Hi

It just got to my head that I should probably get rid of the box I have and make one myself. The one I have was bought from a shop and I dont even know what it is tuned to or the cubic foot. From the outter measurements, Im calculating 1.75-1.80 cubic foot. Here are the measurements of the current box I have my Pioneer TS-W3002D4

WIDTH 18 5/8 (16.88 without port)

HEIGHT 16 1/4

DEPTH 15 1/8 (0.125)

Port HEIGHT: 14 5/8 (0.625)

Port WIDTH: 1 3/4 (0.75)

Well, basically I want my own box so that I know the exact tuning and size. First, I would like to know if its good to have a 12" tunned to 32Hz since thats what I want to have my box tuned at. 32Hz with ~1.80cubic foot AFTER subwoofer displacement.

I would prefer to have subwoofer AND port facing the same way and box measurements ~15-16inches the width, length and height. I will put the audio connection in the opposite side of the sub.

Going a little bigger could help but unfortunately I dont have the space right now, but Im pretty sure 1.80 after displacement is more than enough for a single 12" right?

Also, what materials/tools do I need? 3/4 MDF, the audio connection, screw driver. Thats basically what I know is a must.

Edited February 27, 201015 yr by slim142

I have one of the 12's the best enclosure to put it in is no more than 1.5 cubic feet the like small boxes. I built one in the airspace that you are talking about 1.8 cubes and honestly it sounded horrible. For the best output put it in 1.25 after port displacement which is around 1.5 the sub has a displacement of .2 cubic feet roughly. I recently bought a night shade so I took that enclosure out of my blazer but I will go measure it and pm you the build demensions.

I have one of the 12's the best enclosure to put it in is no more than 1.5 cubic feet the like small boxes. I built one in the airspace that you are talking about 1.8 cubes and honestly it sounded horrible. For the best output put it in 1.25 after port displacement which is around 1.5 the sub has a displacement of .2 cubic feet roughly. I recently bought a night shade so I took that enclosure out of my blazer but I will go measure it and pm you the build demensions.

Hey thanks for that info

At the beginning when I didnt know much about car audio, I thought that following manufacturer recommended enclosures was right. Then I starting reading a lot of people saying that the bigger the box, the better so I kinda disregarded what Pioneer recommends.

Why is it better to follow the manufacturers recommendation in this case? Cause Pioneer recommends 1.25 for my sub and thats exactly what you have yours on. Doesnt the "the bigger the box the better" term apply in my case? if so, why?

The bigger the box is NOT better. You need to build a box that is suited for your driver in your install. Some manufacturers are much better than others at making those recommendations. Some are good with some drivers and not others. Bigger is not better, but the right size is the best.

Oooh ok, well then in that case I guess 1.25 is what I should follow since thats what Pioneer recommends for the TS-W3002D4 in a ported box.

The tuning, you can have it at any frequency you want right? There is no "perfect" tuning for subs.

May I ask what are some facts when it comes to building your own enclosures? Things that you MUST do regardless.

Also, I want to use 45 angles on the corners. Does it improve things a lot?

Finally, should I use double thickness for everything? Just the front (sub+port) side? or no double thickness at all?

Edited February 27, 201015 yr by slim142

For one 12" driver you wont need double baffle. 3/4 MDF all around will be fine.

45's make the air flow better, but you have to calc. the space they will take up.. if you are tight on space this might be a prob.

Tightbond is great wood, i use the strongest kind (green label) they have red, blue, and green labels.. red being the weakest and green being the strongest.

The glue will be doing a huge part, once you glue everything together you will need to pre-drill your holes because MDF will split on you!

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About how big a box is needed for a single 12 is like a barber asking "how short do you want your hair?" some people will look great with real short hair and some people will look horrible with real short hair, almost everyone is different on how short they want their hair. People need a certain amount of hair to look great. - I hope this terminology helps you understand.

Example 1. The max rec. vented box volume for a 12" Alpine Type R is 2.5 cubes

Example 2. The max rec. vented box volume for a 12" Solo-baric L5 is 3.25 cubes

Example 3. The max rec. vented box volume for a 12" BTL is 3 cubes

I see, thats was clearly explained.

I thought the term bigger the better applied just to everything. I guess I will stick to 1.25 to keep it to recommended manufacturer spec.

This will be my practice test so I know how the process works so when I order my BTL im enclosure ready by the time it comes

Good luck bro!