How To Select a Subwoofer
Enclosure
You recently purchased a new
subwoofer from an online store
but neither the website nor the
salesman mentioned it requiring
an enclosure?
I know
it’s hard to believe for most
readers but customers have told
me this more then once through
the years. Although most brick
and mortar stores will stock
subwoofer enclosures, many
online outlets don’t want to
bother with them. In fact, many
go so far as to never even
mention the need for an
enclosure in their subwoofer
product
descriptions.
Let’s see
if we can present a guide to
enable you to select a proper
enclosure for your specific
subwoofer. First and foremost,
select your subwoofer before
considering an enclosure. The
fact of the matter is that
subwoofer boxes are built to
quite narrow specifics. You
definitely want to match your
enclosure to the manufacturer’s
suggestions for the subwoofer.
I’d estimate that 90% of my
shoppers have already purchased
their subwoofer before looking
for a proper
enclosure.
I should
mention that if you purchase
one of the very few remaining
subs listed as “free-air”, you
can actually forget about this
entire question. The “free-air”
sub can be mounted into a large
area such as between the
passenger compartment of a car
and the trunk. In this case,
the trunk serves as a large
sealed enclosure when it is
tightly closed. There aren’t
many subwoofers of this type
being made anymore.
For the
rest of us, we have to read the
manufacturer’s spec sheet that
accompanied the subwoofer. Of
course that is assuming you
purchased a new, boxed sub
directly from a retailer. If
you purchased a used subwoofer
on eBay or from some other
source, you can search out the
manufacturer’s web site and
contact them for the specifics
of you sub. It is quite
important to do so because if
you fail to, you can either
find yourself with a lousy
sounding system at best or
damage your sub at
worse.
Take your
time and decide what would be a
near perfect match for your
subwoofer. Many audiophiles
will insist on constructing
their own subwoofer enclosures
but through the years I have
heard many expensive custom
built boxes that sounded less
desirable then factory made
boxes and many boxes off the
shelf that outperformed those
home made ones. This is why
matching your sub to its box is
very important.
Now check
the specifics of your
subwoofer. See if it recommends
using a sealed, vented/ported
or bandpass enclosure. These
specific types also come in a
range of sizes or volumes.
These different boxes are
actually meant for different
purposes or different sounds. A
Sealed Box, which is also known
as an acoustic suspension
enclosure is great for all
kinds of music and has the
broadest range of frequency
response. Sealed boxes deliver
tight, controlled bass with
excellent Sound Quality and are
best for jazz, classical,
country or pop music. These are
definitely the most popular
boxes in use and also take up
the least amount of room in
your vehicle. They also are the
easiest to match to any
specific sub.
Another
type of sealed enclosure which
should be mentioned is the
custom vehicle specific
enclosure. These are usually
molded in fiberglass or special
plastic composites and fit in
‘out of the way’ locations such
as under seats or on sidewalls
in SUV’s. These will tend to be
a bit more expensive but most
buyers feel the custom
appearance and convenience are
well worth the cost. Normally
these come as small sealed type
enclosures.
Ported or
vented enclosures are usually
larger and tend to have a
boomier, richer, more resonant
sound which lends itself to hip
hop and heavy metal music.
These are just a bit more
difficult to match only due to
the additional requirements of
port length and so forth. But
if you want a bit more BANG for
your buck and space isn’t a
concern, this type of box might
be exactly what you need.
Again, be sure your specific
sub can be used in a ported
enclosure.
Finally we
have Bandpass boxes which are
the largest and are known for
an aggressive, boomy sound
which is good for rap, reggae,
and hard rock music. Again,
you’ll find most subs can be
used in a bandpass box but be
sure to check on the subwoofer
specifics before making your
choice.
Really
this isn’t as difficult as it
might seem at the beginning.
For example if your 12” sub
says it is suggested for a
sealed box volume of .85 cu ft,
simply look for a good quality
sealed box listed for a 12” sub
with an interior volume of
about 1 cu ft and you are right
on target. Of course there are
more specifics to consider in
the ported or bandpass boxes,
but the steps are the same. You
do not have to match volume
figures exactly in most cases
but you want to come reasonably
close.
Although
there are unknown numbers of
manufacturers of enclosures,
there are some general rules
that might help you narrow your
search. Don’t necessarily
choose the least expensive.
Reason on this point: why spend
good money on a great subwoofer
and then buy a cheap piece of
junk for a box. Without the
proper box, even the best
subwoofer will sound like
garbage. Don’t be surprised at
the shipping costs of your
enclosure. One main thing that
contributes to good sound
quality is the weight of the
box, itself. Many shoppers
choose to buy their components
online but they shop locally
for their sub enclosures. The
trade off here is that in most
cases you’ll never come close
to the variety you can find on
line and you’ll generally have
to pay a local sales tax. Be
sure to take this into
consideration when shopping
locally. It isn’t unheard of,
to have a local shop sell you
what is in their stock rather
then what is best for your
specific subwoofer. Match the
specifics for yourself before
making a decision.
After
retailing car audio online for
over a decade, you would be
surprised at how many customers
have purchased boxes from me
after they had purchased a
cheap box initially and weren’t
satisfied with the results. I
always suggest being patient
even if you have to wait a
couple of weeks after your sub
purchase to save some extra
money. Take your time and match
the box to your subwoofer.
You’ll love the
results
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