Do fabrics on enclosures affect air-tightness?

Jakerrr

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Title.

I'm, having a box built right now, already paid extra for carpeting, but how can the sub maintain airtightness if it isn't on a flat surface like bare birch/mdf/etc?

 

LosIsATool

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Are you serious?

 

LongThrow

My Kickers be swaggin'
Title.
I'm, having a box built right now, already paid extra for carpeting, but how can the sub maintain airtightness if it isn't on a flat surface like bare birch/mdf/etc?
How would carpeting a box cause the box to not be air tight? If anything it might seal up any tiny air leaks by wrapping the carpet around it. And are you saying that if the enclosure isn't sitting flat it won't be air tight?

 

poolman966554

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Are you serious?
i think what he means is, that the carpeting will HELP form the seal for the sub.. insulation is essentially air pockets joined together.

my preferred method of attaching a sub to a box is by using t-nuts. never strip out, so you can cinch down on the bolts to ensure the carpet is a good candidate for a gasket

 

LongThrow

My Kickers be swaggin'
What is this "air tightness" you speak of //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif
Srsly, Dull Brick?

Airtightness = no air leaks in subwoofer enclosure.

 

LongThrow

My Kickers be swaggin'
That's what glue and caulk is for, not carpet..
You asked what air-tightness was. There must be a miscommunication between our posts. I believe OP is saying will adding carpet help in any way shape or form with air leaks?

 

adulbrich

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You asked what air-tightness was. There must be a miscommunication between our posts. I believe OP is saying will adding carpet help in any way shape or form with air leaks?
From first post: "I'm, having a box built right now, already paid extra for carpeting, but how can the sub maintain airtightness if it isn't on a flat surface like bare birch/mdf/etc?"

He's wondering if carpeting would hurt things, not if it would help stop air leaks. I have no idea what he really means. He mentioned a flat hard surface //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 
OP
Jakerrr

Jakerrr

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10+ year member
You asked what air-tightness was. There must be a miscommunication between our posts. I believe OP is saying will adding carpet help in any way shape or form with air leaks?
I was just wondering if the fabric would facilitate leakage via air passing through the very small gaps between the rubber mounting section of the subwoofer (part you screw into the box) and the wood. Because my last setup was just sub on wood (no porous carpet in-between) and that was about as sealed as I could get, so I was worried the fabric would cause said seal to have a slight but sub optimal leakage. I thought it was a pretty good question, I'm usually the first to say something like "are you serious" when someone asks a seriously dumb question but it's a shame that someone with such a strong site-presence reacted in such a way in this case. (not referring to you, whoever I quoted)

edit

by flat I meant bare wood. because carpet is not perfectly flat it has valleys/grooves. They're small but so are air molecules. Hope that clears up any confusion.

 

wew lad

wew lad inc
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there's enough compression between the sub and wood that air wont leak out. we're talking about ~.2 db gain here, people do this kinda thing for SPL comps and they use heavy duty ac duct tape around the sub

 

LongThrow

My Kickers be swaggin'
If you explained your question better, we would have gotten what you meant right off the bat
This, OP.

there's enough compression between the sub and wood that air wont leak out. we're talking about ~.2 db gain here, people do this kinda thing for SPL comps and they use heavy duty ac duct tape around the sub
And this, OP.

I was just wondering if the fabric would facilitate leakage via air passing through the very small gaps between the rubber mounting section of the subwoofer (part you screw into the box) and the wood. Because my last setup was just sub on wood (no porous carpet in-between) and that was about as sealed as I could get, so I was worried the fabric would cause said seal to have a slight but sub optimal leakage. I thought it was a pretty good question, I'm usually the first to say something like "are you serious" when someone asks a seriously dumb question but it's a shame that someone with such a strong site-presence reacted in such a way in this case. (not referring to you, whoever I quoted)
edit

by flat I meant bare wood. because carpet is not perfectly flat it has valleys/grooves. They're small but so are air molecules. Hope that clears up any confusion.
You should of made this your first post.

 
OP
Jakerrr

Jakerrr

Senior VIP Member
10+ year member
This, OP.
And this, OP.

You should of made this your first post.
Haha fair enough... I just thought y'all knew what I was talking about because it really was a very simple question, but when I realized nobody knew what I was talking about I rephrased it with as much detail as possible. Maybe I worded it pretty dismally thie first time Sorry... So y'all really don't think the carpet will make a difference especially with SQ as long as the sub is screwed down tightly? I use an SA-15 and 1200wrms before rise I thought it was not out of the question to assume there could be some leakage with a porous piece of fabric bridging the gap between sub and box

 
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