When improving your car stereo system, you’ll want to choose an enclosure to maximize the woofers performance. There are three main subwoofer enclosure types: Sealed, Ported/Vented and Bandpass. Each has advantages and disadvantages in efficiency, size, distortion, cost, and power handling. Sonic Electronix carries a wide variety of enclosures but specifically I am going to tell you a little bit about sealed enclosures.
While sealed enclosures are usually smaller than other types of sub boxes, they don’t allow any air to escape from the box. Woofers installed in sealed enclosures increase the power requirements and make it more difficult for the sub to bottom out. When the subs movement is restricted, it provides tighter bass and better sound accuracy, giving you less boom and more punch.
Just a couple cons about the sealed enclosure is the decrease in efficiency (loudness) and sound reproduction due to the airwaves being unable to escape as it would in ported or bandpass enclosures. Also, the tightly sealed design doesn’t allow the motor structure to cool down as quickly, causing possible damage to your subwoofer more quickly.
Keep in mind, if the enclosure you have is smaller than the recommended size, the sound will be tighter but more amplifier power will be required to push it. If the sub box is too large, the sound will be distorted and sound horrible.
When choosing the correct subwoofer enclosure you’ll want think about what design and size you want. The design you desire whether it be sealed, ported or a bandpass, should be based on your music styles choices. For more information and tips on choosing the correct subwoofer, see our Knowledge Base articles on Subwoofer Box Types, Car Specific Subwoofer Enclosures and Selecting a Subwoofer Enclosures.
