adding more power... bigger box or smaller box ??

[big scott]

hi guys,

if you have a box i dont care what it is just looking for some basic info as im sure there's more to it.

but if you added a bigger amp and wanted the most out of your box/sub.s.

would you make the box smaller or bigger ??

and why??

and what if you dont, how can you damage the sub or subs?

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[Spl4200]

Smaller if your planning on overpowering.

 

[Babykinns 10+ year member]

Smaller if your planning on overpowering.

I'm sorry but I just have to ask. Why a smaller box for overpowering. That will overwork the sub and overheat them faster.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

I'm sorry but I just have to ask. Why a smaller box for overpowering. That will overwork the sub and overheat them faster.

It's a old myth that needs to die.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

hi guys,
if you have a box i dont care what it is just looking for some basic info as im sure there's more to it.

but if you added a bigger amp and wanted the most out of your box/sub.s.

would you make the box smaller or bigger ??

and why??

and what if you dont, how can you damage the sub or subs?

I find if you are overpowering, the recommended manufacturer's box size is good, between optimum and minimum. You'd want to only go minimum if you are space restricted and you are throwing a helluva lot more power.

Even with a good amp, you'll never see its true output after efficiency, rise and voltage drops come into play.

I'm sorry but I just have to ask. Why a smaller box for overpowering. That will overwork the sub and overheat them faster.

Smaller box = less mechanical efficiency so you can push the sub more power before it starts to bottom out. A lot of SPL boxes at competitions are high tuned with a lot of port area and pushed with almost 2 to 5 times the amount of wattage they are rated for before rise/efficiency. Of course this is not meant for daily, just burps.

 

[Babykinns 10+ year member]

I find if you are overpowering, the recommended manufacturer's box size is good, between optimum and minimum. You'd want to only go minimum if you are space restricted and you are throwing a helluva lot more power.
Even with a good amp, you'll never see its true output after efficiency, rise and voltage drops come into play.

Smaller box = less mechanical efficiency so you can push the sub more power before it starts to bottom out. A lot of SPL boxes at competitions are high tuned with a lot of port area and pushed with almost 2 to 5 times the amount of wattage they are rated for before rise/efficiency. Of course this is not meant for daily, just burps.

That confuses me because I have literally been pushing my subs at twice their rated power at twice the recommended box size and it sounds great. You wouldn't believe the subs we're what they are unless you seen them after you heard them.

On a side note the box size was partially recommended on this site to.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

People think smaller boxes means more power? Doesn't make any sence since it don't magically make the coil better. A bigger box won't make them bottom out unless it's designed wrong or you are playing to far under tuning, but that goes for any size box. It really is dumb but not as dumb as underpowering is bad.

Now some subs don't work in larger boxes because they are inefficient POS such as DC subs. There is a point where you start getting diminishing returns but it's not a 1/2 bigger. It really comes down to the driver and suspension used. You have to understand your equipment. The reason SPL guys normally use small boxes is in decreases usable bandwidth and brings their peak up even more.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

power handling is pretty set with the sub's coils as you said and some subwoofers cant handle larger boxes, but i'd go as far as any subwoofer will get sloppy and begin unload faster if the box is Overly big for them. After a certain point it'll be like free air.

@Babykinns ; already said why most people can push twice the rms of their sub in the post before. Any amp, doesnt matter what they claim, will produce considerably less power then you think it will after box rise, voltage drops and efficiency. In reality you are probably only 200ish watts over.

 

[Babykinns 10+ year member]

[quote name='Jeffdachef']power handling is pretty set with the sub's coils as you said and some subwoofers cant handle larger boxes, but i'd go as far as any subwoofer will get sloppy and begin unload faster if the box is Overly big for them. After a certain point it'll be like free air.

@Babykinns ; already said why most people can push twice the rms of their sub in the post before. Any amp, doesnt matter what they claim, will produce considerably less power then you think it will after box rise, voltage drops and efficiency. In reality you are probably only 200ish watts over.[/QUOTE]

At a steady 13.7 volts, 1.1 ohm wiring on 2 d4's box rise bringing me up to i think it was like 1.8, and gain was set using the dmm method based off 2 ohm voltage with -4db test tone, and later tested clamped and dmm'd 1544 rms. So the actual rms my 2 subs are seeing is 1544. To be honest I expected them to blow thinking if they did I would just buy 2 Alpine SWR12's but its been almost a year now and they haven't so I just figure hell I don't need any louder so I'll just stick with what I got lol.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

At a steady 13.7 volts, 1.1 ohm wiring on 2 d4's box rise bringing me up to i think it was like 1.8, and gain was set using the dmm method based off 2 ohm voltage with -4db test tone, and later tested clamped and dmm'd 1544 rms. So the actual rms my 2 subs are seeing is 1544. To be honest I expected them to blow thinking if they did I would just buy 2 Alpine SWR12's but its been almost a year now and they haven't so I just figure hell I don't need any louder so I'll just stick with what I got lol.

what amp is this?

Edit nvm just saw it. 400 watts rms kickers taking almost double their rms each....

 

[Babykinns 10+ year member]

what amp is this?
Edit nvm just saw it. 400 watts rms kickers taking almost double their rms each....

The amp is an SPL Z1X-3000D.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Oh. You are not overpowering them that much. Specs show that amp doing 1000 watts or less.

 

[big scott]

[quote name='Jeffdachef']power handling is pretty set with the sub's coils as you said and some subwoofers cant handle larger boxes, but i'd go as far as any subwoofer will get sloppy and begin unload faster if the box is Overly big for them. After a certain point it'll be like free air.

@Babykinns ; already said why most people can push twice the rms of their sub in the post before. Any amp, doesnt matter what they claim, will produce considerably less power then you think it will after box rise, voltage drops and efficiency. In reality you are probably only 200ish watts over.[/QUOTE]

i get what you all are saying.. i do.
i was just wandering because when i had my box build i was asked what power ( amp ) i was going to use. so i was thinking well what if i decide to get a bigger amp then what.

also i do get what your saying about im not getting or using what the amp can put out because of rise/voltage drop/ ect...
and im guessing that's what most people use an amp with more rated power so you can get closer to what the sub can use.

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

You'd model it and make it right -- not bigger or smaller.

There comes a point where more airspace doesn't get you anything other than an unnecessarily big box.

 

[big scott]

i see what your saying.

i did not plan on making my box bigger unless it would give me more output. being as i did add more power.

and i only went from 1800 to 2300. but was thinking as i have read about this before and figure i would ask.

as im going to make a box for 2 15" .