[TWater]

I think I cooked my stock sub woofer. I am driving it with a JVC mono sub amp rated about 125 watts RMS. It sounded great for about a month and then the amp went into protection mode.

I checked the impedance and it says it is 2.2 ohms. I have yet to pull it out of the box. I'll do that tomorrow.

In the mean time, does anybody have a stock driver for sale or suggest a replacement for the stock box? Maybe something a bit more of power handling?

 

[OhSix]

When you say "checked impedance", did you measure 2.2Ω with sub disconnected from the amp? Or are you quoting a spec?

Does protection engage at all times (like when amp is on and idle) or only at high levels?

Re: a replacement driver for the stock enclosure, it won't matter much what you replace the OEM with. Reason being you'll probably not find matching Thiele/Small parameters, so if the OEM is toast just find a shallow 8" that'll fit and call it a day.

If protection is triggering, the voice coil likely fried and if that happened, a DVM should either read open or dead short. There's always the AA battery trick to see if a DC pop can be heard - just make sure the amp is disconnected before doing that.

Recommend searching the forum. Lotsa info from members who trashed the OEM sub in favor of a Bazooka or other small enclosure that'll fit behind the seat. Or, there are enclosures available the rear seat - but you'll lose that storage space. Others have opted for a flat/low profile under front seat option.

FYI: I've been hammer the living dog doo out of the OEM sub with decent 160W amp for over a year. The only *trouble* I've had is the OEM low impedance sometimes triggers protection. A restart fixes that. YMMV

 

[TWater]

The sub was disconnected from the amp when I measured the 2.2 ohms. I pulled the driver out today and checked it again directly on the speaker terminals. It again measured 2.2 but when I gently push the cone in, it went to a dead short. The voice coil is cooked.

The amp's protection keeps switching on and off every second or so even with no driver on the output connected. The final amp is cooked also. It took out the 30 amp fuse on the amp. It is getting replaced under warranty. I would have thought the protection would have saved the amp with a cooked driver.

I ordered this replacement driver: MB Quart DS1-204. Since this driver is a non-vented design, I took out the sub woofer port and sealed it off. I'll stuff the stock box with poly-fill and take my chances. The sub driver only costs $55.

 

[OhSix]

The sub was disconnected from the amp when I measured the 2.2 ohms. I pulled the driver out today and checked it again directly on the speaker terminals. It again measured 2.2 but when I gently push the cone in, it went to a dead short. The voice coil is cooked.

The amp's protection keeps switching on and off every second or so even with no driver on the output connected. The final amp is cooked also. It took out the 30 amp fuse on the amp. It is getting replaced under warranty. I would have thought the protection would have saved the amp with a cooked driver.

I ordered this replacement driver: MB Quart DS1-204. Since this driver is a non-vented design, I took out the sub woofer port and sealed it off. I'll stuff the stock box with poly-fill and take my chances. The sub driver only costs $55.

Odd about the protection circuit, it should have kept the magic smoke inside. *Most* circuits protect against open, shorted and low impedance loads, Popping a 30A fuse ain't trivial.

Nice choice on the driver. Post your impressions when you get everything back together.

 

[Carsmak]

From the sounds of it "MB Quart DS1-204" is going back in the stock box. I'd be interested in pics of the install/upgrade of the stock Sub, while retaining the stock sub box.

Good Luck

 

[TWater]

The replacement amp arrived along with the new MB Quart driver. I took a Dremel to the mounting posts in the stock cabinet. There is a lip that prevented the new driver from sitting flat. I only needed to take off 1/16" off each post. I also carefully peeled the gasket from the back of the driver frame and remounted it to the front. I also drilled some new mounting holes to screw it back in.

I placed some poly-fill and assembled it all back together. I mounted back into the truck for some tests.

The new sub hits low. Much lower than stock. After playing with the crossover point and the level control, I'm not 100% satisfied. It depends what song is playing. Some songs it sounds absolutely great on and others it is like it is not even hooked up! I know it is new and needs time to break in which I am giving it a chance to do.

I'm thinking I might pull the poly-fill back out to raise the tuning frequency of the cabinet higher. I also thought of putting the port back in. On MB Quart's own website, this issue is confusing. On the web page for this woofer it says it can be used in ported or non-ported designs. The instruction sheet that came with it says to only to be used in non-ported designs. Since it didn't cost that much, I think I'll take my chances.

I'll keep you posted to the final result.

 

[Mr Bigs]

The stock sub box I believe is ported and not tuned for that sub. Try blocking the port but you really need to fab a new box.

 

[OhSix]

The replacement amp arrived along with the new MB Quart driver. I took a Dremel to the mounting posts in the stock cabinet. There is a lip that prevented the new driver from sitting flat. I only needed to take off 1/16" off each post. I also carefully peeled the gasket from the back of the driver frame and remounted it to the front. I also drilled some new mounting holes to screw it back in.

I placed some poly-fill and assembled it all back together. I mounted back into the truck for some tests.

The new sub hits low. Much lower than stock. After playing with the crossover point and the level control, I'm not 100% satisfied. It depends what song is playing. Some songs it sounds absolutely great on and others it is like it is not even hooked up! I know it is new and needs time to break in which I am giving it a chance to do.

I'm thinking I might pull the poly-fill back out to raise the tuning frequency of the cabinet higher. I also thought of putting the port back in. On MB Quart's own website, this issue is confusing. On the web page for this woofer it says it can be used in ported or non-ported designs. The instruction sheet that came with it says to only to be used in non-ported designs. Since it didn't cost that much, I think I'll take my chances.

I'll keep you posted to the final result.

MBQ, like other driver OEMs - has to walk a line between novice and advanced hobbyists so they are playing it safe with recommendations. You ain't no novice.

Even if the driver is loosely suspended, its doubtful the cone would overextend to the point of damaging the the coil. At least not during short term aggressive listening. If it doesn't like not being fully air suspended, it'll let you know with a BLAAAT or two.

FYI: with small enclosures and high compliant drivers, I've had good results with high density foam stuffed in ports - acts sort of like a vario-vent allowing a small amount of pressure to escape the cabinet but still provide resistance to floppy suspension systems.

If it were me, I'd uncork the port, leave the fill and give it a go.

 

[TWater]

MBQ, like other driver OEMs - has to walk a line between novice and advanced hobbyists so they are playing it safe with recommendations. You ain't no novice.

Even if the driver is loosely suspended, its doubtful the cone would overextend to the point of damaging the the coil. At least not during short term aggressive listening. If it doesn't like not being fully air suspended, it'll let you know with a BLAAAT or two.

FYI: with small enclosures and high compliant drivers, I've had good results with high density foam stuffed in ports - acts sort of like a vario-vent allowing a small amount of pressure to escape the cabinet but still provide resistance to floppy suspension systems.

If it were me, I'd uncork the port, leave the fill and give it a go.

I did exactly that and it made it come alive! The sub woofer now sounds as good as the original. I have been beating on it for over a week now and no strange noises like the voice coil bottoming out. I can fully recommend this as a replacement driver for the factory sub with a bit more handling power.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[OhSix]

I did exactly that and it made it come alive! The sub woofer now sounds as good as the original. I have been beating on it for over a week now and no strange noises like the voice coil bottoming out. I can fully recommend this as a replacement driver for the factory sub with a bit more handling power.

Thank you for the advice!

Glad it worked out. AFAIK: you are among the very few who have reused the factory enclosure - stuffing it with a high quality driver. Your project may give hope to others who don't care to tackle the larger project of building a new box.

There's a long held belief the the Pioneer designed enclosure simply cannot rival a more traditional enclosure constructed of MDF, ETC. Part and parcel to that belief is no shallow driver (that would fit) in the OEM enclosure is worth the effort cramming into a lousy plastic box.

I'm not in that club. I've measured the OEM sub with steady state 40hz sine waves, white & pink noise, beat on it mercilessly with <10X the power it *should* be able to handle. I remain impressed with its musicality. Said it before, repeating now: the OEM sub isn't going to shake your back bone or part your hair with unrealistic bass that can be heard from 2 block away - it lacks real authority much below 40hz, but what it IS is a competent performer providing definitive low frequency augmentation to even the finest front door low/mid-low frequency drivers.

Beat on that bad boy some more and report back, would you? Safe guess there are forum members here who will follow your path as their OEM bass drivers begin failing with age.

Curious: did you keep the flared port tube in place?

 

[Chev]

Beat on that bad boy some more and report back, would you? Safe guess there are forum members here who will follow your path as their OEM bass drivers begin failing with age.

I am one of those. I currently am very happy with the stock sub. It does what i need it to. However, I have a failing passenger door speaker and when i replace it, I am afraid I am headed down a slippery slope of upgrading everything to maintain the balance.

I would be really curious to know how the upgraded sub performs with the factory amp.......... I gave up on vibrating other car's rear-view mirrors back in high school, but I do like a little kick.

 

[OhSix]

I am one of those. I currently am very happy with the stock sub. It does what i need it to. However, I have a failing passenger door speaker and when i replace it, I am afraid I am headed down a slippery slope of upgrading everything to maintain the balance.

I would be really curious to know how the upgraded sub performs with the factory amp.......... I gave up on vibrating other car's rear-view mirrors back in high school, but I do like a little kick.

@ 81 dB, the MBQ isn't in the high efficiency class of drivers. It's doubtful the OEM head sub amp could drive it to its potential, so a small amp capable of handling a 2Ω load might be advisable - but that decision could be made after replacing the sub speaker and living with it to gauge personal satisfaction.

There are very high efficiency good quality 6.5" mid-woofs available to directly replace the RL's door speakers. If you are pleased with the overall sound and features in your factory head, I wouldn't worry too much about stepping on a slippery slope. If you do invest in new front speakers, you may want to consider a two way component system & replace the woefully inadequate RL dash tweets while your at it. A reasonable cost upgrade that will drastically improve your listening enjoyment.

 

[92se-r]

Is the polyfill necessary? What does it do?

 

[OhSix]

Is the polyfill necessary? What does it do?

Poly fill is only "needed" if/when woofer parameters call for it. In TWaters case, he was treading new water (pun intended) by loading the OEM ported enclosure with a woofer designed for a more-or-less air tight small box. His new woofer benefited from extra air flow resistance afforded by the poly fill.

 

[TWater]

Glad it worked out. AFAIK: you are among the very few who have reused the factory enclosure - stuffing it with a high quality driver. Your project may give hope to others who don't care to tackle the larger project of building a new box.

There's a long held belief the the Pioneer designed enclosure simply cannot rival a more traditional enclosure constructed of MDF, ETC. Part and parcel to that belief is no shallow driver (that would fit) in the OEM enclosure is worth the effort cramming into a lousy plastic box.

I'm not in that club. I've measured the OEM sub with steady state 40hz sine waves, white & pink noise, beat on it mercilessly with <10X the power it *should* be able to handle. I remain impressed with its musicality. Said it before, repeating now: the OEM sub isn't going to shake your back bone or part your hair with unrealistic bass that can be heard from 2 block away - it lacks real authority much below 40hz, but what it IS is a competent performer providing definitive low frequency augmentation to even the finest front door low/mid-low frequency drivers.

Beat on that bad boy some more and report back, would you? Safe guess there are forum members here who will follow your path as their OEM bass drivers begin failing with age.

Curious: did you keep the flared port tube in place?

I have been beating the daylights out of the MBQ for over a month now and nothing has failed! I actually backed off the level control on the amp as it was too much bass from where I originally had set it up.

The original flared port was kept in place along with the poly fill. I wholeheartedly would recommend the MBQ as a replacement for the factory driver.

 

[Lushman]

I know this thread is a year old but I just purchased a 2007 Ridgeline and looking to upgrade the stereo and speakers to add a back up camera as well. I purchased one of the MB Quart woofers to put in the stock box with polyfill and wondering if you wired it 2 ohm or 4 ohm? I am going to be adding an amp but for the time being I will be using the amp off a Pioneer NEX-4200 head unit. Also when replacing the front speakers/tweets with a component set that comes with a crossover, do I use the wires for the speaker in the front door or is there a better place to tap into the signal? (ie where does the signal from the stock deck split to the door and the tweeter)? Love the forum already!
Thanks

 

[TWater]

I know this thread is a year old but I just purchased a 2007 Ridgeline and looking to upgrade the stereo and speakers to add a back up camera as well. I purchased one of the MB Quart woofers to put in the stock box with polyfill and wondering if you wired it 2 ohm or 4 ohm? I am going to be adding an amp but for the time being I will be using the amp off a Pioneer NEX-4200 head unit. Also when replacing the front speakers/tweets with a component set that comes with a crossover, do I use the wires for the speaker in the front door or is there a better place to tap into the signal? (ie where does the signal from the stock deck split to the door and the tweeter)? Love the forum already!
Thanks

I wired my sub up for 2 ohms but it really depends on what amplifier your using to drive it. If your temporary using the head unit, I would wire it to 4 ohms to play it safe. Later on if the sub amp you buy can safely drive 1 ohm, I would rewire it then to 2 ohms.

As for the front speakers and tweeters, I used the original factory wiring but I didn't used a component system. If I were you, I would used the factory speakers wires, mount your crossover in the door and run separate wires up to the tweeter.

 

[Lushman]

Perfect, thanks for the advice! Did you take pics of how you mounted the MB Quart sub? You said you drilled new holes just curious what you drilled them into since the stock sub has flanges for the mounting. Just took mine apart so could use the help otherwise will wing it. I will be installing an amp in a month or so, but for now will be using the amp on the head unit. I am also installing a Pioneer 4200NEX HU soon so that will drive everything until the amp install shortly after. Going 1 step at a time by replacing all the speakers, then HU, and amp. I was planning to do exactly what you mention with the components in the front. I take it there is just a "Y" connection somewhere that splits and goes up to the tweeter and the cap filters out the mid range?

 

[Lushman]

Also forgot to ask how much Poly-Fil did you stuff in there? Do you really pack it in or just kind of loose? Thanks again for the info!

 

[Robert_J]

I know this thread is a year old but I just purchased a 2007 Ridgeline and looking to upgrade the stereo and speakers to add a back up camera as well. I purchased one of the MB Quart woofers to put in the stock box with polyfill and wondering if you wired it 2 ohm or 4 ohm? I am going to be adding an amp but for the time being I will be using the amp off a Pioneer NEX-4200 head unit. Also when replacing the front speakers/tweets with a component set that comes with a crossover, do I use the wires for the speaker in the front door or is there a better place to tap into the signal? (ie where does the signal from the stock deck split to the door and the tweeter)? Love the forum already!
Thanks

If you bought the dual 4 ohm model then you can only wire it to 2 ohms or 8 ohms. If you bought a dual 2 ohm model then you can only wire it as 1 ohm or 4 ohm. While it is possible to just use a single voice coil to meet your impedance needs, that cuts your power handling in half while also impacting your electrical T/S parameters. It is not recommended to run a sub this way.