DIY Subwoofer vs. Store-bought 

Highschool in the early 2000's this was more important than the rest of the car.

Your ability to stall for time till the turbo comes in yet keep everyone's attention and keeping them pumped is nothing short of amazing...nice work lol

Having a custom box will always allow you to have a better (most importantly) sounding system as well as a nice looking one. But I hate the people who shame others for going with a pre-fabbed box. Not everyone has the tools and time to make their own box, and for people like me, who aren't concerned about having the most SPL we can get from sub and just want some nice bass while we're driving to the ski resort, without spending an entire day planning out and building a sub box, made it worth it for me

is there anything Zach cant do? like seriously I'm binging the Money Pit playlist and this guy friggen does EVERYTHING, seriously hiring this guy was the best thing donut has ever done ever

2021: *turbo still not here* Zach: *How to make your own car from the ground up (part 5)*

I am Zack this is moneypit, and we are having a really hard time getting our hands on a turbo kit

He even measured the inside sound level of the diy sub with the trunk open which definitely makes a difference in air- and so sound-pressure. Measuring it with closed trunk like the kicker one it’d probably kick even more..

100% the best ad segway in a long time, it was genuinely interesting and well worth Hyundai's money

this was literally one of the best commercials donut has ever done

Money Pit is still the best series. Dont tell James i said that.

Once I heard him testing bass with that song... My nostalgia kicked in... I'm crying from happiness xD

"MDF is very expensive." *laughs in plywood*

Not even going to lie that was the most beautiful ad I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching

Man, Wednesday's are my favorite days just because of Money Pit

I think that this is my favorite video from Donut so far. I still have a lot to watch, but this one is very easy to follow almost as a tutorial while being chill, funny, and engaging. I feel like Im in the garage with these guys and as someone who doesnt have people around who work on cars, this is incredible to experience. Thanks for making me feel like I belong in the projects🤘

That 100A fuse supplied by Kicker for the amp IS THE CORRECT SIZE! Yes, the math he did is correct, BUT, the engineers at Kicker know a little bit about the power consumption of the amp they designed and they also know where the danger zone is for the components inside of it, hence the 100A fuse enclosed in the box. While the unit has the ability to pull (Zack's math) 111 amps, that only happens for very brief periods of time as even with the volume turned up all the way the music has peaks and valleys of the signal/frequencies being sent to the amp with the lowest ones pulling the most amount of current or amperage. The fuse supplied can handle more than 100 amps on a regular basis, as long as it does so in very short spurts. To blow the 100 amp fuse supplied by Kicker would require a constant test signal from the head unit of 20Hz for an extended period of time. Automotive type fuses are time delay, so those little spurts to 111A are not an issue. WHAT IS AN ISSUE though is when for some reason, a malfunction occurs that makes the amplifier start to pull over 100 amps for a long period. If that happens, the 100 amp time delay fuse will pop after a specified length of time and break the connection BEFORE IT CAUSES ANY MAJOR DAMAGE like a fire, toasting your sub or having the amplifier internals melt and run out like candle wax. Zack is a sharp guy and what he did and said seems to make a lot of sense to him and probably most viewers? Before applying what seems like good logic to electricity (AC or DC), always verify your logic with fact. Assumptions can lead to problems and this one could be bad? These are awesome videos with great information and I'm sorry to even post this but it could be a serious issue for someone? (Nobody is perfect?)

Glad Money Pit wasn't skipped. This is the highlight of my week.

Can we talk about how a car ad actually made me want a car for the first time in a long time

Good video, I've built a heap of enclosures over the years and the explanation here was simple and easy to follow. I'd add a few small points; 1. When using MDF, always wear a mask when cutting or sanding. MDF is made with some pretty nasty chemicals and you don't want to be inhaling the dust. 2. If you are running power through your car (in the case of a battery in the front) it's a good idea to use some plastic conduit around the cable to protect it from damage. It's an extra level of protection against something going wrong. 3. Best practice is to run the power cable the opposite side to your fuel lines. Hope those tips help anyone looking to build their own box or do their own install. Well worth doing!

That's why they add all that filler in the box, its supposedly simulates the box being a little bit bigger, so you can undersize it to save room and material and add that stuff to help, I would still just build the right size box over adding that stuff

Zack: explains specifications for amps clearly. Me: “I like your funny words magic man!”

He's gonna do an air freshener comparison next.

Great comparison between building your own subwoofer and buying one from a store! Both options have their pros and cons, but ultimately it comes down to personal preference and budget. Thanks for sharing this informative video!

Amplifier power can exceed the woofer's power handling* . It doesn't hurt to have a bit of headroom for dynamics. Also, if deciding to upgrade subs, a new amp isn't necessary. *as long as you don't turn it up to the point of distortion.

Donut, we are indescribably disappointed that the Pop-up Headlights song wasn't used to test the bass!

I've been a bass head for almost 20 years. They gave solid info. I also like when new bass heads think the cops are always on the way.

My best setup was 2 alpine type s 12” with a kenwood 1000 watt amp in a Memphis box It took up whole trunk was not ported and my buddy was in the back seat one day and I had to turn it down because it was effecting his breathing. Loved that setup

At the climax of the build your sunglasses sitting on the box made me do a double take. It looked at first glance that you had two little ports pointing towards the back 😂

dear Donut Media, i think it would be pretty interesting if you guys did an Up To Speed on Donut Media itself, telling how the channel came to be, the backstory and everything else! just an idea i had when i woke up this morning tho.

"Hey, let's blur the front number plate" "Yeah, cool" "Oh, let's not do this for the rear plate"

So I'm not a "car guy" but I do find these videos amazing because of how their directed. Of course each of your characters are great as well. On a different note I live offgrid and have one sketchy part of my solar set up that you just taught me how to fix. Thanks

I did the prefab route with my last sub replacement. My 2014 Focus ST had the stock 8" sub box in it, and I replaced it with a Kicker Comp RT 43TCWRT672 6.75" sub box, and I am driving it with an Audio control LC2i, and a Kicker DXA250.1 amp. It plays louder, deeper and harder than the OEM Resin box, plus it is actually smaller and lighter too. I went this way, because I still use the cargo/hatch area everyday.

You guys are the only people who have ever made me say “dang man I want a hyundai” that car is awesome

No ones talking about how they got vin diesel and John cents for that ad?

To get the most out of your money when installing a system I have used five-channel amps. I currently have 4, 3 Rockford Fosgate amps, and one pioneer. These amps run from 200-250$ on amazon. In each of my cars with these amps, they power four 6.5 inch door panels, and a 10 or 12-inch sub. In my opinion this is the best bang for your buck and these are enough to shake the glass on your car.

Me and my uncle built a custom sub box out of the cheapest plywood we could find (I was 16 and broke) and it turned out to sound better than most systems I've had since. Still blows my mind to this day.

So i'll add a couple of extra points here: 1. You should always go for an amp that is slightly more powerful than the sub because that will actually factor into how precisely your sub will kick. If the amp has a power reserve, then it wont be streched close to its limits and will hold the sub in place. You can always dial the amp down if you are getting distortions 2. Its nice that amp draw was explained but its also a good point to also check out how many amps worth of fuses are in your actual amp. 3. Line adapters/converters or more known as High-to-low converters are an option to add that needed RCA connection to stock headunits but almost always come with worse sound quality because you are splicing into speaker signals. 4. Theres also a 3rd type of enclosure: Bandpass 5. Huge props on actually knowing and explaining that enclosures are built to car parameters and volume needed for sub parameters and also that the the length of the port has an effect on frequency response. Also pro tip: If your enclosure is shallow you can often win some port length by going L shape. 6. Building a proper upto spec enclosure is always better than stock enclosures because you maximize the effectiveness of your sub. With some subs the difference is less noticeable with some its alot more noticeable. 7. I would've personally gone for a more directed sub + port direction into the cabin as currently the setup will be very close to the trunk and possibly some sound will get lost there. If it were built as directed into the cabin the result while inside would most probably be better. But anyway you did a nice job and i see you've done your research.

I’m wanting to do a 280z build based off of the vehicles in Tron Legacy, and man, these videos have helped me so much with knowing what I need, what I want, and what’s unrealistic

I don't know what is with Hyundais but their gear boxes are just so wonderful to shift and just love to click into where they need to go. When my driving instructor pulled up in a i30 after previously learning in one I knew I was in for a nice time. Wish I could afford one though!

Zack feels like a cool brother who just explains the world to you

“This is money pit and today we are FINALLY GOING TO TURBO........the sound system” Totally looking forward to next weeks episode on seat covers

"Super Secret Test Facility". "I think we just got the cops called on us". Love it.

I got a Bazooka self powered 8" to add to my factory Honda Fit Sport stereo(which sounds surprisingly good for a factory system. And I say that as someone who used to put in aftermarket systems in my previous cars in the 90's before marriage, a mortgage, and kids!) and it fills the out the bottom end beautifully. I'm under no illusions that it sounds as good as a dedicated designed aftermarket system, but it sounds more than great for anyone who appreciates an good full sounding audio system. For a total of $150 for the Bazooka, including installation, I really can't or wouldn't complain!

Zack: turbo? Part supply: nah we got subs tho

Fun Fact: One of the buff dudes' actually John Cena, you just couldn't see him

Like the video, it brought back memories to me in the late 80's early 90's when I was into all the car stereo. For me it wasn't about just base it was the all around sound for I entered alot of car stereo shows & they judge on quality of sound & looks. Lots of money was spent on it as well. Out of 4 or 5 shows I entered I won 2nd place, highest sound pressure level "in my class" & best in show. The highest DP I ever got was a 138 decibels which was alot back 30+ years ago.

I have an 08 G35 Sedan. Had to mod the trunk slightly after buying a premade box with two 12"s. Should have just stuck with 10"s as they fit better. But will have to do more Mods in the future to get it to the way I want (Will probably just build my own box). Thanks for the awesome videos. Hope all is well and have a Donut Day.

I had a sub in my first car, it will make my mirrors fall from time to time..VW Golf mk 2

Zack: I’m going to measure it from about a meter away Also Zack: immediately places meter half a foot away

Great comparison between building your own subwoofer and buying one from a store! Both options have their pros and cons, but ultimately it comes down to personal preference and budget.

Someone that actually takes the fuse into account! Thank you for actually doing that! Most don't even think of the fuse and choke their amps. Try it out on actual SPL meter, such as an SMD one, those DB Meyers are not accurate for you are doing. I believe you are reaching a hitting much higher to Jan 108 DB.

"You'd think we would do 1600 watts since that's what it says on the box, but instead, we're going to do about 1600 watts"

I appreciate how normal his garage is, like random supplies along the walls and his golf clubs right next to the work table. Shows how approachable a lot of the work he’s done on the series really is.

This video really helped me to understand the *BASS - ICS* of modifying your car audio

I bought an pre-made enclosure for my sub. It was like $80 and it sounds awesome. I did a lot of research first so I made sure to find the one that has the proper volume and tuning for my Sub. I'm not loaded so I just got the cheapest DVC Kicker that I could get which was a comp c, which is like 300w rms. I got a matching kicker d mono class sub and it's pretty awesome in my 2003 Honda Accord Coupe. Only cost a few hundred dollars for the box, sub and amp. and another i think $50 or so for the wiring kit.

If it's not dislodging your heart from your ribcage, you probably need a better sub setup

"Im Zach, and this is 'Stall til we get turbo parts'..." Still entertaining though.

I’m running 2 12 inch kickers with 1000w Kenwood amp and its pretty good, especially for a budget build

Two things: You could have had a longer port had you run it out of the side of the box (less chance pf filling it with spilled M&Ms), and 5th Order Isobaric speaker boxes have been around since the 90s. Sealed boxes with nothing but ports that feel like a fist punching you with air. I've only recently discovered your video channel, and dig what you guys do. Keep up the work!

So in short, just make your entire car's doors and trunk full of any subwoofers you can find for maximum sound density

Zack needs a "sileighty" S13 and do some crazy mods with it.

Haven't got them hooked up in the new car yet but I'm running twin L7 12". Love the square kickers!!

You should have used kickers rectangle port design to maximize your tuning. A full 20" port really makes the a huge difference on that Kicker Solo Baric 10" box sound. And yes... custom boxes always sound better factory boxes. Well....long as it's built correctly. Factory boxes rarely used 3/4" mdf or seal it completely leaving leaks and rattles.

Daaaamn that ad on the 2021 Veloster N was so good. The buff guys are your best recent addition to the Donut Media Crew BTW. Edit : And Zac always killing it every video, thanks a lot

I love this! sub sound quality relies a lot on the box rather than the sub itself. Having a good sub and amp helps a lot but it can all be wasted on poor air flow. I used to work at a small speaker shop on the west coast during the early 2000s and we hosted what we called a “box class”. The box class would give customers an idea why we were always trying to sell them a nice box rather than an expensive sub. During the box class we put a small 8” sub with proper porting and flow against a high end 18” woofer in a shit box and the improvements in the low and med range where insane!

i would usually say you should get a more powerful amp than you need, i liked this video and it is very helpful for anybody who doesnt know how that works, but usually i go with a higher amp because it would be better to have a really powerful amp barely trying to push the sub than a small one that has to be turned all the way up, this is because at high volumes the amp will distort much more, but great video guys

Man. This was great. I like them all but this particular video was very technical but very easy to understand.

Loudness over quality That’s like pushing your Nos too early “Too soon junior”

LMAO in high school I used to install all my classmates’ subs and audio stuff for extra money, and I thought I was doing everything right. But after watching this I realized everything I did was all wrong 😂

Super entertaining! You guys are pros, this was the inspiration I needed to make mine haha.

Finally, it's great to see that the RMS power and impedance were highlighted as the real specs to pay attention too. Good job! One note on enclosures though, you forgot to mention the bandpass subwoofer enclosure. Finally you should have mentioned how dB rating works to highlight the dB gain for store bought vs custom box because 1.5dB doesn't sound very impressive until you know that for every 3dB increase it requires twice the power. So a gain of 1.5dB is very impressive actually just for a different subwoofer box. "Bandpass boxes - If you are looking for bass sounds that boom well a bandpass box is the right fit for you. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the bandpass box is a combination of a sealed and a ported design. Here, the subwoofer is carefully kept inside the enclosure that has two chambers, out of which one is of the ported design and the other belongs to the sealed design. The sound that comes out eventually is from the ported chamber. The sound is super-loud here, which is why this enclosure is considered the best to highlight the low bass notes for hard rock, rap, and hip-hop." -Source: AudioUntapped

Zach: its a racecar Also Zach: let's install this big ass sub

I've got the all in one and it bumps good in my minivan no comp but yea works for me makes it sound like a premium system

Good work Zach the only downside is weight distribution, so I would recommend a center location..

Zac is gonna single handedly bring back friendship bracelets

We need the answer to the question everybody is asking...."do it bump, doe?". Great vid fam

This is more satisfying watching and easy to understand, thumb 👍👍 Thanks mate.

Add the cotton looking stuffing from the kicker box, it helps simulate more air space and helps reduce the secondary bass echo for cleanner more solid sounding bass

*How were you guys able to afford Vin Diesel and John Cena in this video?!*

Normal cars: *decent sized trunks* 240x: "You`'ll have better luck fitting groceries in your pocket."

I actually love the transition to the Sponcer so good.

I am still using my my infinity kappa vq 12 woofer that i bought in 2005! I love that thing. It weighs like 40 pounds and one of the last years before infinity starting doing electromagnet crap. Ive replaced everything else a few times over but i cant part ways with my woofer. I just put some focals all around with the alpine mini amp thats awesome and much easier to install. Now my old head unit crapped out. The touch screen does not work at all anymore. Give me a chance to rewire everything and make sure nothing is coming lose.

12:53 NO REEEE put the sub rear facing, close the trunk, and put the db meter near the windshield! Edit: and close the doors and windows!

I feel the need to correct this, Your sub doesnt have any output at a certain ohm load! Its the coil configuration of the sub, either a single or dual voice coil, that the impedance of that coil is dual 2 ohm. Remember, subs dont output wattage, they use it to produce sound. So a sub can be wired to anything from half ohm to 8ohms depending on coil configuration of the sub and the amps stable ohm loads

General box setups: For SPL, and competition use, a narrow band ported box is the best. But this is usually not that good for music. Sealed boxes provides a wide frequency band, but it sacrifices loudness. This setup is great for sound quality and most types of music. Custom boxes can be tailored to suit any needs. You can indeed make a ported box with a wide frequency band, but these are usually quite large. A space saving option can be to make a sealed box with a *passive radiator* in it. This can be tuned to suit your needs as well. As for powering the sub, having a larger amp can be a good investment. You can fine tune the amp so that it does not put out more power than the subwoofer can handle.

Love your educational approach to these videos, I'm sure we all learn alot and appreciate it!!

Man, I don't even have a car but this is my favorite stuff. Thanks for turning me into a car guy before I even finished high school!

"What up tonsil boii!!" Lol what?😂😂

Must be nice to have a rear battery. I did my very first subwoofer install on my 2005 Lincoln town car. I used a kit that Hi-Fi Sound Source provided for me with a kicker amp and Harmony sub and stuff like that and it's all matched up really well which took a lot of the guesswork out of my very first subwoofer install. I'm just glad I had a big boat to work with, because running all the interior wiring was not very fun, especially finding a spot in the firewall which I actually found a grommet where my HVAC system goes through and just kind of snuck it through there. Overall happy with the result, I didn't need to Overkill amount of bass, just something to improve on the factory 10-in sub, with a 12-in deep bass.

Back in high school I had 2 12" subs, 2 tweeters, 4 door speakers, and I Jerry rigged a couple of speaker boxes (each with another 3 speakers in them, and just let them sit in the back seat). I spent more money on the sound system than I did on the car itself!. I miss those days... I definitely would have hired you to install my subs back then though instead of me just rocking a regular ported box in the trunk...

Zach has come to his own when it comes to hosting the show. I think MoneyPit is now currently the best show on Donut.

What we learned from this Video *BASS IS EVERYTHING*

hell yeah, resonant engineering (ie. RE audio) with the box calculator! I have had an HC-15 since ~2003

Thank you for the very educational video for the do it yourselfers out there. Very well detailed can't wait for more educational episodes thank you so much donut media hope to see you around for many years to come.

Hyundai went from being the quiet kid in the class to be one of the noisiest (?). From economical cars to beautiful pocket rockets.

Donut is the only RU-vid channel that can make ads that its viewers actually enjoy watching!!

Great video. Seen this several times now, still hoping Zach shows us how to wire it all up.

Vary frustrating process but this guy explains it vary good, thank you

12:53 technically wherever you place the decibel meter is "a meter away"

Press F for dead pixels on camera sensor :(