A Kick in the Back, Pioneer Style

Ever bought a car around a stereo system rather than the other way around? In the past, those addicted to hard-hitting tunes while driving aimlessly had to have the space to fit cumbersome amps, bloated capacitors, and enormous subwoofer boxes; small, flashy cars simply would not cut it. Luckily, Pioneer has a solution.

For those of you who prefer sex appealing style over ergonomics (aka, sexy cars), Pioneer has relatively recently brought the TS-SW2501 “shallow mount” subwoofers to the table… or rather, behind your seat. Even boxed, the sub only requires a 2-7/8” mount, meaning you can place the woofer practically anywhere!

Until recently, the few small form-factored subwoofers would gain you little more than a tickle in the back of your seat; according to John Naroswick of Cnet, without the large compression space possible in a box driven by the magnet of a large subwoofer, the technology simply did not exist to add any “uumph” to your tunes.

But no longer.

A subwoofer is only as powerful as the signal powering it, say the experts at Crutchfield. Previously, shallow mount subwoofers could not handle a highly amplified sound, thus not producing a highly amplified beat. Pioneer’s latest series, however, is rated to handle 1200 watts maximum and 300 watts continuous. Considering that this speaker is less than half the size of a traditional sub, the power-to-output ratio is incredible.

A smaller subwoofer would be useless without an amplifier designed to fit the space too. Pioneer has an answer for that too; when the TS-SW2501 is paired with a specially-designed small form factor amplifier such as Pioneer’s accompanying GM-D8500M, there is absolutely no doubt you’ll feel the power.

As if driving a beautiful car is not enough, the amp’s continuous drive of 300 watts (depending on how you wire it to the sub) can easily thump you into a state of submission. The pair of the subwoofer and amplifier can fit in a space smaller than a “traditional” subwoofer with room to spare, yet the power of the bass is similar, if not equal.

While this may be uninteresting to audio-only enthusiasts, car fanatics (such as myself) will find uncompromising joy in Pioneer’s technological gains. Without the small form factors of the audio system’s shining components, a two-seater coupe simply cannot hope to amaze.

Take a two door Saturn Sky Redline, for example: anyone over about 5’8” tall will likely feel stiff after about a half hour drive, and the trunk is not even large enough to store a book bag with the top down. Previously, this was the price to pay for driving sex on wheels. Simply pop this small bass-booming combination behind the driver or passenger’s seat, though, and you’re sure to attract attention even before the beauty of the car can.

Anyone over the age of 25 would likely laugh at the concept of such small power, else scorn the high price tag required to earn such a sound. Surprisingly enough, though, the two piece system (not counting a head unit or installation fees, if applicable) costs less than $500. (Try your hand at Amazon.com)

Cheap? Perhaps not, but considering the cost of a similarly rated traditional subwoofer and amplifier, it’s almost crazy not to consider.