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OEM Sub & 6" Powered Bazooka Sub

POLL: OEM Sub & 6" Powered Bazooka Sub

6K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  Spoot 
#1 ·
What do you guys think????

Seeing that there is room for 6" Powered Bazooka sub on the other side of inside of the seat, I couldn't think of a reason not to run both options.

First of all with the Powered Bazooka's, you can run them through line level (no amp) setups, and with powered setups as they accept both types of inputs.

Although I find the OEM Sub acceptable, a little more power is always nice!


I know I will lose a bit of the OEM Subs power since I would be splitting it, but.......
 
#2 · (Edited)
Running two dissimilar subs is almost always a bad idea. It is certain that the two would not be completely in phase because of different signal paths and amplification. The two subs have different frequency response.

I am not as positive about Bazooka subs as some here. I think most of them sound tubby and have loose bass. Compared to no subwoofer I agree they are better. I would rather keep the OEM sub and use a better amp than replace it with a 6 inch Bazooka. An 8 inch Bazooka might be a small improvement.

More is rarely better.
 
#4 ·
Running two dissimilar subs is almost always a bad idea. It is certain that the two would be completely in phase because of different signal paths and amplification. The two subs have different frequency response.
Yeah! and at the same time, how are you going to connect both with just the 5th channel from the factory HU?
2 great responses. :act035:

Me thinks, it would be better to remove the OEM Sub, and put in 2 Bazooka's.

This way, I could still use the powered OEM Sub speaker wire with Bazooka, and you can also send the signal from one bazooka to another without much loss. Also having 2 Subs should sound really, really good compared to the OEM setup, and all this while out of sight!

Thanks for your input, and anymore is welcome! :act064:
 
#3 ·
Yeah! and at the same time, how are you going to connect both with just the 5th channel from the factory HU?

Splitting the signal would be a bad idea. You will need to use the rear door channels to connect the bazooka and you will loose the rear channels for bass.

If you do that you may get away with setting the bazooka crossovers above 100Hz just to compensate and not sending the same frequencies to both subs. You may like it, but you will loose the rear channels unless you hook up the fronts and rear in series, but then the OUT PUT LEVEL. :act035: would lower. Right Hofffam?
 
#6 ·
I don't pay too much attention to the power ratings of powered subs. A sub with x watts at 2 ohms doesn't tell us how loud it plays because we don't know the efficiency of the sub itself.

A six inch driver though cannot generate much deep bass or much loud bass.

A Bazooka is a vented (ported) sub in a unique package. The port is kind of "outside" the cabinet instead of completely enclosed like most vented subs. Since the cabinet is a long tube, they can use a long port, which allows tuning that might not be easy in a traditional cabinet. You could achieve the same thing with a long box, but Bazooka can save money by using inexpensive plastic tubing (which is inherently strong).

If the Bazooka used a premium (long xmax, stiff cone, etc.) 6 inch driver, it might perform better than it can with its inexpensive parts.

That's why I have my doubts that a six inch Bazooka will outperform the OEM sub, which is also a vented system.
 
#7 ·
For me the 6" Bazooka is an improvement over the OEM sub. However the bass from the Bazooka is pretty muddled. It has alot of volume just not that crisp. I listen to alot of jazz and was told the 8" has better sound quality for Jazz, but I didn't want to lose space under the seat. I wouldn't want to add a second 6", as it is my back seat passenger can feel the bass in their back. While tht 6" is an improvement over the OEM, it won't win any contests in my opinion. Maybe someone with different music tastes could chime in?
 
#9 ·
For sure the 8" will be much better. I had the 8" in my CRV and it was short of awesome for it's size, and I had a 6" in my del Sol which was decent!

No matter what Sub you put back there, your passengers are gonna feel it, so 1 or 2 Bazooka's won't make a difference.
 
#10 ·
MTC: At my advanced age, I still find myself listening to what others would refer to as annoying music (trance, house, hip hop, techno, anything with heavy bass and some synthesizers), that being said, the OEM sub just didnt cut it, so I switched to the (no longer in business) eD sub, sounded great, but it blew within 2-3 weeks, so, went with the 8" Bazooka sub, and Ive never looked back!:act035: Now granted its not competition sound but it sure rattles the car windows of other people around me:act018:, and I dont have to crank up the OEM HU to 25 and 30 like before, just getting to 7 and the kids are telling me to turn it down! Cheaper if your on a budget with huge improvement in sound and highly recommended. I wouldnt do two Bazookas, unless you dont care much for the underseat storage, again, MTC.
 
#12 ·
Were getting off topic here.

I am talking about the OEM location ONLY!

Obviously getting a bigger woofer/box with external amp will give better bass. That's a given! :act035:
 
#14 ·
Ya cost is definately an issue, but like mentioned, it's all about the hidden area.

I was impressed with my 6" bazooka for it's size in my open roof car (del Sol), so I know it would be just that much better in the RL.

But ya, your not going to get deep bass out of it, but much deeper than the OEM door speakers, and I can guaranty it's going to be much better & louder than the OEM Sub.

I am mildly satisfied with the OEM sub, finding just acceptable, so ya adding 2 bazooka's would get a little expensive!
 
#16 ·
Good point. I did that with my 6" and 8" Bazooka's, same with the amp (gain) volume or whatever that button was called!

I could only imagine how nice a 10" Bazooka would sound under the seat, especially for it's price with amp built in, and ease of hookup!
 
#18 ·
True, however I am sure the Bazooka manufacturers thought of those issues and not only paired the sub and amp properly but also set some limits on the gains to avoid any warranty claims and issues that could give them a bad reputation. There is always a risk pushing the gains on one of those bazooka systems, just not as much as some users may think.

That is why setting the gains with a voltmeter in a very conservative way is the best way to make sure both the amp and sub perform without major stress. And usually only in cases where the Power amp is equal or far exceeds the subs power handling. Like a 500 watt amp and a 250 watt max power rating sub. It is very difficult to do for a first timer, not really recommended or needed if the amp is rated at 40% less power than the sub's power handling just to throw a number. I real use it really depends on the music, the user and the time being constantly used. I set my voltage very conservatively under the power rating, then check for peaks with a cd that has very low deep sound and go from there, again only if the amp far exceeds the sub's power rating. It is way easier to throw a CD that plays louder than most and has deep bass.
With the bazooka I would not worry too much pushing the limits but why risk it. It will surprise many how many bazooka users have the dial at max and they hardly have any issues. :act035:
 
#19 ·
Ok, so I just installed the factory sub/box. I don't know why people complain, that thing sounds great. I have a an ok amp with cross over pushing it. But me and the guys at the shop were surprised at how well it sounded for oem.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact I have infinities 6.5 in doors with a nice HU and it all comes together? But still sounds great for the money.
 
#20 ·
The OEM Sub does sound ok, just acceptable in my books, but sometimes acceptables just isn't enough.

Having had 2 bazooka's before (6" & 8") I know that it is better than OEM Sub!
 
#21 ·
I'd been thinking about trying to have my shop build the eD-style box, but it was getting expensive. I mean for the cost of the box, I could have "enough" bass. I think the OEM sub is ok, and while I do listen to some music with a bit of thump I don't wanna kill it. I just want some low end for what I listen to. I mean hell - I listen to a lot of talk radio on Sirius these days. Maybe the 6" bazooka is enough. It is certainly cheap enough to start with, and if I don't like it then with the power already there I can always say "ok, build me a real box".
 
#22 ·
I used to consider myself an audio junkie. Now, I'm an ex-junkie that still wants a little something but not cost a fortune.

OE subs suck. period. They are better than not having one, though. When I got my RTS, I was kinda happy that it had a sub, because I have been without a highend system for a number of years....just budget-friendly systems. (10", homebuilt box & small amp).

After 'living'with the sub in RL, I decided I just wanted a "little bit" more - keep it simple and easy. enter the 6" 200w Bazooka.
I had it installed and it gave me exactly what I was looking for. just a "little bit" more. Little being the keyword.
With this next RTS, I am shopping for the 8" powered. I want a little more than just a "little more".

btw - I'm very much like cooper_abq. Probably a little old to be stuck on BEP, LMFAO, and Robin Skouteris (mixes).
 
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