Mastering Subwoofer Enclosure Design is a comprehensive guide for audiophiles, covering essential specifications, calculating enclosure volume, accounting for subwoofer displacement, constructing ported and sealed enclosures, and expertly assembling the enclosure. The guide provides a comprehensive Subwoofer Box Calculator for online creation of high-performance subwoofer enclosures.
To finish the box, several techniques can be used, such as painting or waterproof paints. A properly sized subwoofer enclosure can help contain vibrations from drivers and prevent mechanical damage. To design a sealed subwoofer, consider the speaker’s size, shape, volume, and placement.
Choosing the right speaker is crucial for the proper design of a sealed subwoofer box. The size, shape, and type of enclosure can significantly impact subwoofer performance, and driver selection should be based on matching the speaker to the enclosure.
For example, a 140-liter/5 cubic feet interior volume with poly or rock wool filling can be built. A Dayton UM15-22 or other DIY subwoofer can provide the ultimate performance. The goal is to design and build a sealed subwoofer enclosure that allows the subwoofer to play as clean and accurate as possible.
The final design yielded a 2.11 cu ft net volume with a port tuned to 25 hz. The port area is 19 sq in due to only putting a couple of hundred watts into it. The enclosure size depends on the room size and space available for each enclosure. If a small room has a smaller room, the enclosure will be sealed, while if larger, it will be ported. The final enclosure size is around 6.5 cubic feet, tuned to approximately 17-18 hz using the full port length.
📹 How does a port work?Myths Busted! #subwoofer #port
Links* to products used in the video Subwoofers: https://howl.me/cg0totF3HI1 https://parts-express.sjv.io/DVNOay …
How big should a box be for a 12 inch sub?
The recommended volume for a 12 inch subwoofer box is typically between 1. 25 to 1. 75 cubic feet, with tuning between 30 hz and 40 hz. However, specific requirements may vary depending on the subwoofer model and desired sound quality. Choosing the right car subwoofer box is crucial for enhancing the audio system and improving bass experience. This comprehensive guide will explore the importance of a subwoofer box, available types, and key factors to consider when selecting, including detailed measurements for optimal performance.
Whether you’re a car audio enthusiast or simply looking to upgrade your audio system, this guide will provide all the information you need to choose the perfect 12 inch car subwoofer box for your needs.
How do you calculate subwoofer enclosure?
In order to calculate the volume of an enclosure, it is first necessary to measure the height, width, and depth of the enclosure in question. Once these measurements have been taken, the material thickness must be subtracted. The resulting figure should then be multiplied by 1728 and divided by two in order to obtain the volume in cubic units. In the case of angled panels, it is necessary to measure both the largest and smallest depths, after which the result should be divided by two.
What type of enclosure is best for a subwoofer?
Sealed enclosures are more accurate in reproducing low frequencies due to the air acting as a shock absorber, allowing the subwoofer to move more controllably. However, they may require slightly more power from the amplifier to move as much as a ported enclosure. Sealed enclosures are smaller and easier to build as there is no port to tune. They can be improved with the addition of a subwoofer, whether you listen to rap, country, metal, or classical.
The space available or willingness to install a subwoofer can determine whether to choose a ported or sealed enclosure. However, with either choice, build the enclosure to the appropriate specification given by the subwoofer manufacturer. The best subwoofer on the market can perform poorly if the enclosure isn’t built properly. Understanding the important specifications and terms when researching enclosures and subwoofers is crucial for making the right decision.
How do you size a subwoofer for a home theater?
When choosing a subwoofer for your system, consider the size of your room and other speakers. Compact satellite or bookshelf speakers should pair well with an 8″ or 10″ sub, while big floor-standing speakers and a large center channel require a 12″ sub. If your room is large and open, a larger subwoofer produces more bass. If it’s for a cozy den or bedroom, a smaller size may be better. Choose a sub that matches your room’s size and other speakers.
Where to place 4 subwoofers in home theater?
SVS recommends corner placement for optimal bass response, as it excites all possible room modes and creates a denser standing wave pattern. This reduces the risk of encountering nulls, acoustic cancellation points. If corner placement on the front stage sounds great, enjoy music and movies. If corner placement doesn’t yield optimal bass response, SVS recommends the’subwoofer crawl’ technique, which involves determining the best possible placement location for multiple options and maximizing sound quality.
How much air space does a 12 inch sub need?
The recommended sealed enclosure size for the Punch Power 12″ DVC subwoofer is 1. 25 to 1. 75 cubic feet, which is approximately the optimal size for the subwoofer.
What is the recommended volume for a subwoofer enclosure?
It is recommended that the Fusion Subwoofer Enclosure Volume be utilized in conjunction with the FM Series 10″ Subwoofer, which has a sealed size of 40 liters or 1. 41 cubic feet, the XS Series 10″ Subwoofer, the Signature Series 10″ Subwoofer, and the Signature Series 12″ Subwoofer.
What size sub has the deepest bass?
The 18-inch subwoofers are designed to deliver deep bass, providing an immersive audio experience that is felt as much as heard. These subwoofers are built to handle subterranean depths of bass, delivering a bass response that can shake the foundations of your car. However, due to their larger size, these subs require ample space and may not be suitable for every car or listening environment.
The size of a subwoofer directly affects its bass output, primarily due to the cone size and surface area available for air movement. Larger subwoofers, such as the 15-inch and 18-inch models, have more surface area, allowing them to displace larger volumes of air, resulting in deeper bass. Understanding how subwoofer size influences performance can help you choose the right subwoofer for your audio system.
What hits harder 2ohm or 4ohm?
Subwoofers with lower electrical resistance produce louder sound, making them louder than 4ohm ones. However, 2ohm subwoofers may produce poorer sound quality due to power consumption. 4ohm subwoofers have higher electrical resistance, use less energy, and last longer than 2ohm ones. They also produce less sound but have a more compact sound quality. Despite their lower sound quality, 4ohm subwoofers are generally more noticeable than 2ohm subwoofers.
What is the best material to build a subwoofer box out of?
Enclosures are typically made from dense, heavy wood, such as MDF or Medite, which are rigid, heavy, and not porous. They are ideal for woofers 8″ and smaller, and require separate chambers for each driver. Dividers are crucial for creating strength and creating an airtight seal between speakers. However, no two speakers are created equally, which can cause drivers in an open chamber to react differently, reducing output and power handling. Gluing all joints is essential during assembly, and screws or staples should be placed approximately every 4″ (10cm).
Counter-sunk drywall screws work better, making it easier to fill over screw heads for paint or carpet and improving the enclosure’s appearance. A quality air stapler can be used as a substitute, and staples should be used at least every 3″ (7. 5cm) along every seam. Wood glue is also recommended for faster and smoother assembly.
📹 I Built this Epic Subwoofer from Scratch!
In this Video i’ll walk you through the design, build and RTA testing of this fully custom and DIY subwoofer build. This subwoofer …
There’s actually 2 resonances. One around the mid band where the driver is moving the most and the port and driver are in phase. This happens from a combination of the driver springing against its share of air in the box and the port springing against its share of air (I’m not sure how this air is divided but it is some fraction that changes with speaker parameters, box sizes and tunings). The second resonance is that of the port springing against almost all the air in the box and the driver barely moving. The port output will be 90 degrees behind the output of the back of the speaker (or 270 behind the front). The net 90 degree phase is still additive, especially when the port is making most of the sound. You can actually see two resonances with a mass on a spring and your hand. One where your hand moves up and down a lot and the weight does the opposite of your hand. The other where the weight does most of the motion and your hand moves only enough to make up for losses and may as well be a fixed point. Below the tuning, the port will be making some sound but will begin to act like a leak in the box, meaning the driver will act like it is in free air. In fact it resonates even more at very low frequencies due to the momentum of the air in the box and the port increasing the effective moving mass of the speaker. You can damage your speaker if it’s playing too loud down there. I have pa subwoofers that are tuned between 35 and 40 Hz depending on boundary loading and they can move like crazy at 10-15 Hz with just a handful of watts.
Wow, super impressed! I’ve never seen so much correct information condensed into 10 minutes on audio as this. In a sea of audio half truths this was refreshing to see not a single misunderstanding of the physics/engineering of how ports operate. My background is live sound engineer/speaker builder/car audio way back when and I spend more time on the math and physics of audio that I care to admit and you hit all the bases. The only thing I would of added would be some of the pro’s/cons/trade off’s of ported enclosures. Things like efficiency, size, distortion vs group delay, phase, f3, harmonics.
Great article! You covered a ton of material in a very short period. I started studying the body of work by Theil & Small in the early 1980s. I began plotting freq response charts and then building a lot of “tuned” boxes back then. Amazing how much speakers have changed since then. Would like to see you do a article on passive crossovers as well. Most folks do not understand a simple 6dB/octave let alone an 18 dB/octave x-over or when to use each.
When I was looking to make a speaker for my Bass guitar and I had a 15″ woofer from an older cabinet, I bought a book at RadioShack and started to research how I would do it. I eventually became intimidated by the math I needed to make the perfect cabinet for a speaker of relatively unknown specs, so I made a solid and airtight box with insulation stuffed into it. I learned what the tuned ports were for back around 1984 and I’ve cringed a little every time I have seen poorly controlled woofers, just sitting out in the open in some idiots car, and they thought their music didn’t suck. I’ve since learned that speakers for the original production of music, can add character to the sound, and that’s sort of okay, but when we want to reproduce the original sound, it really pays to have perfect well thought out speakers that produce a flatter well controlled sound that sounds like the original recording. I would like to produce some interesting speakers with tight bass, and it’s probably easier now because bare speakers often come with the important information and recommendations for proper cabinet volume and design.
Just ported a box this weekend after perusal your article! I added 3 smaller ports instead of one large one due to the size of the speaker and allowable drilling on the sub box. It sounds amazing. as I added each port 1-2-3 it got better sounding each time. I did the math and found the correct ratio to surface area and volume of the cone in order to convert to smaller ports. I see a lot of air but barely see the subwoofer speaker moving. I would say this is most efficient sound I can get out of my setup. Tuned to 59.7 hz.
I read Great Sound Stereo Speaker Manual many times cover to cover in the 90’s as a teenage box builder. People were always amazed at the output of a single driver in a properly tuned ported box. Then I started building single reflex bandpasses. Same thing. I’d get 18″ sound out of a single JL12W1 driver over a fairly narrow band.
What about kerfing the port? How about if port in the middle so both sides are kerfed? Or does kerfing have 0 effect and just look pretty? I’ve tried getting a better understanding of kerf ports but I can’t find much. I kerf most enclosures and ports if the enclosure is visible. Thanks for all the info! Excellent article about how ports work!
Wow, great article man.! Beyond impressed with how much knowledge you crammed into such a short article.! Had a question though, so I have a skar audio evl 65-d4 and I need to build a box.. any ideas on what to use, not to use.. dimensions etc.. Very much appreciated in advance. Keep up the exceptional work
Quick question if I may? This is more of an experiment to try with some typical 15″ + horn passive PA speakers enclosures (plastic…), I was wondering if I could ‘tune’ an enclosure to get the best mid range from the front of the cone into a horn say and maximise the bass frequencies using a port or horn or combination of both? Maybe using a 4th or 6th order setup? Enclosure size isn’t a problem within reason 🙂 I’d use a standard style horn for the tweeter. I would like to achieve a bigger bass and keep the mids with a better spl for smaller outdoor gigs (the bass disappears outside!) without having to setup our big rig that requires lots of watts(amps) using what I have to hand. Not asking for much am I 😀 Your vid’s are great and I’m just getting started into them, a lot to learn, thanks and cheers
What is the model of the woofer at the one minute mark? I am building a sub (for my car) and want to use type of woofer that is not those monsters that need lots of power. Thinking of using Peerless SLS that seems to work in sealed box. I would have used Visaton W250S but those seem to need a ported box and I think I will benefit from having 6 db roll off (sealed box). So the driver at your on minute mark looked like a nice “normal” driver.
good information but the editing that makes the article sound like you are talking without breathing is really bad. you might not realize it but if you watch your article you will see how excusing it is to listen to these kinds of article editing, I hope you make better editing that makes the viewer watch the article in a more comfortable way.
Beautifully detailed ❤️. I’m a sealed box kind of guy and have been into car audio for over 25+ years. I remember long before “bazooka” tubes, Kicker actually made speakers back in the late 80s that were of an oblong igloo. What was amazing about that design was it include a port, but sort of a hybrid port/sealed enclosure as it came with a port plug. I’m surprised I haven’t seen them since.
7:19 I thought a 4th order enclosure was based on the box design not the crossover rolloff… free air= first order, sealed, second order, etc… I’m probably wrong, but I’m not the only one that’s said that/that thinks that… just curious what the real deal is… thx for this article BTW… you’ve explained a lot I didn’t know (I’ve always been a sealed box person… lower output, but more low-end extension)
off topic but back in the day i had a ported box with 4 12″ gold series kickers. as a “joke” one of my friends dumped glitter into one of the ports thinking it would just make a mess throughout my honda accord. the glitter not only filled my car it got into the coils of the subs practically ruining them. and when i traded my honda in (2 years later) there was still glitter randomly coming out of the ac vents and defroster vents 🙁
Based off of your explanation of port size and pressure at different frequencies would it be possibl to adjust the port length with say a consitina setup which is controlled by a stepper motor for different frequency ranges using a frequency controller, e.g. At higher frequency shorten/lengthen the port a few cm (inches – I work in metric) and then at lower frequencies adjust the port again so that the optimal Fb works over a broader range, and the effective frequency range for maximum bass range is widened? Not sure if you understand the question… I’m not technical by any means, but it sounds like a logical approach to expanding the bass range for full enjoyment without compromising choice of the size of the product. Could be overkill, but does such a active port setup exist? Should not be a massively expensive alternative in my mind. Would be interesting to hear your feedback. Very good article BTW, explaining the port logic, even for a non techie like myself!
The humble paddleball is a representation of this. The paddle is the driver, the ball is the air inside the port (in my case, it’s instead a passive radiator) the air inside the cabinet is the rubber band. In the ideal scenario, both the ball and paddle should be traveling in opposing directions for as much of the span of said desired wave, as to transmit the most energy into the action. Same as a driver and port air should do the same. The most phase offset I have seen is up to 170°, which is amazing!
Great science article Mr. DYI. I have an H2 Hummer and want to feel the sound pressure of deep bass. I’m not looking for competition but want to feel the bass pressure not just hear it. This is the equipment I am thinking of getting. Subwoofer = Skar Audio VXF-12 D2 12″ 3000 Watt Max 1500 Watts RMS Power Dual 2 Ohm Amp = Sundown Audio SFB-1500D Monoblock Amplifier 1500 Watts RMS Box = ported Box. Maybe i can future-proof and get Sundown Audio SFB-5000D Monoblock Amplifier 3200 Watts RMS. If I plan to get a second subwoofer later on. What do you think? Will one 12-inch at 1200 to 1500 watts give me the Bass pressure I want to feel? Thanks Carlos Exotic
Such a great info-dump. Totally new to this, so trying to pick up some bits. I know you covered a lot, but as I sip information, and don’t get a chance to swallow, my thimble just chokes then overflows. I’m left with a bit of the flavor, but most of the nutrition is gone (when people cover advanced topics and go so fast!) I realize for much of your audience this is all ‘old hat’, nothing new, no need for pace-pause-repeat ((Teaching –>Learning)) because they all know it already. Hey, maybe I can watch 6 more times, keep stopping it and take notes! Meanwhile, thanks for putting the info out there.
I have watched a few articles on building boxes for a sub. Unfortunately they all say to check the spec sheet for the correct numbers. I have a Alpine Bass VR SWS-4049, a 16″ sub. is would be about 20 years old but never really got worked so is in “like new” shape. Alpine won’t acknowledge anything that old and so no spec sheet. How do I calculate the numbers so I can pump them into a program to build a good box for it? Can anyone help me?
Great article. Erin’s Audio Corner also had a talk on use of Finite Element Method for design of drivers and enclosures. In it, they mention at one point when there is a high pressure or low pressure at the surface of the cone. Aside from that recent article, there is something else I’ve been playing with: Changing the Qa (absorption) value in the advanced settings in the box tuning tab. With an absorption value of 20 (what Unibox and BassBox Pro use for an enclosure lined with insulation), this changes the excursion of the driver in such a way as to suggest the absorption makes the box act more like a sealed enclosure, which also allows for more power to be given to the driver before reaching X-max. That may be a fun article, discussing box absorption and the effects on different types of enclosures, rather than the standard of using it to make the Q of the box seem to approach that of a larger box. But, this means some of the negatives surrounding ported enclosures may be able to be combated through the use of insulation. Either way, love the articles. Hope you are having a great weekend.
Looking for an opinion on ‘sealed’ vs. ported and having multiple speakers in the same cabinet, each with what I feel are slightly different specs due to simply that NOTHING is exactly the same as the one right next to it. If a cab has 2 or more in it, should they or should they NOT be 100% sealed apart from each other, EACH ported on a speakerless side of the cab if it is to BE a ported cab and also connected such that they are wired EXACTLY as one unit and NOT from separate websites? I see this all the time and it bothers me that a group of speakers is allowed to act as though there is no care for unity and 100% simultaneous speaker movement. I feel that a group of speakers in a ‘sealed’ cabinet but not divided as I said allows any of the speakers to act even slightly more of its own accord. An exact replica of what I propose is to take a sample number of identical cabs and connect them together appropriately as above and a couple feet apart and compare the SPL, ‘feel’ and simultaneous motion of all via slow-motion article. Thanks for any response—🍀😐😵💫
I recently started perusal your website. First rate work, fairly easy to understand, should be very helpful . I recently started the planning stage for a low power bass cabinet (20 watts ). Being low power, efficiency will be a big deal . When installing 2 different speakers (2-4” mid bass and a single 10”) in the same cabinet . How do you determine the port size ?
More bass? Sure… But, I don’t like that sound. It sounds empty without dinamic… Sealed box produce much better sound. I made for myself 12″ inch three way sealed boxes. I use 20mm MDF matterial for boxes, 12″ inch MONACOR bass, midfle horn and for high tones bullet like high tone speakers. So strong and so warm and powerful sound at the same time. It cost me about 400€ for all of matterial.
I want to order a sound town KALE-112BPW but im so skeptical about the built since its says made of Plywood,but it still looks like a high quality thick plastic finish,. I have a doubt that the plywood made or wood finish cabinet is not durable than the plastic made cabinet for a PA system. Please enlightened me. Thank you
May i suggest an idea for a future article? Would you make a article on how you learned all this? How you got started in audio. How you got involved/ inspired/ influenced/ interested/ esc. Schooling / collage on the subject if so. (You seem professionally educated on the subject) I think it would be cool to see how you got started and what you were interested in when starting out. And the difference on the equipment from them until now. And how that effected what you know / learned. Thanks 🙏🏼
Can you give me advice if what’s good design for a Hard Kick bass??? Cause here in the Philippines we commonly use Cerwin Vega Design, and mostly are modified… What should we do to make it more better like more harder and can give more output power?? And should we try to put port in the cover or at the back part of the speaker? Cause it’s an enclosed type of design. Your reply will be much appreciated, Thanks!
I’m trying to build a Toby design speaker box for 2 10 inch subwoofers but I can’t find anywhere where online about the design and I even contacted Toby out of Fort worth texas and they will not share the details with anyone and most people do not know but Toby subwoofers and boxes are the hardest hitting subs in the United States and a lot of people have never even heard of Toby’s. But the secret is in the design of the boxes. So check them out and see if you can figure out what there design is for me.
I’ll be a bit picky and give you a chance to clarify, you started out by saying the port is not a speaker but by the time we arrive at the ‘resonating air’ section you kinda say it is…. I’m in the guitar cab world, so the desired outcomes are different, I personally like to run an open back (free air??) cab and a closed back with a small slot port. Now you’ve got me thinking about the volume of air in that slot.🤗 The closed back is definitely tighter and more focused. There’s no ‘better’ though.
The best tool for understanding woofer enclosure performance is Newton’s second law of motion applied to forced oscillation. In this equation three factors are important, moving mass, damping factor, and spring constant. In a ported design the port acts like a pipe in a pipe organ tuned to one frequency. The same is true for wind instruments, reeds and horns. You change the notes by changing the length of the air column. At the tuned frequency air moves easily through the port. Half an octave higher and lower air won’t move easily through the port at all. So at the tuning frequency there is low back pressure resistance to air moving and the cone continues to vibrate for awhile. Light cone weight tend to reduce this effect but lack of strength leads to breakup of the cone into harmonic modes called Bessel functions like the membrane of a drum. The spring constant and damping factor are largely controlled by a fairly tight outer suspension and the spider. Differences in restoring force varying circumferential tends to twist the cone while differences in force radially tend to shear it. Therefore the spring force and damping factor vary with both frequency and amplitude. IMO it’s not a good design. Not all sealed speakers are acoustic suspension which should have been called pneumatic suspension. Those which are and are optimized overcome these problems. Further advantages are explained by the ideal gas laws.
Hey I got a question: If the air vibrating in the tube or port is vibrating at the same frequency as the speaker cone, why doesn’t this cause phase cancellation? In other words, if the “push” of the cone is depressurizing the enclosure space and thus sucking in the air that is in the port, this would seem to my layman understanding like it would be the same as having a cone that is out of phase with your primary cone. Why is it that this is not the case and that we instead are getting a result that is in phase with the action of the cone? Thank you for the great article.
Whether the out of phase sound from the back of an element cancels out the sound from the front will depend on the length of the path it has to take. You can theoretically tune an enclosure to get these two waves in sync at certain frequencies, and even though we don’t do that and the sounds we play are rarely just a single frequency – we’ll probably very rarely see 100% destructive interference
About the lower end of frequency spectrum you mentioned, I’ve been looking for cheap subs, and noticed that some of these specify lower limit as 50 or even 60 Hz. Isn’t this very high for 8″ diameter sub? Or are these manufacturers the rare example of cheap manufacturer posting real specs? (Taga TSW-60 vs Jamo 210 )
I had a doubt How do people tune a box with like a 3″ port which isn’t long enough like 30cm, and still achieve low HZs Cause in WinISD, it says like make the port 1m long I saw a build with Tang Band W6 in a 26.6L box, 3″ port and 29cm long flared port Still achieves 31hz when same on WinISD says something like a 932mm port
thanks, I am in the process of building my first box with some left over drivers tweeter/mid-range from a JBL 4412. I Have a pyle 12″ blue wave woofer that i got for near nothing. This will be fun, in fact I will probable use this creation(combined with the software) as a dedicated sound physics experimental box. Thanks again, as i am sure your teachings will spare me from much trial and error.👍👍
I’ve always loved music, of all genre’s and styles, but lately I feel like an ignorant poser. My gosh there’s so much to it. From speaker’s polarity, to the sounds frequencies and the human ears abilities, to that “warm and fuzzy” tone old amps/receiver’s have that I searched for only to find out its not necessarily a good thing. I have some really nice old receivers from the 70’s that come to find out all need, at least, recapped. The Sansui 9090db being my first and favorite garage sale/thrift store, or in the 9090db’s case, dump score. The more I learn from people like yourself the more hesitant I am to jump in and start soldering on priceless vintage stereo equipment…. but, gotta start somewhere!! I’ll start on the old technics SA-303, and cross my fingers! Thanks for sharing the priceless experience and information with those of us less endowed than yourself!!!
Liked the article. But something that is kinda irksome to me is this notion that Everyone has the same ears, and cannot hear below 20 Hz or above 20,000 Khz. That is simply not true as I can hear down to around 12 Hz, and up to 26,000 Khz, proven by not one but 2 ear doctors. Now even though I can hear above 20K herz it isn’t pleasant I must say. But the lower frequencies are enjoyable. Not to mention even if you can’t hear them you can feel them. And music is meant to be felt not just heard.
The port containing air aka resonating mass….OMG!!!! Now it makes sense why a PASSIVE RADIATOR can be used in place of a port but function like a port!!! Now since a passive radiator is actually less mass than the port of air it’s replacing, would the overall enclosure size be smaller as well? Also, do passive radiators have any audible drawbacks like air turbulence noise from a port or should I say poorly made port? I guess I’m subconsciously asking for a PR (Passive Radiator) versus Conventional (tube, slot, labyrinth) Port. Can you combine a PR with a CP? Would you want to? Can you make a BANDPASS enclosure with PR’s? Maybe this is where one chamber would benefit from a CP and the other chamber would from a PR? And OMG the Sequel! I just thought about PR’s and the way you tune them….by adding washer weights or MASS! Car Audio Dad Joke: “So after all this time, one could refer to a subwoofer enclosure port as a “Mass” hole!” ….. ….. (LOL!)
Speaker port’s for speaker port’s but the science here is strong! So strong that I haven’t come across science websites that get it this correct! Buddy, I’m impressed… The scientific community could learn something from this article and then some… The majority of people don’t know how much mass is weighing apon them… And a tube is never empty!
Hey Guys, im Planing to make a small Jukebox for my soon to be born daughter. I was wondering if a Port makes sense for a full range 3″ speaker. My Plan was to put two Speaker oposit to each other but in seperate chambers. Each speaker has its own Air Mass. Im Planing to 3D Print the Enclosure so Geometry can be wild. Modeling it is also not an issue.
I need some advise. Does this sound right for the box spec I’m gonna build a box for two 15s with 31.5hz tuning. The specs call for 35hz but going slightly lower since the overall box size will be 0.3cuft under spec. The box size is 39″ wide, 23″ deep 23″ high With a 4inch slot port 21inch high 24inch long
Great article, thanks. I’m an acoustic guitar builder wishing to lower the resonant frequency of my bass guitars. By adding port tubes to my last instrument, it lowered the frequency from 58.6 Hz to 49.8 Hz. Ideally it would be 41Hz to cover the range of the lowest string. Given that a guitar body has rigid sides/back and a flexible top, can the principles of speaker cabinet design be used to optimize this system?
I suppose I’m a DIY guy, too. I built a sound system that could play to 50,000 people. Although people have transmigrated through a lot of sub-woofers, we worked with the old JBL single 18″ folded horn ported speaker enclosure. When stacked in a 4 X 2 configuration, it goes to 40 CPS almost flat. It only occupies 16′ to 20 feet of wing space in a coliseum stage and sounds as tight as JBL L200 studio monitors.
Yea I accidentally rolled my window down and decoupled my sub and popped the dust cap off but I glued it back and ain’t had any problems since! I have 2 DC audio LVL4 12’s In a cherry 🍒 man customs 3.4 cubes spot port tuned to 32htz on a DC audio 2k! Got a 175.4 DC running DC 8’s and 4″ tweets to! It gets down! Brutal in the mid 30’shtz with the windows up in my tiny hatch back! I’m also running them active with a alpine DSP! Double runs of XS XPflex ofc on everything XS power XP3000 secondary battery and a oversized starting battery!
Do you ever use Bassbox Pro 6? I have noticed using Winisd some woofers are way off from what they say they are supposed to be, especially the larger sizes. I Don’t know what to trust. If I spend a lot of money and time building a set of speaker cabinets I want to minimize any mistakes. It appears Parts-Express uses Bassbox Pro for their box size recommendations. I have read online most of the Pros use Bassbox. I am sure with all of the speakers you have build you have noticed the discrepancy what was your solution? Is Bassbox Pro worth the $132 cost? I read some errors has to do with entering the speakers Le (voice inductance) but does not seem to change my results.
Why is it so hard to find a decent box for two 15s. I cant even find a local builder that will do a 6 cubic foot box tuned to 32hz. Find a few way too small inclosures thats it. Theres much more choices for 12s. But i already own my 15s ones got a 2.5 cubic foot box sealed the second 0ne i had built 3 cubic foot tuned to 32hz sounds great but my sub is a single coil 4ohm. I want the second to drop to 2ohm.
I am not criticizing THIS particular article nor website – Apologies for my usage of capitals for emphasis, please. I’ve played plenty of articles @ .25 speed and even by COMMON SENSE believe that putting multiple speakers in an enclosure utterly undivided results in each speaker being able to be out of sync with the other(s), individually as well as if enough of them, appearing to become a ‘wave’; Is this not a concern? Nothing to see here? Loud-only – no high quality needed? Am I the only person concerned? Any cab I’ve made before (3 or 4) I was not aware of it & it was ‘cool’ to push one and the other(s) moved (not based upon their being wired together, lol). Now, I would never configure that way without very credible advice, and even then… Sympathetic vibrations and the opposite are perhaps in effect; Thoughts of anyone knowledgeable appreciated. Thanks. 😏🙄🥴
I build custom boxes on the side for friends. My first question is what king of music do you listen to. Next is how loud do you like to listen. 3rd is what vehicle do you have. The space inside the vehicle matters on sq. I then design the box to this. I’ve never had a disappointed person. Nor a box returned because it’s not what they wanted.
you say its not for making more sound they you say its for resonating like a speaker cone, so it does in fact produce its own sound if this is correct. i have always felt like its there to make better sound and alleviate the air pressure from effecting the sub. you can always feel the air moving from the port.
I built a huge sub box for 2 15 inch subs but ran out of 3 quarter mdf wood for it so I left on side open and just have tucked it against the back seat of my van tbh I dont know what to do make it sealed put in a port or a crazy idea make a port that goes under the seat atleast it souds good and vibrates my guts the way it is lol
So I have two subwoofer and making a box with tubes,so I was wondering if I can put the tubes on the opposite from the face subwoofer?if so that means the volume wave sounds will come from the tube so that means I need to flip the box subwoofer facing towards the front car so now the air is behind trunk?
I’ve got some krk rokit 8’s, and they do go loud enough, but usually I have to turn it down because at some higher frequencies, while playing guitar, they start to unload and the 8″ woofer starts to over-excursionate-ify. Should I get bigger pa speakers or is there a fix? If I start to adjust the bass using eq’s and or hp filters, the guitar doesn’t sound as nice or powerful…… Any suggestions?
So it would then basically be like a guns bullet the longer the port the more velocity it can move and as well the larger in volume the port can be because of this added length so what if you had a small four inch super sub and had this in a basstube that was in a ported style tube that was sealed so to speak and instead of porting out its a diaphram on the end of that tube thats say twice the size of the original sub then that diaphram was ported
i JUST made the connection between the sub and the port listening to you talk about the “not a fan, because its pushing and pulling” so the port is 101% tied to the T&S of the speakers due to Vas, Fs, BL and MMS… all have a direct effect with the port, both shape and length are affected by each other due to the interaction of air molecules inside the port, change the length and shape, you just changed everything about it
so. maybe this was answered I just still get confused… so if my sub has a 31hz resonant frequency, or fb or whatever. if I build a box tuned to, lets just say 26hz, would that be grounds for “free air” possible xmax damage? or is it like… tune the box to 31hz because thats what the fb is, and playing a 26hz frequency on that set up, is what will possibly xmax? if this even makes sense….. like can you build a box with a 26hz tuning frequency for a 31hz resonant frequency subwoofer, is my question
I decided to go with pre cut 2×4 3/4 in mdf same 11.75 for top and sides,bottom center. 18 in daytons 3.75 cuft per driver. Plate amp 500w dayton. On rollers 4 in off floor. Killer bass 90 to 18 hertz. Make sure to use lots of stuffing. I also put 3/8 in bolts around the woofers to compress the whole cabinet ie increase rigidity. Trying new grs planer tweeter soon with cast frame usher 8 in carbon fiber towers I did DIY in 1968..
Awesome vids! I have an unorthodox idea and would love some feedback. Has anybody ever heard of building a ported chamber and a chamber enclosure for pair of subs, one having sealed volume and one having ported volume? Obviously internal volumes would be different and power handling would be slightly different, 2 website fix or 2 amp source? Or does this just sound too complex and run with 2 ported or 2 sealed?
I havent watched any Subwoofer building articles for just about one year. I was determined to learn just about everything I needed to know regarding the technical aspects of it. And I did. The point is having watched your article here and a couple others of yours today I can gladly say that you have improved your article presentation in 2023, not that it was bad by any means. You are much appreciated. Your articles are music to my ears. Please keep it up.
Great article! Your mixing of all the audio was equal level! So many youtubers have a crazy loud intro then their voice sounds like a whisper after you jumped and ran to turn the volume down. I had some bad experiences ordering some Parts Express speakers and plate amps like 20 years ago. Now I do not mess around. I use only Crown XLS amps whenever I want to build another sub setup.
Your article was extremely well done and I plan on building one for myself. I am reasonably accomplished with woodworking and Love what you did with the cabinet. However, I am new to building subs. The plate amp you recommend is no longer available. Will any 300 amp plate work such as the one recommended by Amazon?
Subscribed. Nice build. Between you and Toids I’m gonna have plenty of builds. How well would this work as a sealed build? I like the look of it. Probably need more internal bracing as a sealed. Would this woofer work in a sealed environment. ? More for a dedicated 2 website setup. Anyway, great article, clean production and good narrative.
Hey man, excellent article! Enclosure came out very nice! Like the editing style as well. Curious if youve done tests between going only to 2000 grit vs 5000? Since you’re applying another top coat (instead of polishing the finish) you may not need to go as smooth to get your final coat looking good. Shoot, we only went to 2000 before cutting and polishing cars when i was doing them 😅 may save you some time? Also, if it measured better… I’d say you built a better sub 😉 well done!
First I want to just say the quality of your article is so top notch I have really watched it a few times. The way you speak, your angles and your transitions. Just A+ and how its suppose to be done in my opinon. 2nd the sub design is amazng. So much I am following your build for my own. May I ask what software you did the design in? Is it in Sketch Up? If so do you share your Sktchup files? If not I understand.
Wood glue and water works for a lot of stuff, most of all it’s really good as a bonding layer, especially between incompatible chemicals. I’ve used wood glue as a primer to spray paint polystyrene foam with solvent heavy polyurethane spray paint. The trick when adding water is remember a little bit of water goes a long way, and that it’s difficult to be consistent with it. I use an empty inkjet refill syringe to test the thickness of it. If the blunt needle can suck it up then it’s thin enough, if it can’t then I add more water. I add just enough so that it can draw, not a drop more.
Yea, the preperation is insane, used subbox pro as well to get the basic layout, planned it in onshape and let my wood shop precut the wood, sadly they do not make the cutout so I either have to do it myself or get another shop to do it. At the moment it looks like I am on my own, so yea. It is a bit terrifying to imagine something and actually build it, but my new car is going to arrive at the end of the next month and by then I am probably going to be done with it. It’s really a crazy idea. Green Leather, pretty thick mdf, 120l box weighting in about 40kg alone. Ambitious, but we will see how it turns out 😀
If you put threaded inserts in the back of the baffle you can use them as clamps to pull it down while glue is drying on fixing to the front (or not glue it). This is a nice way of doing the front baffle for perfect alignment – especially if you have oversized it a bit for a shadow line or some such :). I had a double thickness baffle – so I lay one layer on the front of sub where it was to attach, drilled holes through both. Place threaded inserts in the baffle, then glue the two baffle layers together and do the finishing (threaded inserts exposed out the back).
Sound quality for this article was good and you have nice microphones. That works, and good article. Cool sub. It seems really the big difference between building your own instead purchasing a sub is the outer appearance. This sub looked pretty good. But are you looking t it or listening to it? I’d be happy if it sounded great rather than looked great so DIY is I think a good way to increase performance.
If you have a good Hi-Fidelity Stereo or audio system at home then “Yes” you can hear the different nuances between subwoofers and speakers. However, that’s assuming a good microphone is used to record the subwoofer instead of your cell phone. It’s like when people may shoot a decent article with their cell at a concert, but sound quality is horrid, and you wonder “why bother” it sounds like crap.