Subwoofer sizing.

[Michael-08-VE]

Hey guys, I've got nothing to do over the holidays so I'm going to be building a dual sub enclosure, I've tried the google machine with no luck. I'm looking for some "decent" sub specs, as in the size of the enclosure they need. It's going to be a sealed box with. 12 inch, between 200$-500$ per sub, from my measurements the enclosures could be around 35-40 liters per sub.

 

[EYY]

You need to look at the recommendations of the sub manufacturer, they're all different. Biggest thing is to make sure you don't under amplify them, and don't cheap out on woofers and amps. 18mm mdf is the thinnest you should use.

Whatever design you choose, make sure you use cross bracing too. Remember that one good quality 10" sub will hit harder than 2 shitty 12 inch subs.

Ported sub vs sealed is another argument altogether, a quick google search will show you the differences and pros and cons of each design.

I've been through all this myself lol. I ended up settling for a GOOD set of amplified splits without a sub. Didn't even need one in the end.

 

[acarmody]

Even a 40 litres sealed box is a bit on the smaller side for me. My S12L7 had a 56L box when I had a sealed enclosure.

No need for cross bracing on such a small box provided you use 18 or preferably 25mm MDF.

 

[Tasmaniak]

Given that 40 litres is just under 1.5 Cu. Ft. I would day that is plenty of space for a sealed enclosure for so many drivers.

Sorry had to convert to Cu ft. Can't get my head around litres. Lol

 

[StoneX]

Yeah, most 12" car audio subs that are designed for sealed enclosures require 1.0-1.5 cubic feet (28-42L).

Choose you sub from how much power you have available and your requirements from the sub. If you just want great sound quality, then you could spend all your cash on a great single 12". If you want good quality and higher volume, then I'd get a couple toward the top end of your budget. If you just want loud doof (which I doubt as you're going sealed), then grab a couple of cheaper ones and make a box to get the most volume out of them (ported).