Car audio help

[Zando_]

Alrighty, so I've got a 2002 mountaineer with an aftermarket sound system, and I'm a total noob with car audio. As in I have no idea what on earth all the wires in my car are (i can change the oil, swapped out the radiator, and can do brakes. That's about the extent of my car knowledge). So I need some help identifying these:

The top white/black/blue cables feed from the head unit (pics later) to the back seat. They're plugged into a black and red wire on the stereo (I'm assuming they're for a woofer). The white one, I don't remember where it comes from. And the red one feeds all the way to the battery. 

 

And here's my head unit:

 

I'd appreciate any help figuring out what these are and what they do. Also, what is a good, not too expensive, small woofer I could get? I'd like one to take the stress off my speakers (they distort when I pump rap and dance music with the windows down, so I have to turn down the music, and then I can't hear it very well), but still be able to fold all the seats up  and carry a bunch of people or stuff. 

[IczerOne]

Some one had a amp back there. The red is power.... The clear wire is the ground...... The rca are audio input for the amp and the blue wire is the remote power on for the amp. That is the best that i can tell from the pic Bob.

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, IczerOne said:

Some one had a amp back there. The red is power.... The clear wire is the ground...... The rca are audio input for the amp and the blue wire is the remote power on for the amp. That is the best that i can tell from the pic Bob.

Thanks. Will I need an amp and capicator to run a woofer? And do you know of any low profile ones that aren't hundreds of dollars (like $300+)? I could get a 6 inch one and build a small housing. I don't really want one to shake my car apart, I just want a good thump and to take the stress off my speakers. 

[IczerOne]

For the size of the SUV the 6" would not fill the inside of it very well. There is to much space in there for it to make a good sound. A set of 10" would be better and you can find them in small boxes and a 500w amp would be good for them. If set right it would give you the right amount of bass. O a eq wont hurt ether. I have done a ton of these things for friends and for myself  over the many years.

[Zando_]

2 minutes ago, IczerOne said:

For the size of the SUV the 6" would not fill the inside of it very well. There is to much space in there for it to make a good sound. A set of 10" would be better and you can find them in small boxes and a 500w amp would be good for them. If set right it would give you the right amount of bass. O a eq wont hurt ether. I have done a ton of these things for friends and for myself  over the many years.

Hmmm. Is an iPhone mic good enough I could post a recording of the sound? It sounds great with the speakers, and I don't want my woofer to be too loud outside the car (would be helpful when I'm in a bad-astronaut mood though). But I see how a 6 inch may be too small. Problem with two woofers, is where to put them? Would a Bazooka work? There's one in my dad's mustang (hasnt run in a while since the fuel pump is out, si I don't remember how it sound). 

[IczerOne]

That would work good. I wanted a 12" Bazooka tube in my truck at one time. With at you want to run it in mono mode and put a choke on it so the high end wont come over it.

[Zando_]

Just now, IczerOne said:

That would work good. I wanted a 12" Bazooka tube in my truck at one time. With at you want to run it in mono mode and put a choke on it so the high end wont come over it.

What's a choke? And will I need a capacitor, or does it have one built in?

[Not_Sean]

I know a few guys with trucks who also buy 8" Sub+Amp, its one unit you slide under the seat and it has the amp built into the box, they are buy no means the greatest for car sound guys but if you just want a little extra thump they are perfect. 

 

Also swapping out the normal speaks for better quality ones makes a big difference. 

[Zando_]

Just now, Not_Sean said:

I know a few guys with trucks who also buy 8" Sub+Amp, its one unit you slide under the seat and it has the amp built into the box, they are buy no means the greatest for car sound guys but if you just want a little extra thump they are perfect. 

 

Also swapping out the normal speaks for better quality ones makes a big difference. 

I know the speakers aren't stock, but IFK what ones they are, since I don't want to rip off a door panel (they're glued on). And I was thinking of a under-the-seat woofer, but I have power seats and the rear ones fold up and down, so there isn't anywhere to fit one. 

[IczerOne]

A farad capacitor is more for your really loud sounds ( like the people that you can hear for a few miles down the road). With that you can run really powerful amp that need the amps for those deep bass notes and it dosent kill the battery and the alternator. A choke is a filter that lets the bass in and the treble out. So for what you want to do you really don't need a cap and check the Bazooka it might have one on it already. 

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, IczerOne said:

A farad capacitor is more for your really loud sounds ( like the people that you can hear for a few miles down the road). With that you can run really powerful amp that need the amps for those deep bass notes and it dosent kill the battery and the alternator. A choke is a filter that lets the bass in and the treble out. So for what you want to do you really don't need a cap and check the Bazooka it might have one on it already. 

And Crutchfield seems to be a big car audio site. Is it he best one for a no like me, or should I stick with Amazon or some other site?

[Not_Sean]

1 minute ago, Zando Bob said:

I know the speakers aren't stock, but IFK what ones they are, since I don't want to rip off a door panel (they're glued on). And I was thinking of a under-the-seat woofer, but I have power seats and the rear ones fold up and down, so there isn't anywhere to fit one. 

you'll be fine it with it, I had the Fiesta ST which is only 3 door in my country, and under drivers seat sat my two amps, under the passanger seat was the 8" Slim sub. and yeah i had no issues with people getting in and out, They were both in boxes and any feet would just hit the side of the box. 

[Not_Sean]

2 minutes ago, IczerOne said:

A farad capacitor is more for your really loud sounds ( like the people that you can hear for a few miles down the road). With that you can run really powerful amp that need the amps for those deep bass notes and it dosent kill the battery and the alternator. A choke is a filter that lets the bass in and the treble out. So for what you want to do you really don't need a cap and check the Bazooka it might have one on it already. 

All the amp'd ive had have had a filter dial for exactly that, Never needed to get a separate unit, Yeah Cap's are bitches but when the headlights dim on every bass hit you buy one pretty quick. 

 

Oh to be young and destroying my ears 

[IczerOne]

I have never dealt with ether of them so i don't really know. Just find somthing that you like and see what they have at a good price.

[Zando_]

Just now, Not_Sean said:

All the amp'd ive had have had a filter dial for exactly that, Never needed to get a separate unit, Yeah Cap's are bitches but when the headlights dim on every bass hit you buy one pretty quick. 

 

Oh to be young and destroying my ears 

Destroying my ears is what I'd don't want to do, so my car not being able to is good for now. And do you and @IczerOne have any recommendations on a good under the seat or Bazooka subwoofer for around $200-$250 max?

 

And I'll respond tomorrow, I gotta get to bed. 

[IczerOne]

Speak for your self i still rock as loud as i can get it,

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, IczerOne said:

I have never dealt with ether of them so i don't really know. Just find somthing that you like and see what they have at a good price.

Something like this: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_204BT1028/Bazooka-BT1028DVC.html ? They've got 6.5", 8", 10", and 12" ones. 

 

 

Aaaand I'm off to bed for real this time. 

[Zando_]

Just now, IczerOne said:

Speak for your self i still rock as loud as i can get it,

Ok, I lied about bed. But yeah, I'll bump it as loud as it gets as well (it annoys me when I have to turn the bass down to keep the volume up, as highs destroy my ears if they aren't balanced), but insanely good sound systems are expensive, take up space with woofers, and would annoy my parents/neighbors when I sit out in the car and bump some tunes. 

[IczerOne]

You know I tryed to go on the cheap I did all right. I still didn't like the sound of it and when i got another truck i spent a few more dollars on a few more things and i had it sounding like a concerts was in there. The tube look right up with what you want to do with it.

[Zando_]

Just now, IczerOne said:

You know I tryed to go on the cheap I did all right. I still didn't like the sound of it and when i got another truck i spent a few more dollars on a few more things and i had it sounding like a concerts was in there. The tube look right up with what you want to do with it.

Yeah, I don't want to go cheap, but I don't need to replace my speakers, so I won't. Until I get a new car (probs in a few years, if my car breaks a lot or wears out, I'll get a 2015 Range Rover, '17 Tacoma, or Focus RS/ST), then I'll replace and upgrade the sound system as a whole. 

[IczerOne]

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_204BTA1010/Bazooka-BTA10100.html

 

 

This could be better. All in one tube.

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, IczerOne said:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_204BTA1010/Bazooka-BTA10100.html

 

 

This could be better. All in one tube.

Nice! So I just plug those wires into it and away I go? And it's only 100W, does that make a difference, or do watts not matter so much?

[IczerOne]

It is a little more but it has the amp built in. A space saver there.

[IczerOne]

It can but is in what you want out if it. For a little thump that will work good.

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, IczerOne said:

It is a little more but it has the amp built in. A space saver there.

Once I pay myself back (Thad to draw from my long term savings to cover the rad breaking and a brake change), I'll try and get on of those. Any other affordable options to help my car audio? Here's a simple one: what's a good, durable 3.5mm jack to plug my phone in with?