So you’ve just bought the subwoofer of your dreams. Congratulations! Now you’re wondering exactly where to put that monster woofer you bought. You may be wondering about the different options, whether you want a sealed, ported, or bandpass subwoofer enclosure. You may have done some research on your own, but have come to a confusing conclusion with so many different technical terms. Don’t worry; I’m going to summarize the effects and effectiveness of each one for you without all the big technical words.
sealed enclosure
These are generally the smallest of the three. If you have a small or sports car, I recommend this enclosure for your car. There are pros and cons, of course. As mentioned, it is advantageously smaller, allowing you to conserve precious trunk space. They also allow the subwoofers to produce very accurate bass, but with the least amount of “boom” of the three cabinet types. This is mainly because the box is airtight, leaving no room for air to escape with the sound waves inside the box. Unfortunately, this restriction requires a much more powerful combination of amplifier and subwoofer. Unless you have a higher end set that can handle higher power, I don’t recommend getting a sealed box setup.
vented box/ported
Because the ported enclosure requires additional space for ventilation, it is typically larger than sealed enclosures. If you’re not too concerned about space, this type is a popular solution for most people. The design is based on ventilation that allows air to circulate much more freely, channeling sound from the inside and the rear of the enclosure to the outside. This gives you a much more boomy effect with less accurate bass response. With vented enclosures, you don’t need as much power coming out of your system as the lack of an airtight enclosure allows your subwoofer to move much more freely and the vents allow you to hear every bit of sound produced by your subwoofer.
bandpass enclosure
Bandpass subwoofer boxes are the largest of the three. This is because the design relies on a series of ports and two main chambers: one for your subwoofer and one for the air space inside the box to resonate with. You can probably imagine the sound produced by this giant. Produces the least accurate bass but with the highest level of “boom”. With this enclosure, you can outdo anyone on the streets of Los Angeles. But remember that bandpass cabinets require a lot of space, so be prepared to sacrifice a lot of trunk space for your setup. Also keep in mind that some subwoofers do not work well in bandpass enclosures, so check your product manual before installing them. Ultimately, bandpass enclosures are extremely efficient enclosures and draw much less power than a sealed enclosure. Make sure you have a tight installation in a bandpass cabinet, as any loose parts will easily rattle and could easily be heard in a bandpass setup.
Other details about subwoofer boxes
There are also a few other things to consider when deciding between different subwoofer boxes. Most subwoofer cabinets are now built using MDF or MDF, these are great for cabinets so make sure you buy boxes of MDF construction and not cheap plastic or plywood. Fiberboard (even if it says medium density) is much denser than any other material, so it doesn’t vibrate and can withstand very high temperatures. Particleboard is a much lighter material and does not bond as strongly as fiberboard and therefore would not be suitable for harsh environments.
Aesthetically, there are usually two options to get: an outdoor carpet or a vinyl/paint finish. The mat will protect the exterior from getting scratched, and it usually goes well with the color of the trunk (gray, black, and tan). Paint or vinyl trim tends to show exterior blemishes much more easily than carpet, but cleaning it is also much easier, especially valuable if you’re installing a subwoofer enclosure without a trunk.
How many subwoofers in a box? This obviously depends on how much money and space you have. Don’t buy two when you can buy one that could produce the power of two. This will potentially save you money and space. If you can help it, don’t settle for a cheap set of two when you can buy a good one. Yes, two will help add more power and sound, but you sacrifice sound quality for volume and boom.
I hope this brief summary has helped you in your decision-making process. At the end of the day, it’s really up to you to research your subwoofer and find the best solution for your system. Happy hunting!