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Review written by Bob from Fernandina Beach, FL
I needed a sub that didn't suck up huge space in my Scion xB "trunk" and the Clarion fit the bill, installing it under the driver's seat. After having it for several months, now, I still don't think the wired remote control unit does much. It adjusts frequency (crossover point, I suppose), gain, and has a slide switch for phase reversal. Even when I swing the frequency and gain controls widely to get a drastic change, I barely hear a difference, at least playing CD-Rs of burned .mp3s. Maybe on FM there might be a bit more difference, I just don't listen to radio all that much, anymore.
The bass IS improved over my upgraded 6" speakers with the addition of the Clarion, but the frequencies below 200HZ must have a heck of a skew toward the higher end, as the deep punch you can hear with a non-powered 8" Bazooka is more of what I'm listening for, but missing. I'll probably end up re-buying a Bazooka for the trunk and re-installing my small Alpine amplifier to power it. First, I'll parallel-wire the non-powered Bazooka and see if that is enough added punch, then dump the Clarion and switch the whole thing out it it's still weak. Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting 18" band-pass sound out of a cereal bowl. I'm 65 and still love the full sound. I wish I could put a sub in the spare tire & wheel cavity and up-fire the sound, but then I'd have no spare in traffic and trips. Such a conundrum!
The bass IS improved over my upgraded 6" speakers with the addition of the Clarion, but the frequencies below 200HZ must have a heck of a skew toward the higher end, as the deep punch you can hear with a non-powered 8" Bazooka is more of what I'm listening for, but missing. I'll probably end up re-buying a Bazooka for the trunk and re-installing my small Alpine amplifier to power it. First, I'll parallel-wire the non-powered Bazooka and see if that is enough added punch, then dump the Clarion and switch the whole thing out it it's still weak. Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting 18" band-pass sound out of a cereal bowl. I'm 65 and still love the full sound. I wish I could put a sub in the spare tire & wheel cavity and up-fire the sound, but then I'd have no spare in traffic and trips. Such a conundrum!