Upgraded the sub in R1S with aftermarket Alpine SWR-T10 Subwoofer

[powerplyer]

How did you wire the two pairs of subwoofer cables to the high-level input to your amp? I want to use the high-level direct vs an LOC. I have a JL Audio ACS110LG-TW1 (10" Sub (0.25 ohm) + Integrated) Amp. I plan to use the pink cable in the rear tub for remote and power.

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[PBRAZ]

How did you wire the two pairs of subwoofer cables to the high-level input to your amp? I want to use the high-level direct vs an LOC. I have a JL Audio ACS110LG-TW1 (10" Sub (0.25 ohm) + Integrated) Amp. I plan to use the pink cable in the rear tub for remote and power.

I'm considering this same setup but can't decide between the sealed and ported version (ACP110). Curious as to why you went with sealed vs ported? Also curious as to why you went this route vs swapping out the factory sub plus amp.

Also, how are you planning to tap in to the sub wires? I'm reluctant to remove the side panel for fear of breaking something. Wondering if the spesker wires run near the tub or tailgate and are easier to access that way.

The sub has 2 channels so would be a direct splice to the high level inputs. Not sure if you saw this but another user mapped out the wires from the amp under the seat.

 

[powerplyer]

The one I have is ported. Sorry, my model number was incorrect. I went this route because of the enclosure from JL Audio. The fit-in wheel well (without spare) is perfect. I have one in my Audi and it sounds great.

Thank you for the insight into the wire, I will connect both channels (+/-) from the two pairs of sub wires. I was confused because they were dual coils.

 

[Iamuwere]

The speaker is 2x2 ohm (factory is 2x4 per OP), which is taxing the amp slightly more but sends more juice to that speaker. So yes, it produces slightly more bass, but the lack of adjustment ability doesn't make it much better. So after a little on the road testing, I have decided to go with a setup I have used in TM3:

https://www.amazon.com/NVX-Monoblock-Marine-Powersports-Amplifier/dp/B07N12LGKL/
combined with
https://www.amazon.com/NVX-SMW10D4-Shallow-Mount-4-ohm-Subwoofer/dp/B0946DF5VP/?th=1
This speaker is also slightly more sensitive (88dB) so it requires less input power. I was considering Infinity 92dB sub, but not sure if it would fit.

For 300W amp and sub, the 25A capable wiring should be enough.
Now to open the left side trim and get that 12V

Will update in next week or two once I have it all in.

How did you go from speaker level inputs to this amp? It seems to only have RCA inputs. Must have another line level converter in this mix somewhere

 

[courtlandre]

How did you go from speaker level inputs to this amp? It seems to only have RCA inputs. Must have another line level converter in this mix somewhere

I just cut off the RCA plugs and took a single speaker wire from the car and plugged it into the amp. The amp is 2 channel, but since the sub is mono I just used one "channel" for input which splits into two. Not sure if this is correct or anything but seems to give me good results and it was under ~200 usd for everything.

 

[Vjarizpe]

Someone on Reddit has photos of a sub upgrade he had done at his local shop. Reddit post

• JL 10W3
• JL LOC22
• JL RD500/1

It sounds like the LOC is not needed, and amps can handle speaker level input from the Rivian amp?

Just joined this forum.. that’s my post! Live you put it here. Sub still sounds great.

 

[PBRAZ]

The one I have is ported. Sorry, my model number was incorrect. I went this route because of the enclosure from JL Audio. The fit-in wheel well (without spare) is perfect. I have one in my Audi and it sounds great.

Thank you for the insight into the wire, I will connect both channels (+/-) from the two pairs of sub wires. I was confused because they were dual coils.

Let us know how it goes and PLEASE take video of removing the side trim if you end up doing it yourself.

 

[powerplyer]

Sorry did not get a chance to take a video. My son started to take the car apart ahead of time.

The removal of the panels is not for the faint of heart. The removal is not so bad but putting it back together is a pain, especially the rear passenger door. Highly recommend a panel removal kit.

• There are 4 panels you need to remove to get to the subwoofer.
  • Start with the passenger rear door and remove the footplate.
  • Remove the panel towards the end of the door sill (the one touching the "big panel"). It is small but has a lot of clips.
  • Remove the small panel In the trunk, where the door latches.
  • For the big panel, start to pull near the seat (SLOWLY). Do not pull it completely off just enough to get a hand in.
  • Disconnect the USB and small speaker cable. The USB is a bit of a struggle, but there is a wire.
  • Continue to work on the top until the big panel has disconnected from the pillers.
  • Then put your hand in and slowly work on separating the big panel from the side.
• Wiring for the JL Audio Ported ACP110LG-TW1 (pictures)
  • Remove the factory subwoofer. As someone noted they have some kind of rubber substance on the screws and you need to press hard to get the screw off. We used a pick tool to scrape away at the Phillip screw grooves for better grip.
  • Cut the factory subwoofer cable and left about 6" on the subwoofer side. [Two pairs of wires red and black 18/16GA??].
  • Pull the speaker wire from the housing, it loops in the housing so be careful. There is also a grommet holding the wire. It broke while trying to remove the cable from the housing.
  • [Optional] We spliced both pairs of subwoofer wires and ran both pairs of wires into the trunk. I did this in case I ever wanted to hook the factory sub up without taking out all the panels.
  • Extended the cut subwoofer wire coming from the amp (under the driver seat). This will be used in the HIGH-LEVEL INPUT to JL Audio integrated Amp.
  • Power/Remove. Create a"Y" pigtail and connect it to the "pink" wire on the opposite end of the tub.
  • Ground: Under the left side there is a nut you can tie ground.
• Notes and overall installation:
  • It took us about 6 hours. My son I and took our time. Used solder and heat sink for spliced wire connectivity.
  • Put panels back in reverse order. The panels near the rear door took the longest. Tip: Assure the big panel is sitting correctly.
  • The sound is much better. However, note these are 0.25-ohm subwoofer there is no formula to get the voltages correct. You will have to listen for distortion.
  • Once closed it sounds great, but if you have rattles today they will only sound worse.
  • Low-volume bass is a bit lackluster. I need to crank it to about 10-11 before I get a thump. I am used to balanced music.
  • The existing subwoofer is crap, it does not look like a dual coil, but two pairs of wires are connected.
  • The fit of the JL Audio is fantastic in the wheel well. I can still put the divided (where the compressor hose sits) back in with no problem.
  • If I were to do it again:
    • I would probably replace the existing factory subwoofer. Use a lot of Duramat, JL Subwoofer TW1, and a separate amp. It would give more control.
    • I am not sure if the exiting subwoofer wires are only sending low frequencies or if the signal is too hot.
    • ACP110LG-TW1 bass is very deep, I feel it misses some frequencies. I have used JL Audio for three of my cars.
      
      
    • I hope this help someone and please feel free to ask questions. I will upload some pictures of the final installation later. Still need to clean up the wires a bit and add velcro to the subwoofer.

 

[PBRAZ]

Sorry did not get a chance to take a video. My son started to take the car apart ahead of time.

The removal of the panels is not for the faint of heart. The removal is not so bad but putting it back together is a pain, especially the rear passenger door. Highly recommend a panel removal kit.

• There are 4 panels you need to remove to get to the subwoofer.
  • Start with the passenger rear door and remove the footplate.
  • Remove the panel towards the end of the door sill (the one touching the "big panel"). It is small but has a lot of clips.
  • Remove the small panel In the trunk, where the door latches.
  • For the big panel, start to pull near the seat (SLOWLY). Do not pull it completely off just enough to get a hand in.
  • Disconnect the USB and small speaker cable. The USB is a bit of a struggle, but there is a wire.
  • Continue to work on the top until the big panel has disconnected from the pillers.
  • Then put your hand in and slowly work on separating the big panel from the side.
• Wiring for the JL Audio Ported ACP110LG-TW1 (pictures)
  • Remove the factory subwoofer. As someone noted they have some kind of rubber substance on the screws and you need to press hard to get the screw off. We used a pick tool to scrape away at the Phillip screw grooves for better grip.
  • Cut the factory subwoofer cable and left about 6" on the subwoofer side. [Two pairs of wires red and black 18/16GA??].
  • Pull the speaker wire from the housing, it loops in the housing so be careful. There is also a grommet holding the wire. It broke while trying to remove the cable from the housing.
  • [Optional] We spliced both pairs of subwoofer wires and ran both pairs of wires into the trunk. I did this in case I ever wanted to hook the factory sub up without taking out all the panels.
  • Extended the cut subwoofer wire coming from the amp (under the driver seat). This will be used in the HIGH-LEVEL INPUT to JL Audio integrated Amp.
  • Power/Remove. Create a"Y" pigtail and connect it to the "pink" wire on the opposite end of the tub.
  • Ground: Under the left side there is a nut you can tie ground.
• Notes and overall installation:
  • It took us about 6 hours. My son I and took our time. Used solder and heat sink for spliced wire connectivity.
  • Put panels back in reverse order. The panels near the rear door took the longest. Tip: Assure the big panel is sitting correctly.
  • The sound is much better. However, note these are 0.25-ohm subwoofer there is no formula to get the voltages correct. You will have to listen for distortion.
  • Once closed it sounds great, but if you have rattles today they will only sound worse.
  • Low-volume bass is a bit lackluster. I need to crank it to about 10-11 before I get a thump. I am used to balanced music.
  • The existing subwoofer is crap, it does not look like a dual coil, but two pairs of wires are connected.
  • The fit of the JL Audio is fantastic in the wheel well. I can still put the divided (where the compressor hose sits) back in with no problem.
  • If I were to do it again:
    • I would probably replace the existing factory subwoofer. Use a lot of Duramat, JL Subwoofer TW1, and a separate amp. It would give more control.
    • I am not sure if the exiting subwoofer wires are only sending low frequencies or if the signal is too hot.
    • ACP110LG-TW1 bass is very deep, I feel it misses some frequencies. I have used JL Audio for three of my cars.
      
      
    • I hope this help someone and please feel free to ask questions. I will upload some pictures of the final installation later. Still need to clean up the wires a bit and add velcro to the subwoofer.

Amazing writeup, MUCH appreciated!!

 

[grass man]

My wife loves bass. She has wanted an upgrade in every vehicle she's had.
The R1S is actually awesome for upgrading. The sub in the side is a standard size 10" sub and the box is quite large.

I had an Alpine sub already that fit perfect. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-CR4QZ5tkjul/p_500SWRT10/Alpine-SWR-T10.html

The stock sub is actually a dual 4 ohm coil, thought that was interesting. I used line level inputs into a JL Audio amp. I was able to find a 12V power on the left side of the trunk with the solid pinkish wire in the picture. Since it switches off with the car, I also used that at the turn on signal for the amp.

I ran a remote knob up to the front seat so the wife can adjust easily.
First try, the whole area rattled horribly. Put a ton of acoustic mat on everything I could around the sub. That mat fixed it all and now can crank out way more power than what the wife will want.

Nice work! Do you have an R1T that your bass loving wife also drives? Asking for a friend...

This, absolutely. I wish we R1T folks had a straightforward modification similar to the R1S here. I'd love to drop in the 10TW3 and a decent compact 600W amp with as much ease as this appears to involve.
BTW- I've already successfully run two larger gauge lines (8awg and 10awg) from the batteries on back to the rear seat storage via a Garmin PowerSwitch (to a weBoost and a GMRS) That part wasn't a horrible process thanks to another user's input. Running another dedicated power source back there won't be much of a challenge by comparison.
I remain hopeful!

 

[grass man]

I didn't measure the volume. But we've (well the wife wife) been super happy with the performance with the jl audio amp and sub that I listed.

Goal achieved. Nice execution.

 

[PBRAZ]

Sorry did not get a chance to take a video. My son started to take the car apart ahead of time.

The removal of the panels is not for the faint of heart. The removal is not so bad but putting it back together is a pain, especially the rear passenger door. Highly recommend a panel removal kit.

• There are 4 panels you need to remove to get to the subwoofer.
  • Start with the passenger rear door and remove the footplate.
  • Remove the panel towards the end of the door sill (the one touching the "big panel"). It is small but has a lot of clips.
  • Remove the small panel In the trunk, where the door latches.
  • For the big panel, start to pull near the seat (SLOWLY). Do not pull it completely off just enough to get a hand in.
  • Disconnect the USB and small speaker cable. The USB is a bit of a struggle, but there is a wire.
  • Continue to work on the top until the big panel has disconnected from the pillers.
  • Then put your hand in and slowly work on separating the big panel from the side.
• Wiring for the JL Audio Ported ACP110LG-TW1 (pictures)
  • Remove the factory subwoofer. As someone noted they have some kind of rubber substance on the screws and you need to press hard to get the screw off. We used a pick tool to scrape away at the Phillip screw grooves for better grip.
  • Cut the factory subwoofer cable and left about 6" on the subwoofer side. [Two pairs of wires red and black 18/16GA??].
  • Pull the speaker wire from the housing, it loops in the housing so be careful. There is also a grommet holding the wire. It broke while trying to remove the cable from the housing.
  • [Optional] We spliced both pairs of subwoofer wires and ran both pairs of wires into the trunk. I did this in case I ever wanted to hook the factory sub up without taking out all the panels.
  • Extended the cut subwoofer wire coming from the amp (under the driver seat). This will be used in the HIGH-LEVEL INPUT to JL Audio integrated Amp.
  • Power/Remove. Create a"Y" pigtail and connect it to the "pink" wire on the opposite end of the tub.
  • Ground: Under the left side there is a nut you can tie ground.
• Notes and overall installation:
  • It took us about 6 hours. My son I and took our time. Used solder and heat sink for spliced wire connectivity.
  • Put panels back in reverse order. The panels near the rear door took the longest. Tip: Assure the big panel is sitting correctly.
  • The sound is much better. However, note these are 0.25-ohm subwoofer there is no formula to get the voltages correct. You will have to listen for distortion.
  • Once closed it sounds great, but if you have rattles today they will only sound worse.
  • Low-volume bass is a bit lackluster. I need to crank it to about 10-11 before I get a thump. I am used to balanced music.
  • The existing subwoofer is crap, it does not look like a dual coil, but two pairs of wires are connected.
  • The fit of the JL Audio is fantastic in the wheel well. I can still put the divided (where the compressor hose sits) back in with no problem.
  • If I were to do it again:
    • I would probably replace the existing factory subwoofer. Use a lot of Duramat, JL Subwoofer TW1, and a separate amp. It would give more control.
    • I am not sure if the exiting subwoofer wires are only sending low frequencies or if the signal is too hot.
    • ACP110LG-TW1 bass is very deep, I feel it misses some frequencies. I have used JL Audio for three of my cars.
      
      
    • I hope this help someone and please feel free to ask questions. I will upload some pictures of the final installation later. Still need to clean up the wires a bit and add velcro to the subwoofer.

1) You mentioned missing some of the lower frequencies. Could you have possibly kept the stock sub hooked up and run both the old and new sub at the same time? Or, wondering if the sealed version of your sub might give you back some of those frequencies.

2) All those wires and connectors shown in the tub - are any of those the sub wires by any chance? Wondering if there is another way to access them without removing the panels which scares the crap out of me. Possibly one of those smaller door sill panels?

 

[powerplyer]

1) I have not tried it, but should be a pretty easy experiment (since I ran the wire from the factory subwoofer). I will give it a shot. I had some rattle from the original subwoofer and chose to disconnect it. I will try and let you know. I think the JL Audio will overpower the factory by a long shot.

2) Unfortunately the subwoofer cable is behind the panel. You may be able to get to the wires by starting to pull the big panel from the back, but it will be a tight fit. I think someone posted a picture earlier.

The other option is to run the cable from the driver seat, but that would require a lot of fishing for wire. Access to subwoofer wires is tough.

 

[TypeR1S]

What gauge wire did you use to connect to your amp?

Can you post a picture of how you tapped into the 12v?

I see your setup is 400rms. I'm planning on getting a 800rms Audiocontrol lc-1.800 amp paired with the JL 10w3. A normal setup would be too run a 4 gauge wire to the battery with a fuse. But it'd be nice if I can avoid that. Any concerns with using the 12v for my setup?

 

[PBRAZ]

What gauge wire did you use to connect to your amp?

Can you post a picture of how you tapped into the 12v?

I see your setup is 400rms. I'm planning on getting a 800rms Audiocontrol lc-1.800 amp paired with the JL 10w3. A normal setup would be too run a 4 gauge wire to the battery with a fuse. But it'd be nice if I can avoid that. Any concerns with using the 12v for my setup?

No one has answered yet but I have some thoughts in the meantime on your setup. This is what I have read, not from experience, so take with a grain of salt.

-Doesn't 800 RMS exceed the rating of the 10W3, which maxes out at about 500 or 600 RMS?

-4 gauge would have to be run to the battery, there are no taps that size.

-That amp would be a huge draw on the 12v battery, and the vehicle might sense this and throw some errors. Not to mention it will suck a ton of charge.

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