what exactly is Q?

Oh, well you need to know the math, and all of the parameters for the driver. Me, I plug in the numbers to my JBL Speakershop, and hit the button, The software will simultaneously provide me with a .707 alignment (the default) and a custom alignment which I can specify, simply by clicking a button. If you want, provide ALL of the specs you have for your chosen driver, and somebody can help you design the enclosure. AND if you take a box with X alignment, and add damping (stuffing) it will change that alignment, or if you change the driver, it will change the alignment. And while almost ALL software assumes (or should assume) a perfectly rigid box, as well, and while we all know this DOES NOT EXIST (for all practical purposes) it does underscore the importance of a very rigid cabinet - any flex in the walls will change the Q from the ideal. The less flex in the enclosure, the less drift you will have from the calculated value of Q. I hate spell checkers, because they allow "your" (the possessive) to be accepted (or excepted) as "you're" (a contraction for you are). I think typing grammar is more abused than spelling. Most people can make out the spelling errors, and see them as such, but how many people can see the grammatical errors. I LOVE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!!   BWAHAHAHAH (And the ACLU, Sorry DYohn!) I agree, though. I always thought dampening was a light application of liquid to a surface, and damping was the adding of mass to a mass to lower the resonant capabilities of the original mass... I guess we all learn something new everyday. I never bothered to look it up. Thanks, Steven. Oh, and BTW, I will be in Las Vegas for the CES. See you then!It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

Kickerstang, There are plenty of free sites and software utilities that will help you find an enclosure size with the right Q. Just a warning, many people design car boxes with a higher Q than .707 because .707 can require quite a bit of box volume depending on the woofer. For example, .8 many times leads to a significant decrease in box size with an acceptable effect on sound. In fact, some people like the slighly peaked sound for car audio. Anyway, look for software packages that allow you to see the estimated curve and you'll be able to see what effect Q has on the curve as you change box volume. New Project: 2003 Pathfinder

haemphyst mentioned his JBL speakershop program, there is also WinISD which if you have all the parameters for your sub is a great program as well.

Isn't Q an alien on star trek?Certified Security Specialist

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