS / 250 max and Alpine's 120 RMS / 240 max, and I was already impressed with the smaller Kenwood's bass quality. The Pioneer is supposed to go down to 20Hz, but I would rather have a higher RMS. Also, the Alpine and Kenwood have a true 8" cone where the Pioneer has an 8" x 5-1/4" cone. If I had to make a choice, it would be between Kenwood and Alpine. Since both have the same 35-150 Hz range, again I would go with the more powerful Kenwood if I had to make the choice without the opportunity to test both out side by side first.
I've had the KSC pw8 and the KSC PW11. Both using low level inputs are outstanding. I've also had the Alpine the one with the round 8-in and that thing sucked personally but it was good. It was high quality but it didn't put out near the level of base that Kenwood manage his to squeeze. Kenwood rarely disappoints and in this segment of power subwoofers they definitely clearly are the leader.
I ended up selling my KSC-SW11 to my friend, but ended up buying another one to install when I got a hearse. It works perfectly in the small cabin volume space.
Why not install the round subs that go on spare tires? It'd be hidden under the trunk mat on the spare, so it wouldn't take up any trunk space. If you need the spare, then just detach it and unplug it if necessary to use the spare tire. Just a thought...
I just bought this sub. I’m gonna wire it the same way you have it set up, but I’m thinking about upgrading my head unit. Would the wiring be the same if I get a double din head unit?
I just changed over my head unit today and didn't need to do anything with the wiring, but I have my sub connected to an inline DSP that plugs into the factory harnesses.
I love mine. It's never going to compete against my old sealed 1000W DVC 10" on my last car, but the quality for it's size (especially when time aligned) and leaving my cargo area free makes it a winner.
Yes, I still have it and I still like it. The next upgrade would be an actual full sized sub, but aside from being heavy, it will take up valuable cargo area space, so I'm sticking with this one at the moment.
@@mahoozy_ that really depends on how flexible your stereo is for tuning. Just add the subwoofer first and see if you can tune everything to your liking with your existing setup before worrying about a DSP.
I didn't even know it existed. It doesn't even show up on mtx.com (US) and only shows up on UK sites. I haven't used an MTX subwoofer in over 15 years, so I don't know how their quality is right now.
I used a micro fuse tap to the box under the dash. I don't remember the exact slot I used, but you can use a simple test light to find an existing fuse (or even an unused spot) that is only powered when the ignition is in the ACC or ON position.
Question, does this subwoofer work WITHOUT the remote plugged in? I’m planning on adding one of these to my current setup which consists of two pioneer low profiles under the front seat, and I want to mount this to the back seat. The pioneers can run without the remote plugged into them and can just be controlled in unison from my head unit which I prefer over having remotes everywhere.
@@Brianwearsglasses just keep in mind it will default to 125 Hz, so you won't be able to adjust above the frequency, only below. I actually have my cutoff set at the top end on my Kenwood so that it doesn't interfere with the cutoff set at my DSP.
I have an inline PUZU DSP between the car harness and headunit. I used one of the output channels on it. If you don't have a dedicated subwoofer output, you would tap into the speakers.
Someone please help and answer my question. Brought a truck and had one of these in it but no cords at all. Can’t find any online especially not with the remote. Can I use different wires or is the remote cord essential?
Have you tried calling Kenwood directly and seeing if they can sell you the harness and remote? Maybe contact Crutchfield and see if they can help? You definitely need the harness to connect to the head unit I'm pretty certain you'll need the remote as well since it controls the volume, cutoff frequency, and phase.
@@VampyreX13 That's part of the upgrade reason, just easy to plug and go. Have you heard the SW11 in person? Any comparison thoughts? The power is different but so is the shape.
@@zoomy942 yes, that's what I had installed prior. It's noticeably louder and the lower end sounds better. It's not going to complete against a standard sealed box subwoofer, but for an under seat sub, I'm very happy with it.
@@VampyreX13 I'm not looking for those sealed boxes, my car is small. My Hertz door speakers and Pioneer deck are fantastic. Just looking for a little more oomph and, in this case, simple install. Sounds like the sound improvement is worth it. Can I ask another question? You've been extremely helpful so far.
@@VampyreX13 Side note, I have mine mounted to the back of the read passenger seats so it has free air movement into the hatchback (2010 Honda Insight).
What am I doing wrong, I don’t have a direct plug in for the rca leaders so iv spliced the 4 wires to left and right speakers, it works but is to basey to the point iv turned the sub power to min and sterio base to min?
I'm running mine through a DSP, so it's not directly tapped into my high outputs. When I had the SW11 model, I had it tapped into the highs for the rear channel and didn't have any issues. Maybe try adding one of those harnesses that gives you an RCA line out and see if that attenuates the signal. Worst case, tap into the rear speakers and then move the fade to the front. That will do the benefit of keeping the sound stage towards the front and turning the subwoofer levels down.
@@markrobinson8575 the headunit doesn't have rear outputs you can tap into? The other option than is to get an inline RCA volume control so that you can turn down the inputs without affecting your other speakers.
@@markrobinson8575 I'm not sure what that button does exactly, but if it attenuates the signal for just the subwoofer, then that should be good to use.
Of all the various under seat subwoofers I've tested or heard of this size, it's one of the better ones. It's never going to replace a full size subwoofer, but it's clean sounding and manages to fill in a lot of the missing lower end frequencies while having a decent thump.
The PSW8. If you want more bass, you'll need to go larger, but for a space limited tC, this is the largest that won't take up any usable storage space.
You would need a head unit with a subwoofer output and time alignment or a 5+ channel DSP. I'm using a PUZU PZ-X4800 in my car, which is one of their newest models, but they have other ones that will work just fine. The nice thing with them is that they are plug and play using the factory stereo harness.
dude why dont u bust out a dremel and just notch or grind away those tabs so u can fit the enclosure underneath the seat???? just take a finaly measurement of the area and the enclosure to make sure all will fit if u clearance those tabs... i have little space in a ford ranger and would love some bump i was thinking some powerful underseat subwoofer all in one enclosure setups one for each seat..... now do you think two units would be overkill? would i need to get an aftermarket headunit just to power multiple units?? thanks in advance god speed, -pete
I thought about it, but I had some concerns on how far forward I could actually have the sub sit without hitting the pull bar for the seat adjuster. If I hadn't been able to get it to fit the way I have it now, I would have continued to pursue your idea. I think two units would work great, especially since you probably have more internal volume in the Ford Ranger than I have in my tC. I can't do dual subs since I have no space under the drivers side seat, but if you can swing it, there's a video at ua-cam.com/video/93tT-U2yQ_w/v-deo.html showing how to connect a single remote to both subs.
For it's size, it's not to bad. I listen to a lot of EDM in the car and I'm pretty happy with it. If you want better, then you'll need to sacrifice some trunk space.
@VampyreX13 I only listen to electronic (dance) music and I've got a Sedan car. There is no issue for my trunk space. But bass clearance is Important for me. I've got a pair of kenwood hqr1600 coaxial for my back stage. I still don't know what kind of subwoofer I should buy. Underseat or traditional subwoofers ... 200Watt RMS or 500W? Which brand? Kenwood 3017 or Pioneer W312D4 ? Sorry for lots of questions
@erfannazarian in my previous car where I had trunk space, I went with a sealed box set up for clean bass. I also used Dynamat in the trunk to make sure there were no rattles. You might benefit from going to a specialized car audio shop and talking to a technician. Let them know what you're looking for, and they can help you figure out the right fit.
Don't waste your time with underseat subwoofers unless you have to. They should only be installed if you have no room in the trunk for a proper subwoofer AND you don’t already have 6x9 speakers or larger speakers installed. Anyone thinking these are just as good as a proper subwoofer in a box in the trunk will be disappointed.
If you have the room then yes, go with a traditional subwoofer (I prefer a nice sealed box myself). If you're limited on space like me, this Kenwood works great, especially if you can get it time aligned with the other speakers sharing the same frequency range.
You're going to have to measure and check. Just use my install as an example of things to check for under you seat. If it's too big, then try out ua-cam.com/video/Emw9rZfS-c8/v-deo.html instead.
Got one of these for my truck. Huge disappointment. It rattled from the start like it was blown. The dealer I bought from won’t do anything about it. Kenwood said up to 3 months to get it back. Nothing like throwing away $300 buck
I'm so sorry to hear that. When I got mine, I did notice I had to crank the input down compared to the other Kenwood sub I had or it was too loud. Did you get yours on Amazon as well? If so, contact Amazon customer service if the seller won't help directly.
Do you have a dedicated subwoofer out RCA or are you tapping your rear channel? I noticed even more improvement when I moved the subwoofer from tapped / pass-through line to a dedicated subwoofer out channel.
I don't know if your setup allows for crossovers and slopes, but I ended up setting my front speakers' high pass to 80Hz with a 12dB slope and the subwoofer's low pass to 55Hz with an 18 dB slope (so they would cross at -6 dB) with my rears attenuated between 300 and 2000Hz for rear fill only. That seems to work pretty well in my tC at least.
@@VampyreX13 I’m pretty new to these stuffs, so excuse me if I don’t make sense. I have a pretty basic setup with no amp. My speakers (kenwood KFC-X683C) has frequency response of 80hz to 21khz. So, I think I don’t need crossover for them because of their inherent limitations.
@@VampyreX13 Failing that, the head unit has built in DSP equalizer. Im not sure if I tone down the bass in the equalizer, does it affect only the rca port outputs or the preamp outputs as well? The equalizer has a “Ext amp” toggle. Not sure if it’s used to control this.
Anyone know whats best. This, the pioneer TS-WX130DA or the Alpine PWE-S8? I can't decide!
Rigjt
.me too..herd the alpine is a aluminum frame which is good for releasing its maximum bass output
Aside from the size limitation under my seat, I went with Kenwood because it had the most power with 150 RMS / 250 max vs. Pioneer's 50 RMS / 250 max and Alpine's 120 RMS / 240 max, and I was already impressed with the smaller Kenwood's bass quality. The Pioneer is supposed to go down to 20Hz, but I would rather have a higher RMS. Also, the Alpine and Kenwood have a true 8" cone where the Pioneer has an 8" x 5-1/4" cone. If I had to make a choice, it would be between Kenwood and Alpine. Since both have the same 35-150 Hz range, again I would go with the more powerful Kenwood if I had to make the choice without the opportunity to test both out side by side first.
@@VampyreX13 ty does the kenwood have a aluminum frame herd Alpine does?
Yes, it has an aluminum frame case.
@@VampyreX13 ty
Without you, my TC wouldn't be nearly as cool as it is today. Thanks for everything!
I've had the KSC pw8 and the KSC PW11. Both using low level inputs are outstanding. I've also had the Alpine the one with the round 8-in and that thing sucked personally but it was good. It was high quality but it didn't put out near the level of base that Kenwood manage his to squeeze. Kenwood rarely disappoints and in this segment of power subwoofers they definitely clearly are the leader.
I ended up selling my KSC-SW11 to my friend, but ended up buying another one to install when I got a hearse. It works perfectly in the small cabin volume space.
That is a very clean addition 😜. I have a 12" in the cargo/ truck area and it does eat up a lot of space... 🥺 Nice work as always!
Damn that sound pretty good for an under seat powered subwoofer
I'm definitely happy with how well it performs considering it's space saving size.
Why not install the round subs that go on spare tires? It'd be hidden under the trunk mat on the spare, so it wouldn't take up any trunk space. If you need the spare, then just detach it and unplug it if necessary to use the spare tire. Just a thought...
They're too big for that spare tire and that space. It was one of my first considerations.
I just bought this sub. I’m gonna wire it the same way you have it set up, but I’m thinking about upgrading my head unit. Would the wiring be the same if I get a double din head unit?
I just changed over my head unit today and didn't need to do anything with the wiring, but I have my sub connected to an inline DSP that plugs into the factory harnesses.
I have the same subwoofer as well. But I put it at the footwell under the glove box.
I love mine. It's never going to compete against my old sealed 1000W DVC 10" on my last car, but the quality for it's size (especially when time aligned) and leaving my cargo area free makes it a winner.
Do you still use this subwoofer today? How well are you liking it and are you thinking of upgrading again? I'm about to pull the trigger on one!
Yes, I still have it and I still like it. The next upgrade would be an actual full sized sub, but aside from being heavy, it will take up valuable cargo area space, so I'm sticking with this one at the moment.
@@VampyreX13 Thanks for the response! Would you say the Puzu DSP is necessary? I'd be running the stock speakers with an aftermarket head unit
@@mahoozy_ that really depends on how flexible your stereo is for tuning. Just add the subwoofer first and see if you can tune everything to your liking with your existing setup before worrying about a DSP.
Hi Derrick,
What about MTX RTU8P ? Same size and 600W peak ?
I didn't even know it existed. It doesn't even show up on mtx.com (US) and only shows up on UK sites. I haven't used an MTX subwoofer in over 15 years, so I don't know how their quality is right now.
what fuse did you tapped into when you installed this or did you run it to the battery?
I used a micro fuse tap to the box under the dash. I don't remember the exact slot I used, but you can use a simple test light to find an existing fuse (or even an unused spot) that is only powered when the ignition is in the ACC or ON position.
Question, does this subwoofer work WITHOUT the remote plugged in? I’m planning on adding one of these to my current setup which consists of two pioneer low profiles under the front seat, and I want to mount this to the back seat. The pioneers can run without the remote plugged into them and can just be controlled in unison from my head unit which I prefer over having remotes everywhere.
It will work without the remote, but it will default to 125 Hz cutoff and 0° phase.
@@VampyreX13 all of that can be controlled from my head unit, I have a pioneer head unit and it has control for the crossover and phase built in
@@Brianwearsglasses just keep in mind it will default to 125 Hz, so you won't be able to adjust above the frequency, only below. I actually have my cutoff set at the top end on my Kenwood so that it doesn't interfere with the cutoff set at my DSP.
Did you just tap into a speaker for output or did you connect to the back of the head unit?
I have an inline PUZU DSP between the car harness and headunit. I used one of the output channels on it. If you don't have a dedicated subwoofer output, you would tap into the speakers.
@@VampyreX13 very cool. It looks great! Thanks for the reply
Someone please help and answer my question. Brought a truck and had one of these in it but no cords at all. Can’t find any online especially not with the remote. Can I use different wires or is the remote cord essential?
Have you tried calling Kenwood directly and seeing if they can sell you the harness and remote? Maybe contact Crutchfield and see if they can help? You definitely need the harness to connect to the head unit I'm pretty certain you'll need the remote as well since it controls the volume, cutoff frequency, and phase.
Stumbled upon this video. I have the KSC-SW11 installed now and am looking to upgrade to the KSC-PSW8. Thoughts on that?
I really like my KSC-PSW8 considering it's size, and it was literally just plug and play with the existing harness.
@@VampyreX13 That's part of the upgrade reason, just easy to plug and go. Have you heard the SW11 in person? Any comparison thoughts? The power is different but so is the shape.
@@zoomy942 yes, that's what I had installed prior. It's noticeably louder and the lower end sounds better. It's not going to complete against a standard sealed box subwoofer, but for an under seat sub, I'm very happy with it.
@@VampyreX13 I'm not looking for those sealed boxes, my car is small. My Hertz door speakers and Pioneer deck are fantastic. Just looking for a little more oomph and, in this case, simple install. Sounds like the sound improvement is worth it. Can I ask another question? You've been extremely helpful so far.
@@VampyreX13 Side note, I have mine mounted to the back of the read passenger seats so it has free air movement into the hatchback (2010 Honda Insight).
Hi mate,
Do you know if this sub can be wall mounted?
Cheers.
There's no direct way to mount it to a wall. You'll have to fabricate some sort of bracket.
What am I doing wrong, I don’t have a direct plug in for the rca leaders so iv spliced the 4 wires to left and right speakers, it works but is to basey to the point iv turned the sub power to min and sterio base to min?
I'm running mine through a DSP, so it's not directly tapped into my high outputs. When I had the SW11 model, I had it tapped into the highs for the rear channel and didn't have any issues. Maybe try adding one of those harnesses that gives you an RCA line out and see if that attenuates the signal. Worst case, tap into the rear speakers and then move the fade to the front. That will do the benefit of keeping the sound stage towards the front and turning the subwoofer levels down.
@@VampyreX13 It’s in a van so they only have front speakers 😩
@@markrobinson8575 the headunit doesn't have rear outputs you can tap into? The other option than is to get an inline RCA volume control so that you can turn down the inputs without affecting your other speakers.
@@VampyreX13 my pioneer has a max/ min button on the back dosent this do the same job as a rca volume control?
@@markrobinson8575 I'm not sure what that button does exactly, but if it attenuates the signal for just the subwoofer, then that should be good to use.
How is the sub bass performance?
Of all the various under seat subwoofers I've tested or heard of this size, it's one of the better ones. It's never going to replace a full size subwoofer, but it's clean sounding and manages to fill in a lot of the missing lower end frequencies while having a decent thump.
which one has better bass? ksc-sw11 or ksc-psw8?
The PSW8. If you want more bass, you'll need to go larger, but for a space limited tC, this is the largest that won't take up any usable storage space.
Dear sir, does the remote light stay on when the ignition is turned off ? Is something wrong ?
Blue light
@@dragonfly-f6x that light should turn off when the car is off. What did you tap the power line off of?
Sorry sir, now the light turn off (need time the light turn off). Thank you for your information. 🙏👍
I coonect P. Cont (blue cable sub w) to Amp Control cable Head unit. I right ?
Is right ?
is it possible to have 2 sub in the front?
No, because the factory amp for the lower door speakers is under the drivers seat, so there's no space.
can it fit in the other way/direction
If you turn it 180°, then yes. If you want to turn it 90°, it's going to be too long and stick out the back.
How we can to time align underseat subwoofer?
You would need a head unit with a subwoofer output and time alignment or a 5+ channel DSP. I'm using a PUZU PZ-X4800 in my car, which is one of their newest models, but they have other ones that will work just fine. The nice thing with them is that they are plug and play using the factory stereo harness.
So u have a dedicated subwoofer along with this sub?
No, I only use this subwoofer. I cannot sacrifice any trunk space because of work and my other business.
@@VampyreX13 ok tq for the info :)
is that 2 subwoofers playing or just 1?
Just the one.
@@VampyreX13 thank you so much.
dude why dont u bust out a dremel and just notch or grind away those tabs so u can fit the enclosure underneath the seat???? just take a finaly measurement of the area and the enclosure to make sure all will fit if u clearance those tabs... i have little space in a ford ranger and would love some bump i was thinking some powerful underseat subwoofer all in one enclosure setups one for each seat..... now do you think two units would be overkill? would i need to get an aftermarket headunit just to power multiple units?? thanks in advance god speed,
-pete
I thought about it, but I had some concerns on how far forward I could actually have the sub sit without hitting the pull bar for the seat adjuster. If I hadn't been able to get it to fit the way I have it now, I would have continued to pursue your idea. I think two units would work great, especially since you probably have more internal volume in the Ford Ranger than I have in my tC. I can't do dual subs since I have no space under the drivers side seat, but if you can swing it, there's a video at ua-cam.com/video/93tT-U2yQ_w/v-deo.html showing how to connect a single remote to both subs.
Replaceable woofer speakers?
Maybe? You would need to take it apart to be certain. Why would you want replace the speaker on it anyway?
@@VampyreX13 if incase their is a need to replace or become defective
@@dlandzna if it's outside the warranty period and you're handy with modifying things, you can probably refit the housing with a new speaker.
Is it a good subwoofer for EDM ?
For it's size, it's not to bad. I listen to a lot of EDM in the car and I'm pretty happy with it. If you want better, then you'll need to sacrifice some trunk space.
@VampyreX13 I only listen to electronic (dance) music and I've got a Sedan car. There is no issue for my trunk space. But bass clearance is Important for me. I've got a pair of kenwood hqr1600 coaxial for my back stage. I still don't know what kind of subwoofer I should buy. Underseat or traditional subwoofers ... 200Watt RMS or 500W? Which brand? Kenwood 3017 or Pioneer W312D4 ? Sorry for lots of questions
@erfannazarian in my previous car where I had trunk space, I went with a sealed box set up for clean bass. I also used Dynamat in the trunk to make sure there were no rattles. You might benefit from going to a specialized car audio shop and talking to a technician. Let them know what you're looking for, and they can help you figure out the right fit.
@@VampyreX13 thanks for your advice and for your answers... 🌹
Don't waste your time with underseat subwoofers unless you have to. They should only be installed if you have no room in the trunk for a proper subwoofer AND you don’t already have 6x9 speakers or larger speakers installed. Anyone thinking these are just as good as a proper subwoofer in a box in the trunk will be disappointed.
If you have the room then yes, go with a traditional subwoofer (I prefer a nice sealed box myself). If you're limited on space like me, this Kenwood works great, especially if you can get it time aligned with the other speakers sharing the same frequency range.
Can I fit this in my subcompact car
You're going to have to measure and check. Just use my install as an example of things to check for under you seat. If it's too big, then try out ua-cam.com/video/Emw9rZfS-c8/v-deo.html instead.
I have camry 2015 what should i do with speakr or Subwoofer
Please clarify your question.
Why always on the passenger seat and not the driver seat?
The factory amp for the 6x9's is under the drivers side. I also have my DSP under there taking up the remaining free space.
Got one of these for my truck. Huge disappointment. It rattled from the start like it was blown. The dealer I bought from won’t do anything about it. Kenwood said up to 3 months to get it back. Nothing like throwing away $300 buck
I'm so sorry to hear that. When I got mine, I did notice I had to crank the input down compared to the other Kenwood sub I had or it was too loud. Did you get yours on Amazon as well? If so, contact Amazon customer service if the seller won't help directly.
@@VampyreX13 no I bought it from Amped Audio in Rochester Mn. It’s going in the garbage
Waiting for mine to get delivered
Do you have a dedicated subwoofer out RCA or are you tapping your rear channel? I noticed even more improvement when I moved the subwoofer from tapped / pass-through line to a dedicated subwoofer out channel.
@@VampyreX13 Yea, I have a dedicated subwoofer rca out.
I don't know if your setup allows for crossovers and slopes, but I ended up setting my front speakers' high pass to 80Hz with a 12dB slope and the subwoofer's low pass to 55Hz with an 18 dB slope (so they would cross at -6 dB) with my rears attenuated between 300 and 2000Hz for rear fill only. That seems to work pretty well in my tC at least.
@@VampyreX13 I’m pretty new to these stuffs, so excuse me if I don’t make sense. I have a pretty basic setup with no amp. My speakers (kenwood KFC-X683C) has frequency response of 80hz to 21khz. So, I think I don’t need crossover for them because of their inherent limitations.
@@VampyreX13 Failing that, the head unit has built in DSP equalizer. Im not sure if I tone down the bass in the equalizer, does it affect only the rca port outputs or the preamp outputs as well? The equalizer has a “Ext amp” toggle. Not sure if it’s used to control this.
Whatever just putting a pair of legacy subs in the trunk? Yeah you guys remember that magazine that people sold stereos out of! (I'm son 2001) lol
350x240x75
Please. People. Metric. It is so much simpler!
Trust me, I'm 100% team metric but the specs for this were listed in SAE so that's what I stuck with for this video.