VE V Calais subwoofer + amp upgrade

[nikolatesla]

i have a 2008 VE V Calais and want to upgrade the stereo system. what i mainly want is a sub (or two depending on the price). i know i will need an amp for this but don't know what to look for... the stock speakers are pretty good so I'll leave them in as they are now.

i have no clue what to look for or how to install them, can someone help me.

much appreciated

[VesperZ]

To be honest there is no point in adding a sub or two if you're not planning to upgrade your speakers. In the Calais you should already have 2 8" subs in the parcel shelf. As soon as you upgrade your subs/amp your speakers won't be able to keep up. Even if you just get a decent set of splits for the front and amp them as well would be enough.

[HCVP]

There are a few options for improving the sound, whilst still retaining the factory speakers. Allthough the stock speakers aren't the best, there are a few of them.The main issue is that they are all running in full pass. This limits both their power handling capabilities, and their overall volume.Even average speakers, like the one's found in the VE, can be tuned and setup to perform quite a bit better than they currently do. In saying that, even a good set of splits running in full range, even if they are amplified, "can" make little to no difference also. Think value for money!

Upgrading the speakers just on their own wouldn't really bring much of an improvement. Aftremarket speakers (depending on what you went for) would most likely be slightly more efficient, but still won't offer much performance for your money unless you accompanied them with an amp, so you wouldn't be getting good value there. A good set of speakers really only begin to perform at the best above a certain fq, and again depending on their sensitivity rating, with a certain amount of power input. But there is no point in driving arond with your fronts at 100hz, and having no bass to back them up. Making a small improvement to all area's, is better than making a large improvement to one area. (unless you have future plans beyond this, and are simply buying one component at a time)

I think its best that you add to your budget, a cheap 4 channel amp. Not really for the point of providing more power to the speakers, but for added tuning capabilties. Running your stock speakers on a HPF, will undoubtebly bring a noticible difference.

Matched with a suitable sub and amp package, there is decent sound to be had. Also keep in mind that the VE is a new vehicle, it is therefore much quieter also. This brings an overall improvement in all sound fequencies, and it also means that at a later date, that a decent set of speakers is just a drop in replacement away, from a complete setup.

OP - There's point in saying (depending on the price) give us your budget, and we can tell if if it's worth while or not. A sub and amp can be added pretty cheap, BUT, using a cheap sub, can sometimes be seen as poor component choice, this relates especially to the size of the vehicle. Sometimes your money can be better spent elsewhere, with more gains for your money spent.

Allthough most outlet's wont tell you this, sometimes it can be better to get the most out of what components your allready have, rather than replacing them with something of better quality, that your unable to make perform at thier best. For e.g, $150 worth of Dynamatt to your front doors, is likely to sound better than $150 speakers in your front doors, as a one off purchase.

Some may dissagree, this is only my opinion. I do not own a store, and i am completely unbiased. Free advice is worth what you pay for it.

[davey g-force]

i have a 2008 VE V Calais and want to upgrade the stereo system. what i mainly want is a sub (or two depending on the price). i know i will need an amp for this but don't know what to look for...

If you have a Calais V, you should have the "premium" sound system, which means you'll already have an amp powering your two subs.

the stock speakers are pretty good so I'll leave them in as they are now.

You're kidding right? lol

[HCVP]

Their not subs, their midbass drivers. The don't produce sub bass frequencies.

A good idea if you have the 8'' free air factory in the parcel shelf, would be to seperate them from the boot, and still use them for midbass duties.

[BLKVESV6]

i have a ve sv6 ute and i was just going to get a sub and an amp but was told without upgrading the splits it wont sound right. Im getting a kicker system, there a good brand and a reasonable price aswell

[StoneX]

You guys are driving me crazy... How to Use There, Their and They're - wikiHow

You can add a sub without changing the speakers, it will add a bit of bass but you're likely to want to turn your speakers up louder then and they won't handle it.

[D3CID3R]

You guys are driving me crazy... How to Use There, Their and They're - wikiHow

You can add a sub without changing the speakers, it will add a bit of bass but you're likely to want to turn your speakers up louder then and they won't handle it.

agreed you will get to a point where you will just end up with distortion

[davey g-force]

You guys are driving me crazy... How to Use There, Their and They're - wikiHow

lol I hear you mate. Not as bad as "your" vs "you're"
That shits me to tears!

[davey g-force]

Their not subs, their midbass drivers. The don't produce sub bass frequencies.

Whilst the VE "subs" are not good quality by any means, they certainly reproduce sounds that are lower than typical mid-bass frequencies.

I recently turned the gain up on my amp and the "subs" actually produce some pretty low frequencies. Pity they don't do it too well or too loud!

[HCVP]

Whilst the VE "subs" are not good quality by any means, they certainly reproduce sounds that are lower than typical mid-bass frequencies.

I recently turned the gain up on my amp and the "subs" actually produce some pretty low frequencies. Pity they don't do it too well or too loud!

That's why they are not, they're, or thier lol, mid bass drivers, not subs.

Even in an enclosure you can tune a 6 inch driver to play low frequencies, but it just won't play loud, or clear, because it's a midrange driver.