ported/sealed concerning power?

[thai_creeper 10+ year member]

A lot of times I see people recommending a big ported box for those who are lacking in power. I'm in that situation so I built a big ported (L5). Question is, if I get a lot more power should I go sealed? I'm guessing sealed would sound better with good output bc of the extra power, but big ported with more power would be a lot louder then before but power handeling would go down so that means sq goes down?

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[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Power handling has two components. One is the thermal power handling which is based on the ability of the voicecoil of the sub to shed heat and keep from melting. This is the power handling that is listed as the rated power of the sub. The other and often overlooked portion is the mechanical power handling which is totally dependant on the box.

A large ported enclosure is usually the most efficient basic design but is does not control the cone movement well and will suffer in both power handling and accuracy. A properly sized sealed enclosure will have better powerhandling than an oversized ported enclosure and will sound good (unless we're talking about one of the subs out there that doesn't react well to a sealed enclosure). A properly sized and tuned ported enclosure will usually be a little more efficient in lower bass range than a sealed enclosure but not as efficient as an oversized ported. It will have better power handling than both above tuning and will have almost no powerhandling (or output) below tuning. A properly designed ported enclosure can be just as accurate as a sealed enclosure and give you a little extra output in the 30-45Hz range as well as give you greatly increased power handling above tuning.

 

[thai_creeper 10+ year member]

Power handling has two components. One is the thermal power handling which is based on the ability of the voicecoil of the sub to shed heat and keep from melting. This is the power handling that is listed as the rated power of the sub. The other and often overlooked portion is the mechanical power handling which is totally dependant on the box.
A large ported enclosure is usually the most efficient basic design but is does not control the cone movement well and will suffer in both power handling and accuracy. A properly sized sealed enclosure will have better powerhandling than an oversized ported enclosure and will sound good (unless we're talking about one of the subs out there that doesn't react well to a sealed enclosure). A properly sized and tuned ported enclosure will usually be a little more efficient in lower bass range than a sealed enclosure but not as efficient as an oversized ported. It will have better power handling than both above tuning and will have almost no powerhandling (or output) below tuning. A properly designed ported enclosure can be just as accurate as a sealed enclosure and give you a little extra output in the 30-45Hz range as well as give you greatly increased power handling above tuning.

Thanks for the reply. I'd ask what to expect from both setups (high power with big ported, high power with sealed) but I think I should just build a smaller ported and see for myself. If anyone else has any input, especially about my setup specifically feel free to reply

 

[Spkrman]

A few basic rules of thumb:

too small, handles less and less as you get smaller

right size, handles most power

too big, handles less and less as you get bigger

Too small, probably going to lose low end and overall output

right size, best overall

too big, peaky

too small, probably wont' see alot of impedence rise, not benefitting because power handling is probably down and your throwing more power to get less output

right size, impedence more moderate - best overall use of power

too big, big fat rise around tuning, may be effeciant around a few notes depending on woofer, below tuning your throwing more power while the woofer can handle the least

 

[thai_creeper 10+ year member]

thanks for the help