Kicker 11HS8 Hideaway Compact 8in Powered HS8 Sub Box (Renewed)

I just got "most" of it installed ('17 Nissan Frontier) - took me about a few hours so far since I took my time to do it right. I did spend about an hour trying to troubleshoot an issue with my installation. The amp LED kept switch from blue (running ok) to red (problem) and sometimes a flickering red when my factory head unit was > 10 volume. I was testing the DC turn on since I was trying to cut a step and not have to run a remote wire. The symptoms turned out to be the remote! I hooked up the blue remote to a wire lead to the fuse tap into the heated seats fuse which I don't have so it was a good slot to choose especially since it turns on with the ignition. Flipped the switch from DC turn on to the remote 12v and works just like any other amp. No more issues... It's hot out so I'm taking a break and will need to hide the remote wire. # Pros - Great additions to crew cab truck with factory system. It won't blast the vehicle but it will provide the missing low end for stock systems. I've installed so many different systems in the past - JL 2x 12", rockfords 2x 10", kicker solo barics 2x 10" and 2x 12" etc... - Arrived looking brand new and packaged well. - Responsive clean bass. Not sloppy sounding at all. Sounds amazing paired to my factory 6 speaker stereo system. # Cons - DC turn on failed to work and it reported symptoms of low power or bad ground. This was my first time trying DC turn on and based on my experience will never let that feature fool me again. This was not mentioned in the troubleshooting section of the manual. Apparently some speakers need to produce a specific voltage in order for this to work... Always run the remote - it's more reliable... - Took a lot of effort to install something that is suppose to be more "plug and play". I blame the marketing making it sound easy however it's the same install as any other system just smaller wires. - Length of the remote wire is way too short. It's almost as short as the ground... why?! - Design flaw of the remote / dc turn on switch. When it's on DC turn on - the polarity changes and the power becomes a line to turn on other amplifiers via remote. When it's on remote, it's receiving power to signal the amp to turn on. I can see fuses getting blown due to this switch. Be careful. # Conclusion It's a great system for the refurbish price of $150 and I wouldn't have spent any more especially knowing the DC turn on is either defective or just doesn't work as designed. I wouldn't spend the current $220 and absolutely not at the > $300 price tag. I had sweat, blood, and tears installing this thing. I can see the install being much easier with a car since most cars have the rear deck where tapping those wires might be easier however a crew cab truck - you will need to remove the interior cover to the pillars. Same thing will apply for most SUVs. Having experienced with more high-end and high-powered systems (> 2k watts) - I feel like I should have just installed a custom box running the shallow 10" kicker instead. This is only for those who want to enhance a factory system since if you want something more, you will be better off running more serious cables. This is the smallest woofer I've installed and I'm happy with the output. # Update 2017-08-16 I'm pretty sure the woofer is now broken in and it sounds fantastic. I had to come back and bumped it up (no pun intended) from 4 stars to 5 since I really like this product and for the refurbished price of $150 - it's one of the best bargains I've experienced this year. I never got to demo this product before I purchased it and I do not regret buying it. I blindly purchased this without hearing it because it's by Kicker and I've never had a bad experience with any of their products in the past. # Update 2017-09-01 Uploaded photos of it installed in the CC Frontier.

I do NOT like big boxes that take up space and compromise the interior room of any vehicle. When I judged car stereo shows 30 years ago a hidden system would score higher than a visible one ; ). This is a small clean compact way to go. I bought a used Malibu for my 70 mi/day commute. I found a power lead and RCA cable in the trunk so I bought this. Other than the hi-lo input issues I have with Kicker, this is a great little rig. That's why I gave the install 3/5 stars. I really appreciate the renewed (I think someone RETURNED it) price. I have the 10" version in my Jeep Wrangler that is fantastic under the passenger seat. This one is currently behind the rear seat and adds a little something but not crazy. I might move it under the passenger seat, I don't know. It's much better than the 8" Kenwood (which is borderline lame). No you won't win any contests, but it should be about the MUSIC and not just the delivery gear. If you have a small car, buy this and enjoy.

This speaker sounded good while it lasted. It was installed for about 60 days, but has been over 100 days since I ordered it. $200 wasted, I should have bought new and gotten the 12 month factory warranty. It as a pain to install in my car, so I'm probably going to order another and get the extended warranty next time. I did verify that the wires and everything is still good by swapping with a kicker in another car that has the same harness.

There’s always a saying in the industry about bass about having space to have bass. This hideaway subwoofer adds definition that’s lacking in my stock sound system in my 2023 Ford Ranger. I opted for the 8 inch behind scared of space constraints behind the rear passenger seats, but see I have more than enough room even install two or three of these hideaway systems. Anyways, this subwoofer adds bass, but nothing crazy that would make your neighbors hate you. It’s enough to make the interior hear the lack of bass from the door speakers. My only complaint with my particular subwoofer is the want of more deeper bass. Again, this is something that you have to comprise for space, but it’s been able to hold up and sound good to me. Setting up the hideaway is easy as there’s a wire harness and the bass remote to run to the amp from your desired position for the remote (in my case in my ranger, it’s located right below my HVAC controls. The kicker does feel like a quality item being sturdy and heavy.

As an aspiring bass guitarist, I was frustrated with the lack of bass response in my truck. It makes it hard to learn a new song if you can't hear the bass line, not to mention, I like hearing the bass even if I have no intention of learning the song. Anyway, I just got this installed into my 2015 Ford F150 and the difference is night & day. I was able to find directions on one of the truck forums to hook into the existing wiring for a subwoofer, and the only difficulty I had was that I had a couple switches reversed from what I should have. Like others have already said, this won't thump the neighbors windows ( I think - I haven't really tried ) but fills in the missing bass response very nicely. It sure beats paying $700 for the subwoofer Ford offers as an option -- which is also made by Kicker. I had to laugh - the remote gain control for the unit goes up to 11 as a nod to the movie This is Spinal Tap. As far as getting a renewed one at about half the price of new, the unit arrived in a generic cardboard box with all the parts and looking brand new. I managed to scratch it up while installing, but that was my own fault. I made a quick speaker mount using some scrap wood that attached to existing bolts, so I didn't even have to drill any holes in the truck. Install time (including putzing around with lumber and playing with some new tools was only a few hours. I think a more practical person could do it much faster. As far as the truck is concerned, it thinks it has the official sub woofer installed. Note: to use the existing Ford wiring you need to download some free software and get a Ford specific ODB reader that works with the software. I spent another $30 for the reader (on Amazon) and $12 for a Ford plug connector - though it is just as easy to bypass the plug and tap directly into the vehicle wiring. Ping me if you want links to the forum/software/ and ODB reader that I used.

It sounds ok ,should sound better for what I paid for it ..gonna stick to a cheaper, but better sounding under seat subwoofer .. the Kicker name and sound has Really dwindled..

I upgraded the OEM non-Bose head unit in my 2014 Mazda 6 Touring to a nice Pioneer NEX unit and left all the speakers stock. I only added the Kicker HS8 hideaway powered subwoofer to get that extra low frequency kick missing from the stock system. For its size this little thing really does kick! It doesn't hit as hard as a pair of 12's in the trunk which wasn't what I was after with my setup. I just wanted to "feel" my music just a bit more, all without letting everyone around me "feel" it too. Everything sounds better and with the dedicated subwoofer input and control with my aftermarket head unit, I can dial in exactly how I want it to sound. The HS8 has a bevy of adjustments that can be made via its front panel. Once I got it where I want it I leave the rest up to the head unit. The sub does include a remote bass adjustment knob for when I want to quickly dial up or down additional bass. The Kicker unit fits neatly and securely underneath my passenger seat. The subwoofer fits perfectly honestly, and doesn't need additional bracing to keep it from moving. I don't carry rear passengers typically, but at worse the one might lose a few inches. Front passenger foot space is unaffected. I took a chance with this refurbished unit to save a few bucks, so I did purchase an extended warranty just in case for additional peace of mind. So far so good and I am very pleased with the end result.

10/10 recommend. This thing is perfect. But please understand it’s an 8in sub. Now that we clarified that let’s continue. Just installed in my 99 Silverado step side. Single cab Base model. Meaning 4 speakers and nothing crazy. The previous owner had a single din color changing head unit put in and some JBL’s speakers. One of the back speakers was blown. Bought a $99 wireless Apple CarPlay off of here. Got some new kicker 4x6 for my back speakers to replace the one that was blown. And kept the 6.5 ones on the door. Did this the cheapest way possible even buying a refurbished kicker 8in sub/amp combo. And after tweaking the knobs and messing with the sound on the new Apple play. This thing has sub that fills the cab completely. No rattle. But you can feel it. And most importantly to me STILL HEAR THE MUSIC. and it amplified the head unit way more that I thought would be noticeable. CRYSTAL CLEAR SOUND. All In all I love it. Take your time. Do it right. And remember all the little factors that go into these things. Don’t get mad and say it’s sucks because you don’t have common sense on how things work. 8in sub. Not a 15 with a 1000w amp. But I will now always recommend this unit to anyone looking to save space. Love it.