Aficionados of stealthy sound range from those who enjoy the clean factory look to others who want to avoid ICE-loving thieves. This segment (a quite large one based on reader responses over the past few years) also includes people like the owner of this 2002 Mazda Protegé5, who didn't want the storage capacity and utility of the compact wagon compromised by a honking subwoofer enclosure and intrusive amp rack. A frequent hauler of furniture, bulk groceries and the occasional bag of manure, she also didn't want audio equipment damaged by her heavy (and sometimes stinky) cargo. The solution involved a tidy tower of Swiss Audio gear, Scosche accessories and the installation expertise of SpeakerWorks in Orange, CA.Keeping the install within the budget category, the factory double-DIN unit was retained with the use of a Scosche line level converter to get signal from the head unit to the amplifier. The head unit accompanies two pairs of Swiss Audio components, a 10" subwoofer and a 4-channel amplifier. The hunk of change saved allowed for the immaculate install work in the rear of the hatchback.
The space-saving plan dictated that the SWL1081 sub be dropped into the spare tire well. In this location it would not take up any cargo room (except the space allotted for the spare tire, and that's what Fix-a-Flat's for). Other locations considered in the hatchback included under the seat or molded into one side of the trunk. The under-seat location would only work with a shallow woofer, while the side of the trunk would require expensive custom work, so SpeakerWorks set about constructing an enclosure out of 3/4" MDF in the emptied well.
Note the detail of the wiring...
Note the detail of the wiring normally hidden by the carpet-covered panel. This is a textbook example of how an installation should look. Everything from the solidly built enclosure to the acrylic-topped SpeakerWorks logo speaks of quality.
The remaining two channels of the amplifier run to the SAK525 component speakers that make up the front stage. Directly hooked up to the set's crossovers, the amp also removes bass going to the component speakers with its internal highpass crossover filter. To install the component speakers in the factory locations, SpeakerWorks employed trim rings from Scosche to adapt the midbasses into the doors. Meanwhile, the tweeters fit more easily higher up near the rear view mirrors.