So, you bought a new sub-woofer to experience the energetic feel induced by deep bass? But, did anyone tell you about getting an enclosure or the type of enclosure? Maybe so.
Well, let me break it to you, for optimum performance of a sub-woofer, you will need a well constructed, solid enclosure or a box that enhances the quality of bass tones. The enclosure also protects your subwoofers from damage and weather mishaps. The design of the box is equally important to produce deep and powerful bass. In this article, we will find out the best subwoofer box design for deep bass.
Table of Contents
- Types Of Subwoofer Box (Enclosure)
- Benefits of Subwoofer Boxes
- Can You Build A Subwoofer At Home?
- Essential Factors To Consider While Buying A Subwoofer Box
Types Of Subwoofer Box (Enclosure)
There are different varieties of subwoofer boxes with specific designs. Different box designs produce different kinds of bass notes suitable for either car stereos or home theatre systems. Let us learn about them further:
1. Sealed/Closed Box
A sealed or closed box is built tightly and is best for music that demands precise and defined bass. It produces a deep bass sound, flat response and superior power handling. A sealed enclosure requires more power, thus for best performance use an amplifier with sufficient wattage.
2. Ported Box
Ported boxes utilize a vent or a port to augment low bass response. In other words, with a ported box, you force out the bass tones. They are suitable for music such as rock, metal, or any hard-driving music. Ported boxes are more efficient and are capable of delivering a deeper bass compared to the sealed boxes, but they should be larger in size to accomplish that.
3. Bandpass Box
Bandpass boxes are a variant of ported boxes but intended for a maximum slam. The subwoofer is placed inside the box and the sound is received through the ports.
The sound produced with a bandpass box is loud but has a narrow frequency range. Bandpass boxes are highly efficient but can be larger in size. Their dynamic sound is great for rap, reggae, hard rock and the like.
4. Free-Air Subwoofer Box
A free-air subwoofer box does not require a particular enclosure to work efficiently. In a free-air enclosure setup, subwoofers are installed on a board to be placed in the backseat of a car or the trunk. The sound quality in a free-air box is, however, compromised.
But if placed inside the trunk, it acts as an enclosure and eliminates the issue of distorted sounds. These boxes are convenient if you are short on space and are relatively easier to install. But these work only with subwoofers designed for free-air use.
With that, we can gather, the best box design for deep bass would be a sealed box or a ported box. The ported box, however, should be much larger in size than an average sealed box to accomplish a deeper bass.
Benefits of Subwoofer Boxes
1. Optimum Performance
A standalone subwoofer produces sounds from the front and back. The sound from the back of the speaker eliminates or distorts the frequencies produced by the front of the speaker. When placed inside a box, all the frequencies are contained within the enclosure creating sound uniformity and best performance.
2. Protects The Subwoofer
An enclosure protects your subwoofer from damage, breakage and even overheating. Most boxes have enough space for air to pass, this keeps the speakers cool.
3. Improved Bass Tones
A subwoofer box is an important element for any music lover. As these enable the subwoofers to improve their bass notes and make the sound output louder, deeper and more pronounced.
Can You Build A Subwoofer At Home?
Yes, you can make your own personalized box to fit your subwoofer. However, you will need enough knowledge of enclosure dimensions, technical sound engineering and craftsmanship.
While most people are better off buying a ready-made subwoofer box, there are a few people who prefer building one. If you want to build one continue reading, if not skip to the next section.
Tools Needed To Build A Subwoofer Box
- A Jigsaw
- A table saw or circular saw
- An electric drill
- Speaker terminals and cables
- Your choice of material
- Fasteners (screws, glues and caulk)
- Sonotube (for cylindrical subwoofers)
- Varnish and paint
You must use the exact materials recommended to build a subwoofer box. Do not compromise on the quality of the tools and materials even if you are on a budget – buy the best quality materials. By using inferior quality materials, the build and design of your subwoofer will not be suitable for deep bass and you will end up with a lot of wasted time and money.
Important Points To Remember When Building A Subwoofer Box
- Do not build an all-purpose all enclosure for all your woofers and subwoofers. As different box design and size produce different quality of sound in varied subwoofers. The box design must be suitable for a particular subwoofer type.
- However, enclosure design depends on the size of your subwoofer, it also depends on your preference. As there are several different box designs. Choose to build the one which suits your needs. In this case, a sealed box would be ideal as we want a deep bass. Fortunately, a sealed box is the easiest to build among all the other options.
- The subwoofers also vary in size, thus, your box must be an accurate fit for the speaker. It should not be too large or too small as this may negatively impact the sound performance.
- To determine the exact size of enclosure for your subwoofer refer to the manufacturer’s specifications and dimensions.
- You can also check out online sources to calculate speaker enclosure volume. This helps in determining the ideal dimensions for a subwoofer box design for deep bass.
- Build a sturdy box. A subwoofer box is subjected to a lot of low-frequency vibrations. If it is not built from strong quality and durable material, it won’t last for a longer time. Typically, the recommended material for building a subwoofer box is MDF, medium density fiberboard. MDF is costlier than plywood, but it is worth it in the long run as it is more durable, harder and tougher. The screws on an MDF will not be easily pulled out and it also will not be damaged when exposed to water or extreme weather conditions.
- Do not use poor quality wood-like particle-boards to save money. As it will deteriorate after a few months, resulting in wastage of time, money, resources and energy.
- Make sure the box is airtight and sealed tightly. Use appropriate sealants as using the wrong glue may distort the speaker’s sound quality. Gaps or creaks in the subwoofer box results in passing of the air which contributes to a distorted sound. Use wood glue or carpenter’s glue and stuff the box with a dampening agent. You can use silicone or wood sealant to seal the edges and the insides of the box.
- Remember, silicon fumes may cause potential damage to the subwoofers, so if you use it, let it dry overnight before installing the speakers inside the box.
- Be sure to fasten the box tightly as it will be exposed to a certain amount of vibrations for a prolonged time. Also, when a speaker vibrates extremely it may end up bending, this results in its distortion.
- To prevent the speakers from distortion, you must put in one or two brace or fasteners inside the box.
- Once you are done building the box, make sure to apply a nice coat of varnish and paint. This not only gives it a sleek finish but also protects the wood from being exposed to water and weather conditions while protecting us from unwarranted splinter accidents.
- Wear appropriate protective gear when taking up the building project and in a spacious room.
Essential Factors To Consider While Buying A Subwoofer Box
Material
The material of the box defines the bass output from the speakers. Typically, there are 5 most common materials you can choose from:
- MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard)
- Fibreglass
- Polycarbonate
- Aluminium Sheets
- Plywood
Each material differs in price and performance, ask the manufacturer which material produces a deep bass before purchasing one. Ideally, MDF and plywood are great choices for enhanced bass output.
Size And Space
The size of the enclosure should be picked in accordance with the subwoofer size and the number of subwoofers you own. Because for two subwoofers, you can purchase a dual enclosure instead of two separate enclosures.
You should also consider the area and size of your car or room for installing the subwoofer box. The availability of space determines the shape or design of the box to be purchased.
Enclosure Type
The enclosure type or box design is a crucial deciding factor. Each type of enclosure again contributes towards a different sound production. Since you want the enclosure for deep bass, you’ll have to decide between a sealed box and a ported box. Before choosing the enclosure type, consider the shape and size of your subwoofer and whether it will fit inside your chosen box.
Aesthetics
The enclosure should not only enhance the bass tones but also complement your car or houses’ interior. There are enclosures designed with carpeted interiors and in other aesthetic forms, choose yours wisely.
Buying Or Building
You can either purchase a subwoofer enclosure from the online or the offline market or build on your own. However, you will need the right tools, materials and enough knowledge to build a subwoofer box which will function properly. Whereas, a factory manufactured subwoofer enclosure is readily available to encompass different models of subwoofers suitable for particular purposes. Also, there are subwoofers with built-in enclosures available in the market.
A deep bass sound gives the listener an energetic feel and creates a feel-good vibe in the car or in the house. There’s depth and character in the audio when a subwoofer is installed in an enclosure. Thus, choose the box design for your subwoofer after careful consideration, thorough research and guidance from professionals.
FAQs Regarding Subwoofers And Subwoofer Boxes
What is a subwoofer?
A subwoofer is a kind of speaker designed to reproduce low-pitched sound frequencies such as bass or sub-bass. A woofer, however, produces higher audio frequencies compared to a subwoofer.
How does a subwoofer box or enclosure work?
The subwoofer enclosure reduces the sound distortion caused by the audio output from the back speakers. It is necessary to isolate the rear end of the speaker from the front. The box enables the subwoofer to deliver an improved bass response, makes the music more powerful, clearer and adds more intensity.
Why do I need an enclosure for my subwoofer?
A subwoofer needs an enclosure to improve the bass response of the audio output and to make the music louder. It is also essential to protect the subwoofer from damage, basically, the box acts as a protective outer layer.
Which subwoofer box is regarded as the overall best for cars?
The overall best subwoofer box would be the Bbox E12DSV Pro-Series 12 inch dual vented enclosure suitable for medium and larger vehicles. It has an airtight seal, is designed for an optimum bass response with a lower frequency reproduction ideal for high power and great sound quality subwoofers.
Which box design produces deepest bass tones?
To experience the best bass tones, choose a large subwoofer and install it in a sealed box. The JBL CS1204B is the best, sealed subwoofer enclosure. It has an excellent bass output production and is suitable for both cars and home stereo systems.
Which subwoofer would you recommend for a home theatre system?
The most recommended subwoofer choice for a home theatre system is the Klipsch R-120SW. This subwoofer delivers a crisp and clear sound along with a deep bass that makes watching movies or listening to music a captivating experience. It also has a 400-watt digital amplifier that enables the subwoofer to reach low frequencies with high efficiency and achieve maximum output effectively.
Can I place the subwoofer box inside the car’s trunk?
Yes, you can. Most car owner’s place their enclosures in the trunk to avoid a cluttered car interior. Unless your trunk is sealed or soundproof, you can install your subwoofer box inside it. And this placement does not compromise on the sound quality and you will be able to hear the bass tones perfectly.
What if my car does not have enough space for a subwoofer box?
This issue is faced by many small-spaced car owners. While you can easily fit an enclosure inside the trunk of your small car, in some cases the trunk is utilised for other purposes or the subwoofer won’t fit in there. Thus, manufacturers have designed several small and compact enclosures as well as subwoofers which can easily fit inside small cars or even small spaces. Among these are the under-seat subwoofers, powered subwoofers, subwoofers with shallow mount and enclosed subwoofers.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, a detailed article regarding the best subwoofer box design for deep bass. Of course with a few materials and craftsmanship, you can easily build your own subwoofer enclosure for deep bass. But, don’t try to construct one if you don’t have the required resources and knowledge. Instead, purchase a readily available subwoofer with a built-in enclosure to enjoy your music and movies.
