sub box is too heavy and too big

[vyaw2003]

how do i get a smaller box without loosing bass. i have a 12 inch alpine sub in a really heavy box. Worried about economy, i was woundering what smaller box i could put it in. So how do i find what smaller box it would go into and still sound as good?

Tx

[semi]

If its the right size, a smaller box wont sound as good
you could maybe make another box with thinner MDF, but you wont notice much of a diff in economy

[StoneX]

Make a box out of fibreglass.

[elljay]

use a sealed box not ported. if its sealed it doesn't need to be as big as a ported one. i have 2 12" subs in a sealed box thats the same size as on of my mate ported boxes with only one sub.

[StoneX]

If he uses sealed, he will lose bass... He said he doesn't want to lose bass.

[vyaw2003]

and he would also split his subs the port needs to be there for a reason for it to breath in and out easily.

[Bax]

So your saying all boxes without a port will split the subs?

[Phreddy]

Only low-grade cheap-n-nasty ones.....

[StoneX]

What the hell are you guys talking about???

vyaw2003... Ports aren't for subs to "breathe". Ports are there for the audio energy to react with the audio energy from the cone which causes a different frequency response compared to sealed.
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/support_pages.php?page_id=150

Subs don't split from sealed boxes.

Types of Enclosures: http://mobile.jlaudio.com/support_pages.php?page_id=148

[elljay]

What the hell are you guys talking about???

vyaw2003... Ports aren't for subs to "breathe". Ports are there for the audio energy to react with the audio energy from the cone which causes a different frequency response compared to sealed.
http://mobile.jlaudio.com/support_pages.php?page_id=150

Subs don't split from sealed boxes.

Types of Enclosures: http://mobile.jlaudio.com/support_pages.php?page_id=148

yeah, mine a fine and there 4 years old and still go better and and more bass the alot of others ive seen.

[shaggerz]

Agree with above post. Stupid people make me angry. You can't go spreading crap that you think is fact because some kid told you once. Do some research first.

"you'll lose bass with a sealed box"

"you need a port or the sub will split"

Stop smoking crack. Refer to above links, or even google.

[elljay]

Agree with above post. Stupid people make me angry. You can't go spreading crap that you think is fact because some kid told you once. Do some research first.

"you'll lose bass with a sealed box"

"you need a port or the sub will split"

Stop smoking crack. Refer to above links, or even google.

so true, so true! nice car by the way

[ucwepn]

Even better go to alpines own website and they should have the correct specs for the right size box for that model of sub.

I have a soundstream 12" and soundstream have all the specs for boxes on their site.

[VS Omega]

What he said ^^

Also some subs are designed for sealed boxes, some are designed for ported.. it's up to the owner to research (some say clearly on the box lol) and get a suitable box

[garfa]

this is so confusing but if i think you all are saying what i think you are saying then, yes you lose bass if the box is sealed. a typical sealed box delivers less dbs than a ported box that utilises both, the push and pull strokes of a sub's cone over a specific frequency.

[shaggerz]

I think you'll find that db's are the least of your concerns unless you are building a competition sub.

If you want sound quality, often sealed is the way to go. You can get decent quality out of a ported box but it needs to be built to the EXACT specifications that the sub itself requires.

A sub in a sealed box will have better frequency response (as in deeper, more flykick to the chest style bass) but will in fact be a tad quieter, which doesn't matter unless it's underpowered.

What? my sealed box is quieter? *turns the volume up a bit* Now its louder

On the plus side, sealed boxes tend to work well with almost any sub as long as they are roughly the right size.

Deciding whether to use a sealed box or a ported box should depend on the type of music you listen to. If you listen to a lot of RnB for example (with its long bass notes of varying frequencies) then a ported box is for you. If you listen to music with a lot of really solid bass drum kicks, or any other short low frequency bass note, then a sealed box is probably for you.

I found that its entirely up to personal preference. If you like your ears to bleed before you feel it in your chest, then ported is probably for you, whereas if you'd rather feel the kicks in your chest like someone threw a phone book at you, then sealed is the go.

A couple of analogies there hehe but "more bass" and "less bass" are not valid ways to decide. If there is "less bass", then turn the gain up on the amp, then there will be "more bass" no matter which type of enclosure you use.

In any case, making a smaller sub box will make no noticable difference in economy, unless you can somehow make it 20-30 kilos lighter lol.

[Phreddy]

Hey fells - been playing with tuned enclosures of quite a few kinds for quite a few years.

The reason you'd use a ported enclosure is to extend the bottom end a little lower than a sealed box will. All woofers will "roll-off" as the frequency goes down (in other words, the output dB drops), but by very carefully tuning a particular sized box to a particular driver and tuning a very particularly sized port you can "artificially" extend the low end response of a woofer. (what happens is at the "resonant frequency" of the system, the air moving in and out of the port reinforces the air being pumped by the driver itself - that';s why the tuning is so important though, because if these are out of phase instead of reinforcing, it actually subtracts!)

As shaggerz has said though, the disadvantage is that it can make the bass a little "fluffy" and less defined. It also causes the bottom end roll-off to be almost twice as "steep".

But think about this guys - there's a phenomenon called "cabin gain" which occurs when a low frequency speaker is enclosed in a confined listening space - like the inside of your car. For a cabin the size of a Commy, this comes into effect at about 38-40Hz. What happens is that - again artificially - the overall effect is that from about 40Hz down, there's about a 6dB/octave boost in the low end response. This has pretty much the same effect as porting the enclosure in a larger listening room - where you have the space to house the woofer in the bigger box it requires for porting.

Now, if you want your bass much more prominent than the rest of the music, you might still like to go for a ported box. If you want the overall response of your system balanced though, having the driver in a sealed box - not too difficult to get the response down to about 35-40Hz/-3dB - then the cabin gain takes over from there down. You end up with lovely tight controlled bass, without drowning out the rest of the stuff you want to hear.

I prefer the latter myself, but that's just my opinion.

Cheerz!

[HIROLLA]

Sealed does not have smaller or crappier bass! Just tighter faster pased bass for dance music. It will also play rnb and rap songs just not as low as a ported box.

You could try a smaller ported box made within the sub specifications to save some space.

[phree]

The ported vs sealed debate.

What's the model (part No. i.e. sws1224...etc) of the sub? What is the actual size of the existing box i.e. widthxheightxdepth. How thick is the material. Is it ported or sealed? What amp are you using for it? What music do you listen to?

Then we can recommend/suggest something for you.

It will have SFA effect on economy though.

Cheers

[smyth]

Stupid people make me angry.

Can't argue with that

[garfa]

but if the bloke likes his current vented box then he will probably feel a sealed box has less bass.at least thats the way i would feel if i liked ported enclosers...........