I’m looking for the best cost-effective and smart way to upgrade my stock subwoofer. I have a 2025 Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy with the upgraded Bose system, but as some of you know, the sub just doesn’t hit right for house/techno music.
I went to a well-known shop here in Chicago, and they suggested molding a fiberglass enclosure based on the stock one to fit a 10-inch sub of my choice. When I asked about simply replacing the stock sub while keeping the existing enclosure, they said it would give me more bass but could cause rattling since it’s a plastic box.
I don’t want a bulky sub box taking up trunk space—I need easy access back there. No matter what, I’ll be installing a mono amp since the battery is conveniently located in the trunk.
What do you all think? Any recommendations on the best way to go about this?
Attached are some photos of the stock sub enclosure.
@Adrian
They quoted me $1600 for a fiberglass mold, plus the sub and amp. Seems kinda crazy to me. Sounds like I’ll need to find a good enclosure to make sure it hits right. Thanks for the info!
Lian said: @Adrian
They quoted me $1600 for a fiberglass mold, plus the sub and amp. Seems kinda crazy to me. Sounds like I’ll need to find a good enclosure to make sure it hits right. Thanks for the info!
Honestly, that price isn’t bad. That’s less than a day’s work at a shop, plus materials. Custom work like that takes time, and from my experience, that’s actually a fair deal.
If you want something cheaper, you’ll have to go with a separate enclosure, but that means taking up more space and dealing with the hassle of mounting it somewhere practical.
Just a heads-up—your Santa Fe uses the speaker system as part of the road noise cancellation (RANC). If any of the noise-canceling frequencies fall into the subwoofer’s range, it might not work properly anymore.
Also, you’ll need to figure out where to tap into the line-level audio (not sure where the stock amp is on these, would have to check the shop manual). Plus, the stock system likely has heavy DSP (digital signal processing) to smooth out the bass response.
If you pull the signal directly, you might end up with some weird EQ settings baked in, which could make the new sub sound off. Depending on the crossover points, DSP, and RANC settings, you could either get a great upgrade… or just a loud mess.
@Eli
The Bose system in higher-end Hyundais has a custom DSP that includes listener position adjustments and other tuning features. It’s decent for most people—not amazing, but solid.
In the Santa Fe, though, the bass can feel a little weak.
@Eli
Do all Calligraphy trims have RANC? I’ve never heard of that before. Dealer didn’t mention it, and I don’t remember seeing it in the manual or any menus. My ride is super quiet, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s there. Just weird they didn’t market it since that’s a huge plus.
