How sweet. Now I can live with the stereo. The sub-amp is in the trunk next to the battery. remove all the covers, slide fingers below amp and feel for bias control and give it a turn. I am happy now.

Taken with Blackberry phone camera. Now I am off to get sunroof installed.

http://members.cox.net/sandifer4/g8bass1.jpg

http://members.cox.net/sandifer4/g8bass2.jpg

Awesome information, thanks! I'll definitely be tweaking that.

Cool find. I will remember this.

Wasn't there something very similar to this for the GTO?

good find! thanks for the 4-1-1!

Wasn't there something very similar to this for the GTO?

Yup.

vhato: Nice work! This is perfect. I planned on keeping my stock head unit and amps. If I was going to replace anything, it would be some of the speakers. Like 6x9's and 3 1/4 ones.

Thanks again, great find!


:wiggle:

In another thread here, a GTO guy said how they do it. So I hoped the sub-amp was the same.

It ain't perfect. Country, Pop, Rock all sound MUCH better. However, Rap music doesn't. The Deepest Bass, sounds overdriven. Either the amp can't push it, the subwoofers can't take it or both. It is good enough for me to not spend any money doing anything about it though.

Bias? You mean the gain?:huh:

Is that amp only for the subs?

Awesome info! Thanks!

Thanks, it is gain control, my mistake.

I dunno what that amp is connected to in any detail. Rear door speakers sound the same so I assume is was just for the woofers. I could be wrong.

Reminds me of my Bonneville, except they were nice enough to put a sliding knob on the dash by the radio. It controls just the woofers.

Thanks for the gain control trick.Helped a noticeable amount.

Reminds me of my Bonneville, except they were nice enough to put a sliding knob on the dash by the radio. It controls just the woofers.


:confused::huh:

Sorry it was a little off topic. Just trying to relate with my own experience...

Any info on how to remove the side panel from where it attaches to the tail light area? Thanks

subs in the rear of the G8 should be the same as the GTO's? trying to remember if the GTO's were 6 or 8"

i'd say the amp would be very similar too

I'm a bit lost. Does this simply up the amount of bass the system puts out?

It's the gain control which will increase the amplitude of the signal going to the speakers.

I'm a bit lost. Does this simply up the amount of bass the system puts out?

I am not even an audio prosumer, but based on what I hear...yes. It only sends more power to the two sub woofers.

thanks for the info, works great. 092 of 888

subs in the rear of the G8 should be the same as the GTO's? trying to remember if the GTO's were 6 or 8"

i'd say the amp would be very similar too

Donno about the Goats, but the G8's have Dual 8"s

subs in the rear of the G8 should be the same as the GTO's? trying to remember if the GTO's were 6 or 8"

i'd say the amp would be very similar too

The GTO has 2 x 6.5 subs in the rear deck.

Russ

The systems in the GTOs are LAME. Thanks for the find on the Gain control...works great!

I like how it is still a pain in the ass to turn the gain control on that amp just like in the GTO. You almost had to practically remove it to get to the knob

Any info on how to remove the side panel from where it attaches to the tail light area? Thanks

Remove the spare tire well cover then unscrew the 4 hooks that the cargo net attach to and remove that rear plastic panel. just pull it up after taking out the screws, there are a few clips holding it on.

Once that is off, remove the battery cover and there are two plastic push screws that need to be popped out. Once those are out wiggle the side cover out and you should be able to see the amp.

The knob is very flat and hard to find but it is there. Would it have killed them to flip that over so the knob was on the top and could be reached through the battery cover? I was going to try to flip it over but was running out of daylight.

Just got my 8 and am counting the speakers---i find 9 where are the two subs.....

Each rear door speaker is 2 way, so count those as 2 per. The "subs" are the two behind the rear passenger head rests.

Remove the spare tire well cover then unscrew the 4 hooks that the cargo net attach to and remove that rear plastic panel. just pull it up after taking out the screws, there are a few clips holding it on.

Once that is off, remove the battery cover and there are two plastic push screws that need to be popped out. Once those are out wiggle the side cover out and you should be able to see the amp.

The knob is very flat and hard to find but it is there. Would it have killed them to flip that over so the knob was on the top and could be reached through the battery cover? I was going to try to flip it over but was running out of daylight.Thanks Dovi!

Thanks for the tip, it made a noticeable difference. I was able to adjust it without taking the entire side cover off.

Saweeeet! I turned it all the way up & Eazy E "Real Mother F*ing' G's sounds really good now! Thank you.

I really am lovin' this car!

You mean to tell me that they count a two-way speaker as two speakers? Who's doing the math on this thing?

OK, someone help me here...

To start, I AM NOT EDJUMACATED in this area...

I noticed that when I play stuff like NIN or other heavly loaded Bass type music that the speakers bottom out really bad and it's horribly distorted. Will this allow me to make that a bit better or will it end up worse?

Would I need to upgrade the subs to some better units to take advantage of this or???

OK, someone help me here...

To start, I AM NOT EDJUMACATED in this area...

I noticed that when I play stuff like NIN or other heavly loaded Bass type music that the speakers bottom out really bad and it's horribly distorted. Will this allow me to make that a bit better or will it end up worse?

Would I need to upgrade the subs to some better units to take advantage of this or???

Yea......if it bottoms out now....it will DEFINATELY be worse. This MOD works on most music I listen to, but there are some sounds that just absolutely die in the subs.

This deserves a sticky, I dug it up after seeing it mentioned in some other threads. I'll be trying it tonight when I get home from work.

OK, someone help me here...

To start, I AM NOT EDJUMACATED in this area...

I noticed that when I play stuff like NIN or other heavly loaded Bass type music that the speakers bottom out really bad and it's horribly distorted. Will this allow me to make that a bit better or will it end up worse?

Would I need to upgrade the subs to some better units to take advantage of this or???

Do you have the Bass jacked up in the head unit? If you've boosted the subs, turn down the bass in the headunit. The door/dash speakers could be bottoming out (or clipping, as its known).

Turning up the gain control on the sub amp does wonders.
You don't need to disassemble the trunk to do it either.
The GTO is the same way. I can slide my hand behind the side panel, without removing it, and make the adjustment.
I removed the trunk floor panel, and was able to slide my hand under the side panel, without removing it, and adjust the gain.
As in my GTO, about 75% is a good compromise.

mac

I'm a bit lost. Does this simply up the amount of bass the system puts out?
It's just like having a powered subwoofer in a home audio system - crank the volume, you get more volume in the low frequencies.

I set to about 75% today and wow. Its a shame this is not an easier adjustment from the factory.

I've got mine up 100%. Our system should be like 400 watts instead of 230, I could use a little more thump (BASS) and volume.....

I set to about 75% today and wow. Its a shame this is not an easier adjustment from the factory.

Now that you have turned up the gain, go into the radio audio setup menu and turn off the dynamic distortion limiter. That will help you get everything out of those subs.

mac :driving:

I turned mine up today. It gave more bass, but stated a rattle. Some of the plastic clips that go through the rear deck were rattling. I'll have to hit them with a little caulk.

I turned mine up today. It gave more bass, but stated a rattle. Some of the plastic clips that go through the rear deck were rattling. I'll have to hit them with a little caulk.

You didn't say how much you turned it up, but if your turned it all the way up, dial it back a little. At about 75%, you get some decent bass, and you get decent control using the head unit adjustments.

mac :driving:

You didn't say how much you turned it up, but if your turned it all the way up, dial it back a little. At about 75%, you get some decent bass, and you get decent control using the head unit adjustments.

mac :driving:

I cranked it probably 80%, then dialed back the bass on the radio.

I still have the clips rattling. When I hold them, the rattle goes away. A little dab of silicon caulk will take car of it. Seems like when the bass hits a certain note, it resonates the plastic more than others.

I'm quite happy with the sound though. Much better than leaving in the stock location.

Oh well I guess I jumped the gun on my amp and box.... I couldn't figure out why the factory set-up was so crappy.

So... which way do i turn it for more bass? I know the first post says clockwise, but i'm having a hard time with that instruction. Does tightening the knob induce more bass or does loosening the knob give more bass? I actually loosened the knob to the point that it completely fell out of the amplifier and i spent the next 15 minutes trying to fish it out of the sloped off area in the trunk behind the battery/amp. It seems that the tighter you twist the knob, the more bass. I tightened it all the way, and then backed off a bit, im thinking mine's at about 75-80%, but i have no way of knowing as im not sure what the starting point is.

So... which way do i turn it for more bass? I know the first post says clockwise, but i'm having a hard time with that instruction. Does tightening the knob induce more bass or does loosening the knob give more bass? I actually loosened the knob to the point that it completely fell out of the amplifier and i spent the next 15 minutes trying to fish it out of the sloped off area in the trunk behind the battery/amp. It seems that the tighter you twist the knob, the more bass. I tightened it all the way, and then backed off a bit, im thinking mine's at about 75-80%, but i have no way of knowing as im not sure what the starting point is.

The easiest thing to do, is adjust it while the stereo is on. Then you can hear which way gives you more bass.
Simple!

mac :driving:

Did this today myself. I'll say this, the radio sounds excellent when playing a CD or using the aux jack. The FM didn't sound so good though, but I guess I couldn't really expect it to sound that great unless I had a really strong signal.

Did this today myself. I'll say this, the radio sounds excellent when playing a CD or using the aux jack. The FM didn't sound so good though, but I guess I couldn't really expect it to sound that great unless I had a really strong signal.

I think radio stations also muck with the sound dynamics of their broadcast, before they send out the signal. I know that if you listen to a hip hop station, they seem to have the bass pumped up and it sounds just awful. Well, it is hip hop, after all, so there is not much to make it sound better! :wall:

mac :driving:

I think radio stations also muck with the sound dynamics of their broadcast, before they send out the signal. I know that if you listen to a hip hop station, they seem to have the bass pumped up and it sounds just awful. Well, it is hip hop, after all, so there is not much to make it sound better! :wall:

mac :driving:

Yeah, there is one station here that seems to have more bass than others - even playing the same song.

One word, be careful when removing the trunk panel where the latch is....it is clipped on so you pop it up vertically.......not back towards the wall of the rear seats. Otherwise you might destroy your panel ike i did today Part # 92213099 ...cost is $40.00 from dealer.......so I bled one for you guys ;)

Pics here of what I mean.

http://home.centurytel.net/grandprix/g8/P1010304.JPG
http://home.centurytel.net/grandprix/g8/P1010305.JPG
http://home.centurytel.net/grandprix/g8/P1010306.JPG
http://home.centurytel.net/grandprix/g8/P1010307.JPG

One word, be careful when removing the trunk panel where the latch is....it is clipped on so you pop it up vertically.......not back towards the wall of the rear seats. Otherwise you might destroy your panel ike i did today Part # 92213099 ...cost is $40.00 from dealer.......so I bled one for you guys ;)



Holy resurrected thread Batman! :eek:

Sorry to hear of your dilemma.
You didn't say what you we trying to achieve, but, this thread was about turning up the gain on the sub amp. If that is what you were doing, if you look back at post #36, there is no need to take anything apart to do this.
You just need to remove the spare tire panel, and you can reach under the side panel (it's flexible) and turn the knob with your fingers.

mac

This is a nice mod. I cant wait to try it out.

I still have my sledgehammer, but I never got a chance to put it in. I dont know how to get behind the radio.

This is a nice mod. I cant wait to try it out.

I still have my sledgehammer, but I never got a chance to put it in. I dont know how to get behind the radio.

You don't need to get behind the radio. The amp is in the trunk in front of the battery.

mac

Holy resurrected thread Batman! :eek:

Sorry to hear of your dilemma.
You didn't say what you we trying to achieve, but, this thread was about turning up the gain on the sub amp. If that is what you were doing, if you look back at post #36, there is no need to take anything apart to do this.
You just need to remove the spare tire panel, and you can reach under the side panel (it's flexible) and turn the knob with your fingers.

mac


This is what tried to do yes, I could not find the stupid knob with the little I got my hand under there. So off the panels came, these pics where added in relations to this so someone else can avoid doing the stupid F$#% up I did today.

This thread should be a sticky in the audio section.

This is what tried to do yes, I could not find the stupid knob with the little I got my hand under there. So off the panels came, these pics where added in relations to this so someone else can avoid doing the stupid F$#% up I did today.

This thread should be a sticky in the audio section.

:( Again, sorry to hear that.

mac

just did this....thanks guys

I did it w/o removing any panels. Just lift the spare (jack) cover and stick your hand in there. ;)

Things like this is why i love this site.....

I did it w/o removing any panels. Just lift the spare (jack) cover and stick your hand in there. ;)

Nice. I was very dissapointed with the sound system with this car, now its a little better with the gain turned up. Thanks for the info.

Just did it on an '09. Works like a charm!

OK, this is a great post but it got to me too late. I invested in a 1000w sub amp and 2x Alpine 10" subs in a box. I think my system sounds great and I never disconnected or removed the factory subs. Do you think I will notice clearer bass if I use this posts information in reverse and lower the bass? Common sense tells me that the subs are interfering with my system and this will help but again in real life my system sounds awesome, looking too one of you experienced guys to tell me if spending any time on this tomorrow (my day off) would be of any benefit?

Why not just try it? You can reach the knob without removing anything but the trunk mat. I did this on mine yesterday...it took less than 30 seconds.

well after reading those last few posts i'm headed out to give it a try

done and done...the knob isnt quite where the picture describes...its up about 3 inches from that arrow off the trunk deck and feels like a dime. noticeable difference but dont worry you didnt waste your money on aftermarket subs and amp...still needs more juice.

Just picke mine up yesterday and after playing around witht the audio settings i was a littel dsapointed. I'll be sure to try this today after work. Thanks guys!!!

Just did this and it sounds better!

Yea......if it bottoms out now....it will DEFINATELY be worse. This MOD works on most music I listen to, but there are some sounds that just absolutely die in the subs.

There is too much area in the trunk, the subs are not supported by a proper air cushion which prevents excessive cone excursion, they should actually be in sealed or ported boxes. But I will definitely be doing this tomorrow, wondered why there was so little bass with subs in comparison to the rest of the audio. Thanks much for the tip.

OK, this is a great post but it got to me too late. I invested in a 1000w sub amp and 2x Alpine 10" subs in a box. I think my system sounds great and I never disconnected or removed the factory subs. Do you think I will notice clearer bass if I use this posts information in reverse and lower the bass? Common sense tells me that the subs are interfering with my system and this will help but again in real life my system sounds awesome, looking too one of you experienced guys to tell me if spending any time on this tomorrow (my day off) would be of any benefit?

A 1000 watt amp and two 10" subs could definitely cover distortion from the stock subs, can you turn off the new system while it is cranked the way you like it to listen to the stock subs alone? If so I'd do that and see if they are distorting and if they are turn the separate volume control (gain on the sub amp) down, make sure they're in phase also, if not they will cancel each other.

I turned the volume control on the subwoofer amp all the way up today and the difference is amazing. I couldn't find it by just slipping my fingers under the side panel though, but taking it all apart and putting it back together again was only a 15 minute job. I did it in a parking lot waiting for my wife, great idea.
I didn't really notice any bottoming out of the subwoofers and I had it really loud for a while playing different kinds of music. I wasn't too thrilled with this system until I did this, huge difference.

Here is another tip to make this sound system even better. I covered the entire underside of the rear deck with Dynamat Extreme. No more rattles, and I was able to turn up the sub amp a little bit more.

mac

I couldn't find it either without the panel off so I also removed it, I was careful removing the rear panel, pushed the rubber gasket that goes all around the top of it out of the way and it came right out after the 4 things that hook the netting were unscrewed. The volume cointrol is in a wierd place, it's up and in the bottom of the unit right in the middle and if you imagine it being the front of a radio upside dwon just turn it the way you would turn any knob to increase volume. Clockwise.


One word, be careful when removing the trunk panel where the latch is....it is clipped on so you pop it up vertically.......not back towards the wall of the rear seats. Otherwise you might destroy your panel ike i did today Part # 92213099 ...cost is $40.00 from dealer.......so I bled one for you guys ;)

Pics here of what I mean.

http://home.centurytel.net/grandprix/g8/P1010304.JPG
http://home.centurytel.net/grandprix/g8/P1010305.JPG
http://home.centurytel.net/grandprix/g8/P1010306.JPG
http://home.centurytel.net/grandprix/g8/P1010307.JPG

Has anybody tried to find the clipping point of the subs or the headunit? Maybe the gain was set at the factory setting for a reason? I haven't picked my car up yet (Tomorrow!), but I would imagine the speakers will go into clipping if you're turning the gain up higher than 80%.

I didnt have to rip apart too much, I just used a hand held mirror and was able to get in their without too much ripping.

I didnt have to rip apart too much, I just used a hand held mirror and was able to get in their without too much ripping.

Having had expirience with my GTO, I was able to adjust mine without issue.
Remove the spare tire cover. Slide your hand, palm side up, under the left side panel, ahead of the battery. The amp is located forward of the battery, with the gain control knob facing bottom. The knob is about the size of a dime.
Best to have the stereo on while making the adjustment so you know which way to turn it. Using your middle finger and your index finger, rotate the knob. By default, it should be set at 50%. There is a detent at that position that you can feel. Adjust up or down to your liking. I had mine set slightly above the 50% mark at first. Then, after applying the Dynamat to the underside of the deck, to kill the rattling, I was able to adjust up to somewhere around 75%. Makes a big difference in the low end.
Bass control on the head unit set to +4, treble at +6, no EQ, loudness on.
At these settings, can pretty much run the volume up to 20 on newer, more bass intensive cds or mp3s, 25 on older cds.

mac

Best to have the stereo on while making the adjustment so you know which way to turn it.

That is a very good tip. I was trying to follow the clock-wise, counter-clockwise advice and went 100% the wrong way the first time. Easier to just have the stereo on and you can easily tell which way's up!

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you.

I just went outside and played around with this. Easy to get to, just had to lift out the spare tire (I mean "puncture repair compressor") cover and gently lift up on the side panel covering the battery and amp.

After some messing around, I ended up with the amp cranked to 100%, the bass set at 0 and the treble at +3 or +4 depending on the music. I cranked out some Atreyu, NIN, Five Finger Death Punch, and All That Remains, everything sounds incredible. I had a pair of 8" SAS tubes with punch 8's and a 200W punch amp, I'm going to hold off on installing it for now, this rocks as is.

I also flipped through the hip hop stations on my sirius radio, sounds good as well, but the bass lines in that music did cause some distortion at higher volimes.

Everything else could be cranked to 40 to 45 and it was crystal clear and f-ing LOUD. Having the bass down on the head unit and cranked on the amp really clears up all of the distortion in the stock interior speakers.

This is officially my new favorite web site. Picked up my 2008 GT Friday 10/24. :)

yeah i just go my rear deck dynomat'd today, sounds alot better no more ratters from there...just gotta fix the rear doors now, might try turning the gain all the way up and the bass in the eq down like syko, should take care of it for now

This is officially my new favorite web site. Picked up my 2008 GT Friday 10/24. :)

This little piece of information was pretty much when I fell in love with this forum also! I took delivery of an '09 GT on 9/24 and stayed up until about 3AM reading this forum that night.

Congratulations on the new car!

There is too much area in the trunk, the subs are not supported by a proper air cushion which prevents excessive cone excursion, they should actually be in sealed or ported boxes. But I will definitely be doing this tomorrow, wondered why there was so little bass with subs in comparison to the rest of the audio. Thanks much for the tip.

Given that the trunk is basically an infinite baffle (compared to a 2 cubic foot box) then by hunting down some "free air" subs that are MADE for that type of application, would probably increase output quite a bit.

When I get my liquid red GT on Feb. 1st, I will be doing something to the subs, how far I go depends on what I can make happen by decreasing the bass gains at the deck and increasing the sub amp gains....

..I imagine in the end though, I will probably be adding a modest dedicated amp and a single solid 12" firing into the cabin.

Interesting thread here.

I guess someone at the factory had already set mine up as I have almost too much bass and I haven't even touched the amp yet. I set up the EQ to the Jazz setting and actually have a little more bass than I like. I haven't checked it to see where it's at but may check it this weekend. If anything, I might actually turn it down some.

As for rattles, does any one else have a rattle in the overhead pannel with the sunroof dial? I did and so added a couple of small felt bumpers under the pannel which solved the rattle. No rattles from the back pannel but I do hear some from the truck when standing outside. Also I can feel the bass throughout the car. All you have to do is touch any part of the interior and you can feel it.

This is what makes me think mine is already turned up.

Interesting thread here.

I guess someone at the factory had already set mine up as I have almost too much bass and I haven't even touched the amp yet. I set up the EQ to the Jazz setting and actually have a little more bass than I like. I haven't checked it to see where it's at but may check it this weekend. If anything, I might actually turn it down some.

As for rattles, does any one else have a rattle in the overhead pannel with the sunroof dial? I did and so added a couple of small felt bumpers under the pannel which solved the rattle. No rattles from the back pannel but I do hear some from the truck when standing outside. Also I can feel the bass throughout the car. All you have to do is touch any part of the interior and you can feel it.

This is what makes me think mine is already turned up.


Yeah mine turned another 1/4 inch which made a world of difference IMO plus the speakers are breaking in now which helps. Also remember folks that your audio controls have to be set for each function, Aux, XM, FM, AM and CD.

I had a rattle in the driver seat belt area right by my ear so I took it all apart and snubbed it. I dynomatted the rear deck lid which really helps the base hit harder.

The car still needs one 10" sub in the trunk IMO.

Chris

The car still needs one 10" sub in the trunk IMO.

Yes. I did the bias mod, but recently added my sub/amp (12" DVC). Much, much better...even after turning it up. Now my car goes BOOM

I checked mine last night while I was swaping tail lights with a GT. wound up that both of our amps were already turned up. I had suspected it since I was already getting great bass out of my system without touchung the amp.

Wonder why ours were already turned up while others weren't? Both cars were '08's and came from the same dealer. Matter of fact, I passed over this GT at the dealers because it was white. Now here it is in my driveway and I'm working on it. Funny.

I'll be doing this mod as soon as I get the my car. I love simple free mods!

Took 5 minutes to pull out the trunk floor board, stick my foot in the tire well and get my hand to twist the gain knob, peaking though the battery door.

Totally, worth it. Sounds great at 75% .

Thanks for the post. Guess I won't need the custom fiberglass sub enclosure in the tire well after all. 500 bucks back in my pocket. Love it.

You mean to tell me that they count a two-way speaker as two speakers? Who's doing the math on this thing?
Yeah, I never knew my old car had 20 speakers...

well, i think the stereo still isnt hitting on much, so I ordereed two RF power T1s and a Hifonics BXi2008d amp for a little xtra punch.

I'll post pics when I finish

Got mine turned up this morning. Nice tip!

This is one of the best quick tips I've seen on here, thank you!

I turned my bias up to about 95%, then dialed the bass on the head unit down to +2 for radio setting and +3 for Front Aux (my iPod Touch), Treble set to +6 on all settings...and the sound is 100x better than before!!!

Thanks again guys!

I too just did this on my spanking new 2009, and it does help alot, especially on my fave flavor of music (electronic psytrance mostly). Rap of course, that has lots of deep lows, is not all that great on anything with such small subs, but eventually I'll get my 12" sub in there and that will be cured....

I think I will drop in a 12w3 or something with a clean 500w sub amp.

Picked up my 09 GT yesterday evening and was excited to try my first tweak...the gain was at 50%, so cranked it up all the way. Also set the Bass to +5, Treble to +5, equalizer was off. It is much better, but not quite there. The first thing I usually do on any car is add an amp/sub, so I'm used to some additional punch and just warned the wife that it looks like I will have to do that this time around as well.

Wow, that fix will get me by for now. Mine was at about 40% gain. Stock speakers still suck. Both my Catera and CTS have the Boss system and it rocks for factory stuff. I may just "can" a set of Boss speakers out of an old Catera for my G8 if they fit.

I was disappointed when I picked up the car and turned on the stereo. I was thinking were is that 230 watt stereo. I just did the adjustment and it sounds like a new stereo, and boy does it thump. I adjusted the bias to about 80-85%. As for the radio, my settings are bass at 3, treble at 6 and the loudness on. I probably have to tweak it a little more, but awesome so far.

As for accessing the amp, do what they tell you in the post. Take out the spare tire cover and reach under the left side panel where the battery is and find the knob that is in the middle of the amp. Turn the knob clockwise to increase bias, but remember that the knob is on the bottom so if you are on top looking down, the adjustment is ccw. Have the radio on and you will hear the change as you make the adjustment.

I must be the only idiot who can't figure this out. I got to the picture shown in the first post, reached to the bottom of the amp and felt a screw but no knob or circle. Any chance mine is different? I have an 08 GT.

I must be the only idiot who can't figure this out. I got to the picture shown in the first post, reached to the bottom of the amp and felt a screw but no knob or circle. Any chance mine is different? I have an 08 GT.

I think you are feeling the plastic bracket that holds the amp. Reach over the plastic bracket (torwards the front of the car), and the amp is a couple inches up from the plastic piece.

ScottE

turned mine up, but once i put a "real" sound system in, that amp will be coming out and a kinetik hc600 battery will go there. and hopefully the stock sub amp bracket will be the right size to hold the battery down with. the hc600 is 7"x6"x3"

Finally did it! I read Vhato's thread waayyyyyyyyyy back in the spring of 2008, but never got around to this. Today, I had a few extra hours and a few extra beers. So I pumped up the bass!!!!! Love it. Thanks for the tip Toby! :pimp:

I must be an idoit cause i can't tell a difference maybe a little bit. but it seems i had to turn mine counterclockwise and it feels like you can continue to turn it and it doesn't stop? oh well maybe i'm don't know what the hell i'm doing. i can turn it up to 45 and it does sounds better can't tell about the bass. good tip though.

Good info, I am going to try it,, by the way, what is the best song to play while testing?:wiggle:

You guys rock :gears:

Great thread! Did mine last night just removing the spare well cover. Makes a HUGE difference! Even sat in the car listening to a few CD's before my wife caught me playing air guitar :D

Great thread! Did mine last night just removing the spare well cover. Makes a HUGE difference! Even sat in the car listening to a few CD's before my wife caught me playing air guitar :D

Is that your pet name for it, or hers? :wink2:

:wall: mac

Is that your pet name for it, or hers? :wink2:

:wall: mac

LMAO!:gr_jest:

Is that your pet name for it, or hers? :wink2:

:wall: mac

Keep your day job!

Thanks for the tip! this makes a bad sound sound a :quoties: little :quoties: better for now. I cant wait to put a couple 12's in.

Nice..thanks

Thank you very much for this info!! Just changed mine and it's a HUGE improvement, still think I will add at least one sub but this will work for now.

After carefully pulling the trunk liner toward the spare tire well, I carefully wedged a Meguiars Gold Class wax can underneath. It is easier to find and adjust the amp gain (insert hand near white arrow) when your hand is not being pinched.

BTW, I was originally going to purchase a full-size spare until I remembered that all of my flat tires for 40 years have been pluggable (except for the bald tires I used as a starving grad student). It is much easier to plug a tire on the car since you don't need to take it off. In addition to the plug kit, you may need some pliers to fish out the nail or screw.

....And a white grease pen. It may be very small and hard to find after you pull the nail, so mark it first.

Did mine this morning. Just another thing you wish they would tell you about in the Owners Manual.

I hate to thread hump, but I didn't know that. Glad to hear it. Thanks.

when i first got the car, i tryed to changed the subs to kicker free air, but did not sound any better, so i got a box with 2 10's. today i took it out and the factory amp works great with the kickers i installed originally. gives a lil more bass than the original subs.

Thanks! I also adjusted it easily by taking out the spare cover and holding up the side cover a bit with one hand while making the adjustment with the other. Spins easy with one finger.

-Q

Just did mine...much much better !!...Thanks

did mine just a minute ago - thanks 4 the heads up!

After carefully pulling the trunk liner toward the spare tire well, I carefully wedged a Meguiars Gold Class wax can underneath. It is easier to find and adjust the amp gain (insert hand near white arrow) when your hand is not being pinched.

I have the same wax in my garage!

I just did this (without the wax), and wow...I read all the posts, but never thought it would actually be a HUGE improvement...but it is. :)

Did mine today, sounds a lot better thanks all. Also turned off ddl. Is it just me or does the wheel for amp adjustment spin a whole helluva lot? I probably was able to turn it 15-20 full turns, which was too much base and had it probably settled around 10-12 full clockwise turns. Is this normal? I guess I wasn't expecting it to turn nearly that many times...

Did mine today, sounds a lot better thanks all. Also turned off ddl. Is it just me or does the wheel for amp adjustment spin a whole helluva lot? I probably was able to turn it 15-20 full turns, which was too much base and had it probably settled around 10-12 full clockwise turns. Is this normal? I guess I wasn't expecting it to turn nearly that many times...

It's just you. :wink2:
Probably because you can't see it when turning it, it may feel like it turns alot, but in actuality, it does not even make one full turn. It's only about 1/2 a turn between 0-100%. Could you feel the detent at 50%? That's usually where it's set from the factory.

mac

Yeah I felt the detent. But that knob is tiny, no more than an inch across, you sure it's not making at least a few full spins? It sure felt like it with how small it is...

I found it hard to tell if it was still spinning or not as it's very slippery. I found the best way to tell was to turn up the stereo a bit and just play with it back and forth and back and forth until I could clearly tell what max gain was and then I backed it down until it hit my sweet spot. In fact after driving around for a bit with it like it is I will probably back it down a little bit further this weekend. The bass in the music I generally listen to is too fast for the subs to recover from with the gain as high as I have it.

Good idea quake, when I have some time Ill do that, thanks.

Yeah I felt the detent. But that knob is tiny, no more than an inch across, you sure it's not making at least a few full spins? It sure felt like it with how small it is...

Yea, I'm sure. It's just like the one in my GTO, and it only turns about 1/2 a turn. It is small, and kind of flat, like a nickel. Like quake said, I adjusted mine with the stereo on so I could hear the difference as i am making adjustments. I settled at about 80% Any more than that, and it's too much.

mac

Checked this on my GXP and it was set at 100% from the facotry. I turned it down to about 80%.

Definately sounds better.

Just tweeked mine to about 75% was originally at around 50 like this thread stated. GREAT JOB! on this find. Makes the subs sound more rich and full.

Kudos.

I just got an 09 G8 GT. The stereo sucks. Hardly any Bass. I went to adjust the gain and i had to turn it all the way counter clockwise to increase the bass. The posts say clockwise. Kind of wondering if mine is working like it should. Even with the gain all the way up its not very clean bass. I pulled the Amp fuse and there was a difference in bass. With the amp on it just doesnt seem right. Maybe I have dud.

I set mine a couple days after I bought my GT (thanks to this thread) while listening to FM, XM and CD. I do like my bass to be maxed and to satisfy all bands my ear told me to take it to 100% especially for XM. Could have lived with 80% for FM, but XM is the killer and on some stations I wish it went to 120%. If the bass is too high you can adjust your sound level settings for each band accordingly anyway so lower your bass for FM while max it out for XM.

I think too many people are comparing the bass response in the G8 to after market kits which is not fair. I will say that any factory BOSE system in any model car sounds way better than our Blaupunkt, but overall after owning the car for 3 months, I think the sound is very good....I didn't say excellent. The XM box is the issue and that is not the speakers or amps fault as FM and my iPod sound very good.

My advice, take it to 100% :pimp:

Did you turn your gain clockwise or counter clockwise?
I only heard the bass kick in when turning the gain all the way counterclockwise. Just to clarify (To the Left).

I put a CD in and it sounded much better than XM and FM.

I just got an 09 G8 GT. The stereo sucks. Hardly any Bass. I went to adjust the gain and i had to turn it all the way counter clockwise to increase the bass. The posts say clockwise. Kind of wondering if mine is working like it should. Even with the gain all the way up its not very clean bass. I pulled the Amp fuse and there was a difference in bass. With the amp on it just doesnt seem right. Maybe I have dud.

Yes, it's counter clockwise. I turned the radio on like other said and I messed with the button for a few mins before I found the sweet spot. It has a setting for half-way. Mine was set this way. You can feel the click for the half-way setting. You can always turn it back to stock setting if your not sure, or if you don't like the bass.

I have my amp turned all the way up. Its still not much bass. If I set it half way I would not hear any bass. I am wondering if the amp is working properly. Maybe this weekend I'll have to stop at a dealership and listen to the sound on a G8 in the show room.

If you're not hearing much bass after turning the bias button counter clockwise, then something must be wrong with your amp, or speakers. I could big tell a difference right away. If all else fails. Take your car to the dealership and have them check it out.

I was waiting for someone to say that there is a big difference when you turn the knob. I am definitely taking it in.

I was waiting for someone to say that there is a big difference when you turn the knob. I am definitely taking it in.

Even without touching the amp (assuming it's factory set at 50%) If you have the stereo playing, and open the trunk, you will hear the subs, if all is working properly. Turn the gain up on the amp, counterclockwise (towards the inner left fender) you will hear a big difference.

mac

That is exactly what's not happening. With it turned all the way up there is a little bass. If I back it down the smallest bit there is no bass. Must be something wrong with the amp.

I don't know what's wrong with me :confused: but I can't seem to find the knob to adjust the gain (c'mon now... don't laugh). How far back on the amp is it?

Its about 4" in on the under side of the amp. You have to squeeze your fingers underneath, I can adjust it with 1 finger.

Thanx. I'll give it another try. Has anyone noticed that XM does not come in nearly as 'loud' as even the FM stations ??? I haven't tried any CD's yet.

Thanx. I'll give it another try. Has anyone noticed that XM does not come in nearly as 'loud' as even the FM stations ??? I haven't tried any CD's yet.
You can adjust the bass/treble/loudness seperately from fm/am for xm and aux.

Thanks WickedMom.... I should have remembered that.

Just ran outside to do this after reading 3pages. Must say its a noticeable difference i turned it all the way up 100% then played with the audio setting to find what best suits me and the music i listen too with a stock setup. I think ill be adding a single 10" or 12" sub with amp tho for a little bit more bass/boom.

Thanks for this tip it was very easy to do. I just lifted the spare cover up held it with my head, used one hand to hold up the side cover and the other hand slide under and turned the gain. I did have the system on to hear the difference.

subs in the rear of the G8 should be the same as the GTO's? trying to remember if the GTO's were 6 or 8"


The subs in the GTO were/are 6.5". I replaced mine with Goldwoods for about $10 apiece and it made a noticeable difference in the sound quality.

This needs to be stickied or moved to the DIY forum. Luckily, I read all about the stereo on the forums BEFORE I bought the car, otherwise, I would have been greatly dissapointed on my ride home from the dealer last night.

First mod done, what's next?

Great thread, big improvement.

awesome info i'l be trying this tonight on my wife's new GT.

The beauty of this car...At least to me is that with the battery being in the back it eliminates my least favorite part of adding an aftermarket amp. That being, running the 12v wire.

I found my GXP also had the gain at 100% which explains why I thought the system wasn't bad from the factory.

I do have a solution to add a little more that I bought back before I had the car but expected to have one.

That solution is 2 12" Blaupunkt bass tub es and a mono amp to run them.

Easily removable, plenty of bass and they match the OEM components which makes an OCD nut like me happy. :)

I just did it, and it does make a big difference.

Thanks to all!

Turn the stereo off and listen to tha beautiful V8 Note

Music to my ears

First mod done, what's next?

Great thread, big improvement.


caulk the subs so they don't vibrate against the sheet metal now that you are feeding more power to them.

caulk the subs so they don't vibrate against the sheet metal now that you are feeding more power to them.

Or, Dynamat the undeside of the deck, so that the deck pad clips don't vibrate. You can pump enough bass outta those subs to vibrate your rear view mirror! :)

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/777DadandJr/My%20G8/IMG_0478.jpg

mac

GREAT THREAD!

I'm going to try this as soon as I get a chance....

It made a nice difference......LOL I should have worn a body suit though...LOL I cut up my whole arm doing this........LOL wait until my husband sees this.....he is going to say, "You couldn't have just waited for me to do it??".....LOL

i tried this but i didnt notice a difference, the knob i felt kept spinning no matter how many times i turned it?

Waltah, If you have a slight pressure downwards, the know will slide down the shaft...and come off!... make sure there is only about 1/8" space between the knob and the base of the unit.

It turns quite easily and with a few full turns you can detect the "bump" when it is at factory setting and go from there.

Did this last night without removing the carpet just pulled the spare tire cover all the way out and it was easy. HUGE difference in the bass quantity and quality. Why aren't they turned up at the factory?

holy crap this is killing me, ill try again tonight but i swear the knob was spinning infinitley

It felt like it was spinning indefinately at first for me too. I then realized that there is a notch at 50% that I could feel as I was doing this blind. I got it to 50% and turned it up until I got to 85% or so. Try it wil a very bass heavy song you will be able to tell where you are at.

should i push and turn or just turn?

I did this last night too and it sure does make a difference. I took the trunk floor copmpletely out, pulled on the side covering (worried that I was going to put a permanent bend in it), slid my hand in and underneath the amp and turned the knob with the detent CCW and all was well again.

Waltah, mine turned with a fair amount of resistance so if yours turns freely my bet is that it's broke, especially if you're able to push up on it.

it spins very easily, maybe broken

I did this last night, very noticeable difference. Bass sounds much better, but.....as many have noted, the deck lid vibrates like crazy and is very annoying.

I might have to try the Dynamat solution.

Thanks for the easy mod. It is a tight fit for a guy with average sized hands without removing the panel but it was doable.

Like others have said..it is half a turn from min to max. The detent wasn't easy to detect, but I'm guessing I'm in the 75% range I was shooting for.

You talk about an easy adjustment. I wasn't sure what to expect but it's made quite a difference. This should be an owners manual topic for the audio system...lol...Thanks for the information. No one should live with the system as is from the factory setting.

Thanks for the great info

it spins very easily, maybe broken
Did you get this straightened out Waltah?

Did you get this straightened out Waltah?

havent been adventurous enough to try again...my stereo is pretty bassy...ill check it out tonight.

What a disaster this ended up being! I thought this would be easy, and I initially reached underneath and after a few minutes of searching, I thought I found the knob. However, it completely refused to turn. Eventually I gave up on trying to go in from underneath, so I tried to take off the panel, however one of the net hooks was so tight I eventually had to use pliers to loosen it. It had been cross-threaded in place and some metal shavings came out with it. After finally getting the panel out of place, I get to the knob and it still won't turn. I decide to gently coax it with a pair of needle nose pliers, and it immediately snaps off and drops to an unreachable place.

I gave up and started to put things back together, resigned to no longer having a chance at any bass, and as I'm slipping the panel back underneath the rear plastic trunk trim, it snaps at the latch opening, just like another guys on this thread. All of this on a car this is only 4 days old.

Think the dealer will warranty the amp for having an inoperable knob?

That's too bad there skuzbuket. If you have a good relationship with your service advisor maybe you'll be able to get away with just replacement parts costs.

You story sounds like a million of mine, so don't feel too bad.

What a disaster this ended up being! I thought this would be easy, and I initially reached underneath and after a few minutes of searching, I thought I found the knob. However, it completely refused to turn. Eventually I gave up on trying to go in from underneath, so I tried to take off the panel, however one of the net hooks was so tight I eventually had to use pliers to loosen it. It had been cross-threaded in place and some metal shavings came out with it. After finally getting the panel out of place, I get to the knob and it still won't turn. I decide to gently coax it with a pair of needle nose pliers, and it immediately snaps off and drops to an unreachable place.

I gave up and started to put things back together, resigned to no longer having a chance at any bass, and as I'm slipping the panel back underneath the rear plastic trunk trim, it snaps at the latch opening, just like another guys on this thread. All of this on a car this is only 4 days old.

Think the dealer will warranty the amp for having an inoperable knob?

When I first looked for mine, I thought I was turning the knob, but evidently, I was trying to turn the threaded screw! HAHA

The next day, I attempted it when it was daytime outside. I still couldn't find the damn knob. Had to open the center console in the rear seats and my upper body through the opening and get up under there until I found the damn knob. It's such a recessed knob, without visually seeing it, I would have given up and missed it completely. BTW, mine was turned up to the max from the factory...I was disappointed. :(

Thanks for this info!

I was easily able to access the knob just by removing the trunk mat and reaching up under the side, instead of removing it. I had the stereo on when turning the knob and it made a noticeable difference in the base. I definitely liked my stock Grand Prix Bose unit better than this one, but with the bass turned up this unit is a little more bearable. I expected much more from a Blaupunkt.

Can anone help me I went into my trunk and open tha panel for the battery and my hands will not fit down here to change the knob, anything I can do or do I have to take out the battery?

You don't go in thru that access panel.

Remove the trunk floor panel. Lift up the bottom edge of the right side trunk panel (battery side) just ahead of the battery. Slide your hand under there, palm side up, in as far as about your wrist. Feel around with your hand to locate the amp. Mounted just ahead of the battery, slightly angled to the rear, face down. Once you locate the amp, feel around on the bottom for the knob, kind of flat, about the size of a dime. From the factory, it should be set at 50%. there is a detent at that position. Rotate the knob towards the outside of the car to increase bass boost. It helps to have the music playing when you are doing this so that you can hear the change. Turn all the way up, then back down a bit. Most find that 75-80% is about optimal.

mac

I did this on my car the other day. It made a little difference, but certainly nothing dramatic. I was able to squeeze my arm under the side and adjust it after removing the trunk floor panel.

Did you guys turn it to the max?

man, i cannot figure this out for the life of me.


the only thing i feel is a plastic feeling bolt. is that it? and i cant get two fingers on it to turn.


i can roll a finger on it but i cant hear a diffeence in the ipod sound. is this even the right thing? the tip of it feels like its spinning but cannot tell for sure.

either way, i dont hear what many report to being a big difference?



HELP!

It should be flat and wide, like a smooth dime as people here have described. I think mine was stuck from the factory because I got no difference either and eventually ended up breaking it off. So, be gentle with the thing.

Will try this when I get home. have a GXP and I think it is at 100% and needs to be turned down. Heavy bass songs distort very easily...

edit: double

in relation to the arrow shown in the first post, where is it? it cant be right where the arrow is?

i feel the bracket.


also, you said its flat? is it laying flat facing the ground? or facing the driver?

does it stick out at all or is it flush with the box or bracket?

is it located on behind the first bracket?
there is a metal bracket holding down the sub. is it in front of or behind that bracket?

and its flat? is it up against the sub or does it stick out some?

dang this is frustrating. i need better quality NOW! lol.

Somebody do a 30sec video on this for the new guys! It's east once you find where the knob is, it is kinda flat, doesn't protrude much from the case of the amp, best described as a dime laying on a surface...

I did this... great post! Much better sound.

I did this... great post! Much better sound.

Somebody do a 30sec video on this for the new guys! It's east once you find where the knob is, it is kinda flat, doesn't protrude much from the case of the amp, best described as a dime laying on a surface...

is there a soft touch thing in the center of the dial?

I did this last week, made a big difference, sounds much better now, I can actually feel the bass! I just reached my hand under the panel as others have reported doing, very easy, no taking apart of anything, only took 30 sec to do.

Also don't know about you guys, but the knob doesn't feel like a flat dime shape as some noted... to me, it felt more like a pencil eraser, small knob. So if you're trying to turn something that's flat and feels like a dime, it's probably not the right thing, which may be why it wouldn't move and broke off. Anyways, that's my experience.... awesome mod!!! Gotta love threads like this!

the knob I turned was pretty large, probably about the size of a quarter. and it worked

omg!

so what is it? a quarter size knob or a eraser size?

i feel the eraser size thing sticking out towards the driver and i cant seem to turn it. then past another bracket piece, i think i fell the quarter thing that sits flush with the sub and i cant tell if it moves. its slick and feels like i am moving it but cant tell for sure. i cant hear any more bass either way.

i certainly dont feel the "catch" at 50% like some have stated

Great "mod". I just reached in like others have said. Didn't take anything apart.

Put on a song with some decent bass and turn it up a little and you can definately hear the difference while you are turning the knob. I tried 75% and 100%. Wound up going with 100%. Seems like the best sound in the car (once I adjusted the bass level in the eq). I'm not ruling out adjusting it again if I hear the woofers clipping.

But remember that the head unit saves the eq settings for each audio source seperately. So you have to adjust the radio, cd, satellite, aux all individually.

Does this just boost the bass or does it make the radio sound better at all frequency's. At times it's the high and mid range sounds on my system that sound muffled or something. No sure what it is doing. I have also seen were some have disconnected the front middle speaker how to you get to this. Also on my car there are 2 boxes on the underside of the trunk lid, what are these.

Does this just boost the bass or does it make the radio sound better at all frequency's.

It only boosts the bass.

After I did this I was able to adjust the bass and treble on the head unit to get a pretty good sound.

I disconnected my center speaker. Sounded better to me than the bass mod- already at 100%. You can get to it by starting from the windshield side. The grill just pops off. The boxes are XM and OnStar.

Thanks for the info. I really like the car but was disapointed with the sound system at first. It helped to turn off the EQ and the distortion setting and adjust the settings manually. I have the fade set to -3 or toward the rear and this helped also. I looked in the trunk and found the amp in front of the battery but still alittle scared to try and adjust anything. With the previous changes that I made the radio sounds pretty good now.

It's really my wifes car. She traded in her Roush Mustang sport for the car.

You can even just stick your hand through the battery opening and pull the carpet back enough to make the adjustment. Did it on my lunch break in 5 minutes! Sounds much better.

I have also seen were some have disconnected the front middle speaker how to you get to this.

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20383

great mod for beginners like myself, deffinately alot happier with the stock system, could never understand why they would put what seemed like a lower end system in a 30,000 dollar car, took a minute to find the right knob once i found it took 30 seconds, do it with the radio on :)

Believe it or not, GM has FINALLY copped to this issue and came out with Technical Service Bulletin No: 09-08-44-014 , August 7, 2009. Subject: Information on Increasing / Decreasing Bass Level and Range of Bass Gain Control Adjustment for Subwoofers, Models: 2008-2009 Pontiac G8. Your dealer can print one out for you with instructions but personally I think this post is a great reference as well.

I agree this should be made a sticky thread so the newbies can find it more easily. I finally got my amp turned up Saturday night. I have big hands so had to take the trunk trim panel loose, but it wasn't hard-had to use a screwdriver to pry out the two push pins holding the trim panel in. Also, I held my breath as I carefully pulled up on the plastic trim piece the cargo net attaches to. That thing felt like it could break with too much or uneven force. The radio sounds a LOT better now and I felt better getting to tinker w/ my new car a bit! :D Great post.

Just did the amp mod, to me the button felt like a flat, dime sized dial with a soft eraser-like material in the middle. I turned clockwise and have noticable gain in the subs.

One question though, just above the amp I found a capped white plug not attached to anything. I am a novice and was hoping that someone with some knowledge of our systems will see this post and give some insight as to what it may be? See attached image below, and thanks!

Just did the amp mod, to me the button felt like a flat, dime sized dial with a soft eraser-like material in the middle. I turned clockwise and have noticable gain in the subs.

One question though, just above the amp I found a capped white plug not attached to anything. I am a novice and was hoping that someone with some knowledge of our systems will see this post and give some insight as to what it may be? See attached image below, and thanks!

Thats the hook up for the reverse sensor if you had it installed.

FYI one of those pegs can be used as a remote wire for an aftermarket amp. Installation is super easy.

Thats the hook up for the reverse sensor if you had it installed.

FYI one of those pegs can be used as a remote wire for an aftermarket amp. Installation is super easy.


Cool, thanks! I wasnt aware that our cars had a reverse sensor as an option.

I wasnt aware that our cars had a reverse sensor as an option.

It doesn't in the US.

But as mentioned its a great spot for a sub remote hookup.

Cool, thanks! I wasn't aware that our cars had a reverse sensor as an option.

You can buy them at the Gm accessories store here (http://www.gmaccessorieszone.com/Pontiac/2009/G8/).

GM accessories has the kit, color matched.

yes, the car ships with the subwoofer amp on about 50% for some reason.

mine was less than 50% so when i hit the 50% mark i thought that was it then i tried and it keep on going so i maxed it out and backed it off some. It makes a huge difference in the sound i think it really wake the audio system up

My wife loves driving after this adjustment. We were prepared to install a 10" sub, but this satisfies her requirements just fine.

:burnout:Wow! I wasn't impressed w/the audio sound of the car, but after reading this, i RAN outside, did exactly what the thread said....NIGHT and DAY difference!! :burnout:

HMMM I just got an 08 GT so I'm interested in trying this. I think I'll still be adding a 12" Alpine type X sub this spring but this sounds like it'll be a great enhancement to this lethargic sounding system.

I did this today, I set it to around 90% and it sounds alot better.
I had to take the panels out to reach the knob.. It was impossible to fit my hand under that panel without taking it off.

How about doing the center speaker resistor mod now?

Just did this to mine, took out the spare cover. Worked out great!!

Ok, I read through this whole thread and read everyone's directions on where it is. I can not find it anywhere. I have a V6 G8. Is this only present on GTs?

Only the 11 speaker premium.

went down to do this but this is all i found, figured i'd add some pics since they are worth more than words

here is the battery
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/maldonj1/a85bb1e1-9f5c-4892-b009-7bdfe315056.jpg

and the space in front of it towards the back seats is pretty much empty
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/maldonj1/6b7822e7-7ad3-4446-9d85-c42d974b20e.jpg

what am i missing?

went down to do this but this is all i found, figured i'd add some pics since they are worth more than words

here is the battery
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/maldonj1/a85bb1e1-9f5c-4892-b009-7bdfe315056.jpg

and the space in front of it towards the back seats is pretty much empty
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/maldonj1/6b7822e7-7ad3-4446-9d85-c42d974b20e.jpg

what am i missing?

i think your missing the upgraded soundsystem period.....

ah, well that sucks.. thanks

Ok, I read through this whole thread and read everyone's directions on where it is. I can not find it anywhere. I have a V6 G8. Is this only present on GTs?


apparently

apparently

The V6 will have this, if it has the premium sound option.

mac

Even with the adjustment I'm still having trouble getting the system set somewhere I like it. It is much more tolerable than before though. It was ridiculous with the amp at the factory setting. Might have to look at an upgraded system in the future though. Disappointing that I'm less satisfied with an upgraded 11 speaker system compared to my old 4 speaker with analog style equalizer sliders. Maybe I'm just used to bad sound?

The G8 speakers, like those in the GTO, are the cheapest paper crap you'll ever see. Replace the speakers, turn off the lame EQ presets on the HU, and perform this mod and you'll find out the system isn't half bad...

Put a sub with a seperate amp in the trunk. Night and day. When you get bored with that replace all door speakers with larger better ones (cut out most of the plastic mounts and mount 6.5" thru the mount and door with longer meatal screws) Put some tweeters with each speaker. Disconect or modify the center speaker. Nite and day all over again and doesn't cost over $400 or so. Get bored with that, new head unit ,seperate amps etc Nite and day again. Get bored with that. You may have more money than sense. :)

I *thought* that the stock "premium" sound system would be "decent". Well it IS...if you just want to hear music.

Finally, I am fairly happy, but then again, I like to be able to crank up the volume a bit.

It took replacing the front door speakers...deadening all the door skins and trunk...replacing the center channel speaker...removing the stock subs entirely...adding a 12" subwoofer...with a dedicated 500w sub amp and another 4 channel to run the mids.

For about 550 bucks total...it rocks and has GREAT sound quality.

I'm walking out the door to go check this out right now... had my G8 GT for about a month and finally got around to researching sub installs...

Apparently the previous owner had already performed this mod, as the gain knob was almost all the way up. Looks like sometime in the next few days I'll be swapping my punch 12 and amp from the truck to the G8.

damn, mine was already turned up. backed it off some to see if it eliminates some distortion I was hearing.

turned it down to mid point and no wonder everyone was complaining. unfortunately, i wasn't real happy with the sound I was hearing and the mod was already done.

the stock audiophile system in the fusion the G8 replaced sounded much better. I think I'll be upgrading the speakers. might also give the dynamat a shot, but see an amp/sub in my future.

Turned up the amp and it sounds better, not as good as I'd like but will have to do till I upgrade my speakers and throw in a bass box. Also since turning up the gain I hear alot of rattling going on back there, will have to find where there coming from and fix them. Thanx for that tip.................

I'm glad I stumbled on this mod ... makes a world of difference. I ended up going back a 2nd time and turning it up all the way.

These are great pics
The empty space in front of the battery is where it is.
I pulled the trunck floor cover and just kinked the side cover out enough to get underneath.
The knob is a bit tight to the wheel well and on the bottom of the small case as said before.
I could not get my thumb on it but it turned with two fingers.
CLockwise (upside down remember) was more bass and less the other way.
FYI

went down to do this but this is all i found, figured i'd add some pics since they are worth more than words

here is the battery
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/maldonj1/a85bb1e1-9f5c-4892-b009-7bdfe315056.jpg

and the space in front of it towards the back seats is pretty much empty
http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/maldonj1/6b7822e7-7ad3-4446-9d85-c42d974b20e.jpg

what am i missing?

Nice info, did it today and a definitely made a difference.

Honestly, the subwoofers in the G8 are absolute GARBAGE. I removed my subs (knowing I would be putting aftermarket equipment in anyways) and there is actually more bass after having removed them. Try disconnecting them and see, it's actually quite surprising.

did this today. you turn the knob clockwise right? (i think thats pretty much standard yes? ) i turned it all the way clockwise and then back it off about an 8th of a turn. i didn't notice much of a change, if anything it sounds like less bass.

Honestly, the subwoofers in the G8 are absolute GARBAGE. I removed my subs (knowing I would be putting aftermarket equipment in anyways) and there is actually more bass after having removed them. Try disconnecting them and see, it's actually quite surprising.

I couldn't agree more. Calling this a "premium" system is a far stretch. It's by far the worst stock system I've had in a car for a great number of years. So bad that I had to get rid of it. I added an Audio Control LC7 and installed some 7 year old Diamond Audio Hex's, JL Audio Sub, JL 250/1 sub amp and a Tru Technology S44 amp. Luckily I had the old equipment sitting around int he garage and didn't have to spend much to get it up and running. The back trunk lid vibrated so badly that I purchased an entire roll of Raamat. I covered the top and bottom of the lid and the front and back of the rear seat and trunk lid. World of difference. Get rid of the factory speakers and sub!

did this today. you turn the knob clockwise right? (i think thats pretty much standard yes? ) i turned it all the way clockwise and then back it off about an 8th of a turn. i didn't notice much of a change, if anything it sounds like less bass.

You must have gone the other way ... leave the radio on while you turn the knob - you'll notice the difference that way.

ill tackle it today. it was starting to get dark last night when did it. ive owned literally a dozen amps in previous vehicles and its always been clockwise to turn the gain up. weird, but i see what you are saying. ill just do it that way.

You must have gone the other way ... leave the radio on while you turn the knob - you'll notice the difference that way.

im putting it back to stock settings. it sounds terrible when i have it up higher. this really is a ****ty sounding "premium" audio system.
how easy is it to get at the tweeters in the dash?
im going to replace all the speakers i think.

doors and factory subs will be easy to get at.

shame i didn't get to put the setting back. think i blew the factory amp. the subs cut in and out. both driver impedance are fine with dmm. crap.

Hey guys follow these few instructions and it will change your mind about this system.

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33559

shame i didn't get to put the setting back. think i blew the factory amp. the subs cut in and out. both driver impedance are fine with dmm. crap.

Mmm ... I think we now know why the factory setting are what they are. I don't play it loud anyway but I assume you did?

Okay I'm digging this up from the grave. I had my G8 since March 2008 and I just now did the bass mod. (Start bashing now! :) ) The only reason I've waited so long is because it is all relative. I got used to the G8 sounding the way it came from the factory. At the time my wife had a 2008 Honda CRV and the system sounded just like the G8. Now I had to do this because my wife's 2010 Chevy Equinox with the upgraded Pioneer sound system sounds awesome. Real nice lows. That's my story.

I'm happy with the way it sounds for sure now. Like mentioned earlier, I get rattle back there and plan to tighten things up. I'm at 100% bass mod, +1 treble and +2 bass, no distortion limiter. I love it. Note: I don't play my music loud and the Equinox still sounds better, but I'm happy.

For some reason, the only 2 photos I cannot see are the 2 here. I get the red x in a white box and have changed everything I can think of to see them, while I can see all others on this site. I'm trying to do the bias adjustment but looking at the unit (I guess that's what it is above the battery), I just see a gray plastic cover with no external knobs. Does that cover unsnap or do I have one of the models that does not have the adjustment? I have the premium 11 speaker system. WTF? Any help will be appreciated.:whine:

I'm trying to do the bias adjustment but looking at the unit (I guess that's what it is above the battery), I just see a gray plastic cover with no external knobs.

Its next to the battery..specifically forward (toward the front of the car) of the battery. The adjustment knob is on the bottom of the amp. You can usually just take the spare area cover off, undo the little screw/hooks and move the "furry cardboard" some and reach under there and feel for the knob.

Well I broke the black plastic cover that the cargo net screws in to... the part that has the hole for the trunk latch I bent it to far back thinking it would pop off but it didn't it cracked right in the center where the trunk latch goes.. :whine:

When I didnt even have to pull that off

What an improvement in the bass. It took me 10 mins to do but it was worth it. I took the mat out from the trunk and then lifted the edge.

I turned mine all the way up. And then when into the settings to adjust.

GREAT FIND.. sounds 100 times better..

GREAT FIND.. sounds 100 times better..

That's like saying poop smells better because you sprayed some cologne on it :D Our stock system is the worst I've heard of any modern day vehicle.

It took me forever to find this damn button because it wasn't a button at all, and I probably had no idea that I was "feeling" it underneath. I had to get a small mirror and flashlight to see. Its round and real flat, with a phillips screw type fitting on it. I have no idea how one would put a screwdriver onto it.

I had a real hard time turning it with my fingers it just wouldn't turn. Then, i took a piece of sandpaper on my finger and started to turn with that and FINALLY it started moving. And yes, now the bass kickssss but there are rattles!

Mine was an easy to turn knob.

is this only on the gt's, i took the whole panel apart on my v6 and.....just the battery. no amp. i have a silver box thingy thats on the roof of my trunk.

is this only on the gt's, i took the whole panel apart on my v6 and.....just the battery. no amp. i have a silver box thingy thats on the roof of my trunk.

The sub amplifier is only on cars with the "premium" sound system. All GT came with the premium sound as far as I know.

That's like saying poop smells better because you sprayed some cologne on it :D Our stock system is the worst I've heard of any modern day vehicle.

wrx and 2011 mustang have way worse stock systems... they sound like a clock radio

That's like saying poop smells better because you sprayed some cologne on it :D Our stock system is the worst I've heard of any modern day vehicle.

LMAO! Actually with my cheap batch of audio mods you can make this system sound like you had an expensive aftermarket system installed...for less than $100. See here:
http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33559

Hey all - I may not be one of those auto audiofiles that needs enough volume to blast the car in the next lane but at age 57 I still like to pump up the rock and roll just a bit.
So I was waiting for someone and happened to click thru the EQ settings and discovered that the "classical" setting softens up that rattle very nicely depending on how it was recorded.
I am blasting out the Pink Floyd, BTO, Joe Cocker, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, J. Geils - sort of an eclectic bunch from the past and the classical setting seem the best with the stock system - bass up all the way - slight rear fade.
FYI
Stu
The damn thing is hidden pretty well just forward of the battery and behind the truck liner.

It took me forever to find this damn button because it wasn't a button at all, and I probably had no idea that I was "feeling" it underneath. I had to get a small mirror and flashlight to see. Its round and real flat, with a phillips screw type fitting on it. I have no idea how one would put a screwdriver onto it.

I had a real hard time turning it with my fingers it just wouldn't turn. Then, i took a piece of sandpaper on my finger and started to turn with that and FINALLY it started moving. And yes, now the bass kickssss but there are rattles!