Subwoofer Enclosures

Subwoofer Enclosures

Executive Summary about Subwoofer Enclosures by Ross Bainbridge

custom subwoofer enclosures

Subwoofer enclosures are an essential part of any music lover's car sound system, because they are affordable and easy to install accessories that instantly add bass to your system. But, there are literally hundreds of 'low-frequency reinforcement' subwoofer enclosures to choose from.

Subwoofer enclosures protect your subwoofers and greatly affect sound quality. Generally speaking, you should purchase subwoofers that come subwoofer enclosures, because manufacturers specifically designed the enclosure to compliment your sub. But if you already have subs in place, and just need enclosures, you can find them. All you need to know is how to choose from four different types: tube, ported, sealed or bandpass.

Sealed enclosures are found to deliver highly accurate, 'hard-hitting' bass sounds. If you do not like a 'boom' sound quality, then this type of subwoofer enclosure is perfect for you. It produces a crisp and clean sound for any type of music.

subwoofer enclosures design

Bandpass subwoofer enclosures, on the other hand, deliver 'thick' bass, perfect if you want to listen to loud music. It works really well with certain types of beat such as hip-hop and reggae.

But, if you tend to listen to different music genres, then perhaps something a bit more generic is best like the ported subwoofer enclosure. Experts agree that this type is the most versatile. Any kind if music sounds good with it. Ported subwoofer covers also amplify sound, so it's perfect if you have limited power but want to play loud music.

Subwoofer Enclosures - Changing the Way Sound Travels

Executive Summary about Subwoofer Enclosures by Mark Markham

When it comes to loud pounding bass the big secret is that the quality of your speaker box is more important than the quality of your sub woofers. With your vehicle's sub woofer box, bigger is not always better.

Proper sizing of the sub woofer box so important, because proper sizing allows for proper placement in your vehicle, proper placement means that you and your passengers will all enjoy the same high quality sound from your stereo.

Subwoofer enclosures allow you to upgrade your car stereo system without detracting from the appearance of your car or truck. Many people have great ideas about upgrading or even building a custom stereo system, but think they'll have to sacrifice looks to get the sound.

You can buy a pre-made sub woofer box or have one custom made.

Professionally made subwoofer enclosures allow you to add those custom components without sacrificing looks. Instead, it's all housed in beautiful subwoofer enclosures made just for your vehicle.

You'll find subwoofer enclosures for hundreds of vehicles online. Many sites offer custom manufactured subwoofer boxes so that it fits neatly into the vehicle, but that's not the only advantage. With many vehicles, you even have a choice of styles.

The biggest advantage of these subwoofer enclosures is that you have your new equipment stashed in a beautiful box that will blend with your vehicle.

5 Essential 'Must Do's' When Building a Subwoofer Enclosure

Executive Summary about Subwoofer Enclosures by Marie Coles

One:

Find out what design and size is best for your subwoofer.

The wrong design or size could affect the performance of the subwoofer in your car, making your system worse rather than better.

The manual should tell you the free amount of air space between woofer and enclosure needed, whilst a simple equation where you find the EBO (efficiency bandwidth products) can help find the best type of design.

Alternatively, the manual or a car audio expert may have suggestions on design.

Two:

 Decide upon how many enclosures you may need.

Although it is not necessary to create two separate enclosures, it practically works better.

A sub enclosure can also be separated down the middle in two, so that one sturdy box fits two subs in.

If no divider is there though, and one subwoofer malfunctions, it will leave double the amount space needed for the other sub, which will affect the performance of your system.

Separating the subs, whether by separate enclosures or a divider (known as twin enclosures), will prevent this from happening.

If you have one sub alone, this makes the decision far easier as you will have only one enclosure to build.

Three:

Think long and hard about the materials you are going to use in your enclosure.

The enclosure is required to be a hard rigid structure, so that the subwoofer is safely in place and can do its job correctly.

Without a rigid structure, the sub can easily be damaged and will not perform as it should. Therefore, the material used needs to be strong and firm, for example, wood, MDF, fibreboard, thick particle board or thick Plexiglas are all used regularly in enclosure structures.

Another choice is mould the enclosure into a shape using fiberglass. However, this is time consuming due to the many layers needed.

Four:

 After thinking about the material, consider how you are going to make sure it is a fixed and firm structure? Adding braces and strengthening weak points, such as the corners will help keep together your structure.

Complete a design on how you are going to strengthen your structure beforehand and remember that any reinforcement or brace will take up air space, which means you'll need to expand the interior space in the enclosure design in accordance with the space lost to the brace.

Five:

When using nails and drills always be careful.

You don't want to unnecessarily drill holes or break the structure via screws.

The joints are a particular area, which can be easily damaged by screws.

Avoid potential damage by distancing your screws out with equal spaces and drilling over half way prior to the screws being placed in, as this will stop the wood from breaking.

Check out my other guide on Car Subwoofers or Home Subwoofer

Kicker Subwoofers

The Best 12 Inch Kicker Subwoofers

Executive Summary about Kicker Subwoofers by Mcimicata

subwoofers kicker

It is a fact that 12 inch Kicker subwoofers can be quite expensive; there are many subwoofer brands such as Pioneer, Kenwood, and Rockford Fosgate that sell cheaper subwoofers for your car. Unfortunately, with cheaper subwoofers come a greater chance of blowing.

What is the purpose of saving $60 on a subwoofer for your car when the money is going to go down the drain when the subwoofer coil blows in a few months. The idea behind these 12 inch Kicker subwoofers is that you will spend a bit more money once to reap the benefits of a better subwoofer for your car for nearly a lifetime.

The CompVR 4 Ohm Is One Of The Most Powerful 12 Inch Kicker Subwoofers

The CompVR 4 Ohm subwoofer is designed for the latter types of people! The Kicker CompVR 4 Ohm subwoofer contains 400 watts of RMS power, making it one of the most powereful 12 inch Kicker subwoofers on the market!

In addition to being one of the most powerful speakers that the Kicker brand offers, the CompVR 4 Ohm subwoofer is one of the best looking 12 inch Kicker subwoofers that is for sale.

This specific Kicker subwoofer can be found on websites like Amazon, Ebay, and Kijiji for less than $100. That means that you will be spending less than $200 for two s12 inch subwoofers for your car.

The Kicker Comp SVC Is One Of The Cheapest 12 Inch Kicker Subwoofers

Kicker takes pride on the durability, and power that their subwoofers produce.  The Kicker Comp SVC provides a great bang for the buck that you are spending; in addition, it is one of the cheapest 12 inch Kicker subwoofers on the market.

These are not the subwoofers that you should be looking for if you want the amount of bass that will literally rattle the screws in your trunk; however, this specific Kicker subwoofer will provide you with a decent amount of bass, and will not break your bank account. 

If you are only looking for a single subwoofer in your trunk, you can buy the Kicker Comp SVC for under $60 on Amazon!

Will These 12 Inch Kicker Subwoofers Blow?

subwoofers kicker

Many things can blow inside of a subwoofer when you are pushing them to their limits. I can personally tell you that the 12 inch Kicker subwoofers that are featured throughout this article will not blow in a short amount of time. Moreover, I can tell you that they will never blow if you do not push them to their limits.

How can you protect your 12 inch Kicker subwoofers from blowing? Simply pair them up with a slightly weaker car amplifier, or reduce the output of an equally powered amplifier.

For instance, the Kicker CompVR subwoofers that are mentioned at the beginning of this article contain 400 watts of RMS power; pairing these subwoofers with an amplifier that produces 800 watts will surely blow them after only a few hours of playing.

 However, pairing these Kicker subwoofers up with an amplifier that only produces a maximum of 300 watts of RMS power will allow you to run the amplifier at its full potential, and not blow the subwoofers.

The 12 inch Kicker subwoofers that are mentioned throughout this article are designed to withstand a ton of abuse. These subwoofers for your car might cost you a few extra dollars, but will outlast the subwoofers by Pioneer, Kenwood, and Rockford Fosgate by years!

What Kicker Subwoofer is best for Your Ride...?

Executive Summary about Kicker Subwoofers by Louis Russo

Kicker audio is probably the most popular brands of subwoofers available. Kicker subwoofers have sat at the very top of car speaker shopping lists for years.

It doesn't matter what series kicker subwoofer you choose, you will need to match it to an acceptable box. Today there exists a substantial variety of kicker subwoofer enclosures through the internet that can make any sub perform at its best.

Kicker fortifies their Comp subwoofer using a rock-solid steel basket, and keeps it cool with perimeter venting. That well-known Inverted Structural Dome structure reduces cone flex that may cause distorted output, therefore the Comp sub can easily deal with a good amount of power without blowing a gasket. Kicker rounds out the handsome sub using nickel-plated push terminals for quick wiring.

Kicker builds the CompVR round subwoofers to withstand the harsh demands of creating loud bass. Each and every sub houses an injected-molded polypropylene cone and Santoprene rubber surround inside a high-strength steel basket with plenty of interior venting. Kicker's SoloKon cone style and design looks fantastic while it protects against flexing that can hurt your sub as well as your sound.

Kicker's space-saving shallow CompVT subwoofers combine outstanding power handling with the capability to easily fit in your automobile's tight spots. These kinds of extra-shallow subs mix extended cone excursion plus a slender frame, without sacrificing sound level of quality or bass effect.

Kicker's Solo-Baric L7 subwoofers supply outstanding overall performance that should distinguish your system from the rest of the bunch. And you will appreciate the dual voice coil design which helps you to wire your subwoofer to get the most out of your system.

The L7 sub starts with a square cone created from aluminum-treated composites and suspended within a tough Santoprene rubber surround. This mixture of an ultra-rigid cone and exceptional excursion moves lots of air, for bass you can hear and feel. The simple fact of the matter is that Kicker speakers have been preferred by car audio lovers for decades and they remain a leader.

Many buyers don't realize the important function that the subwoofer box takes on in the good overall performance of the subwoofer. Kicker subwoofers are advanced speakers and call for just the right air pressure and freedom of motion to produce best results. 

Check out my other guide on Car Subwoofers or Home Subwoofer

Infinity Subwoofer

Infinity Subwoofers

Executive Summary about Infinity Subwoofers by Kevin Jonny Smith

infinity basslink subwoofer

Infinity Subwoofers are amongst the top brands in the market today. With a wide range which caters to both your home theater as well as car audios, Infinity Subwoofers are much in demand today.

You also have the privilege to choose from the normal wooden or the trendy black case. It all depends on your personal preference.

In sync with latest sound and technology, the efficient subwoofers from Infinity are an imperative part of your life. The designs and patterns are based on the latest survey and the range of colors is also impressive to the eye. In a nutshell, these subwoofers are indeed worth their weight in gold.

In the case of Infinity Subwoofers, care is taken to fine tune these items in sync with the latest trends. If we take the example of an Infinity Subwoofer, the colors here are rich and vibrant and they tend to leave a lasting impact on the minds of all who use them. You can actually match the color of these subwoofer with that of your vehicle or vice versa.

Whether it is for your brand new car or your precious home theater system, an ideal subwoofer is that which is made up from the best possible raw materials available in the market. The Infinity Subwoofers are made out of durable products and are thus considered a one time purchase. Therefore choose a subwoofer which has a long shelf life.

If you wish to have a satisfactory purchase, always ensure to read the above points, for, although they are small and irrelevant, they can, at times, save you from getting stuck in a bad deal. So read your instincts and listen to your heart and the rest would automatically fall in place.

Tips for Choosing Infinity Car Speakers

Executive Summary about Infinity Subwoofers by Peter Daily

infinity powered subwoofer

You have decided to go for some Infinity equipment, but maybe you are a little spoilt for choice with the types and models. Here are a few tips to help you pick the right Infinity speakers for your car.

Although there are many different model numbers, Infinity divides its speakers into two classes namely the Kappa and the Reference. You can buy Reference Infinity speakers new for less than $20 where as the other range starts upwards of $80.

If you are looking to replicate that at home audio feel and are not constrained by your budget, then I would suggest you opt for the Kappa.

Don't forget that your speakers are only one of the four vital components of your sound system. You can probably get away without upgrading the CD or DVD unit unless the car is an ancient model. But if you install top of the range speakers, you need to invest in a subwoofer and amplifier.

Why do you need a subwoofer? All music has a base element to it and ordinary speakers just cannot do it justice. You could use a sub to share your music tastes with the neighborhood but that is rarely a good idea. However, if you really want to enjoy fantastic music on your car journeys get a subwoofer installed.

A subwoofer without an amplifier is a like a car without fuel. An amp will give you the power you need so install one today and make sure it is sufficiently powerful and compatible with both your alternator and your new Infinity car speakers.

Check out my other guide on Car Subwoofers or Home Subwoofer

Home Theater Subwoofer

Home Theater Subwoofer Types and Features

Executive Summary about Home Theater Subwoofer by Milos Pesic

Home Theater Subwoofer

Home theater enthusiasts are increasingly recognizing the importance of the home theater subwoofer to the whole movie viewing experience. What captivate the audience while watching a movie in a theater are not just the images on the screen but the sound that surrounds them as well, especially the deep low sounds or the bass.

The home theater subwoofer produces the bass or the lowest frequency range and is, therefore, critical in engaging the audience.The home theater subwoofer is especially responsible for creating just the bass segment of the soundtrack.

There are two main types of home theater subwoofer - a passive subwoofer which uses an external receiver or amplifier to power it and a self-contained powered subwoofer. A powered home theater subwoofer does not have this problem because it is already built in with a perfectly suitable amplifier.

subwoofer for home theater

There are other features to look for in a home theater subwoofer such as the ability to produce sound downwards or from the front and sides of a mounted subwoofer. You can also choose a home theater subwoofer with an extra port that pushes out more air than a sealed case to increase the bass response. A necessary feature of a good home theater subwoofer is a crossover with a frequency of around 100 hertz, which channels all frequencies below the said frequency to the subwoofer.

When shopping for a home theater subwoofer, test different units using a DVD or a CD with a lot of bass portions so you can check the quality of the speaker.

Things That You Need to Put in Your Home Theater

Executive Summary about Home Theater Subwoofer by Eric S Mortensen

Here are 10 items that you simply must have.

 A Television

Another item to remember when you are looking at televisions is the resolution. In order to make sure you get the best picture possible and don't lose any picture quality double check that you get a high-def TV with a resolution of 720p or 1080p picture.

A Blu-ray Player

In fact most blu-ray players will actually increase the quality of your regular DVD so even your old DVDs will have a sharper image.

A Home Theater Receiver

The receiver is heart of your home theater. The receiver powers the speakers and makes surround sound a possibility.

A Solid Set Of Speakers

To recreate the magical effect of surround sound you get in the theater you will want at least 5 voice-matched speakers. Now if you want to get a little crazy you could even go with 6 or 7 voice-matched speakers.

A Solid Subwoofer

A good subwoofer is essential to recreate those earth shaking affects where you actually feel like you were in movie. Lava Subs makes one of the finest home theater subwoofers.

A Universal Remote

I would suggest investing in a good universal remote to stop the anger and give you more time to watch the movie instead of hunting for the remotes.

A Comfortable Chair

What good is an awesome home theater system if you are not comfortable? Enough said!

Lighting Control - Everyone needs a way to dim the lighting just enough to not interfere with the movie but not have it so dark that you are blind once the TV goes off.

Popcorn

Who can watch a move without popcorn? Honestly... I can't believe I even had to put it on the list.

Movie Theater Decor

A movie poster or 2 never hurt anything. Give the place some character.

Check out my other guide on Best Subwoofer or Home Subwoofer

Car Audio Subwoofers

What Are the Best Car Audio Subwoofers ?

Executive Summary about Car Audio Subwoofers by Dennis Estelle

From my experience, one topic which is invariably discussed is "what are the Best Car Subwoofers" in the marketplace. Honestly speaking, it is obvious the answer is purely subjective and determined by one's relationship with a particular car speaker make. A subwoofer is a larger speaker designed just to reproduce those deep bass frequencies which add so much to the richness and enjoyment of virtually any kind of music.

Our survey indicates that the Kicker 12 subwoofer and the MTX subwoofer are two of the most well liked car subwoofers available. These subwoofers are favorites among serious car audio enthusiasts and even those new to the hobby of car audio.

audio car subwoofers

audio car subwoofers

Three more subs that remain on the favorites list are the JL audio subwoofer, the Rockford Fosgate subwoofer and the Polk Subwoofer. All the brands mentioned have long track records in sound competitions as well as producing good music sound quality overall.

To be judged among the "Best Car Subwoofers", the subs taken into consideration must be capable of creating good sound quality when played at all power levels. Many times certain brands of car audio subwoofers will tend to lose respectable sound quality when played at higher levels.

Choosing the Best Car Audio Subwoofers For Best Sound Quality

Executive Summary about Car Audio Subwoofers by Robert A Hull

Most car audio systems available today feature small speakers, which limit their ability to reproduce sounds of low frequency. Thus, equipping your auto sound system with subwoofers provide more depth to the sound produced in your car system such that you can reproduce frequencies under 150 hertz.

Typically, subwoofers are installed on the car trunk given the limitation in space on your car's cabin. The average size for car subwoofers are between 10 to 12 inches, although bigger ones could measure up to 34 inches.

Opting for wider subwoofers provide more efficiency in terms of air displacement; thus, it is ideal for low frequencies. You can also opt to integrate the subwoofer for your car audio system into the cabinet or have it separately installed. Make sure that the amplifier has electronic crossover so you can easily filter high frequency sounds until the signal is transmitted onto the subwoofer.

Majority of car audio subwoofers are rounded, but several manufactures have innovated new shapes for a more stylish and aesthetic approach. But aside from style, these designs or shapes are intended more for space efficiency. But opting for non-round shapes can have its drawbacks though when it comes to the acoustical feature.

The sealed enclosure is the most practical one to use for your car audio system since it requires minimal space and easily match any type of car interior. You can also get several premade enclosures in the market though. Another option would be to build one on your own or have it custom-made. 

Check out my other guide on Best Subwoofer or Home Subwoofer