Different Types of Subwoofer Enclosures

Speakers do not deliver full bass without proper enclosure because sound which produces at the back of the speaker cancels out some frequencies that are produced from the front side of the speaker.  One can also construct their own box for subwoofer according to the required enclosure size. And if you are not professional craftsman with an understanding of enclosure sizes and technical terms then we suggest you buy a pre-made enclosure for your subwoofer.  In this article, we will tell you different types of subwoofers along with their merits and demerits, so that you can narrow down your choices and buy the perfect one for your subwoofer.

• Sealed Enclosure For Subwoofer:

As the name applies, the sealed enclosure is an airtight box of your desired shape. It only lets the pressure inside it to alter when the speaker moves, rather than escaping the air out from the box. This is one of the easiest enclosures that can be made for any subwoofer.  More good results can be achieved by stuffing the enclosure with sound dampening things so that stationary waves can be easily absorbed.

Merits:

1. Easy to build.
2. Can handle high power.
3. Give a smooth transient response.
4. Roll off is 12 dB/octave.

Demerits:

Efficiency is low.

• Ported Enclosure for Subwoofer:

This type of enclosure provides a great balance between sound quality, output, and overall efficiency.  It has a port which is cylindrical in shape with definite length and diameter. It reverses the phase of the frequencies that are produced from the back of the speaker and add them with the waves that are produced from the front of the speaker. In this way, the overall output is increased.

Merits:

1. It has greater efficiency as compared to a sealed enclosure.
2. It has low distortion.

Demerits:

1. The transient response is not as good as a sealed enclosure.
2. It is hard to design and build.   
3. Steep roll-off is 24 dB/octave.

• Free Air Enclosure For Subwoofer:

Free air enclosure is a highly engineered system with lots of demerits, but the potential with sound is found to be very good in this type of enclosure.  This system consists of woofers placed to a board or placed in the trunk against the rear seat. This trunk plays a role of the enclosure and isolates the sound which produces from the back of the speaker, in this way sound cancellation problem of subwoofers can be resolved.

Merits:

1. It does not require much power.
2. It has less distortion as compared to other enclosures.

Demerits:

         In this system, the woofer can reach high excursion easily.

• Bandpass Enclosure For Subwoofer:

In this type of enclosure, the sound comes out of ports and the speaker is hidden inside the cabinet. The woofer sounds louder than the bass reflex with narrow frequency response. There are further three types of bandpass enclosures that are 4th order bandpass, 6th order bandpass, and 8th order bandpass.  In 4th order bandpass, one side is sealed while another side is placed in a ported enclosure, in 6th order bandpass both the chambers are ported and in 8th order bandpass, one more ported chamber is added.

Merits:

1. The efficiency level is very high in this type of enclosure.
2. Woofer excursion is very low.

Demerits:

1. The size of the enclosure got very big
2. It is very complex to design bandpass enclosure,

 Conclusion:

We hope that this article will help you to give relevant information regarding different types of subwoofer enclosures and narrow down your choices to get the desired enclosure for your speakers.  It comes down to the space availability, quality of sound and moreover your personal preference.