Enclosure recommendations for 1 12" ICON

[bombsaway 8]

Hey everyone,

 

Long time lurker here, finally decided to pull the trigger on a 12" ICON and would like recommendations for an enclosure.  Given my driver choice I'm obviously going for sound quality.  But who doesn't like a little bit of output?  It will be going in an IS300 and run off of a PDX M12.  My ICON will be seeing anywhere from 500-1k watts depending on where it blends best with my front stage.  Anyway, I noticed that on the product information page for the ICON there are two different optimum enclosure size recommendations.  Under the "Enclosure Recommendations" tab it lists ported optimal as 2.25 ft^3 @29-34hz whereas the "Pre-Designed Enclosures" tab has a listing labeled 12" OPTIMAL PORTED 2.5 ft^3 at an undefined tuning.  Given the space that I have in my trunk, it would be a tight fit but I could make a 2.5 ft^3 net enclosure work.  Also, considering the dimensions that I have to work with, I can't really use the pre-designed enclosure because my trunk is gutted and custom built. Anything over 17" deep will overlap my amp rack.  I listen to different types of music every day including hip hop, reggae, classic rock, oldies, solo guitar, contemporary Hawaiian, and among other things, country.  I've run a bunch of different subwoofers/tunings but only my RE SE has seen multiple enclosures so I'm not confident I can say what I liked about x tuning over y given they had different port areas and amplification.  A buddy of mine is a cabinet builder and he's been building my enclosures for years.  I'll be pulling a favor for this one.

 

On to my questions.

Why are there two different sizes listed as 'optimal' and what would you consider given my circumstances/goals?

Would the effects of the extra .25ft^3 be anything to worry about?

What tuning would you recommend given my diverse taste in music?

How much port area would serve me best?

 

Thanks

[Shogen 325]

The sizes are based on best lowest and highest volume. That is all...

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

Excellent choice on sub.  There are two different ported enclosure suggestions, one is the standard design that works well with the majority of needs (other than SPL comp), the optimal suggestion is there for a little more low end IF the user has the space available for the larger box.  The free 3D model that you can download, is tuned to 31hz and is there as another possible option that really has very strong low end performance.

 

I would suggest you tune around 33hz.  Port area will depend on the enclosure volume.

[bombsaway 8]

Thanks for your quick and concise responses.  Seems like I'd be happy with 2.25ft^3 net @33hz.  What port area would you suggest for this?

[garychurch84 127]

Great sub choice I have two an can't complain one damn bit

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

Thanks for your quick and concise responses.  Seems like I'd be happy with 2.25ft^3 net @33hz.  What port area would you suggest for this?

Approximately 35 square inches of port area.

[bombsaway 8]

Thanks for your help, Aaron.  When you say approximately, how many square inches can I deviate before it's really noticeable and in which direction?

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

I wouldn't stray too much in either direction, max maybe 3 variance.

[bombsaway 8]

Quick question: Does the bcae ported calculator account for an L ported enclosure?

http://www.bcae1.com/spboxnew2.htm

 

 

Edit: I've been messing around with it and have come up with this:

 

Does this look alright? I'll be doing 45° corners and have added that displacement to the speaker displacement field.

Edited February 8, 2014 by bombsaway

[bombsaway 8]

Here's a model based on the above pic:

 

 

 

I'd like feedback based on the model and the specs listed in my previous post.  If this can be improved, how so?  Am I missing anything? How can I find out if I miscalculated anything?  Are the specs and the design okay?

Edited February 12, 2014 by bombsaway

[bombsaway 8]