Alpine W920R system, subwoofer not working

[simonf]

Hi Guys,

I've only had my Evora a couple of months and the subwoofer doesn't seem to be connected. It's turned on in the Head a Unit settings but there is nothing from the speaker. Before I start pulling the interior apart does anyone know if there is a small amp powering the subwoofer? If there is the fuse may have blown, but there is very little info in the vehicle manual.

Please help

Simon

[Bibs]

Item 11 is an Alpine M150 sub woofer amp. Worth checking the wires...

 

[simonf]

Bibs......I fricking love you!!

Thanks mate

Just looked where it's marked on the diagram and it's not inside the car, so I'm guessing it's in the engine bay, I will check it out tomorrow.

There is something amplifier looking in the corresponding recess on the other side of the car. I thought that was the ECU so steered clear, might take a better look in the daylight.

[Whitey]

I think its only a fuse / relay box on the other side. If your car does not have the premium pack, then I think it means you wont have the sub woof. 

[simonf]

The module in the corresponding recess is not the amp.....it has Lotus TM stamped in it so I'm guessing ECU. Can't see the amp anywhere near the subwoofer but I will continue my search.

Whitey.....definitely have the sub woofer, mine is Launch Edition. There is the fuse box and a lotus branded ECU looking box in there.

[blundey]

Did you find it?

[TBD]

The sub amp is mounted on the right side, below the rear seat. There is a long thread on LT about it: http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f417/evora-stereo-system-83755/index2.html#post1487668

 

The subwoofer amp has a reputation for rather dismal performance.

[100th_Idiot]

I found mine a little odd. Turning on or off the sub in the menu did nothing. I think I had to fade the sound to the back a little and turn the base up a bit. All working fine after that. Was certainly not intuitive. I'm wondering if the sub is wired into the normal speaker outputs and not the sub output.

[Bibs]

I think the sub-out is an RCA rather than on the ISO block of the speaker connectors.

[100th_Idiot]

Just had a look at the settings on mine. I remember when I got it I thought the sub was not working and had tried a few things. Anyway.

 

 

In the sound settings turn the sub to ON.

 

Turn up the sub level (mine is at 8 or 9).

 

The key for me was that even though there are no rear speakers I faded the sound 2 to 3 points to the rear. This for me balances the sound more and enables a little more base.

 

Hope it all works out.

[superdavelotus]

I've only just realised my car doesn't have rear speakers! I saw one or what I thought was one but it turns out it's the subwoofer. I tried a few settings tonight as I thought mine wasn't working. Anyway, I turn sub on and turned setting to max. I still wasn't convinced that it was working so I moved fader to rear only. Mid and high range disappeared and a thumping sound was replaced. It works and pretty well but not in the obvious way you would expect.

[Bibs]

You shouldn't hear the low tones as much as feel them, that's when you know you've a decent sub. 

[superdavelotus]

Hi Bibs, I didn't explain myself properly, it is as you said. I was just surprised that I didn't have rear speakers and then relieved that my sub works!

[Bibs]

The singing should sound like it's coming from the middle of the dash and actual music from all around, that's the ideal setup for a car and why there are often tweeters higher up in the dash. 

[Tris...]

I've been upgrading the Speakers in my Launch Edition (INV-W505 Head Unit), Phase 1was replacing the Components in the front.

 

New speakers are excellent, but highlighted that the Sub wasn't apparently working. So I pulled the Head unit to check it was wired in properly.

 

So the reason that the sub isn't apparently working, is... all the sound is driven through the Front Speakers Pre-Out, including the Sub. Which came as a bit of a surprise, given there is a dedicated Sub Pre-Out.

 

This explains why turning the Sub On in the setup menu doesn't make any difference, and it also probably explains why the Imprint unit actually seems to make the sound worse rather than better.

 

Just as well Phase 2 is to fit a new Sub and Amp system.

 

Just have to wonder why they would wire it up in such a strange way.

 

Tris...

[cweeden]

Did you rewire it to see if that made it any better?  I am not familiar with the wiring harness behind the unit so I don't know if that is even possible?

 

cheers

 

-Chris

[Tris...]

Going to do some more pocking around tomorrow, but have been looking at the Head Unit and Imprint Manuals this evening, and noticed that the RCA Connectors in the back of the HU can act as both input and output. 

 

So I might have it the wrong way around, could be they are acting as the input from the Imprint, and the signal is then going out via the standard wiring loom to the Speakers. This would make sense as the wiring for the front speakers looked like it was from the normal head unit wiring.

 

Sub should be run direct from the Imprint unit, according to the wiring Diagrams. Still doesn't explain why the Sub apparently isn't working, but at least I might have a better understanding of how the system is put together.

 

Might just be that the Sub is total c@*p, and the new Components are just blowing it away.

 

As you may have guessed I'm not an Audio professional, this is just a pet project. :-)

 

Tris...

[Bravo73]

According to the SELOC wiki , the subwoofers are wired to the rear speakers channel:

"Sub-Woofer

(Tech Pack only)Fitted behind a panel below the B-pillar on the right hand side of the car, powered by an Alpine M-150 amplifier and wired to the rear channel on the headunit."

[auRouge]

Good thread guys..

After 2 years I've just discovered boom boom boooom

[Tris...]

So more poking around done.

 

As far I can figure it out for a W-505 with Imprint (And presumably any HU using Imprint), the head unit passes its sound signal to the Imprint via the Ai-Net connector. The Imprint unit is under the Dash on the Passenger side (UK Car). 

 

Imprint processes the sound and then outputs it via its own RCA Connectors. They are Split between Front, Rear and Sub W.

 

The fronts go to the Front Input/Output on the Head Unit, and the internal amplifier sends the sound out through the standard wiring loom to the Component Speakers.

 

The Rear outputs are redundant (There are no Rear Speakers) and the outputs are just cable tied out of the way.

 

The Sub is wired up to the Sub-W output from Imprint. So setting the Subwoofer to on, and then using the Subwoofer Level to suit your tastes on the Head Unit, should work for that set up. (Worth setting the Balance to fully to the Rear to shut the Components off if you are unsure whether it is working or not.)

 

My new Components are much better than the old stock ones, the improved bass response on them renders the stock Sub ineffectual. Even turning it up to its max, its effect can't be heard and it is distorting even at a low sound level.

 

Just as well I was planning on upgrading anyway.

 

All I need to do now is figure out where the Sub Woofer leads disappeared to. In true Lotus style, the RCAs just disappear into a Black box embedded in the Chassis and it isn't obvious where they go. Looks like I will need to take the Dash apart again.

 

Tris...

[Tris...]

Shiny new Amp and Sub fitted, Kicker CompRT mated to a KX400.1 Amp.

Amp was slightly to big to easily fit beside the sub, I couldn't be bothered to built a custom mount, so fitted it into the boot instead.

I'm still tuning the system, but sounds amazing.

Tris...