Long Awaited R1S Sub Upgrade! TubThumper for R1S Gen1 and Gen2

[Sojhinn]

I just had it installed today for $450 here in Minneapolis and I’m glad I did as it took them about 5 hours. Only problem now is I’m trying to dial it in to get less super low end and more low end…have a massive headache LOL.

5 hours?!? I did it while filming in 3.... Hopefully they didn't charge you for the 5

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[3wisemonkeyz]

I can’t be sure they were working on it the whole time.

 

[Flyinryan]

Help...
Still having some issues here. I completed the install last Friday and everything sounded great but there was a tiny bit of feedback through the subwoofer and the rivian wouldn't go to sleep. Tech support with Kicker determined defective amp. When I disconnected the amp from power the Rivian started sleeping again (yay!). Installed new amp tonight. Same thing; feedback through the subwoofer and Rivian is back to staying awake (frustrated especially after countless hours tearing apart my car multiple times.). I've connected power directly to the battery and ground where the tailgate attaches. Everything is as per the install video.

Help. Anyone have any troubleshooting ideas before I give up and go back to stock subwoofer? Anyone else experiencing this?

 

[3wisemonkeyz]

I've been trying to dial in my settings since getting it installed yesterday. I am looking for less vibration (which makes me nauseous) and more punch, hence more of the 125 band and less of 63. Strangely(or not), when I lower the 63 I also lose some of the higher frequency punch so it's a tradeoff. Also, the Kicker dial installed with my amp has less of an impact than I was expecting. Any other recommendations on how to tweak this?

 

[Sojhinn]

I've been trying to dial in my settings since getting it installed yesterday. I am looking for less vibration (which makes me nauseous) and more punch, hence more of the 125 band and less of 63. Strangely(or not), when I lower the 63 I also lose some of the higher frequency punch so it's a tradeoff. Also, the Kicker dial installed with my amp has less of an impact than I was expecting. Any other recommendations on how to tweak this?

Which Gain and Key match did you run?

 

[3wisemonkeyz]

Which Gain and Key match did you run?

No idea as the shop did it for me.

 

[Sojhinn]

No idea as the shop did it for me.

Sounds like they didn't run the Gain and Key match then. Probably just set the gain and called it done. May want to reach out to them on that.

 

[3wisemonkeyz]

Sounds like they didn't run the Gain and Key match then. Probably just set the gain and called it done. May want to reach out to them on that.

Shop just confirmed it was run. Wish there was a way to remotely adjust the high and low pass filters!

 

[Sojhinn]

If they ran the 0 gain. I’d recommend running it flat, and adjusting from there. I’ve actually felt that running the 0 is a very mild intensity.

 

[Sojhinn]

Shop just confirmed it was run. Wish there was a way to remotely adjust the high and low pass filters!

Do you know which key and gain match they ran?

 

[Flyinryan]

After working with Steve for many hours trying to troubleshoot my issue I think the Rivian needed just one more restart. He also helped me fix a cable issue that may have been causing the problem or maybe it was the new amp from Crutchfield. Whatever it was, the problem is resolved and I now have a thumpin' Rivian. Thank you Soonish for helping us correct a mediocre sound system in our Rivians. I was skeptical at first but this upgrade exceeded my expectations (that says a lot coming from me).

For those of you still installing, please read the Kicker amp manual very carefully. The KEY Auto Setup is VERY important.

 

[bsloanindy]

Just finished my install - here's some of my post install notes...

It's amazing to finally have bass! Thank you @Sojhinn !!

The clips holding the panels are a pain... But got through it ok. Only one blood blister I think.

The bolts holding the seat are also tough, I think an impact would've helped.

I gave up putting the "favorite" bolt back by the air vent. I think the other 4 should be good enough to hold it.

Got a decent spark when applying power to the amp. Worried me but all seems ok.

After doing the key match I recommend spending time listening to SEVERAL different songs and genres with the doors shut. For example, after listening to some EDM/Chain Smokers songs I had to tear things apart and turn down the amp - I think I turned up the gain during initial listening thinking it wasn't strong enough, but on some songs with heavy bass it was too much.

I suggest installing the remote knob. I put it right outside the sub so I could get to it and make future adjustments if needed.

Also I must have missed the part where screws didn't come with the speaker to screw it to the wood gasket I had some drywall screws thankfully that worked.

It took me (solo) about 3.5 hours to do it. Extra 30-45 minutes to re-tear apart and turn down the settings and put together again. Enjoyed the challenge of it though.

It's a shame Rivian is tone deaf. Every R1 with Premium Sound, post meridian audio, deserves at least this sub upgrade.

 

[alczervix]

Just did the install today. Overall pretty straight forward, though I am pretty slow. The video is great and really hit all the salient points. Getting the sub enclosure back in is a bit of a pain. Agree with the points above by bsloanindy. Even though I read your post, the spark still startled me. The seat bolts are TIGHT. For getting the PIA bolt back in to the subwoofer enclosure, I taped the bolt to the end of the socket to keep it from falling with some scotch tape. A good headlight is a game changer for this install. Also, it is almost mandatory to have a 6” socket extension to get some of the bolts out. If you have a Gen2, you will also need a large star driver to take out the tie down hooks.

But…..the difference is HUGE. After coming from a Tesla, I felt the sound system was very lacking in the low end. The sub upgrade makes it sound like an entirely different beast. I did include the dial, which I have stashed right now in the stowage area in the back just in case I want to fine tune. Thanks to the guys at SoonishEV. Just cranked my Rivian up to 11.

 

[Sojhinn]

Just did the install today. Overall pretty straight forward, though I am pretty slow. The video is great and really hit all the salient points. Getting the sub enclosure back in is a bit of a pain.

But…..the difference is HUGE. After coming from a Tesla, I felt the sound system was very lacking in the low end. The sub upgrade makes it sound like an entirely different beast. I did include the dial, which I have stashed right now in the stowage area in the back just in case I want to fine tune. Thanks to the guys at SoonishEV. Just cranked my Rivian up to 11.

Thank you! Also thank you to everyone else who helped find the holes in the install video. As someone who doesn't own the S... It was difficult to find all the pain points.

 

[Megachimp]

Did my install today. Took about 4-hours total, but that was with a 30-45 min gap where I tore apart my garage looking for a larger socket wrench that would give me enough leverage to break the gallon of Loctite that Rivian decided to use on the seat bolts. Some lessons I learned along the way:

- You may need a pretty large socket wrench to give you the leverage you need to get the seat bolts out. This was by far the biggest PITA of the entire install for me.

-I added some Pollyfill to the inside of the sub enclosure. I don’t know if it made a difference, but the sub really packs a punch. (Pic below) I just crammed some in the corners of the box and taped down some along the back.

-I ordered the knob... then totally forgot to actually install it when I put things back together /facepalm. I’m going to spend a week listening to it and decide if it’s worth the hassle to pull things apart again to add it.

-when reassembling be mindful when installing the panel behind the 2nd row seatbelt. The bottom of that panel needs to tuck in behind the base of the seatbelt. Otherwise things won’t align properly and you’re liable to rage. (Ask me how I know)

-Carefully inspect every panel to make sure no clips were left behind before trying To reinstall. Panels won’t go back in if their clip is already in the hole.

-That tiny plug at the bottom of the big panel in the back. (The one for the USB plug in the armrest) Don’t bother trying to plug that in from above. You can get a pretty angle from the passenger door. Use your phone‘s selfie Mode to see it.

Overall, really great upgrade. The bass on most music is pretty well balanced. Then I played some Drake. Oh man. At 15 volume, the mirrors were shaking. Seriously low clean bass. Honestly probably too much. (Which makes me think I’m going to have to spend the time to install that knob. Ugh.)

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