No one has done an aftermarket sub in a 2005 yet????

[-HEF-]

bummer. i tried to hook up the 12V line this weekend, and i couldn't find an entry point on the firewall. there is a grommet on the passenger side, but it feels like it is cemented to the firewall. i thought my last car was tough. i used the steering column gromett on my last car, but that is a no-go on the Leg. anyone have suggestions? i would hate to have to take this somewhere to get the sub installed.

[Drift Monkey]

If worse comes to worse drilling a hole might be the way to do it. Look harder though, I've never had to drill a hole to run wires through a firewall, it just takes some ghetto-rigging sometimes. :P

[SC GT]

With WRXs, there's a grommet just above the brake pedal that is used for the boost gauge install. Since the Leg has a boost gauge option, there should be a grommet somewhere in that area to use.

[-HEF-]

yep, you are right about that grommet on the wrx. damned if i could find it on the Leg. i'll look again though.

[Th3Franz]

Have you tried installing different speakers/head unit as well, yet?

[-HEF-]

no, not yet. i can survive on the stock speakers and head unit for now. but a sub must go in.

i looked again in the cabin and in the engine compartment. i can't find a way through the firewall.

[Th3Franz]

no, not yet. i can survive on the stock speakers and head unit for now. but a sub must go in.

i looked again in the cabin and in the engine compartment. i can't find a way through the firewall.
I'll look as well, tomorrow.

[7stars]

You mean you're installing an amp right? Only a powered sub hooks up to power. And if you have one of those, perhaps you can tap into where they hook up the optional powered sub, underneath the driver's seat.

[-HEF-]

sub implies amp. are you saying that the OEM piece of crap is pre-wired? while i wouldn't use that small of a gauge for power, i could use the speaker wires to tap into for sound.

[Weasel]

From my parts bin. This is absolutely not necessary but man does it feel good. I prefer to listen to the sweet notes of the engine and exhaust, but when the mood strikes...I got bass

http://www.pifiu.com/upload/uploads/052004/2004_0713_200532AA.JPG
http://www.pifiu.com/upload/uploads/052004/2004_0713_200304AA.JPG
http://www.pifiu.com/upload/uploads/052004/2004_0713_200751AA.JPG

[Th3Franz]

Yeah I still haven't found a good spot to go through the firewall..

[mccorry]

I am very interested in this, as well. I plan on putting 2 SAS bazooka sub's in the trunk of my new '05......

Let us know...

[Deer Killer]

I was thinking of getting some bandpass boxes so the exit tubes line up with the pass-through in the back seat. Should take little power for good bass. However it seems like it would be tempting to thieves, and I don't think it would work too well if I fit five people in and the passthrough closed on it.

The two 8" bandpass boxes I have now have been a little too boomy for my tastes, although the trunk is probably more to blame than the subs. I don't think I want to put that much weight in my trunk anymore, and I wanted to try some sealed boxes for flatter response.

I'd be interested to know how well subs transmit through the back seat before I invested any money. Especially the infinity's. I plan on getting some infinity components too so....


T-10 days to the new legacy :)

[Th3Franz]

Bandpass boxes sound muddy and boomy. It's part of the design.. They get loud and sound bad, unless tuned to perfection.

I'll probably go with a simple ported set-up again, since it can play really low notes easily and it sounds pretty good.

[powbmps]

If you take off the shroud there is a small grommet under the passenger side of the intercooler with nothing going through it. I fed several feet of my power cable through there. After a couple of tries I could see the end behind the glove box. It was a major pain in the a**. I had to remove the cover under the glove box in the passenger footwell as well (three clips). Now I just need to figure out how to wire it so I don't get engine noise coming through my sub!

Chris S.

[-HEF-]

giggity!! that is the info i have been waiting for. thanks powbmps. i will be hooking up my sub today.

if you give me more details about your setup, i may be able to help you get rid of your engine noise. did you use a line level converter? did you run the power line down the same side of the car as your speaker wire? if you run the power line and speaker line down the same side of the car to the trunk you will get engine noise.

[-HEF-]

one other thing. i am going to tap into the speaker lines right behind the HU. can you tell me the color codes for finding the rear left and rear right wires? or where i might get the US version of the map? is this the correct map for US models:


http://www.legacysti.com/viewtopic.php?t=706

[powbmps]

Here is the US version on the back of the radio:

1 2 3 X X 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

At the head unit the rear rh speaker uses pins 12 (red wire w/white stripe) and 4 (blue wire w/yellow stripe). The rear lh speaker uses pins 13 (red wire w/black stripe) and 5 (white wire w/red stripe). I can email you a PDF file from the service manual if you'd like.

Chris S.

[Th3Franz]

Oh would you look at that, a grommet! Have you looked closely at the driver's side as well? Nothing on that side..?

[-HEF-]

Here is the US version on the back of the radio:

1 2 3 X X 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

At the head unit the rear rh speaker uses pins 12 (red wire w/white stripe) and 4 (blue wire w/yellow stripe). The rear lh speaker uses pins 13 (red wire w/black stripe) and 5 (white wire w/red stripe). I can email you a PDF file from the service manual if you'd like.

Chris S.

thanks man. i did not have time to take the HU out tonight to finish. however, i did get the 12V in. i actually used a different grommet. using the one that you suggested, i could not find the wire inside the cabin. so i used the one that is perfectly visible on the passenger side without removing the shroud. it looks just like the one to the left of the grommet you used, however it is further towards the passenger side.

i PM'd you about the pdf. you can either send that or just post here which ones are pos. and neg. thanks again.

the grommet i used was here in this pic (more thanks to powbmps). it is the highly visible one that has the taped up wires going into it - look left of the intercooler.

http://www.legacysti.com/files/pictures_5-10_001.jpg

[-HEF-]

ok, this was very helpful. thanks to ravensblade. the schematic is for an Impreza, however, it mirrors the 2005 Legacy.

http://www.ravensblade-impreza.com/modifications/misc/wiring/radiowrx.html

[Th3Franz]

So after the grommet, how'd you route it? Is there room under the door sills to run the wire, or is there a better way to go about it?

[Deer Killer]

Is there another connector back there? Notice no outputs for the optional sub...

[-HEF-]

So after the grommet, how'd you route it? Is there room under the door sills to run the wire, or is there a better way to go about it?

ok, once through the grommet, and you have fed a good 1-2 ft. of wire through there, go in the cabin and remove the plastic cover below the glove box down near where the passenger's feet would be. it is held by 3 cheap-ass clips. after you do that, stick your head down there and start looking. i found it on the first go. yank it through and run it down the car under the sills. i removed the front passenger sill so i could get the wire under the part of the sill that wraps up towards the glove box. then i just crammed it under the rear passenger sill and under the rear seat for transfer to the trunk. keep in mind, i had the rear seat removed. that is cake too. there are 2 clips in the front under the seat, and a metal U shaped thing in the back of the seat. so lift up, then pull out. then route the wire to the trunk.

i ran the speaker wire and remote turn on down the driver side to avoid engine noise. for the remote turn on i tapped into the 7.5v fuse in the box next to the steering wheel. the one marked "ACC". works like a charm.

the ground was wicked easy too. i didn't even have to clean paint off with a wire brush. lift the carpeted spare-tire-cover up in the trunk and you will see 2 perfect bolts on the right, near the back of the rear seat.

if you have any other questions, please ask.

[-HEF-]

Is there another connector back there? Notice no outputs for the optional sub...

not sure how they tap into all the wires for the sub. the pdf in the service manual only shows 2 wires going to the optional sub - we all know it takes more than that. you need at least 2 speaker lines, 12V, and a ground. anyway, the schematic shows a tap-in on pins 4 and 6. 4 connects to the rear door speaker, and 6 connects to power. oh, and the schematic calls the optional sub a "super woofer".

[Th3Franz]

So after the grommet, how'd you route it? Is there room under the door sills to run the wire, or is there a better way to go about it?

ok, once through the grommet, and you have fed a good 1-2 ft. of wire through there, go in the cabin and remove the plastic cover below the glove box down near where the passenger's feet would be. it is held by 3 cheap-ass clips. after you do that, stick your head down there and start looking. i found it on the first go. yank it through and run it down the car under the sills. i removed the front passenger sill so i could get the wire under the part of the sill that wraps up towards the glove box. then i just crammed it under the rear passenger sill and under the rear seat for transfer to the trunk. keep in mind, i had the rear seat removed. that is cake too. there are 2 clips in the front under the seat, and a metal U shaped thing in the back of the seat. so lift up, then pull out. then route the wire to the trunk.

i ran the speaker wire and remote turn on down the driver side to avoid engine noise. for the remote turn on i tapped into the 7.5v fuse in the box next to the steering wheel. the one marked "ACC". works like a charm.

the ground was wicked easy too. i didn't even have to clean paint off with a wire brush. lift the carpeted spare-tire-cover up in the trunk and you will see 2 perfect bolts on the right, near the back of the rear seat.

if you have any other questions, please ask.
Did you have to remove the door sills or were you able to just push the wire under them to the back? You wouldn't have any pictures, would you? :D

[GranTourer]

for the remote turn on i tapped into the 7.5v fuse in the box next to the steering wheel. the one marked "ACC". works like a charm.

I was looking at the Ravensblade wiring diagram. Why didn't you just use pin 10 for the remote turn on?

Also, for anybody who uses a line output converter, which speaker should I tap and also does it matter what converter I buy, i.e. a $10 Circuit City converter or a $30 Crutchfield one?

Thanks in advance.

[Th3Franz]

for the remote turn on i tapped into the 7.5v fuse in the box next to the steering wheel. the one marked "ACC". works like a charm.

I was looking at the Ravensblade wiring diagram. Why didn't you just use pin 10 for the remote turn on?

Also, for anybody who uses a line output converter, which speaker should I tap and also does it matter what converter I buy, i.e. a $10 Circuit City converter or a $30 Crutchfield one?

Thanks in advance.
I have heard people like David Navone LOCs. They're pretty good and not too expensive from what I'm told. I don't have any experience with them personally, though.
http://www.davidnavone.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=N-777

[-HEF-]

So after the grommet, how'd you route it? Is there room under the door sills to run the wire, or is there a better way to go about it?

ok, once through the grommet, and you have fed a good 1-2 ft. of wire through there, go in the cabin and remove the plastic cover below the glove box down near where the passenger's feet would be. it is held by 3 cheap-ass clips. after you do that, stick your head down there and start looking. i found it on the first go. yank it through and run it down the car under the sills. i removed the front passenger sill so i could get the wire under the part of the sill that wraps up towards the glove box. then i just crammed it under the rear passenger sill and under the rear seat for transfer to the trunk. keep in mind, i had the rear seat removed. that is cake too. there are 2 clips in the front under the seat, and a metal U shaped thing in the back of the seat. so lift up, then pull out. then route the wire to the trunk.

i ran the speaker wire and remote turn on down the driver side to avoid engine noise. for the remote turn on i tapped into the 7.5v fuse in the box next to the steering wheel. the one marked "ACC". works like a charm.

the ground was wicked easy too. i didn't even have to clean paint off with a wire brush. lift the carpeted spare-tire-cover up in the trunk and you will see 2 perfect bolts on the right, near the back of the rear seat.

if you have any other questions, please ask.
Did you have to remove the door sills or were you able to just push the wire under them to the back? You wouldn't have any pictures, would you? :D

i removed the front door sill, and did not remove the rear one - i just crammed. no pics, sorry. no digital camera.

[-HEF-]

for the remote turn on i tapped into the 7.5v fuse in the box next to the steering wheel. the one marked "ACC". works like a charm.

I was looking at the Ravensblade wiring diagram. Why didn't you just use pin 10 for the remote turn on?

Also, for anybody who uses a line output converter, which speaker should I tap and also does it matter what converter I buy, i.e. a $10 Circuit City converter or a $30 Crutchfield one?

Thanks in advance.

good question. i was rushing and did not plan this out too much. i did it, letter to the law, exactly how i wired my previous car - so i didn't even take notice of pin 10.

as for the LOC, i used a $12 from best buy and it works perfect. i tapped into the wires for the front 2 speakers to wire my amp. i tapped in right behind the HU.

[GranTourer]

Excellent. Thanks for the replies.

I actually have an amp with speaker level inputs, but my friend recommended a LOC anyway b/c running shielded RCA back to the trunk would sound cleaner than running shielded speaker wire, plus I wouldn't have to rewire much once they make an aftermarket faceplate.

[axis008]

A lot of you seem to know your audio stuff. I'm not familiar with car audio at all and no matter how much I try, it still confuses me, but I'm always willing to learn. I have a question. First off let's say I want to keep the stock headunit. I want to replace all the speakers with components and then get a subwoofer. Can I get like two amps (one for components, and one for a sub) and connect it all to the headunit without any problems?

[Th3Franz]

A lot of you seem to know your audio stuff. I'm not familiar with car audio at all and no matter how much I try, it still confuses me, but I'm always willing to learn. I have a question. First off let's say I want to keep the stock headunit. I want to replace all the speakers with components and then get a subwoofer. Can I get like two amps (one for components, and one for a sub) and connect it all to the headunit without any problems?
Yes, as long as you get the proper wiring to both amps it should work fine.

[-HEF-]

A lot of you seem to know your audio stuff. I'm not familiar with car audio at all and no matter how much I try, it still confuses me, but I'm always willing to learn. I have a question. First off let's say I want to keep the stock headunit. I want to replace all the speakers with components and then get a subwoofer. Can I get like two amps (one for components, and one for a sub) and connect it all to the headunit without any problems?

yeah, no worries there. if i were to go that route, i would cut the speaker wire just as it came out of the HU - so you have wire on the stereo side, and wire on the car side. the wire on the HU side would get tapped into and run to the amp. from the amp output, you run that line back to the wire that you cut, on the car side. the concept is simple, but the wiring can be a pain in the butt, especially in a new car where you want everything to be stealth and look clean.

[axis008]

Ah, okay. Thanks for the replies. I will probably post again when I get my car next year :).

[PPower]

Ah, okay. Thanks for the replies. I will probably post again when I get my car next year :).

In case you want to get an idea of the things you will use to connect your stock head unit to aftermarket amps/speakers, look at www.davidnavone.com

[axis008]

Thanks again!

[-HEF-]

if anyone wants a decent sub put in, please do not go the OEM route. it is so worth the time of wiring up an aftermarket amp and sub. if you don't want ghetto thunder, buy a 75w amp and an 8" sub in a sealed box. the 2 of them will not take up a significant amount of trunk space if you mount the amp on the side wall or the back of the rear seat, then stick the sub box in the front corner cubby in the trunk.

[powbmps]

:D I just received and installed a 'N-774V High Quality OEM to Aftermarket Interface' from www.davidnavone.com. The price and customer service were great and it works awesome! No more nasty noises coming out of my sub.

Chris S.

[brady_bunch]

What kind of "nasty noises" were you trying to get rid of? Alternator noise? Ignition noise? Turn on thump? Just curious.

[powbmps]

'Turn on thump'. That's a good way to describe some of what I was hearing, along with engine noise. Also, no matter how I adjusted it, the sub just didn't sound that good.

Chris S.

[TAckhouse1]

:D I just received and installed a 'N-774V High Quality OEM to Aftermarket Interface' from www.davidnavone.com. The price and customer service were great and it works awesome! No more nasty noises coming out of my sub.

Chris S.

Davids stuff, its of very high quality.

-Nick

[mcchicken]

'Turn on thump'. That's a good way to describe some of what I was hearing, along with engine noise. Also, no matter how I adjusted it, the sub just didn't sound that good.

Chris S.
Unforntunately Navone's LOC's (as great as they are) won't help turn on thump. I beleive that topic is covered on the following site. If not I can point you in the right direction.

http://www.bcae1.com/

[Deer Killer]

'Turn on thump'. That's a good way to describe some of what I was hearing, along with engine noise. Also, no matter how I adjusted it, the sub just didn't sound that good.

Chris S.
Unforntunately Navone's LOC's (as great as they are) won't help turn on thump. I beleive that topic is covered on the following site. If not I can point you in the right direction.

http://www.bcae1.com/

They will if the thump comes from the head unit.. 20Hz low pass.. sure you might hear something, but it's not going to destroy your sub.

[GranTourer]

Yeah, plus it's natural on some amplifiers that don't specifically have anti-thump turn on circuitry. Its bark is worse than its bite kinda thing.

[hear5am]

I am keen on the idea of installing my bazooka 8" with an amp, but I feel like the OEM headunit doesn't dish out the low bass to the speakers (to avoid distortion). What are other's option of that low-bass pressure from the aftermarket sub on the OEM head in the legacy?

[gfxdave99]

I am keen on the idea of installing my bazooka 8" with an amp, but I feel like the OEM headunit doesn't dish out the low bass to the speakers (to avoid distortion). What are other's option of that low-bass pressure from the aftermarket sub on the OEM head in the legacy?

i have a full aftermarket setup cept for the headunit and i tuned my levels so that i have the HU's bass turned down to -6 for heavy bass and -5 -4 for low bass, this puts less stress on the line output converter, i get a cleaner high end and since you really dont notice distortion on bass it doesnt bother me that i have to crank the gain up a bit on the sub amp.

[hear5am]

Thats what I thought. Thanks!

My bazooka+amp install is in second place - priority 1 is retrofitting my carputer into the legacy, oh what I mess I will make.

[finse]

It was a major pain in the a**. I had to
Thats the truth!! I just got my power cable through this grommet. My cable ended up very closer towards the center of the dash.. found it with a flashlight and by having my girlfriend wiggle the cable just little bit and listening for the sound of the cable. Tomorrow morning, I will install my fwd/rev stereo harness & complete my set up. Thanks for hooking up this infromation powbmps.