What Makes Low Frequencies Carry??

[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

I was wondering if anyone could explain why some system's low frequencies carry for miles, but others which may sound just as loud inside the car, are barely audible any further than about 10 feet from the car? One of my friends has a single JL 12W3 in a single cab S10 and I can hear him from probably between a 1/4 and half mile away. Another friend has two loud *** Audiobahns in a little Civic Hatchback, but I can usually see him coming before I hear his subs. I just bought a new RE SX with an SE coil and would love to have that deep, carrying bass, but besides building a large ported box, is there anything else one can do to make their low frequencies carry??? I haven't been around car audio much, so I don't know if higher SPL = further carry or if the two have little relation. Please let me know so I can get the most out of this new sub.

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[Zerstorer 10+ year member]

Just a theory on bass waves "carrying" over distance:

1: the power behind the sub. more power, more distance... probably

2: certain cars act like enclosures themselves. A hatchback, for example, with a window slightly open is a BIG tuned box. Whereas poorly built boxes resonate due to flexing, cars too can resonate due to their sheetmetal exteriors flexing. That's what damping material stops.

And hey, if you want your music traveling a mile, that's less power within the car itself, in all theory.

 

[supa_c 5,000+ posts]

i find that funny because you have DUAL subs in a DUAL prefab bandpass box.

Im not makin fun of you if you thought that.

 

[Zerstorer 10+ year member]

i find that funny because you have DUAL subs in a DUAL prefab bandpass box. Im not makin fun of you if you thought that.

Took me a sec, but I get it. I know, it's a silly name for an audio company. A name like "Subwoofer" brand subwoofers or "Enclosure" brand enclosures....

What subs you got? Subwoofer. Yeah... what brand? Subwoofer! ....ok, in what brand of enclosure? Enclosure. DOH!

I've got dual duals, but dual dual Dual products.... heh

ANYWAY hatchback=big ported box that ocassionally has meaty filling...