Sealed vs vented boxes -- Pics

[19Cutlass94]

Which one is better? The set up I have, two 12" bridged with 580w. Which type of box would be able to handle this better and have the cleanest sound? Anything else I should know about either one, please tell.

[jeremy]

find out what the manufactor of the subs recommend....the box sizes will be different depending on which type you use. I have always prefered the sealed boxes, don't know why though....

[19Cutlass94]

I was reading the instructions for the subs, Infinity, they really dont say what enclosure to use, they just give like a explination about their subs in each enclosure that Im still not sure about, and still reading.

 

I was thinking about buying this box, cuz when I was there I looked at it and it seemed pretty good cuz they had other subs in it and it sounded pretty good, although that was in like a "booth" type of thing and not in a car.

 

 

long link right? click here

[Psych0matt]

from my experience, I like sealed boxes better. Sealed boxes seem to have more thump but not necessarily as much low end, and vented ive found to be about opposite. Im no expert by anymeans, but I know I like the punchiness more than the low end, so I've usually had sealed boxes

[Brian P]

from my experience, I like sealed boxes better. Sealed boxes seem to have more thump but not necessarily as much low end, and vented ive found to be about opposite. Im no expert by anymeans, but I know I like the punchiness more than the low end, so I've usually had sealed boxes

 

TWOST!

[jdcutty]

You can get more low end bass out of a vented or bandpass, but depending on the application, you can also get alot more bass distortion from too much linear travel. A sealed box keeps the speakers linear travel in, therefore giving you harder hitting, "tighter" bass.

 

I would make a decision based on what type of bass you want, and what type of music you listen to everyday.

[19Cutlass94]

I would make a decision based on what type of bass you want, and what type of music you listen to everyday

 

What type of box would be good for like rap/bass andone for rock/bass. Well thats kinda hard to answer for me because somedays Ill listen to rock, other days Ill listen to like hip-hop or sumtin with alot of bass, so something in the middle would probably be best.

[jdcutty]

I have a sealed box and can make it sound good with anything from rap to country. Bandpass doesn't sound that great with rock, and I am sure the same goes for ported. On the plus side, a sealed box takes up less space.

[JoroCorona]

A bandpass box will give you the best of both worlds. It will still be punchy, but it will still give the nice low end grumble of a vented box. I had a Alpine Typr R 12 in a bandpass and it sounded playing anything and everything.

[19Cutlass94]

well I would imagine that two 12" would hit hard to begin with, but cant ported/vented boxes handle more power than sealed boxes?

[jdcutty]

I believe that would depend on the speaker.

[Whiskey River]

There is no real winner between the 3 most common box types. Tuned Sealed boxes provide excellent power handling, frequency response, and good low end extension. Tuned Ported boxes provide +3db increase at frequencies above port tuning. Anything below port tuning falls off at 12db/octave. This means that if a sealed and ported box, with identical subs, were tuned to 60Hz, the ported would sound louder at 60Hz and above, but below 60 Hz, the sealed would begin to take over.

Someone mentioned bandpass, these are good for a narrow "band" of frequencies. Within that band, a bandpass box outperforms a vented box but at its crossover frequencies, it will fall off at 18db. This means, if you play the box at a frequency outside of its range, you can do serious mechanical damage to your subs as the bandpass box masks distortion.

 

I have seen a number of people using the Kappa Perfect subs in ported box tuned to 25hz. The box was on the order of 2.5cu.ft. It was huge, but sounded fantastic.

 

Really, it's all what you like. If you aren't afraid to build a box, build a sealed first(easiest to build). See how it sounds. If you have the Thiele-Small parameters for the subs, you can build your box to fit your car and the right size for your subs.

[jdcutty]

Very well said.

[19Cutlass94]

after reading that, that really explains it very well. yeah I only have the Infinity reference subs, I think the ported box I was looking into was like 2.00cu.ft. I have no problem playing around with the stereo, trying to make it sound the best that it can. Although I must admit I do have a question. Like how do you tune the box into a certain frequency? Like do you just set up the system to play at that frequency?

[jdcutty]

Low pass filter on the amp.

[Whiskey River]

after reading that, that really explains it very well. yeah I only have the Infinity reference subs, I think the ported box I was looking into was like 2.00cu.ft. I have no problem playing around with the stereo, trying to make it sound the best that it can. Although I must admit I do have a question. Like how do you tune the box into a certain frequency? Like do you just set up the system to play at that frequency?

 

Tuning the box is a function of the box size and type of subwoofer. You said you had the reference series subs, see if you can get the spec sheets for them. The spec sheets will have a lot of archaic information on it, i.e. Qe, Qms, Fe, F3, RS..... and on and on. These are the Thiele-Small parameters. With information found on this sheet, and the endless box calculators out there, you can find out what size box you need based on the information you put in. Here is software that I have used in the past. Just put in the info that it asks for and it'll give you dimensions of an "ideal" box and a frequency chart.

 

http://www.ajdesigner.com/speaker/index.php

 

I know this is a lot of information, 90% of the people out there would just drop the sub into a Circuit City/Best Buy box and be happy with it. It's the last 10% of us that want the sub to sound it's best in our particular rides.

[Puggsley456]

IMO....Screw sealed boxes....they are a waist of time.......Go ported and tune it low!

 

If you need a box designed PM me and I'll design you one!

 

I listen to mostly rap and rock as well. The only benifit to a sealed box is that it will save you a little more space in your trunk.

 

I had a sealed box, it was decent. Then I designed my ported box and WOW! I like its sound so much more. I have to take my rear 6x9's out of my rear deck because there is too much air pressure pushing them from the underside and they are breaking!

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

I have 1 12" sub in a sealed box, and it just doesn't pump out enough. If I had a ported/vented box I think it would be alot louder. However, my box is only 1ft cubed internal dimensions, so it hardly takes any room at all. Next time, I'm going ported. I think alot of it has to do with the speakers you buy as well.

[Whiskey River]

IMO....Screw sealed boxes....they are a waist of time.......Go ported and tune it low!

 

 

Sealed boxes have their place. There are also subs out there that do not perform well in a ported box.

[19Cutlass94]

Well basically, my system is hooked up, cuz I bought a ported/vented box because I got very tired of looking at everything in my trunk just chillin there. Ill get some pictures up soon of what I have right now, but Im still looking into the best box for my subs because I know it can sound MUCH better than what I have right now, even though its loud as fuck and sounds pretty good, even though the subs still need to "break in" I would like to stay with a ported/vented box, because Im happy with how it sounds right now, playing rap/rock. Even though like I said with a better box to suit the subs it would sound better, but anyone to help with what kind of demsions I need for the subs or anything I need to know about custom box so that its perfect for my subs.

[Puggsley456]

Well basically, my system is hooked up, cuz I bought a ported/vented box because I got very tired of looking at everything in my trunk just chillin there. Ill get some pictures up soon of what I have right now, but Im still looking into the best box for my subs because I know it can sound MUCH better than what I have right now, even though its loud as fuck and sounds pretty good, even though the subs still need to "break in" I would like to stay with a ported/vented box, because Im happy with how it sounds right now, playing rap/rock. Even though like I said with a better box to suit the subs it would sound better, but anyone to help with what kind of demsions I need for the subs or anything I need to know about custom box so that its perfect for my subs.

 

Your subs recommend 2 cubic feet each. I think that giving them each 1.5 cubic feet would be sufficient. I foung this design, which is the one that I used when I was runnign two 12's.

 

[19Cutlass94]

Thats bascially what I have right now except the port/vent is between the two subs and not to one side of the box

[Puggsley456]

The problem with perfabricated boxes are that you never know what exactly you are getting. You dont know what steps were taken to seal it, or for that matter what its even tuned too.

[19Cutlass94]

Thats true, Im basically going to have to keep playing with it until I hit it just right, because like you said, I duno the frequency its tuned to. I might be able to find out to make it easier, but how to you build a box, tuned to a certain frequency?

[Puggsley456]

Thats true, Im basically going to have to keep playing with it until I hit it just right, because like you said, I duno the frequency its tuned to. I might be able to find out to make it easier, but how to you build a box, tuned to a certain frequency?

 

This is how I do it, Take all the technical information from your subwoofer. And use a program called winISD which can be downloaded from

http://www.linearteam.dk/default.aspx?pageid=winisd

 

Then to make it easier on you I found a step by step walkthrough on how to do it here, click on the link on the left side named "winISD".

http://caraudio911.realmofexcursion.com/

 

The one caution I will add, if you follow this wallkthrough to the letter, remember that this program(winISD) DOES NOT include the port volume in what ever internal volume you enter into it. And will need to be accounted for in the overall volume calculations.