inverted subs

[ameuba10 10+ year member]

does inverting subs change its sound?

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[bball09124 10+ year member]

it changes the airspace inside the box which may change the sound. you may also hear mechanical noise if the subwoofer is close to you. if it is in the trunk, obviously you would not have this problem.

 

[SkronnyLonny 10+ year member]

i have mine inverted, you just need to switch positive and negitive

 

[BassAddictJ 5,000+ posts]

i've always wondered if besides the volume displacement, does inverting otherwise effect the sound reproduction? I'm sure though in some ways it does. The waves of sound being generated have the entire motor structure in it's way and that'll reflect the sound differantly than if it's the standard way of the cone firing out. And i'm sure the effects would be differant in differant types of enclosures....

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

i have mine inverted, you just need to switch positive and negitive

No you don't. The only time that matters is if you have a mix of regularly mounted subs and inverted ones. If they're all inverted just make sure that they're wired the same.

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

i've always wondered if besides the volume displacement, does inverting otherwise effect the sound reproduction? I'm sure though in some ways it does. The waves of sound being generated have the entire motor structure in it's way and that'll reflect the sound differantly than if it's the standard way of the cone firing out. And i'm sure the effects would be differant in differant types of enclosures....

i've thought the same thing. i've only done it with home speakers though, never car audio subs. in terms of space, more often than not, inverting them has caused more space issues than normal mounting ever caused.

 

[skydeaner 10+ year member]

I think you lose cone area also by the part of the cone that is cut off by the spiders. This is just what rolls through my head when i think about it.

 

[jake760 10+ year member]

What I've always wondered, If the face of the cone inside the box increases efficiency around the tuning frequency.

 

[BassAddictJ 5,000+ posts]

What I've always wondered, If the face of the cone inside the box increases efficiency around the tuning frequency.

interesting....

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

It does not change cone area, nor does it affect efficiency at or near tuning in a vented system.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Because of the wavelengths involved, a sub is really not much more than a pressure pump. You don't have to worry about sound reflecting off the frame like you would with a midrange. As long as there is no real restriction on the pressure moving around the frame, there is no difference in the physical working of the sub mounted regular or inverted. You MIGHT get a bit of audible mechanical noise from the exposed motor (chuffing in the pole vent at high excursion for example) but that's the only difference.

 

[vehementSPL 10+ year member]

Because of the wavelengths involved, a sub is really not much more than a pressure pump. You don't have to worry about sound reflecting off the frame like you would with a midrange. As long as there is no real restriction on the pressure moving around the frame, there is no difference in the physical working of the sub mounted regular or inverted. You MIGHT get a bit of audible mechanical noise from the exposed motor (chuffing in the pole vent at high excursion for example) but that's the only difference.

Hmmm curious. Explain why a lot of people gain output by rounding the corners of their box out. Some as much as over a DB. The frame of the sub kinda could cause the same thing correct? I might be wrong. But if it wouldn't affect it why would 90 degree corners in some boxes take so much away from the output of the box (and before anybody questions this we have tested same boxes with rounded corners and have gained) Now some of them didn't gain but some did. Not doubting you cause honestly I don't know at all just curious why it doesn't affect if it 90 degree corners do

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Hmmm curious. Explain why a lot of people gain output by rounding the corners of their box out. Some as much as over a DB. The frame of the sub kinda could cause the same thing correct? I might be wrong. But if it wouldn't affect it why would 90 degree corners in some boxes take so much away from the output of the box (and before anybody questions this we have tested same boxes with rounded corners and have gained) Now some of them didn't gain but some did. Not doubting you cause honestly I don't know at all just curious why it doesn't affect if it 90 degree corners do

That has nothing to do with wavelength, rounding corners simply helps reduce restriction on air flow in and out of the port.

 

[vehementSPL 10+ year member]

That has nothing to do with wavelength, rounding corners simply helps reduce restriction on air flow in and out of the port.

Yeah I know. But I mean inside the box. not inside the port

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Yeah I know. But I mean inside the box. not inside the port

Air displacement equals air movement (obviously). The only air being displaced, and therefore moving, is inside or near the port opening. The rest of the box exhibits merely compressing and decompressing of the air, very little movement.
Rounding corners reduces resistance/turbulance. This effect only occurs when there is actual air movement. Therefore rounding corners should only make any noticeable improvement when placed in the corners that are in a port, or very near its opening. Otherwise 'rounding' a corner does little to nothing beyond decreasing internal volume.