i said it before and i'll say it again. the factory "premium" system is crap. the stock system on the lincoln i traded in was much better and it didn't even have a sub. tolerance is variable simply as a matter of preference and what the individual is accustomed to. sry you guys had to find out the hard way though, that sucks :/

my suggestion would be to head over to crutchfield.com, pick out a good set and then froogle/ebay them for a better price. the only thing is that if you're going to replace anything, you'll want to start with the factory head unit and work your way around. amazing speakers are nothing without a solid source.

and 8" subs are meant to provide more stout mid frequencies to complement the lows of a real sub such as a 10/12/15". they've got no place being the anchor of a system. clarion makes a pretty decent low-profile 10" sub. it's only about 3" deep and doesn't require a huge box. if you took the manufacturer recommended dimensions to a decent a/v installer in your city, they could whip up the enclosure for you and make it to look "stock". good luck!

 

I will be using the JL audio Cleansweep
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_c...php?page_id=79

Jl audio Amp
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_amps.php?amp_id=403

Boston Acoustics Pro Speakers
http://bostonacoustics.com/car/car_p...product_id=296


The sub is still in the works... I am waiting the arrival of a Mopar trunk, my decision hinges on it. My plan is to use the trunk as a vented enclosure with two 10" subs. Since I have never seen the trunk, only pictures, I don't know if this will even work. I'm sure I'll have to do some structural mods to the trunk.
I did this quite a few years ago in an Escort, using a modified hatch back lid as an enclosure. It worked... and sounded great!
I have given alot of consideration to this, I can't think of any other way to retain most of my lockable storage, and still have a sub.
BTW... the amp is being installed in the hidden compartment in the trunk. I know the I may have a problem with heat... only time willl tell...

The CleanSweep is a first for me too... I am interested in how it will preform. The reveiws I have read rave about it. The downfall is a remote volume control, the concept is to set the factory HU volume at approx 75% and use the remote volume control for optimum sound quality. This really doesn't bother me, becuase I will also be installing the bass control knob option for the amp. I will make the decision on where to mount these when I have the dash disassembled.

I have been doing installs for over 20 years.

 

I'm not too sure what the hidden compartments lid is made from (ie: metal, plastic, cardboard... jk) cause I don't have one to look at, but you might be able to fabricate and incorporate some vents in the lid to help vent the heat. Adding a small fan would aid in the heat dissipation further, as I'm sure you know.

Also if you are planning an exhaust upgrade, you can relocate the muffler from the back to the side to reduce a fair amount of heat from that area.

Just some ideas I'm throwin' out, you may have already thought of them.

 

I'm tellin you guys ..go to best buy and get 4 add-on tweeters and put 2 in the sound bar and 2 upfront somewhere ( mine went into plastic trim around windshield) and this will give you sweet crisp highs. Then ,you can figure out what to do for a sub...I may try and add an amp to the already amp'd signal ( run it spkr leveL) an Alpine class d mono amp will probably kick it or add a Bazooka or the like.

 

OK, here goes some flip side discussion.

I use to work in the 12V mobile industry (it was a nice stepping stone job) and still have many friends that work in the industry. I was rather impressed with the Infinity system. Hell... I didn't even pick it out > I just happened to get it. My buddy Matt (a current installer) said he couldn't do much better with the space used and he really liked it (parked AND at speed).

Here's the dilly... before all you 'pros' go out and start replacing the subs and amps with quality ground shaking equipment, make sure you take into account that it's not going to sound the same when the top goes down. If you have a soft top (like me), a good amount of sound that would normally be reflected (like in a hardtop sedan) get's passed on into the air directed away from your ears. You can point the subs directly at your head but you're never going to get the full output of it. I think the Infinity system does an excellent job at delivering the radiant sound of the enclosure. Also, the soundbar does seem underpowered if you're sitting in the front seat, but place your buns in the back seat and you'll be pleased that rear passengers were not left out to dry in the sound dept.

Now before you all put a price on my head for saying such a dastardly thing, I'll admit that it can always get better. Sure you can throw money at it and you may end up with a nice system. But if you aren't looking for a competetion level audio system, it works just fine. (better than fine actually). And don't forget ... an 8" sub > no matter how nice > is only going to move so much air. The only real way to get lower freqs and more db is going to be adding a larger sub and taking up more valuable space.

I was head installer on a custom build for MTV in 97 for a Road Rules giveaway in a purple TJ and I can attest that getting sound into a Jeep is a real challenge > and that was a 'money is no object' build. You're fighting the laws of physics. Good luck.