Subwoofer Box

[RedneckRanger69]

Hey guys, im wanna put a 12 inch Pioneer Premier subwoofer in my 01 XLT, the sub is rated for "0.85 cubic ft - 1.75 cubic ft", i want my box to have at least 1.5 cubic ft in it, but i can't seem to find a box in that size range, that will actually fit in the back of my ranger. Im trying to put something in my truck that will overpower my buddies 94 Chevy Blazer with an 8'', and 2 6's with a 1200 watt amp. Its a friendly competition of whos system can bump harder, im also gonna use it to piss off my mom everyday when i come home from school. if any of ya'll guys have any suggestions for what type of box i can use, or if I should just build my own box, it would be much appreciated. Im kind of a newcomer to all of this audio stuff, pls, throw a dog a bone.

 

[rjppunk]

get something smaller and stuff it with pink insulation

 

[LittleHorse]

1 cubic foot with a 12" is plenty to outdo an 8". That should give you a lot more box choices.

Otherwise, go to Lowe's and get a sheet of Medium density fiberboard (MDF) and build it yourself. If you plan it out before you buy it, you can have them make a few cuts to make it easier to handle or fit into your vehicle, and reduce the cuts you have to make.

You'll need a table saw and a jig saw or rotary saw, a box of drywall screws, a bottle of wood glue like elmers, some caulking to seal the joints. Make sure you let the caulking cure completely before you put the sub in, because it releases acetic acid vapor (basically vinegar) that can corrode the materials in the speaker.

 

[RedneckRanger69]

I've actually been wanting to ask this question, it may sound like a stupid question to ya'll audio junkies, but, im gonna ask it anyway, if you have a sub that has a recomended cubic ft space to work, EX. "0.85 cubic ft - 1.75 cubic ft", would a box with 1.75 cubic ft make the sub hit harder than if it was in a 0.85 cubic ft box? As I said b4, im new to all this audio stuff, so if this is a dumb question, im sorry.

 

[LittleHorse]

it's all about pressure. Let's assume a sealed box.

If you have .85 cu ft of space in the box, and the sub receives a signal and extends outward and inward to produce a sound wave, the farther it extends will produce a larger pressure difference between the back and front of the sub. The voice coil has to work against this pressure difference. With more space, the rate of pressure change vs cone excursion isn't as fast, so there's less of a pressure drop pushing against the cone.

This will make a larger box louder because the cone is moving farther for a given amount of wattage supplied to the voice coil.

The tradeoff in this is that this pressure change also helps the spider and the surround control the movement of the cone. The subwoofer with the smaller box will take more wattage to produce the same sound pressure level, but it also will be capable of handling more wattage. The increased cone control also produces more clear, sharp bass whereas the bigger box can sound "muddier".

I like ported boxes because if properly tuned they can provide a good compromise of both situations, but they aren't suited well for trucks because a 12" will usually require at least 2 cu ft of box space.

My advice for you would be to use a 1 cubic foot box. It will hit pretty hard, especially in a truck cab, and will provide less of a chance to overextend and blow it.

Really, you would gain more by using a different sub than using the one you've got with a larger box. What's the RMS wattage on your sub?

 

[4x4fun]

i think in the case hes asking for which will hit harder, he is refering to the thump you feel in your chest, and that is a smaller box will make a more thump, thats because the lack of space and greater pressure stops the cone from vibrating as much and the pressure in side the box makes the sound travel faster thur the more dense air, so it makes a short quick thump.

 

[LittleHorse]

i think in the case hes asking for which will hit harder, he is refering to the thump you feel in your chest, and that is a smaller box will make a more thump, thats because the lack of space and greater pressure stops the cone from vibrating as much and the pressure in side the box makes the sound travel faster thur the more dense air, so it makes a short quick thump.

yes, the small box will sound cleaner, punchier, sharper.

But the bigger box will probably do a better job of rattling things loose, bouncing a quarter off of the roof, annoying mom, etc.

I prefer a hugely powerful sub in the smallest practical box. My 12" is 1000W RMS, 2000W peak. It sounded fantastic when I had it in a 1 cube sealed box in my 300ZX and that's actually smaller than the minimum size the manufacturer recommends. I had it in a full size Bronco in the 2 cube ported box, now thinking about going to a 1.25 cu ft sealed for the BII install to save the space.

 

[Chris.S.]

I just put a 10" in a sealed 1 cubic foot box and hits hard, harder than any other sub I've ever had (I haven't had a whole bunch)......

 

[rjppunk]

I just put a 10" in a sealed 1 cubic foot box and hits hard, harder than any other sub I've ever had (I haven't had a whole bunch)......

there are so many features that go into the sound from your sub that generically saying a 1 cf box hits hard with a 10" doesnt give a lot of info. Every sub is going to have different Vas requirements depending on sealed and ported ect.... just try to get close to your Vas and if you can't just stuff it with insulation and stick a fork in it. If its a proper brand and has adequate power you won't be disappointed.

 

[Pistons23]

i beleive as long as you purchase the wood from home depot, they will cut it for you as well for free. you can even get away with using pvc as a port.

how much power are you going to feed it? and whats the rms of the sub?

if you dont have enough power to feed the sub, a larger box will make up for the output.

 

[RedneckRanger69]

The Pioneer Premier 12 inch sub has a max output of 1200 watts at 89dB, so im probably guessing the sub will run continuously if u have around 300 to 400 watts. U gotta remember im new to all this, so ur gonna have to bear with me.

 

[RedneckRanger69]

Im gonna get a Boss 600.2 2 channel amplifier, its got 600 watts X 2, so if the amp is bridged it would probably get around 1200 watts maximum output, im gonna try to keep it within the boudaries and not blow my sub.

 

[LittleHorse]

The Pioneer Premier 12 inch sub has a max output of 1200 watts at 89dB, so im probably guessing the sub will run continuously if u have around 300 to 400 watts. U gotta remember im new to all this, so ur gonna have to bear with me.

Check the RMS power of the sub instead of the max, that should give you a better idea. A lot of times it's half the peak, but there are manufacturers that will rate a 300W RMS sub at 1200W peak, while another is rating a 600W RMS sub at 1200W peak.

Im gonna get a Boss 600.2 2 channel amplifier, its got 600 watts X 2, so if the amp is bridged it would probably get around 1200 watts maximum output, im gonna try to keep it within the boudaries and not blow my sub.

Check at what speaker impedance the amp puts out 600W x 2 and compare it to the impedance of your sub. If 1200W is at 2ohms and you have a 4ohm sub, then you will only get 600W from the amp, which may be pretty good match. My 1000W amp is at 1ohm, so you would only get 250W out of it on a 4ohm sub.

If your sub is 2 ohm, make sure your amp is stable at 2 ohms when bridged or it can overheat. If it says Class D anywhere on it you should be ok, if not check the specs and make sure it's rated at 2ohms bridged.

 

[RedneckRanger69]

the think the sub has 4 ohms, but I havn't bought the amp yet, so idk wat the ohms rating is on it. Im gettin it next week.

 

[4x4fun]

there are so many features that go into the sound from your sub that generically saying a 1 cf box hits hard with a 10" doesnt give a lot of info. Every sub is going to have different Vas requirements depending on sealed and ported ect.... just try to get close to your Vas and if you can't just stuff it with insulation and stick a fork in it. If its a proper brand and has adequate power you won't be disappointed.

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