Has anyone ACTUALLY fooled around with sub/port placement?

[k_schutte 10+ year member]

Should be an interesting thread. LOL

I am wondering if anyone on here has ACTUALLY HAD FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE with sub/port orientation experimentation...? As in, no other variables except the direction in which the subs/port is facing... Wondering if anyone has come to their own conclusion as to what sub/port orientation is "best" in an SUV.

I am going to be throwing a single 18" in my Blazer. I know the "general idea" is sub up, port back and like 4" from the rear hatch. That's what I did in my Durango with a BTL18, DDZ1, 7.25ft^3 @ 34hz via 3-6" aeros. managed a 150~ with that setup and I literally had glue oozing out and leaks frikkin everywhere cuz I built the box on the way to the show. LOL built an identical box and let it dry this time, ended up with a 153~ after only messing with the box positioning and of course having everything properly glued/sealed.

I am thinking of trying something different this time though, like firing the port to the side. Not sure if I want sub up or sub rear but port to the side is something I'd like to do. I currently have a pair of RE S3X 10"s in 2.5ft^3 @ 34 with a single 6" aero firing to the drivers side and subs facing rear.

Now, that setup was originally rear/rear and then I switched it to drviers/rear like it is now and it got WAY louder and just better sounding in general. Then, one step further, I left the drivers/rear orientation and slid the box all the way to the trunk lid in order to use it as a "loading wall" and it got even louder and better sounding again.

I am wondering if this may be of any use in an SUV. I know a trunk car and an SUV are completely different monsters but... I "loaded" the port in my Cadillac and it was a huge improvement, I then "loaded" the subs as well and it was an equal improvement.

Click to read more...

 

[bhsdriller 10+ year member]

not with that being the only changed variable....have tried just about every orientation in my truck though

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

The general concensus is subs up/port back. Just keeps your box from being super-tall. You can also do subs & port rear-firing but it adds to enclosure height/width. We have a thread on my forum where we played around with the who sub/port configuration thing. Whole idea is to avoid quarter-loading off nearby surfaces unless you really know what you're doing when you engineer your airflow around the port.

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

To add to my previous statement, I won't really get to fool around with placement in an SUV for a couple years, but have noticed some interesting observations when fooling around with placement in a trunk car. With subs/port forward firing through my ski-pass (so quarter-loaded off the rear seats a smidge), I lost some of my low-end extension, but significantly improved my blend between sub and front stage. With the trunk closed off and rear-firing with the enclosure against the rear seats, low-end extension improved, upper-end extention died off a little, and the sub was easier to localize. These are the kinds of issues that you really don't need to worry about though when you're dealing with an open cabin like an SUV/hatch. I'd say that provided both the subs and the port have adequate breathing room and airflow, you should be able to observe less peaking and better low-end extension.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

sub up and port back is done mostly because it is easier to fit since it allows for the smallest width and takes advantage of box height. sounds from the port has to travel a longer distance, which has an effect on what you hear. locating the ports near the floor also increases their contribution due to coherent reflections.

subs up and port up behind the seat of a SUV is least liked because it has the worst cancellation. there is usually distance between the rear of the vehicle and the subs/port. this is not a fair evaluation and simply changing which direction the subs/port face will make a big difference.

subs and port on the same face works great when properly located and loaded (corner or hatch loading).

where you put the sub box is more important than what face the port on.

moving the port will change what you hear, but you cannot make a generic statement as to which face was best without clarifying where the box was located in the vehicle.

in the end, reflections and cancellation plague all sub installs. that is why walls work so well.

 

[k_schutte 10+ year member]

I know it all matters, which is why I asked if anyone had personal experience. For example, if anyone asked the same question for a trunk vehicle, I would say (from personal experience) the best orientation/positioning for me in a trunk was the port to the drivers side (about 6"-8" from the quarter panel), subs rear and box shoved way back (like 6" from the lid), using the trunk lid to load the subs. At the same time, I shoved the box forward (so its against the rear seat) and just threw a piece of MDF about 4" from the subs for a loading wall and it sounded the same as the box shoved way back to the lid. So, I would recommend port to the drivers side, subs rear with some sort or loading wall (be it an MDF wall or just using the trunk lid)

I was kinda just hoping some people would give me some experience based advice so I dont have to build 4-5 boxes as the box with be like 6ft^3 net and I don't wanna spend a few hundred buck on wood to play around if anyone else had already done something similar. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Thanks for the input thus far guys!!

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

sure, i can list some experience. Each vehicle listed had several iterations tested. Every vehicle had the enclosure tested in several possible locations and orientations. i've been experimenting with car sub locations since 1994. i've only come to understand why i experienced what i did since 2008.

Circa 1994-1998

1980 Buick Regal (mine)

Sealed enclosures for a pair of Hollywood HSL 12" subs in the trunk. preferred rear firing close to the rear.

Best configuration was four HSL 12" subs in place of the back seat firing forward.

1992 Chevy Cavalier (friend)

pair of Pyramid 15's - trunk, firing up was better than forward or back.

four Pyramid 15's - rear seat facing rear and trunk facing up.

this car had it's fuse box melted due to someone (not me) powering the amps through it.

1995 Dodge Neon (same friend)

single PPI flat 10 - rear passenger corner firing sideways was best orientation

i forget the others.

1995 Plymouth Duster (same friend)

single PG X-Max 15 - ports and sub facing up in the rear hatch (did 152dB on Audio Control with a MRV-1507)

four HSL 12's in place of the rear seat facing up with a loading board (that was weighted down with 40 lbs).

two 12's sealed firing rear at rear

the four 12's sounded better, the 15 was loudest

Circa 1999-2005

1982 Chevy Malibu (mine)

1. two 12" sealed firing rear at rear

2. two 12" sealed firing forward (metal removed)

3. two 12" bandpass firing forward at rear

4. two 12" bandpass firing rear at rear

#2 was chosen, #4 was loudest

1999 Cadillac STS (bro)

two 10" firing rear behind rear seats

1. two 12" JL HO firing rear at rear seats

2. two 12" JL HO firing forward at rear seats

2005 Blazer (bro)

1. two 12" JL HO firing forward

2. two 12" JL HO firing rear

1990 Chrysler 5th Ave (mine)

1. three 10's. close to back seat firing rear

2. one 12 rear facing with front facing port firing through rear arm rest tight to back seat

3. one 12 slot port on same face firing rear tight to back seat

#2 was best

1998 Toyota Camry (mine)

1. single 12" sealed in rear passenger corner of trunk firing sideways.

2. single 12" vented with slot port on same face firing sideways port to the rear

3. single 12" vented round port forward sub rearward tight to back seat

all three had the same sub (Vega 124) and the same amp (xtant 403a)

#2 was best

2005-present

2001 Honda Accord (mine)

single 12" sealed in rear passenger corner of trunk firing sideways

single 12" vented with slot port on same face as sub in passenger corner of trunk, port to the rear, firing sideways

dual 12" sealed close to rear of trunk firing up

three 10" sealed close to back seat firing rearward

single 12" walled off in trunk with aperiodic

dual 12" walled off in trunk with IB

single 12" walled off in trunk with IB

dual 12" JL HO firing forward

2008 Scion xB (same friend)

single 10" vented on same face firing rear at rear driver's corner

2005 Scion tC (friend)

1. single 10" sealed firing sideways in rear passenger corner

2. single 10" sealed inverted firing up in rear passenger corner

#1 wins hands down

2005 Hyundai Elantra GT hatch (friend)

two 10" sealed firing sideways, driver's side at rear

against rear firing up was loudest but least practical

1939 Chevy Coupe

single 10" sealed firing forward (cut hole in metal separating trunk from cabin) enclosure was custom built to seal to metal.

2002 Honda Accord

two 10" sealed firing sideways on driver's side toward rear was best out of all possible

2002 Toyota Tundra

1. single 10" sealed at center console firing rear

2. single 10" sealed at center console firing down

3. single 10" sealed behind driver's seat firing forward

4. single 10" sealed behind driver's seat firing rear

#2 was chosen, #4 was best

 

---------- Post added at 11:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 PM ----------

 

that's what i can remember anyway, i'm heavily into some Delirium Tremens right now...