What kind of enclosure?

[Preston019 10+ year member]

I have 2 Kenwood KFC XW10s 10" subs and they're already in a prefab, bassworx, sealed enclosure and I don't know the cubic feet for it. I'm not sure what's up with them: they sound really sloppy at higher volumes; as in like a factory speaker when you turn the volume up. I've tuned the amp with an O-Scope, it's a Kenwood X-500, I have a stock head unit and I've installed an Audio Control LC2i and it still sounds sloppy.

The only other thing I can of that can be the problem is the enclosure since everything else is brand new and I've checked all wiring and made sure the subs aren't blown.

I've gone through and have made sure that the enclosure is air tight when the subs are in.

The enclosure that they're in is a shared chamber, and I'm guessing that's why they sound the way they do.

I'm wanting to either build a new enclosure, or just add a divider to the box I have now in order to make two sealed chambers; would this make a difference? I know adding a divider takes up airspace, but, using the same material as the box, is it really going to make much of a difference in a sealed enclosure?

Also, if I do end up building my own enclosure, I listen to rock/heavy metal, so should I do a sealed or ported enclosure?

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[black05alti]

id just build a custom box built to specs. go with a sealed box since you listen to rock and heavy metal

 

[pickup1 5,000+ posts]

Could be your stock head unit too...

 

[DoesDad 10+ year member]

id just build a custom box built to specs. go with a sealed box since you listen to rock and heavy metal

I think that's such a mistake to think you can only get good, accurate punchy bass for rock and metal music with a sealed enclosure. I think a well built ported one built around your car and what you listen to can yield excellent results and get you a lot more output in the end. Unless the sub is absolutely built for sealed or I absolutely don't have the room I go ported every time.

And pickup1 might have a point. Installed some subs and amp in the wife's minivan with her stock head unit and LOC and it sounded horrible. Picked up a cheap Alpine and the difference is night and day.

 

[Preston019 10+ year member]

Could be your stock head unit too...

I don't think it is because I've had a single 10" kicker in a sealed box and it was louder than these 2 kenwoods and the kicker was half the power that one of these kenwoods are. I've also put two 12" inch pioneers in before too and they were loud as hell; the box they were in had sealed chambers for each sub too. I was using a crappy LOC for both of these subs too. And now I'm using an Audio Control LC2i, and it didn't really make much of a difference.

 

[IonRL205 10+ year member]

id just build a custom box built to specs. go with a sealed box since you listen to rock and heavy metal

Rock/heavy metal sounds just fine with my two solo xs in a ported wall

Op get a good ported box designed around the music you listen to

 

[Beatin' 10+ year member]

I don't think shared chambers has anything to do with your problems. Putting two 10" subs in a dual shared box is the same as putting a larger single sub with the same cone area as the two 10's combined, in a similar sized sealed box. I would look elsewhere for the problem.....

 

[Preston019 10+ year member]

I don't think shared chambers has anything to do with your problems. Putting two 10" subs in a dual shared box is the same as putting a larger single sub with the same cone area as the two 10's combined' date=' in a similar sized sealed box. I would look elsewhere for the problem.....[/quote']
Right, and it's also only one sub using half the power of two subs in a box that only one sub is in.

 

[naughtyca 10+ year member]

With 500 watts amp I suggest go ported, you need more power on sealed. I always put subs in different chambers

 

[Preston019 10+ year member]

What frequency should a ported box be tuned to for rock/heavy metal?