Which subwoofer is better to choose for a sedan? Choosing a subwoofer - briefly about the main thing

A subwoofer or sub, as motorists also call it, is an acoustic system that operates at low frequencies (from 5 to 200 Hz). It is necessary to provide more powerful bass, without which it is impossible to listen to modern hits. There are several nuances in how to choose a subwoofer for a car, because the material from which the interior parts are made can degrade the sound quality, and the reproduction of different frequencies will be uneven due to the displacement of the driver's seat relative to the center of the car.

Only a competent approach to selection will allow you to determine which subwoofer is best for your car. More details about the features of choosing a subwoofer for a car will be discussed in this article.

Modern automotive magazines often talk about well-known subwoofer manufacturers, assigning them various ratings. But it's worth asking whether the best subs are for the average driver who just wants to improve the sound of his car a little. This question cannot be called easy, because all people are different and their preferences will be different.

Only the most popular brands are heard of, for example, Sony, Kenwood, Pioneer and so on. All of them are produced at a high level, so there are no serious differences between them. For the average person who does not study in musical institutions, identifying the features of the sound of low frequencies is very difficult, and sometimes impossible. Moreover, if the tuned car then does not participate in various sound competitions, then what is the point of investing a lot of money in branded acoustics?

Not the last place when choosing a subwoofer is the design of the car and its technical characteristics. Agree, it will look ridiculous if you install very expensive and powerful acoustics on an old VAZ 2108, which will only complement the creaks and groans of the V8 body.

On a note! According to a special calculation system, the cost of musical accompaniment should not exceed 20% of the cost of the car itself. This calculation helps many drivers choose the right solution.

Types of car subwoofers

Depending on whether the subwoofer is equipped with a special amplifier or not, they can be divided into active and passive. Let's consider each of these types separately.

Active

The active subwoofer includes a low-frequency speaker, a sound power amplifier and a crossover. This type is best suited for daily use due to its ease of use - you just need to connect it to the radio. If your priority is not surround low-frequency sound and you do not have the desire or time to spend a long time adjusting the sound, then you are better off opting for an active subwoofer.

What active subwoofers are there for cars?

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of active types of subwoofers include:

• ease of operation;
• compact design;
• low cost;
• Such a sub can be installed on almost any model.

They also have their disadvantages, including:

• Low quality speakers included;
• the built-in amplifier is not very powerful (no more than 150 watts);
• There are problems with the reproduction of low frequencies (they only lose from 45 Hz, but not lower).

Here are the data for average subwoofers. Of course, you can also find devices that will reproduce lower frequencies, but their cost will be much higher, and the sound quality will be a little lame.

Passive

The amplifier is not included in the design of this type of subwoofer, which is why you will need to purchase this product separately. To achieve the highest quality sound, you need the right combination of subwoofer and amplifier. In most cases, manufacturers indicate in the instructions for the subwoofer how much amplifier power is needed. Otherwise, you need to ask the seller of a specialized store, providing him with a model of the subwoofer.

Types of passive subwoofers

The amplifier is not the only product that needs to be purchased separately. Speaker cables are also required. If you have any doubts about whether you can correctly and efficiently install a subwoofer in a car, then it is better to seek help from professionals.

Advantages and disadvantages

Now let's look at all the positive and negative qualities of passive subs. The advantages include:

• advantages of passive subwoofers:
• the ability to manually adjust the sound;
• selection of a combination of subwoofer and amplifier;
• high quality sound.

Oddly enough, this type of subs also has several disadvantages, including:

• difficulties in setting up the product;
• the need to purchase an amplifier separately;
• relatively large dimensions;
• high price compared to active subwoofers.

Despite the high cost, many motorists prefer passive subwoofers, because they are installed on a car for only one purpose - high-quality sound of their favorite tracks on the road. This is why you need an amplifier with manual sound settings.

Classification by design features

Depending on their design features, subwoofers installed in cars are divided into 3 types: open, closed (cased) and compact. Let's consider each of them separately.

Open

This is an ordinary speaker without the usual wooden box, which is mounted in a car panel. It is often installed on the back of the car. Open devices are considered the most affordable, but you have to pay for the low cost of a subwoofer with poor sound quality. When the subwoofer is operating, vibration damping does not occur, which is why the finishing materials resonate.

One of the simplest types of subwoofers is open

Case (closed)

Such products are produced in a special box, which has a positive effect on the quality of the music produced. Manufacturers were able to avoid the return sound wave by positioning the speaker ideally relative to the sides of the housing. In this case, the box does not vibrate, which adds its own notes of sound to the music.

Closed-type car subwoofer

On a note! If desired, the device can be made manually, taking into account the individual characteristics of your car model. As a rule, ardent fans of high-quality music resort to this option.

The peculiarity of this device is that it is installed under the driver’s seat, which is why it takes up virtually no space. The best manufacturers of compact subs include Mystery, Vibe and Hertz. The compact size does not prevent the subwoofer from delivering clear and powerful bass, and it does not have to be installed under the seat. Many motorists prefer to place the device in the trunk or in any other suitable place.

This is what a compact subwoofer looks like

Types of cabinet subwoofers

Cabinetd or closed types of subwoofers differ from their analogues in the complexity of their design. During manufacturing, all housing dimensions are automatically calculated in such a way as to ultimately obtain the highest quality sound. All cabinet subs can be divided into several types, differing from each other in structural properties.

Table. Types of cabinet subwoofers.

Title, photo	Description
BandPass	This subwoofer differs in the location of the low-frequency speaker (woofer), which is located inside the housing. The bass reflex outputs the sound outside. A crossover is not required to connect a subwoofer, but because of this the product cannot be called cheap.
Compact-Sub	Based on the name, it’s easy to guess that the main advantage of this subwoofer is its compactness and ease of installation. It is often installed near the back seat.
RadPass	This sub consists of two woofers, each of which operates at its own frequency. The job of the additional speaker is to lower the resonant frequency of the sound. Due to the high cost, this type of subwoofer is usually installed exclusively on expensive cars. They are also installed by motorists participating in car audio tournaments.
Vented	Drivers also call it a box with a bass reflex. The product is made in the form of a small pipe with a hole inside. The sub produces loud and deep bass. It is often installed in the trunk of a car, but its shape does not always allow this.
Closed	It is a closed subwoofer without any holes. It is considered one of the most common types of subs due to the good combination of the quality of the sound produced and the cost of the product. Many motorists know it as a closed box.

When choosing a sub, you need to focus solely on your preferences and financial capabilities. But you also need to take into account that it is almost impossible to install some types of subwoofers yourself. This should be done by specialists to avoid problems with setting up or installing the device. First of all, we are talking about a bandpass loudspeaker.

Does car body type matter?

Depending on the car interior, the type of subwoofer selected may differ. When tuning a particular body type, the position and volume of the subwoofer may be different.

There are many car body designs, but the most popular include:

• station wagon (Lada Vesta Cross, VAZ 2104, Chevrolet Cruze SW and so on);
• sedan (VAZ 21099, VAZ 2105, Volga 3110, Chevrolet Lacetti, Mazda 6);
• hatchback (Moskvich, 2141, Peugeot 107, VAZ 2108, VAZ 2109 and other models).

When installing a subwoofer in a sedan, you need to make sure that the speaker and port are directed towards the rear seat. It is also recommended to leave a small gap between the seat and the subwoofer (6-8 cm). In some models, an armrest is installed in the rear seat (VAZ 2106, 07). In such cases, it would be better to place the device there. This will eliminate booming and muffled sound.

In hatchback interiors, everything is much simpler - direct the sound direction upward or towards the luggage compartment. This arrangement allows you to get good sound reflection, because the sound will come through the upper parcel shelf, and not through the back of the rear seat.

Manufacturer selection

In order not to waste money, it is advisable to buy a product from a reputable manufacturer. I would like to immediately note that it is not recommended to buy subwoofers from Callcell, Mystery and Supra. This is due to the poor quality of the products. Attention should be paid to Prology, Pioneer, Morel, SONY, KENWOOD, BOSS, Alpine and JBL. After purchasing subs from these manufacturers, you will never regret your decision.

Experience all the benefits of the new sound

Leading brands are developing new solutions to attract customers. For example, Pioneer recently announced its new creation. We are talking about a special form of subwoofer that easily fits into the spare tire.

Price issue

When choosing even the simplest subwoofer models, you will have to pay from 2000 rubles, but in this case you should not count on particularly high-quality sound. Budget models are only suitable as a first attempt at tuning your car. Over time, you still need to switch to higher quality subs, the cost of which ranges from 6,000 to 22,000 rubles. Devices with a large price tag indicated can be safely classified as professional devices. As a rule, expensive equipment is used more in car sound competitions than on a daily basis.

If you are not an ardent fan of deep bass, then you can safely install an active subwoofer. Even mid-range devices can produce decent sound quality. Otherwise, when the interior of your car does not allow the installation of serious equipment, then in this case you should give preference to passive subwoofers.

Video - What to consider when choosing a subwoofer

Choosing a subwoofer is a rather labor-intensive and responsible matter. It is labor-intensive for the reason that there are quite a large number of nuances that need to be taken into account when choosing. It is responsible because if the wrong choice is made, a decent amount of money spent on equipment and installation can simply be thrown away. In this article we will not answer the question - “which subwoofer is better to install in a car?” and we won’t name “the best subwoofers for cars,” but we will try to briefly describe the process of choosing a subwoofer for a car. This will help you either choose a subwoofer yourself in an online store, or will give you some understanding of what the seller who will select the subwoofer will tell you.

What is a subwoofer for?

A subwoofer is an acoustic component that will be responsible for bass, namely for reproducing the lower range of sound frequencies. Since the rest of the speakers that are located inside the car must be responsible for higher frequency ranges and cannot fully reproduce low frequencies, a subwoofer is necessary for the full sound of the entire speaker system.

Bass character

You should immediately decide what kind of bass you need in your car:

Or it will be a small “add-on” to the main sound - 100-150 W of rated power is quite enough
or it will be high-quality and moderately powerful bass, fully complementing the overall sound picture - 200-300 W
or it will be a very powerful bass that will make the residents of a couple of nearby blocks hate you - from 500 W

Selecting a subwoofer type

Separate subwoofer speaker- involves the manufacture of a housing for the speaker (with the exception of free-air installation) with its subsequent installation, as well as the purchase and installation of a separate power amplifier.

Passive subwoofer- subwoofer speaker in a housing of various designs. Involves the purchase and installation of an external power amplifier.

Active subwoofer- subwoofer speaker in a housing of various designs with a built-in power amplifier.

Selecting a subwoofer based on technical characteristics

Power, W- can be maximum (peak) and nominal. The manufacturer likes to focus the buyer’s attention on the first, although it has nothing to do with harsh reality. It is worth paying attention to the rated power of our subwoofer.

Diffuser diameter, inch- the main geometric size of our subwoofer. The larger it is, the more powerful the subwoofer. The most optimal sizes for high-quality bass are 10 and 12 inches. Less - you may not notice the presence of a subwoofer. More - you can overdo it.

Choosing a subwoofer enclosure design

Closed box- the simplest case design, when the speaker is placed on the wall of a completely sealed box. The least deep and powerful, but dense bass. In terms of the quality of bass output, it is one of the best options.

With bass reflex- a more complex design, implying the presence of a port or slot in the housing. Produces more powerful bass, although there may be a loss in quality, as the bass will be more “blurry”.

Bandpass- the most complex design, when the body is divided into two volumes with a more complex system of outlet ports. Even more powerful, but “blurry” bass.

Selecting an active subwoofer

Standard case- for a subwoofer speaker, even taking into account the installed amplifier, a certain volume of the housing is provided, so you can get very good bass.

Compact body- the most compact design, when there is practically no volume provided for the speaker. As a rule, it is not possible to achieve any decent bass from such subwoofers.

Manufacturing enclosures for subwoofer speakers

Two types of enclosures can be made for a separate subwoofer speaker:

Trapezoid housings- high-quality materials are used for manufacturing (unlike many factory cases), it is possible to adjust the bass to the tastes of the car owner (various volumes and designs), and also make a case of any shape (a more compact installation can be made).

Stealth case- for the subwoofer speaker, a housing is made and installed in any of the niches of the car (usually the wings of the luggage compartment). The best option in the “quality-compactness” ratio.

Choosing a subwoofer installation location

Passive subwoofer- almost always installed in the trunk of a car, since that is where the largest amount of free space is.

Active subwoofer- in a regular case it is also installed in the trunk. If we are talking about a compact body, then it can be installed under the seat or on the back of the rear seats of the car.

Subwoofer speaker- if a “trapezoid” housing is made for the speaker, then installation is carried out in the trunk. If a “stealth” body is manufactured, then installation is carried out in the wings of the luggage compartment. It is also possible to install the speaker directly in the trunk shelf (in sedans) - a free-air installation option.

Dependence on the car body

The trunk of a sedan is an isolated volume. The luggage compartment of station wagons and SUVs is connected to the interior. So the same subwoofer will play quieter in the trunk of a sedan than in the trunk of a station wagon or SUV.

Dependence on other acoustics

Since the subwoofer is only one of the components of the speaker system, it must fully fit into the latter. If a low-power subwoofer is installed under powerful acoustics, then most likely it simply will not be heard. If a powerful subwoofer is installed on a weak acoustic system, then most likely only it will be heard. So a logical compromise is needed.

Choosing an amplifier for a subwoofer

If the design of the subwoofer does not include an amplifier (only available in an active subwoofer), then you will need to purchase and install an external power amplifier under the subwoofer (the radio amplifier, which is quite obvious, will not drive the subwoofer). The rated power of the amplifier should approximately match the rated power of the subwoofer, or slightly exceed it.

Choosing a subwoofer manufacturer

Several dozen manufacturers produce subwoofers. Among this diversity there are both well-known names - Alpine, Hertz, JBL, Kicker, Pioneer, Sony, and many very unusual names. Most well-known manufacturers have offers in various directions regarding the types and characteristics of manufactured subwoofers, and some focus on one direction (for example, Mu-Dimension, which produces compact active subwoofers). Well-known brands, as a rule, should not disappoint.

Choice of subwoofers by cost

There are a lot of subwoofers and their prices also vary greatly. If someone is interested in the very fact of having a subwoofer, then you can consider options starting from 1000 rubles. If someone is interested in something bigger, more powerful, more famous, then you can get up to a price of 50 thousand rubles. 5-10 thousand rubles is the same range from which the largest number of subwoofers are purchased.

Installation of subwoofers

In addition to the purchase, you need to take care of the installation of our subwoofer. If you purchase an active subwoofer, you will not have to install any additional components. If the subwoofer is passive, then you will need to install an external power amplifier. A separate subwoofer speaker will require the manufacture of an enclosure (unless it is a shelf installation), as well as the installation of an external power amplifier.

Setting up subwoofers

A purchased and installed subwoofer also requires certain tuning work, without which its sound may somewhat surprise the car owner. There are several positions that require adjustment, but we can highlight the setting of the frequency cutoff of our subwoofer - the frequency range that our subwoofer will reproduce (adjustable depending on the frequency range of the cabin acoustics).

And what is better to choose?

Naturally, it is impossible to give the only correct answer to this question. Everything will depend on two standard parameters - what you want to get in the end, and how much money will be spent on it. If you are focused on good bass, then it is better not to save much on equipment - take either a good active subwoofer (by no means compact), or a passive one with a cone diameter of 10 or 12 inches. If installed or configured correctly, most likely, the car owner will be satisfied with the result.

At the time of purchasing a subwoofer head, I was completely unprepared for this process and had to be satisfied with the choice that the sales consultant advised me. Another thing is that the assortment of 10" subs was not rich, and the prices in that store were lower than on sites on the Internet, and I decided to buy one of the most expensive ones that were there.

As a speaker, I bought (by mistake, bought as Free Air) a JBL GTO 1002D, whose recommended volume in a closed box is 21.25 liters.

Diameter, mm - 250
Rated power - 250 W
Maximum power - 1000 W
Reproducible frequency range - 25-400 Hz
Resistance - 2 x 2 Ohm
Sensitivity - 91 dB
Installation depth - 116 mm

Description of JBL GTO-1002D:

The new JBL basket allows for maximum movement of the subwoofer cone while simultaneously reducing its mounting depth, which greatly expands the options for choosing where to install the subwoofer. In addition, an all-new basket design ensures that the motor drive assembly is centrally positioned in the voice coil gap, ensuring long life and fidelity.

Rubber suspension with high sealing bead. The large suspension roller is optimized to create maximum diffuser area, while providing excellent diffuser edge suspension and linearity during large movements, high controllability and stability at the extreme points of movement.

Each GTO subwoofer features a specially designed spider bevel with a non-linear response that provides better control at the extreme points of cone displacement than a conventional spider bead with a linear response. This can significantly reduce distortion at high radiated power. Ventilated pole pieces provide additional cooling for the electric drive unit. This allows you to significantly expand the thermal capabilities of the subwoofer and increase its maximum permissible input power.

10, 12 and 15 inch subwoofers (25 cm, 30 cm and 38 cm, respectively) can have two 2 ohm voice coils. This allows for the most flexible approach to optimizing system settings. The two voice coils can be configured using proprietary metal jumpers as one 1 ohm coil, two 2 ohm coils, or one 4 ohm coil. All subwoofers are pre-configured with a single 4 ohm impedance voice coil, making them easy to use in standard applications.

In short, in a word, a simple, inexpensive, unpretentious sub, suitable in terms of parameters for the system that I decided to build for myself. There are a lot of subs for 21 liters, in the future I can change them to a more expensive one if it makes sense. If your ears can hear the difference.

Calculation of housing dimensions and assembly

The available length of the subwoofer along the shelf turned out to be around 65 cm, the required height of the internal volume was about 15 cm, the available width of the box was 35 and 18 cm on different sides.

The exact dimensions will be adjusted after final calculations and by strengthening the box from the inside with layers of 10mm plywood and gluing the box with layers of sound insulation. If the volume is significantly exceeded, it is enough to insert a partition into the narrow end at the calculated distance, which will limit the volume (which was done subsequently).

In this form, a prototype box was assembled from 10 mm plywood.

The picture shows the subwoofer housing with the bottom removed.

From the inside it is reinforced with a frame into which self-tapping screws are screwed and a second layer of 10 mm plywood. After this, the walls are covered with a 5mm polyurethane foam seal. All joints are coated with Moment glue.

The box is closed with a bottom lid that resembles, you can see for yourself what. :-) It is still closing, because after sealing the joints, the lid will also be seated onto the screws.

The top cover has a different geometry than the “coffin-shaped” bottom. This is due to the peculiarities of how the box is connected to the rear parcel shelf of the car. More precisely, with a connection to the rear shelf reinforcement, made of plywood, which is pre-attached to the rear shelf and increases its rigidity.

The shelf amplifier is attached to the rear shelf at 5 points with 8mm bolts and washers, and it is planned to attach the subwoofer body itself to it. This was done not only for reasons of strength, but so that the connection was detachable and it was possible to dismantle the box without any problems, unload it to another place, and fill the trunk with potatoes or firewood. :-)

The upper part of the shelf turned out to be more or less flat, there are no protruding parts such as nuts. This is done so that there are no problems with fastening to the rear parcel shelf of the car.

The studs that secure the sub to the shelf are secured to the shelf using steel plates and welding. This is necessary in order to fix them from the inside.

The sub's body is properly varnished. So that it does not absorb moisture. In this form, all the walls were finally assembled and pulled together with self-tapping screws, every 5 cm, and the joints were coated with Moment glue. Residual glue leaked out of the seams when tightened. This created some illusion of tightness.

The connectors are placed on the outer wall of the subwoofer housing, but the sound pressure does not reach them, because there is another wall inside, at a distance of about 3 cm from the side. It was then sealed and glued thoroughly. That is why there is no point in bothering with gluing the plastic and the outer wall.

The terminal connectors are removable and dismountable.

In the final version of the subwoofer and amplifier assembly, the shelf will look like this

And this side will be visible when opening the trunk.

If you look from below, this is what it looks like.

After assembly, I began to check the operation of the subwoofer and discovered two holes through which air was passing. Both are from old screws. Sealed it.

Next, I missed all the joints where there were suspicions and began to check the tightness by pressing on the speaker and releasing. A bubble appeared in one place where I had just coated. I coated this area more thoroughly inside and out and let it dry.

I can’t say that I’m sure that the joint is 100% tight, but if air comes out, it’s not so intense that it can be noticed.

Listening to low-frequency sounds at high volumes did not produce overtones identifying the passage of air through the cracks in the structure. We will assume that everything is fine and move on.

It's time to cover the surface with carpet. The carpet was purchased inexpensively at the Rus Trade auto store. There was also purchased glue that is sprayed from a bottle. This one, gatt, was expensive, around 250 rubles per bottle.

I started gluing from the shelf reinforcement, glued the lower part in one piece, wrapped the rest on top and fixed it there.

Around the hole for the speaker I made a circle of foam rubber, covered with carpet, in order to press the shelf amplifier to the metal of the rear shelf.

This is what a sheathed shelf amplifier looks like

The seal protrudes slightly beyond the edges of the hole.

This is what a subwoofer covered in carpet looks like.

Now let's connect it to the rear parcel shelf amplifier.

All the holes match, the structure fits together quite tightly and the carpet acts as a seal that reduces vibrations of the shelf amplifier relative to the subwoofer.

After final assembly, I connected the sub again with two windings to the outputs of the music center, first adjusted the balance in antiphase at low volume, then connected it normally and pumped the sub at frequencies from 20 to 50 Hz. In a room of 20 square meters, the resonance was at a frequency of 28 Hz, such that the glass was shaking.

I think that the car should have enough power to spare, no matter how much they scold the 10" subs. Moreover, the speaker really plays into the interior without sending unnecessary waves through the trunk.

Installation

The installation process itself involved dragging the subwoofer box from the house to the car, catching the puzzled looks of the neighbors. It turned out to be heavy, about 15kg, maybe more.

Together with my father-in-law, we installed the shelf amplifier, then the subwoofer itself.

After tightening the nuts, I tugged at the box, tapped it, it seemed that it was sitting quite firmly, the strength of the shelf amplifier was enough to distribute the load over the rear shelf, even when fastened at 5 points. Although, perhaps, I’ll screw the amplifier in a couple more places when I soundproof the bottom of the shelf.

This is what this whole structure looks like in the trunk.

That is, the sub does not take up space on the floor, but it can interfere with the installation of large loads. But it can be easily removed and transferred to the salon or taken home. This is one of the advantages for which the entire design was developed.

Now it was time to test it in action.

Subwoofer housing - closed box (ZY)

As part of the general topic of choosing a subwoofer, let's consider this design or type of housing as a closed box (BY).

A closed box is the simplest and most widely used subwoofer design. It is a sealed box, that is, its name speaks for itself.

What kind of music is ZY suitable for?

The ZYa subwoofer is distinguished by fast and collected bass, punches well, has almost no delays and has a relatively even and smooth sound.

An example of the frequency response of a ground cell in a car interior

Based on these characteristics, a closed box is well suited for many and varied genres - popular, club and rock music, classical and various instrumental - jazz, acoustic compositions, etc.

ZY is not suitable for genres that have a lot of bass, where low frequencies are the basis of the composition. You shouldn't choose it for dubstep, rap, r&b and the like.

Choosing a speaker for the radio

To select a subwoofer speaker for a closed box, you need to start from. Usually this data is indicated in the accompanying documentation, but if you don’t have it, then the parameters can always be found on the Internet.

In order to understand whether the speaker is suitable for the radio, it is enough to carry out simple calculations. Need to divide by and if the value turns out to be less than 80, then such a sub is suitable for the subwoofer and will sound optimally in such a housing.

For example, the same speaker RE Audio SX PRO 15D2 Fs = 27.8 Hz, a Qts = 0.38.

Fs/Qts = 27.8 / 0.38 = 73.2 This sub is quite suitable for a closed box.

If the value for your speaker is more than 80, then you should find a different design for it using.

Features of manufacturing a closed box

This housing primarily requires tightness and absence of vibrations. As a material for manufacturing, choose plywood or MDF with a thickness of 18 mm or more. If the walls are thin, they will rattle and vibrate, causing unnecessary waves to be transmitted into the cabin, which, when mixed with the sound waves of the playing speaker, will ultimately deteriorate the purity and quality of the bass. This is one of the reasons why ready-made subwoofers with thin cabinet walls made of low-quality material are not even considered for purchase.

See the table for verified box volumes.

Table of cell volumes for different speaker sizes

The net volume for the radio is the internal volume of the housing minus the volume occupied by the speaker.

More accurate results need to be calculated using the parameters of a specific model.

The more sealed the ZYa subwoofer, the higher its efficiency and the better the sound quality.

Example of subwoofers with rubber rims

Advantages and disadvantages of ZY

Pros:

• ease of calculation (you only need to calculate the volume);
• relative simplicity of design and manufacture;
• small dimensions;
• wide range of music genres, fast and clear bass without delays.

Minuses:

• low efficiency (loudness);
• not suitable if you need a lot of bass.

Nuances

Despite the high requirements for tightness, some audiophiles drill a hole no larger than 2 mm in the housing. to equalize internal air pressure at different temperatures.

In car audio, there are many options for acoustic design of boxes. Therefore, many beginners do not know what is the best choice. The most popular types of subwoofer boxes are a closed box and a bass reflex box.

There are also designs such as bandpass, quarter-wave resonator, freeair and others, but when building systems they are used extremely rarely for various reasons. The speaker owner must decide which subwoofer box to choose based on sound requirements and experience.

Closed box

This type of design is the simplest. A closed box for a subwoofer is easy to calculate and assemble. Its design is a box of several walls, most often 6.

Advantages of ZY:

1. Simple calculation;
2. Easy assembly;
3. Small displacement of the finished box, and therefore compact;
4. Good impulsive characteristics;
5. Fast and clear bass. Plays club tracks well.

A closed box has only one drawback, but sometimes it is decisive. This type of design has a very low level of efficiency compared to other boxes. A closed box is not suitable for those who want high sound pressure.

However, it is suitable for fans of rock, club music, jazz and the like. If a person wants bass, but needs space in the trunk, then a closed box is an ideal option. A closed box will not play well if the wrong volume is selected. What volume of box is needed for this type of design was long ago decided by experienced people in car audio through calculations and experiments. The choice of volume will depend on the size of the subwoofer speaker.

The most common speaker sizes are: 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18 inches. But you can also find speakers of other sizes; as a rule, they are used very rarely in installations. Subwoofers with a diameter of 6 inches are produced by several companies and are also rarely found in installations. Mostly people choose speakers with a diameter of 8-18 inches. Some people indicate the diameter of the subwoofer speaker in centimeters, which is not entirely correct. In professional car audio, it is customary to express dimensions in inches.

• an 8-inch subwoofer (20 cm) requires 8-12 liters of net volume,
• for 10-inch (25 cm) 13-23 liters of net volume,
• for 12-inch (30 cm) 24-37 liters of net volume,
• for 15-inch (38 cm) 38-57 liters net volume
• and for 18 inches (46 cm) you will need 58-80 liters.

The volume is given approximately, since for each speaker you need to select a certain volume based on its characteristics. The setting of a closed box will depend on its volume. The larger the volume of the box, the lower the tuning frequency of the box will be, the bass will be softer. The smaller the volume of the box, the higher the frequency of the box, and the bass will be clearer and faster. You should not increase or decrease the volume too much, as this is fraught with consequences. When calculating the box, adhere to the volume that was indicated above. If there is too much volume, the bass will turn out vague and indistinct. If the volume is not enough, then the bass will be very fast and “pound” the ears in the worst sense of the word.

A lot depends on the settings of the box, but an equally important point is “”.

Bass reflex

This type of design is quite more difficult to calculate and build. Its design is significantly different from a closed box. However, it has advantages, namely:

1. High level of efficiency. A bass reflex will produce low frequencies much louder than a closed box;
2. Simple calculation of the body;
3. Reconfiguration if necessary. This is especially important for beginners;
4. Good speaker cooling.

The bass reflex also has disadvantages, the number of which is greater than that of the ZYa. So, the cons:

• FI is louder than ZY, but the bass here is not so clear and fast;
• The dimensions of the FI box are much larger compared to the ZY;
• Large displacement. Because of this, the finished box will take up more space in the trunk.

Based on the advantages and disadvantages, you can understand where FI boxes are used. Most often they are used in installations where loud and pronounced bass is needed. The bass reflex is suitable for listeners of any rap, electronic and club music. It is also suitable for those who do not need free space in the trunk, since the box will occupy almost all the space.

The FI box will help you get more bass than from a small-diameter speaker. However, this will require much more space.

What volume of box is required for a bass reflex?

• for a subwoofer with a diameter of 8 inches (20 cm) you will need 20-33 liters of net volume;
• for a 10-inch speaker (25 cm) – 34-46 liters,
• for 12-inch (30 cm) – 47-78 liters,
• for 15-inch (38 cm) – 79-120 liters
• and for an 18-inch subwoofer (46 cm) you need 120-170 liters.

As with ZY, the numbers given here are imprecise. However, in a FI case you can “play” with the volume and take a value less than recommended, finding out at what volume the subwoofer plays better. But do not increase or decrease the volume too much, this can lead to loss of power and failure of the speaker. It is best to rely on the recommendations of the subwoofer manufacturer.

What does the FI box setting depend on?

The larger the volume of the box, the lower the tuning frequency, the bass speed decreases. If you need a higher frequency, then the volume must be reduced. If your amplifier's rated power exceeds the speaker's rating, then it is recommended to make the volume smaller. This is necessary in order to distribute the load on the speaker and prevent it from exceeding the stroke. If the amplifier is weaker than the speaker, then we recommend making the volume of the box a little larger. This compensates for the volume due to the lack of power.

The port area should also depend on the volume. The average speaker port area values ​​are as follows:

for an 8-inch subwoofer you will need 60-115 sq.cm,

for 10-inch – 100-160 sq.cm,

for 12-inch – 140-270 sq.cm,

for 15-inch – 240-420 sq.cm,

for 18-inch - 360-580 sq.cm.
The length of the port also affects the tuning frequency of the subwoofer box; the longer the port, the lower the box tuning; the shorter the port, the higher the tuning frequency. When calculating a box for a subwoofer, first of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the speaker and the recommended parameters of the housing. In some cases, the manufacturer recommends completely different box parameters than those given in the article. The speaker may have non-standard characteristics, causing it to require a specific box. Such subwoofers are most often found from manufacturing companies Kicker and DD. However, other manufacturers also have such speakers, but in much smaller quantities.

The volumes are approximate, from start to finish. It will differ depending on the speaker, but as a rule they will be in the same plug... For example, for a 12-inch subwoofer it is 47-78 liters and the port will be from 140 to 270 sq. cm, but how to calculate the volume in more detail, we will learn all this in subsequent articles. We hope that this article answered your question, if you have comments or suggestions, you can leave your comment below.

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