What subwoofer is right for you?

vibe subwoofer

Choosing the correct subwoofer for your system can be confusing but don’t worry, we can help. Firstly lets look at:

Why would you add a subwoofer?

When upgrading your car audio system, everyone assumes they need new speakers to improve the sound. Makes sense, right? Wrong! The first thing you should do is add bass. Bass will improve the sound of any system straight away. Music is more than just the vocals you hear. Without bass you are missing the rich, full dimensional sound that only low frequencies can achieve. Bass makes music you can feel.

Should it be in an enclosure?

In short, Yes! By fitting your subwoofer into the correct size box, you are creating a wall between the front of the sub and the back. This is important because it stops the 2 sound waves cancelling each other out.

What difference does it make?

The enclosure acts as a barrier between sound waves coming from the back and front of the subwoofer. Keeping them separate results in optimal sound performance.

When built correctly, not only with the enclosure be aesthetically pleasing – adding the ‘finishing touch’ to your system – bit will also prevent the subwoofer from overheating since air can move freely around it.

What type of enclosures are there?

Choosing the right enclosure for your system really depends on what your overall goal is. If it’s to have ‘focused and concentrated’ bass, then a sealed box is for you. If loud and thunderous that can be heard for miles around is what you’re looking for, then a ported enclosure would be better suited. Check out below for more detail on both.

Ported Enclosures

A ported enclosure has vents or ‘ports’ in the enclosure to let air move around in and out of the box, reinforcing the subwoofers output and creating that ‘booming’ bass. When the sub moves forward it creates a bass note. On the backward movement, it forces air out of the vents which amplifies the bass output, making the bass sound louder. There is a price to pay for the extra bass. You will get an all-consuming bass that will drown out other aspects of the audio. If your goal is to live life loud and bass is king, then ported enclosures are for you.

Passive Radiator

Passive radiators work on the same principle as a ported enclosure. However, instead of using a port cut into the enclosure, they use a slave woofer cone to improve the low frequency bass response. This allows the enclosure to remain super compact yet giving the impression of a much larger subwoofer. So if space is at a premium for you then this could be the best option.

Sealed Enclosures

A sealed enclosure is an airtight box for your sub, that produces natural sounding, concentrated bass. This is a result of linear bass response. The benefit of this is that the bass won’t overpower subtle instruments or vocals in the music and will instead sound clean and natural.

Most sound quality derived subwoofers perform best in a sealed enclosure and that’s the case for our SQ sub CVEN10SW. A sealed box allows to the subwoofer to remain balanced and under control across a wide frequency band

Can I make my own enclosure?

Yes, but be warned. Of course, armed with some MDF you can build your own enclosure, but you will need to know important measurements for the volume of air you need for your subwoofer, as well as having exceptional woodwork skills for your box to stand up to the pressure of the subwoofer. If however, you want a professional, sleek enclosure that will blend in seamlessly with your own car, we’ve got you covered.

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