Stagea Amplifier Mounting Suggestions

[ssshonky]

as the title suggests- I am looking for suggestions on where to mount a few amps in a C34 Stagea (s2)

I would like to keep the back of the rear seats free of amps, so that if we want to use the full length of the cargo area we can ( to sleep in or carry a door etc )

I *think* one of the amps will fit under the passengers seat.. but never really too keen to mount it there just in case it catches fire.

Another idea was to make a MDF box that goes behind the backs of the rear seats but sits ahead of the rear strut towers. Would obviously be triangular in cross section but rectangular looking at it from behind.

I was thinking you could then mount the sub in the enclosure and maybe mount the amps to the side of that. Only thing against this are :

A) will be quite heavy.

B) I will need to work out a " quick release " cabling system so the entire box can be lifted out of the wagon when we need the room

The 3rd option is to make a false floor .. but this will cost heaps and probably be heavier than a box behind the seat.

Any suggestions anyone?

[Lil_Bobby_260]

look up these sony amps - XM1S, XM4S

Believe it or not they are pretty decent. Make good power and they are a very small weight and footprint. You could mount them uner seats very easy. XM1S is a monoblock (500RMS at 2ohm) so will easily power one or two subs. The XM4S is a 4ch. 60w RMS per channel at 4 ohm, bit more at 2ohm.

[chook]

There is a considerable amount of void space for amps in the rear left 1/4 panel area behind the flip down door, where the factory 6-stacker is/was. Might require a PC fan or two to cool it.

[Tangles]

yeah my sub box is a quick release (in a sense) with amp mounted on back, sits behind passenger rear wheel well, between wheel well and boot door. strapped down (button press to release) and wired up (no more than a few screws to undo wires).

behind wheel wells with amp on sub box is my recommendation.... unless you use the actual spare wheel area

[ssshonky]

yeah.. I think a quick release box behind the seats might be a go.

and Bobbehh.. I already have the amps ( and have an irrational hate of Sony amps ahaha)

so I will have to make do with what I have.. as its not even a amp thats seen much action!

the other thing is I might eventually have 3 amps to mount ( as they are doing front /rear / sub ) so I will also have to run wiring for the front and rear speakers. I am sure I will find the connectors so that I can make the front and rear speakers in one plug.

and chook - yeh I saw that little area and might use that but I keep my tools and tiedown straps in there

[_Ryan_]

mine are under the front seats...

[MRO]

I removed the space saver spare wheel and now carry a can of tyre fill/inlfator stuff. Amp and tools mount nicely in the spare wheel well. How far would you really drive on the space saver anyway?

I couldnt fit it anywhere else without it being in the way when i wanted to fold the seats down - too much effort to unwire the amp and have live power cables lying around.

[MyStag260]

Pretty much saying what everone else is... under seats. Its really the best option because

(a.) they are hidden from all angles of the car which is a total plus for security

(b.) no extra weight needs to be added to the car, also meaning less hassel in constructing amp racks. This includes making a false floor

(c.) if you construct an amp rack say that holds the amps which you can take out when you need to carry things you will be driving very quite... as with no amps you'll have no sound. If you are camping or moving from one state to another say that will be a really boring trip

I have a removable sub box with an amp under each seat and a small amp behind the little door in the rear quarter pannel. The other week i traveled out to get a bunny hutch for my woman, i took out the sub box and squeezed the big bastard in there still have fronts and rears pumping no worries.

Just my opinions good luck with the install

Cheers

Edited March 18, 2008 by MyStag260

[ssshonky]

thanks guys for all the advice.. hmm under the seats is sounding a good idea at the moment

will make for fairly short speaker cable runs too .

and I guess I could just bolt the amp for the sub to the sub enclosure,

I think I am just going to go slowly slowly and try and run the speaker cabling this weekend and maybe do a dummy fit under the seats.

the head unit powering the speakers as it is now is nice and clean/clear but needs more powaaahh..

[MyStag260]

hahaha powaahh, 'u don't know the powaahh of the dark side!!'

[_Ryan_]

i just take my sub out when i need too and tuck the cables lol, still have F/R's pumped lol

[ssshonky]

Ryan ( or anyone else reading this ) did you have to take your seats out?

I have done waay too many installs being slack and not taking the seats out .. and usually means you need to contort like a chinese gymnast to get to anything.. so I am thinking it might be best to take the seats out. I presume there are some looms./connectors for the electric seats?

[MyStag260]

oooo electric seats... that motor is pretty big i think might have issues getting amps under there if they are tall. But yeah gota take the seats out, if your running cables along the door sills and up near the gear box you need to get ur hands up under the carpets and there really isn't any way of doing it with the seat in.

Also if you are planning on mounting the amp using screws ull def need to take em out, alot of people just opt for velco which works just as well i guess.

Cheers

[_Ryan_]

could leave em in and use velcro i guess, but mine came out and used screws. DO NOT CONNTECT THE BATTERY AT ANY TIME WITH SOMEONE IN THERE(airbags), also dont connect it with the seats out, dont know what the plugs on the bottom are.

[ssshonky]

yeah I woudl more than likely leave the power off till I got everything in place then re-connect the battery for the " smoke test "

[Demoniak]

look up these sony amps - XM1S, XM4S

Believe it or not they are pretty decent. Make good power and they are a very small weight and footprint. You could mount them uner seats very easy. XM1S is a monoblock (500RMS at 2ohm) so will easily power one or two subs. The XM4S is a 4ch. 60w RMS per channel at 4 ohm, bit more at 2ohm.

You just dropped a level of coolness/respect in my books with that disgusting comment about sony being "pretty decent".

They are a piss poor effort of sound gear. (kidding, not about the gear, just losing respect)

Anyway. back to the OP.

Yeah under the seats is an ok thing.. however if you got peeps in the back you could be constantly on guard that the dont kick them / the cables etc.

Having them on the back of the seats is a pain for that kinda car ( on my s13 i had the subs behind the seat and the amps rebuilt into the boot.

I think i have some pics up of it on my mygay account www.myspace.com/twizted_fate i think its under s14 sound system.. something like that.

Anyway.. what i am thinking about doing for my stag, is taking the cheese wheel out and mounting the subs in there( i got some nice Rainbow V subs to put in), and possibly the amps in there too (however i got 2 x 2000 amp's sitting here at home so i doubt it will fit) but if they dont fit i will mod the side walls.

Problem is until i get it and start ripping apart the back i wont know really.

After market sound systems can be a bit of a pain to put in sometimes.. 15k spent on 1 car *shudders im an addict* but i thought it was worth it.

remember to sound proof.. and think style too.. a dual non mounted sub box blows chunks.. think of intergration with the vehicle

[Stagea_Neo]

I've got an amp under the drivers and passenger seat, no issues with clearance.

Not sure how big your amp is, but as per my photos, used some 16mm laminated

wood that was laying around and put and amp in the spare wheel area.

[yokotas13]

step one

buy bride reclinable seat brackets

step two, mount in the HUGE space under it

I am putting two amps and a car pc under my brides lol

[Lil_Bobby_260]

You just dropped a level of coolness/respect in my books with that disgusting comment about sony being "pretty decent".

They are a piss poor effort of sound gear. (kidding, not about the gear, just losing respect)

Anyway. back to the OP.

Yeah under the seats is an ok thing.. however if you got peeps in the back you could be constantly on guard that the dont kick them / the cables etc.

Having them on the back of the seats is a pain for that kinda car ( on my s13 i had the subs behind the seat and the amps rebuilt into the boot.

I think i have some pics up of it on my mygay account www.myspace.com/twizted_fate i think its under s14 sound system.. something like that.

Anyway.. what i am thinking about doing for my stag, is taking the cheese wheel out and mounting the subs in there( i got some nice Rainbow V subs to put in), and possibly the amps in there too (however i got 2 x 2000 amp's sitting here at home so i doubt it will fit) but if they dont fit i will mod the side walls.

Problem is until i get it and start ripping apart the back i wont know really.

After market sound systems can be a bit of a pain to put in sometimes.. 15k spent on 1 car *shudders im an addict* but i thought it was worth it.

remember to sound proof.. and think style too.. a dual non mounted sub box blows chunks.. think of intergration with the vehicle

i have had heaps of sony gear with no dramas, including those amps. ive run them up against kenwood kac8103d kac8152d, and 8401d, and they detroy the pioneer gm7*00M monos. THese are all in the same price point, and running the same pair of JL subs, didnt come close. Plus, they are a tiny footprint amp, and fit under ur seats no worries. twice the warranty period of the other brands, not that ive had to send them away. Very happy with them for the money, reliability, practicality and power they put out. Sony have put out some shite products but have definitely picked up their game a LOT over the last two years. Ive seen more pioneer and kenwoods come back thats for sure.

FOr a budget option that DOES sound good, fits anywhere, and lasts, they are hard to beat champ. That is speaking from experience, yours may differ. Its not about respect, just means that ive only ever done well with the product.

[_Ryan_]

sony doesnt sound good, the best bang/buck is JVC for deck's.

watch how you mount em, might be getting my soundstream sub amp repaired due to a mate kicking the terminals