why does bass seem to get louder when windows are rolled down?

[qxfosgatesvt 10+ year member]

just wondering if any 1 else wondered why this seems to happen, i know

that it doesnt get louder but something makes it seem louder? im sure by havin windows down u deffinatlly would lose a ton a spl but when windows are up u get ton of spl but it seems to be louder with windows down? sorry for babling on but i was in school today thinking about that 1!

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[maylar 10+ year member]

with the windows down the sound waves can move from the subs past your ears and out the window. with the windows closed the air inside the cab gets compressed so it doesn't flow to your ears. I think .. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

It makes a huge difference in my kid's truck, that's fer sure.

 

[LoneRanger 10+ year member]

there are two different answers i've been provided by four different sources for this phenomanon, and i'm not sure which or if either is correct, but here goes.

1. The cabin of the vehicle acts similar to a sealed or vented enclosure, just on a larger scale. if the windows are up, the bass will not be as loud, but will be reproduced more accurately. If they are down, the bass will be louder, but because there is more air to be pushed, it will not be as tight or accurate. This is a logical explanation, but it doesn't make as much sense as #2 IMO.

2. Having your windows up creates a wave cancelation effect similar to having your box too far back in the trunk. When the windows are down, the cancelation is eliminated, and thus produces louder bass.

 

[qxfosgatesvt 10+ year member]

ya i was just really bored and thinking because when my windows are down my ear drum pops but at the same volume with them up my ears dont pop,

i get really bored and do thses kinda experiments lol but im not the kinda guy who drives up and down the block with it blastin ,and setin car alarms off and waking up babys:nono:

 

[mattj 5,000+ posts]

i am

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[Icedub]

I don't know how valid this is, but : Your vehicle acts as part of the overall bass enclosure, with the windows up it acts like a sealed enclosed volume - but with the window opened the passenger compartment turns into a tuned chamber, with the open window being the slot port. If this is somewhere near the natural resonant frequency(Q) of your vehicle, then you may experience a rise in dB output. Just a thought.........what do ya recon'?//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif