What if an enclosure is too big for the subs?

[Guest]

[bbeljefe]

OP, there is no reason you shouldn't (or can't) use the box until you've saved enough money to redo it. You should definitely set your amp gain on a 0dB track and you should set your infrasonic filter at 5Hz below tuning. Once you've done that, you'll be fine as long as you also keep an ear on how the subs are acting.

As was mentioned, manufacturer's recommendations aren't some sort of do or die rule that must always be followed, they're a combination of three design goals which are as follow: power handling, sound pressure & space saving... and not necessarily in that order. Some manufacturers even go as far as to offer three different recommendations, such as SPL, optimal and low bass. And if you look at the box sizes, they'll range from smallest to largest in that order.

As for breaking triple joints in the sub, no one can really tell you that will happen without modeling the subs and looking at the response curves and impedance curves with them in that particular enclosure. With a modicum of common sense use, the box you have could very well be great for low end response but it could also be peaky as hell and not particularly useful. However, you will never know if you don't use it and you will not destroy the subs if you put them in it and test it cautiously.

I build a lot of transmission line enclosures and with respect to acoustical suspension, net internal volume and port area... those boxes would be horrible from the perspective of a conventional ported box. They offer almost zero acoustical suspension, they're about 3 times the volume of a conventional vented box and they have the same (or about) vent area as the subs in them have cone area... yet they do not destroy subs like you might first think. In fact, I've had 4 different kinds of sub in the one in my truck now and I've run all of them on more power than they're rated for. And, I run them very hard. I've only had one problem with one sub and that was due to a signal cable on one pair of strapped amps which caused one sub to be getting full power from it's amps and the other getting only half power.

tl;dr... Put them in and try them but use caution. ;-)

[kirill007]

From his other (alternator) thread, I've advised him his amp at 4 ohm instead of buying a cheap/crap alternator for a short period.

If he would just wire at 4 ohm, chances are the DC XL's will be able to handle the power in this big of a box.

Obviously you can't know it without modeling the subwoofers in their box and see what the excursion will be like at that power level.

[Jessica]

lmao, i just want to say, that i think i was pretty damn close to what the actual spec were for that enclosure. OP, maybe you should try car audio Q&A on facebook. there is a ton of idiots on there that would help you. I am guessing that your "guy" is the guy at lowes who runs the rip saw and you fucked up.

Not sure what i was thinking here. Sorry bout that part OP. I was out of line.

[bcbrassard]

NEVER ENDING THREAD! REDO BOX! I KNOW IT SUCKS BUT MOST OF US HAVE BEEN THERE.

[poorfish88]

i once put four 15's in a 24 cubic foot box and it did pretty good. Just sayin manufacture recommended 3 cubic feet per lol.

Got some nerve to post this. Look at the amps he lists LULZ. Yepper them massive cheapy dual 1500s strapped in a AP3k have been know to stress some subs.

Your sub is like the little goldfish at the fair, sufacating in shit watts, instead of water. Guy goes buy best woofer and the most shitt,shitter,shittest amp possible. Good Talk