Enclosure needed for 15" Subwoofer

[MattyC]

Hey guys,

I'm in need of some help in getting an enclosure for my 15" Soundstream Tarantula T5 Series Subwoofer.

It's specs are as follows:
NEW 2009 Model
Power Handling: 1000W/2000W (RMS/Max)
Proprietary Cast Aluminum Basket
Non-Pressed Paper Cone w/ IMPP Dustcap
1-Piece Rubber Surround and Gasket
Dual 2 Ohm 4-Layer Voice Coil
3" BAEISV Coil Former
UDV Cooling Technology
Conex-Progressive Roll Spider
Integrated Tinsel Leads
Vented and Extended Pole Piece
Low Carbon Steel Top Plate
ABS Magnet Cover
Triple Stack 250 oz. Magnet Assembly


The questions are as follows:
1) Should the enclosure be Sealed or Ported?

2) Where could i find an enclosure to suit this sub?
or
3) Where could i find a design to make my own enclosure?

Cheers heaps,
MattyC

[HCVP]

1) Whether it's sealed or ported is up to you, it's going to come down to what suit's your listening preferences
2) Soundstream actually make a slot port enclosure, if your interested.> Ryda Car Audio - Soundstream SS-15 15" Slot Port Sub Box ($208.85) otherwise, most car audio places wil offer a pre-fabricated enclosure, whether it be sealed, or ported, if your not wanting to build your own
3)What do you mean by a design? Whether it's square, rectangular, circular, whatever, the design is up to you. Basically so long as it's the enclosure is the optimum size for the sub, then it dosen't really matter.

[MattyC]

1) Whether it's sealed or ported is up to you, it's going to come down to what suit's your listening preferences
2) Soundstream actually make a slot port enclosure, if your interested.> Ryda Car Audio - Soundstream SS-15 15" Slot Port Sub Box ($208.85) otherwise, most car audio places wil offer a pre-fabricated enclosure, whether it be sealed, or ported, if your not wanting to build your own
3)What do you mean by a design? Whether it's square, rectangular, circular, whatever, the design is up to you. Basically so long as it's the enclosure is the optimum size for the sub, then it dosen't really matter.

Hey

By design i mean where could i find measurements etc for a box that has already been designed (specifications of some) just as like a starting point for if i were to build one.

Because as it looks, ready made ones are pretty expensive as to if i was to build my own.

cheers heaps,
Matt

[MattyC]

This is the design i want to try and make, tho i'm having trouble getting the measurements correct. The max i can make it to suit my boot will be:

1000mm Length <----->
420mm High ^
400mm Depth <>

Any help with the measurements would be appreciated.

Cheers,
MattyC

[Joe Bellissimo]

Ported. The T5 is no SQ sub so I really can't think of an application to have this sub sealed.

[acarmody]

All right I have had a crack at it, but I'm tired and going to bed so if anyone sees any mistakes then correct me.

I worked on a 3 cubic foot box, all constructed with 1" MDF. With a slot port thats 1.5" wide, 13" high, at 35hz, which equals 10.654" length, which equals 0.2 cubic foot displacement including 1" MDF wall.

The Subwoofer specs say the 15" woofer has 0.14 cubic foot displacement.

So total displacement is 3 + 0.14 + 0.2 = 3.34 cubic feet.

A box that has outside dimensions of 36" x 15" x 15"= 3.3252 cubic feet, so given how tired I am will just have to do.

I have attached a diagram. It will be way out in the looks department because I designed it for a different box but the dimensions I changed and it will give you a general look of the box.

[acarmody]

Just thinking a 3 cubic foot box is more of an SPL box. Maybe a 2.5 cubic foot box would be more suitable. The one I posted up should work but I wouldn't be pushing the sub all the time. Its a 1000wrms woofer so I would NOT put more than 1000wrms into it. Maybe even tune the amp for 900wrms.

[Joe Bellissimo]

SPL FTW! He wants more DOOF DOOF! You don't buy a 1000rms 15" to enter SQ comps (Yes i know there are a couple of exceptions to this rule)

[MattyC]

Just thinking a 3 cubic foot box is more of an SPL box. Maybe a 2.5 cubic foot box would be more suitable. The one I posted up should work but I wouldn't be pushing the sub all the time. Its a 1000wrms woofer so I would NOT put more than 1000wrms into it. Maybe even tune the amp for 900wrms.

What i was going to do was make the exact box in your diagram, but make it 16 inches high instead of 15 because the sub is 15. Are you saying i should make the vent smaller?

[acarmody]

Damn I totally forgot that this was for a 15" woofer, I'm so used to 12" woofers. Okay changing the height of the box changes the port size and the box size so let me work this out.

[acarmody]

A 3 cubic foot box, all constructed with 1" MDF. With a slot port thats 1.5" wide, 14" high, at 35hz, which equals 11.6172" length, which equals 0.2353 cubic foot displacement including 1" MDF wall.

The Subwoofer specs say the 15" woofer has 0.14 cubic foot displacement.

So total displacement is 3 + 0.14 + 0.2353 = 3.375 cubic feet.

A box that has outside dimensions of 34" x 16" (height) x 15"= 3.37 cubic feet.

So new box will need to be 34" long, 16" high, and 15" deep. Now remember these are outside dimensions using 1" thick material.

Make the bottom and top pieces 34" x 15".
Make the sides 14" x 15".
And the front is 30.5" x 14" (because of port) and the back is 32" x 14".

[MattyC]

A 3 cubic foot box, all constructed with 1" MDF. With a slot port thats 1.5" wide, 14" high, at 35hz, which equals 11.6172" length, which equals 0.2353 cubic foot displacement including 1" MDF wall.

The Subwoofer specs say the 15" woofer has 0.14 cubic foot displacement.

So total displacement is 3 + 0.14 + 0.2353 = 3.375 cubic feet.

A box that has outside dimensions of 34" x 16" (height) x 15"= 3.37 cubic feet.

So new box will need to be 34" long, 16" high, and 15" deep. Now remember these are outside dimensions using 1" thick material.

Make the bottom and top pieces 34" x 15".
Make the sides 14" x 15".
And the front is 30.5" x 14" (because of port) and the back is 32" x 14".

Cheers HEAPSSS!!!!! dude, thankyou soo much.

I'll be building the box tomorrow morning with your specs

If you lived in Perth....

So it's back to the good old bunnings for some 1" mdf

Cheers HEAPS,
MattyC

[MattyC]

1)
slot port thats 1.5" wide, 14" high

2)
A box that has outside dimensions of 34" x 16" (height) x 15"= 3.37 cubic feet.
So new box will need to be 34" long, 16" high, and 15" deep. Now remember these are outside dimensions using 1" thick material.

Quick questions in relation to the measurements above:

1)
Wouldnt the slot port have to be 15 inches high? otherwise the box is too small.

2)
Shouldnt the outside dimentions have at least 17" height because if you take 2x 1" mdf's off that you'll then get exactly 15" so enough space for the sub.


So this would now effect the sizes of the peices?

Thanks,
MattyC

[acarmody]

According to the specs of the sub, the actual cutout for the sub is only 14.25", so it should still work.

You said earlier you only have 420mm of height to play with, well thats only 16.5" so you wouldn't be able to build a 17" tall box.

I'd wait till someone else confirms my specs because I'm not a professional box builder.

[holdenboy]

Yep acarmody is pretty much right on the money i think......although the slot port will need to be wider than 1.5", a general rule of thumb is to have a height to width ratio of no greater than 1:8, otherwise the port turns into a large gap that acts like a leak in the box, not a port.

If you want a massive amount of bass, ive found the Digital Designs enclosures to go hard.....this is one ive used before with alot of success, i realise you only have 420mm to work with and not 430mm.......so just make it 420mm and add a little extra to the port depth (around 30mm is fine).

[MattyC]

Cheers heaps for your help guys, acarmody and holdenboy

I will have 430mm to play with, i just said 420mm before to be safe but 430 will still fit.

It's time to get on with this project.

I'll post pics up of the finished item

[HCVP]

Just thinking a 3 cubic foot box is more of an SPL box. Maybe a 2.5 cubic foot box would be more suitable. The one I posted up should work but I wouldn't be pushing the sub all the time. Its a 1000wrms woofer so I would NOT put more than 1000wrms into it. Maybe even tune the amp for 900wrms.

Just quickly, out of interest, why would you not want to run that much power, or more? my only ported enclusre was underpowered by about 200RMS, but with the rest of my sealed enclosure's, i've always ran a considerable amount more power into them, that their rated input.

Is it that it's bad for the sub in a ported enclusure to be fed any extra power? Is there not as much need for extra head room when porting due to the extra effeciency?

[holdenboy]

Generally, a big ported box will lower the subs power handing......definately when playing under the tuning frequency. But on the other hand, a smaller box will handle more power......but it will be harder to get a lower tuning frequency (can i just say "F3" from now on haha) in a smaller box.

Still, everyone has to remember that 90% of amp ratings are done with two parameters that arent accurate in the real world, one is the voltage the power is taken at (mostly 14.4v - how many people have 14.4v when the system is cranking?) and the second is its taken with a non-reactive load (i.e. 2 ohms, as soon as you turn the volume knob i can guarantee your speakers / subs dont stay at 2 ohms - more like double that).
But it works both ways, sub manufacturers rate their products in the best case scenario......to get the most possible wrms rating, although IMO the amps output power is going to be further away (lower) than the subs rating is.

Sorry for the rant

[bezz]

lol why do car audio guys hate the metric system so much?

[holdenboy]

because its just easier Subs / speakers are measured in inches so why not just measure everything else like that?

Why are you such a pain bezz???

[bezz]

I like being a pain its what I do best!

[Joe Bellissimo]

I'm using a 30cm subwoofer....

With a 9cm port...

It just... doesn't... feel... rite...

[holdenboy]

^^^^^^ lol.

Oh yeah, and its not 30cm, its 30.48cm......OVERSIZED FTW!

[acarmody]

lol why do car audio guys hate the metric system so much?

I was using a box designer website that uses imperial, and it was 1am, and I couldn't be stuffed converting it when I'm that tired. So , LOL.

[MattyC]

Need to shorten the boxes width from 900mm to 800mm so I can actually get it into the boot.
Stupid gas tank lol.

But yeah.