Need some advice\input, Looking to build an outdoor\patio subwoofer enclosure and find a suitable subwoofer to put in it. I am completely new to outdoor audio, my initial thoughts were a marine subwoofer and a birch box doused in resin and truck bedliner? Again, TOTALLY new to all of this so i may be way off. Whatever the sub and enclosure material, they will both need to stand up to the very muggy, hot central indiana summer weather. Sealed or possibly PR enclosure, Will be powered by a dayton 150 watt amp. Any and all input is greatly appreciated, thanks.

Do you need a fair amount of output? I ask because outdoor audio really takes a hit on the bottom end. You don't get any room gain...

Most outdoor subwoofers I have built have been vented, most 4th order bandpass and horns. I would stay away from a sealed alignment, unless of course you aren't worried about output. Honestly, 150 watts and a single driver in a seale dbox won't go really far.

As far as the enclosure, is it going to get humidity only or get directly rained on? If it is just humidity, you can use most materials if you build it right.

My in-laws have a set of 2-ways mounted above thier hot tub in a sun room (green house). I used Adire 4.5" midbases and Audax tweeters. It is a vented alignment, so air can get inside the box. The boxes are MDF, but I primed the inside with 3 coats of Dupont snadable primer and the outside is finished with Formica. I also used stainless mounting hardware and gold plated terminals. Everything soldered and the joints were cleaned and coated with conformal coating. It has been almost 8 years, the only thing that has changed is the copper phase plug on the Adire drivers isn't as shiny as it used to be, not turning green, but opaque looking...

For a sub, look into a lab horn if you have the room, build it out of marine grade plywood and get it shot with line-x.... You could spray it with a hose every day and it would be fine...

Hope this helps...

Thanks for the response! It may see some direct rain, only if it gets truly gnarly outside, which tends to happen in indiana summer thunderstorms. The constant humidity is my main concern, its sticky as HELL here. I want to go ported but theres so many bugs and various critters that would love to make a home out of a nice enclosure that it concerns me, are there port grilles or meshlike materials that exist that wouldnt impede the airflow too much? As far as output, not looking for anything major. Listening area is only about 15ft by 20ft(patiodeck) and neighbors wouldnt tolerate anything more than moderate listening levels, old f'ers. Im confident i could make the enclosure pretty impervious to the elements, its mainly the sub that im concerned with. Is a marine sub a silly thought? My plan was downward firing, under a bench thats back is against the house, mostly under the roofline. it would be relatively protected but i dont see it escaping direct water exposure on at least a few occasions.

If you don't need a ton of output than you would be fine doing a standard vented or sealed box.

Don't need a marine driver for th emost part. Just look for something with a rubber surround, poly/aluminum/heavily treated cone and preferably an aluminum frame. Look at one of the Dayton HF 12s....

You could use something like window screen if you want to keep the bugs out...

I would do a down firing 4th order design out of birch. Spray with bedliner and it would be fine.

Similar to this, one I thought of right away and one I found searching online

I would have the opening recessed like the one I drew so water would not run in the opening if it did rain.

Edited March 28, 201213 yr by swift

I like that 4th order, id rotate to have the port firing down, raised up on some feet. thanks for the input!

I like that 4th order, id rotate to have the port firing down, raised up on some feet. thanks for the input!

yeah but its bets not to see the driver through the port in a 4th order BP