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Subwoofer Enclosures
The enclosure is equally as important as the woofer and should be designed for use with the
particular woofer you have chosen.
Deciding which enclosure(s) and woofer(s) are best for you can be a task all of it's own, but size constraints
of the vehicle, knowledge of Thiele - Small parameters, and
understanding the inherent sound characteristics of different enclosure designs will help you decide.
All enclosures should be constructed of at least 5/8'' - 1'' MDF (medium
density fiberboard) or material of comparable rigidity or better. Bracing (not shown) should be used
throughout the enclosures as needed to prevent any loss of energy due to flexing. For you SPL competitors, I repeat...bracing
should be used throughout the enclosures.... Flexing = lost output. With all enclosures, lining the walls with a
damping material (fiberglass batting, polyfill, tar based spray, etc.) is recommended to reduce high frequency resonances.
Often the total
order of the system is confused with the order of the enclosure. The diagrams shown
throughout this section refer only to the order of the enclosure (and are not
to scale). The order of the crossover will add to the total order of the system.
There are many types and variations of woofer enclosures.
The following information is intended to provide you with a basic understanding
of enclosure types and their respective characteristics, design possibilities, and to help you decide
which enclosure may work best for you and/or your customers.
For an in depth resource
on building subwoofer enclosures, including formulas, diagrams, projects, and addditional resources, the12volt.com highly recommends you visit
Brian Steele's The Subwoofer DIY Page v1.1.
Fraction to Decimal & Volume Calculators
First Order / Infinite Baffle / Free Air
Second Order / Acoustic Suspension / Sealed Enclosures
Fourth Order / Bass Reflex & Bandpass Enclosures
Sixth & Eighth Order / Bandpass Enclosures
Thiele - Small Parameters
Brian Steele's The Subwoofer DIY Page v1.1
Blaupunkt's Free BlauBox Program (DOS version - 215K)
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