Noob Question

[Wragold 10+ year member]

What makes a box the way it is? why do they have to be so many cubic inches by so many cubic inches? Why cant you use just any box? im new to this so be nice.

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[Trey803 5,000+ posts]

Because the physical/electrical properties of subwoofers differ

 

[Trey803 5,000+ posts]

An enclosure that is not designed for a subwoofer will dramatically reduce the sound quality, output, or both of the subwoofer

 

[LinxuS 10+ year member]

An enclosure that is not designed for a subwoofer will dramatically reduce the sound quality, output, or both of the subwoofer

But why? I know the mechanical properties of different subs are different, but why does the wave it create have to be in a certain size box?

 

[Wragold 10+ year member]

k thats what i guessed. and to figuare out what the cubic inches is i could find it in the sticky up top right?

 

[Immacomputer 10+ year member]

But why? I know the mechanical properties of different subs are different, but why does the wave it create have to be in a certain size box?

If you had a circuit that required you to use a certain inductor and resistor to get a desired frequency response, would you just replace those components with just any random inductor and resistor? The same thing applies to the sub and enclosure. Both are parts in what could be considered a circuit. Changing or replacing these values are going to give you a different frequency response and phase shift.

In regular circuits, you're dealing with electrical energy. In sub systems, you're dealing with acoustical energy which follows many of the same physics as electrical energy.

 

[PowerNaudio 10+ year member]

in a very simple way of explaining it.

if you play the sub in free air, the sound wave that comes from the rear of the cone would cancel out the sound wave that comes out the front side of the subwoofer cone, so by installing the subwoofer on a large baffle or in an enclosure, you keep those two sound waves from interacting in that manner that will cancel them out from each other, to a certain extent. you also increase the frequency response of a speaker by installing the driver in a proper system environment. now if in a sealed enclosure, to get the desirable frequency response from the subwoofer you have to manipulate the amount of air volume in the enclosure, in relation ship with that particular dirver parameters, if in a ported enclosure, then the port parameters, enclosure volume and the particular driver parameters, used properly will get you a desirable frequency response, and so on depending on the particular enclosure type, and the particular subwoofer or driver you're using, by placing it in an enclosure you can change its frequency response, manipulate the level of out put, sound quality characteristics, etc, etc.