Sub Box Noob

[iTz Amazing]

So I recently hooked up my sub box loaded with 2 MTX 12s but I have them in a pretty crappy ported box, I would really prefer a sealed box, so i was wondering if there is a good way to seal it myself, or should i go out and buy a new box.

I was considering making somthing up real quick with some duct tape or somthing for now.

[DansGen1Alero]

Im not a box expert......ryanfromohio may be able to assist, but I dont think you can just seal a ported box...diff airspace needed and all.

[jayson_waltz]

yes different airspace is need for a sealed box. and not all subs are meant to be in a sealed box, you'd have to find out if yours are able to. if the box is crappy, either find out the airspace you need and build your own, or go buy one. i don't know why you'd want sealed though, it will be a ton quieter.

post up the exact model of your subs so i can find the specs for them.

[Cashdollar2009]

I was considering making somthing up real quick with some duct tape or somthing for now.

Do NOT use duct tape dude. :lol: Subs require different amounts of airspace for each type of enclosure; sealed and ported. Unless you were to know the actual specs that these speakers, you really should leave them as they are for now, as opposed to somehow killing them. If you did know the proper specs, then you could more than likely cut your box to size, remove every bit of the port, and glue/screw the box back together. To make things easier, find the specs, and build a new box, or have someone more experienced put one together for you. :) Ryan will chime inlater with the scientific facts and everything as well. And sealed boxes do not necessarily mean a TON quieter. Some subs are made to be put into ported boxes. It all depends on the speaker and the application. I love being able to say i hit a 141.5dB in a sealed box off of 250watts! :cool!: Plus, from what you're saying Amazing, a nice sealed box shoud be good for you, you'll get some nice tight and precise bass. :)

[DansGen1Alero]

yes different airspace is need for a sealed box. and not all subs are meant to be in a sealed box, you'd have to find out if yours are able to. if the box is crappy, either find out the airspace you need and build your own, or go buy one. i don't know why you'd want sealed though, it will be a ton quieter.

post up the exact model of your subs so i can find the specs for them.


My experience is a sealed box is better quality, but it all depends on what music you listen too. yes a ported will be more "Boomy" but at the same time distorted, where the sealed will be more quality, tighter harder hitting bass.

[jayson_waltz]

^yeah i know it will also be quite a bit tighter sound, better quality. i've just experienced there is quite a bit adifference between ported and sealed in sound output. guess it mostly depends on the sub type and quality of box really. thats why i asked him to post his specs.

[BeeMain]

take a piece of 3/4" mdf that is larger than the port, glue and screw it over the port hole and it's sealed. You can't ruin a sub with a sealed enclosure, you can with an improperly ported enclosure because if it's not tuned correctly the sub will bottom out and self destruct. With a sealed box you will always have back pressure. If it's the incorrect volume it just won't be optimum, so it will take more power and have less punch.

[jayson_waltz]

^if the specs show that the airspace he has will work for a sealed enclosure, sure that'll work. but if not its best to cut to the space you need then seal.

[Fi-Alero]

It depends on the specs of that sealed box. Alot of prefabs are actually too small for the subs they are cut for. Those 12s need about a cube a piece sealed. If the internals of the box are around this, you should be fine for now by making a block for the port. But I would recommend getting a box made to spec.

My experience is a sealed box is better quality, but it all depends on what music you listen too. yes a ported will be more "Boomy" but at the same time distorted, where the sealed will be more quality, tighter harder hitting bass.
This is nothing but a myth. A properly designed ported box can have more output and just as flat of a response as a sealed enclosure. Everything is taken into the design.

If it's the incorrect volume it just won't be optimum, so it will take more power
Wrong. If this guy has an incorrectly designed ported box and he tries to seal it, it will take less power. There will not be near as much control as a smaller box would have.

[DansGen1Alero]

This is nothing but a myth. A properly designed ported box can have more output and just as flat of a response as a sealed enclosure. Everything is taken into the design.




From all the ported vs sealed boxs, that has been my experience so generally it is not a myth. and I have heard my fair shair of both ported and sealed. Every time the sealed was tighter and crisper where the ported was boomy, sometimes distorted, and not very good quality (at least for hip hop/rap.

Not saying ported boxs are crap, just depends on what you like, I like the better quality a sealed box produces.

[Fi-Alero]

From all the ported vs sealed boxs, that has been my experience so generally it is not a myth
People's experiences generally don't solve myths. I have customers that claim they have been doing audio for years, but they tell me "I need that cap to be loud"

Every time the sealed was tighter and crisper where the ported was boomy, sometimes distorted, and not very good quality
Then means you have not heard a correctly designed ported box that is made for the specific said vehicle and the sub in it. (Yes, there is more to a box than getting the correct air space and tuning.)

I guarantee you if you heard a box like I'm talking about, you would understand. We have designed ported boxes that has an extremely flat response from 25-76hz for specific vehicles.

Sealed boxes are just easier to design, that's why they are more common for people that was more of a flat response. They just loose ALOT of output.

[DansGen1Alero]

well if you talk numbers yea you can bust myths, but to my ears, the sealed sound much harder, deeper, and of higher quality so the numbers to me would have to not be noticable to the ears. Not to mention that the prior 2 people how have built my boxes, (who have engineering degrees) live by sealed boxs. And I recall it is for the same reasons I have mentioned, though it was a couple years ago, so I am not for sure.

I can tell the difference and IMO sealed is of better quality and deeper not as distorted. Yes, I have not heard a box you are talking about, anything is possibile, but I cant go off hear say. You may be the only person that can build a ported that is louder deeper and not as distorted.

If it is, more power to you, I will fly you out here to build my boxes (next time)

Im editing, as I do not want to sound sarcastic, I am always up for louder sounds, just never happened with ported, but again, if i need a box built again I will come to you.

[Fi-Alero]

well if you talk numbers yea you can bust myths, but to my ears, the sealed sound much harder, deeper, and of higher quality so the numbers to me would have to not be noticable to the ears.
Fair enough, alot of people have not heard a properly designed box.

Not to mention that the prior 2 people how have built my boxes, (who have engineering degrees) live by sealed boxs
That lets me know that their engineer degree sure isn't in acoustics.

You may be the only person that can build a ported that is louder deeper and not as distorted.
The people that have been doing this for a while know how to do it. PWK is the best popular example I can think of. It gets EXTREMELY advanced.

am always up for louder sounds, just never happened with ported
Huh? Ported has been proven to have more output...

[DansGen1Alero]

that may be so, what I meant was louder and tighter with less distortion, again, my whole side is that to me sealed is tighter less distortion, more precise. The ported is "boomy" and if therefore boomy is louder then yes ported is louder, but in doing so the you lose quality....again to my ears from boxs I have heard, not your boxs. But if you can build a ported box that is as tight, precise, and deeper without losing the quality ie what I meant by louder.

maybe we should continue this in PM. Hate to be crapping dudes thread