ENCLOSURE PLACEMENT TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Your PowerBass Bass Reflex Subwoofer system accurately reproduces the lowest portion of the audible
frequency range, which is generally considered to be non-directional. As such, the placement within the
vehicle is not as critical to achieve good sound reproduction as with full range systems. Typical locations
include sedan and hatchback trunks and rear cargo areas of vans, mini-vans and utility vehicles.
The following placement recommendations and installation tips are the result of many hours of
development and experimentation. These examples are provided to you as a guide line. Please feel free to
experiment yourself as you may find that other placements can provide you with superior results.
• Make sure all moving parts and factory electrical wires are out of your way and will not
interfere after installation.
• Leave a little slack in the wire to prevent pulling or stretching, this is even more important if
the wires will be run under or through the factory interior.
• Use cable ties and wire clamps to prevent the wires from getting caught or shorted.
• We do not recommend placing or installing loaded enclosures where they might be subjected
to moisture.
• Correct subwoofer polarity must be observed. The polarity positive side is marked by a (+)
sign. Subwoofers wired out of phase will produce little bass.
• Speaker wires should be electrically and physically isolated from the vehicle and routed away
from any factory wiring that carries high currents or noise (ie, ABS brake systems and engine
computer signals).
• Use speaker wire large enough to carry the full power of your amplifier. 14-gauge or larger
should be adequate. (Speaker wire not included)
Your PowerBass Bass Reflex subwoofer system needs to be installed some place where it can operate
efficiently and not endanger the occupants of the vehicle.
The location and orientation of your enclosure will affect the quality and quantity of the bass. The port
tube (vent) openings cannot be obstructed. At some frequencies most of the bass will come out of the port
tube. Therefore we recommend you leave at least 3-inches (7.62cm) between the port tube openings and
interior surfaces such as side panels, seats and doors.
If the enclosure is to be mounted all the way in the back of the vehicle, it works best to point the woofer
toward the front of the vehicle. Conversely, if the enclosure is going to be mounted closer to the back seat,
pointing the woofer toward the rear of the vehicle will give you the best results. Even when the enclosure
is placed inside a car trunk with no opening to the passenger compartment, the Bass Reflex design will
produce strong and full bass.
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