need some input from the box builders

[mlrman]

Does a sealed, dual sub box need a divider between the subs??

I have (2) 10" DVC Punch Stage 3''s being driven by a Rockford Fosgate amp bridged to 400 watts RMS per channel.

The box they are in was the first sub box I ever built myself. It is aprox. 12" high, 24" wide, and 12" deep. I knew enough to supply around one cubic foot per sub, although I don't believe the dimensions are optimum for peak performance.

I used 3/4" MDF board, glued and screwed, and siliconed around the terminal connection. Here's the deal....

I have been doing some more research and it seems I will get bigger hits if I sealed each sub, i.e. put a divider board between them in the box. This will also act as bracing.

any thoughts would be mucho appreciated.

[2loud2k2xd]

well, it all depends on the sub actually. i had 2 alpine typoe E's in a Qlogic dual chamber box (divider). then i had 2-12" 1206t abahns in a common chamber box (no divider). and 2cu' box for 2 subs might be small. did you take into consideration for the speaker displacement (the volume the sub takes up inside the box)?
i would go to Punches website and get the recommended sealed speaker enclouser volume and build from there. also, i dont think you need to use 3/4" mdf. thats way overkill, unless your running some decent power (over 2000+watts), or are going for spl only. 1/2" mdf will suffice and will weigh less. and dont use a speaker terminal thing on the box. just drill a small 1/4" hole on the back of the box and wire the speaker wire thru there. then glue the hole up.

[soullesselantra]

I have a box with 2 orion 10's and it is not divided and sounds good for a couple 10's (greywolf6984 can vouch for my setup...) the only thing im gonna do to mine is get the cottony stuff (like pillow of stuffed animal stuffing) to put in my box, it was in my single 10" box and there was a noticeable difference with and without it...i'd try that

and while im thinking about it, since the topic is open, what advantages does a ported box have over one that is sealed?

[Raydee]

I like to divide my boxes for one reason.....if you blow one sub in a non-divided box then the good sub will still play in a box that is twice the airspace then its tuned to play in. The only time I ever used a non-divided chamber enclosure was in a sytem that required some crazy fiberglass work and was just too much of a time consuming pain to divide.....plus it wasn't mine or I may have tried.

[2loud2k2xd]

you can have a smaller sealed box than a bigger ported box and get about the same bass out of them. i said almost. you will most likely get more thump bass outa a ported than a sealed box.

and the stuffing acts like a filler to make the enclouser seem smaller.

[Raydee]

If you really want to get technical when it comes to enclosures you should try not to have a enclosure that is square shaped because it will cause "Standing waves" in the enclosure. An odd shaped enclosure sounds better to me than a square standard car enclosure and yes the more bracing in the enclosure the better. THe less the enclosure vibrates the better it will sound.

[2loud2k2xd]

^^
on top of that, you could glass all the corners and joints inside the box. or line the inside with dynamat material.

[hatda02]

Yes, divide the chambers. You were right on with your plans. 3/4 will be perfect, but no less than 5/8ths MDF. With only 400 watts you will need no additional bracing. Glue it, screw it, and put another layer of seal on the seams in the box. With the RF subs put some fiber fill in the box.

RF recommends between .5 to 1.0 cubic feet per sub with .65 optimal. Make sure you take into account the airspace the sub is taking up.

Go to the RF website and click support. They have a box builder on there and the forum is great too.

[kizzo]

I think going sealed is a good idea, unless you know how to tune a ported box perfectly itd be pretty useless. I like sealed boxed because you get that powerful, punchy, accurate bass and it just sounds cleaner. Just my opinion. BTW use 3/4mdf in case someday you try to upgrade, or if you eventually sell the box.

[punkrocker3_00]

What is your guys opinions on getting a bandpass box? Any benefits? btw...I have a hatch back.

[hatda02]

Every different enclosure type has its benefits and drawbacks. You just have to research each and see what is good for you. Like sealed is easy to build and takes up less space. Ported are bigger boxes, you have to get the tuning right, but are typically louder than sealed with the same power. Your different styles of band pass are harder to build. Of course you can buy pre-built or go to a shop and let them deal with that. Best to research and go from there- - -along with the space you are willing to lose.

[kizzo]

It will depend on the sound your aiming for.

Sealed Box - Sound quality, easy to build, cheap, takes up little space, punchy-tight sound

Ported Box - Loud, thumpy, somewhat versitale, good for the boom-boom sound.

Im not saying a ported box cant be oriented to a sound quality system, or a sealed box cannot be oriented to produce high SPL, but i think that's a general rule of thumb. I still would recommend sealed, especially if your going to build it youself. A ported box can sound nice if you build it well, and if its your first time that might not be the case.

[punkrocker3_00]

Well the bandpass ones I am looking at are already built. Currently I have just a small prebuilt hatch box for my 10's. I already know it doesn't have the correct amout of air space for the speakers, so I don't get a very heavy hit. I was thinking of going with a bandpass box for a harder hit and it will protect the speakers (I haven't found grills that I like or will fit right). As for space willing to loose, I don't use the hatch that much, so loosing a little room doesn't bother me to much.

[Raydee]

After building bandpass enclosures for years I still say they are too boomy for me. If you want tight clean bass don't buy a bandpass.

[kizzo]

bandpass wont produce an accurate "punch" itll just be like a stretched out bass note. if ur lookin for power and boom, get a ported/vented box. im sure you got some local audio shops around you. custom boxes around here cost about 100-150$

[mlrman]

been MIA for a while dudes, but as I check on this thread, there is some good feedback here, thanks.

I have been to the RF site...I think I am close to .65 c.f. per sub once I deduct the space the sub takes up. I will try that fiberfill stuff. I have already Dynamatted my doors and trunk and dicked around with different firing angles with the sub enclosure. Rear firing is definitely best.

I think I will add a divider when I add the fiberfill.

thanks again.

Happy Memorial Day!