Common chamber vs. seperate chambers

[DarkStars 10+ year member]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of going with a big common chamber with a few subs in it over seperate chambers per sub? Which would be a better setup for ported SPL?

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[bigbassman Premium Member]

yes.. a common chamber is best for SPL purposes..

Loyd L.

 

[DarkStars 10+ year member]

would it still have somewhat decent SQ with a common chamber, I'm debating 2 15's for SPL but decent SQ, I was thinking brahmas or L7's in a comon ported chamber.... good idea or bad idea?

 

[forbidden 10+ year member]

Nice to see that nobody has posted a potential pitfall of common chambers.

(1) blow one sub and you have to remove it = no subs until it is replaced

(2) excessive flexing of the cabinet walls = loss of energy in the form of sound

(3) it is usually a slightly smaller enclosure = good if you need space

(4) most but not all ported enclosures play louder, they do to a tuning frequency but then fall off rapidly below the tuning frequency

(5) ported enclosures = less power handling of the subs

Choose your sub first and then build one box of each type. With two woofers of any brand, you will get different results from eash type of box and the box volumes. I personally like the sound of a sealed box, multi tone bass response, really low depth extension and with the right sub / box / amp combination really good spl as well.

Do you have a goal for your spl level? or are you after good sound first and spl second?

 

[DarkStars 10+ year member]

somewhere around 145-150, I know 150 is pushing it but hey. One of my buddy is running 2 sealed 12W7's with a JL1000/1 per sub, I want it louder then this, it gets freakin loud for SQ setup but I want more then that but still sound decent.

 

[bigbassman Premium Member]

.
(5) ported enclosures = less power handling of the subs

wrong.. sorry.. woofers in a vented enclosure have a higher mechanical power handling above tuning, then the woofer would in a 2nd order Sealed enclosure

they can also have a slightly higher thermal power handling in a vented as well..

Loyd L.

 

[EarDrummin. 10+ year member]

This may seem rather simplistic question, but how do drivers react to common chamber enclosures? i.e. - If you had 2 drivers, does each one act like it's in a huge box, or does each one act as if takes up half the box?

 

[B&R Innovation2 10+ year member]

I've always used inpendent chambered boxes and I've always been happier. In a sealed enclosure having them in a common chamber makes next to no sence to me. Ported the drivers are less dependent on eachother but in a sealed common it takes a fair amount more power for the same amount of linear displacement.

 

[bigbassman Premium Member]

This may seem rather simplistic question, but how do drivers react to common chamber enclosures? i.e. - If you had 2 drivers, does each one act like it's in a huge box, or does each one act as if takes up half the box?

same principle as 2 drivers on one amp..

if there's 8 cuft, and 2 woofers in it.. impossible for each woofer to 'use' 8 cuft..

Loyd L.

 

[ted2136 10+ year member]

well i know common chambers have some disadvantages but i have my sexxx's in a common and i like it alot

 

[B_Master_Flash 10+ year member]

from what I've heard, a ported common chamber box isn't worth its weight in salt. The subs will never be hitting the exact same fequency at the exact same time which will cause nasty distortion in the ports, and god forbid one of the subs get slightly blown, it will render the entire setup completely worthless.

 

[forbidden 10+ year member]

Bigbassman, so we are both wrong right and wrong, I should have posted below the tuning fequency, my error, you could have posted I was right if it was below the tuning fequency.

 

[B_Master_Flash 10+ year member]

Bigbassman, so we are both wrong right and wrong, I should have posted below the tuning fequency, my error, you could have posted I was right if it was below the tuning fequency.

Below the tuned frequency? Thats kind of an important detail you left out, Ported subs are not meant to go more than a few Hz below the tuned fq. which is why Subsonic filters are so imparative. For actual functuality, a port not only increases the sensitivity of a sub, it's effective at raising the power handling, and gets rid of the problem of relying on the subs excursion to make bass, a good ported sub will stand almost perfectly still at its tuned frequency.