2 Ports vs 1 Port (2 subs)

[AllenH427 10+ year member]

Am I thinking correctly? Wouldn't having two separate chambers, each with its own port, create less distortion between two subs; rather than 1 huge chamber with 1 big port? You wouldn't be trying to push 2 different distance soundwaves outside 1 opening.

Click to read more...

 

[AllenH427 10+ year member]

Bump, you guys know what I'm talking about?

In a single chamber enclosure with 2 subs, that extra foot the further sub's soundwaves will have to travel to reach the port will be slightly off the closer subs, creating some distortion.

Right?

 

[jamesw 10+ year member]

I think that one chamber is better actually..?

 

[csu87 10+ year member]

with 1 chamber the box can be smaller since the subs are sharing airspace

 

[AllenH427 10+ year member]

But wouldn't sq depreciate?

 

[csu87 10+ year member]

if you are wanting sq then go sealed. if your going to do a dual chamber box, each chamber has to be EXACTLY the same, otherwise the 2 subs will be a little different sounding

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

It's a lot easier to design/build a single chamber/port box as well...

 

[DNick454 10+ year member]

Single chamber boxes are also more efficient and easier to construct. If you're looking for SQ, you should be going sealed or be building a larger ported box with a very low tune.

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

Bump, you guys know what I'm talking about?In a single chamber enclosure with 2 subs, that extra foot the further sub's soundwaves will have to travel to reach the port will be slightly off the closer subs, creating some distortion.

Right?

Your understanding of sound waves and how ported enclosures work is flawed. When the subs move in and out, they create positive and negative pressure that will distribute itself in all directions in the enclosure (and in a properly designed ported enclosure the pressure should be equal in all spots). Once the enclosure is pressurized, the pressurized air mass either pushes or pulls on the air mass in the port. Sound waves are NOT escaping from the port but rather the port is CREATING the sound by moving that air mass in and out. One sub being slightly farther away from the port isn't going to make a difference because the enclosure has to pressurize first and there will be a slight delay. That delay will negate the distance issues.

The only sound waves that are going to find their way out are going to be frequencies higher than the 1/4 wave frequency of the port (which should be out of range for the subs to play so this isn't a concern unless you're exceeding like a 60" long port).

Basically, if you took two properly designed enclosures, one being single chamber and the other being dual chamber with the same specs, they can each have slightly different distortion characteristics but neither will be as a significant factor as the drivers themselves and it will basically be inaudible.