Is sealing off always better?

[OrionStang]

In my car, sealing off gains very little. One or two tenths. The sound and the air moved remains about the same, too. Trunk rattle is the only thing that improved with sealing off.

My best trunk scores were forward firing with the box pushed all the way back, not sealed.

Take it for what it is, but you really need to test different ways in YOUR car.

[Wood]

We sealed off tdsa23's Maxima trunk. Sound was much better and moved a lot more air. Not sure if "louder" since he never got back on the meter. But I liked it much more

Did it feel louder at least? Sorry if I am thread jacking Deebeez, these questions will probably benefit you. I am currently in a build and I don't think my buddy is to happy. We were expecting to at least have some inner chest, slight pressure to the chest making it a tad fun to breathe.

Although it does sound "clean," I felt like I wasted my time sealing off (especially damaging my trim panels with great stuff smh)... I have 4 layers of deadening on my trunk lid and double layer everywhere else from the rear deck back, secured the bottom of my license plate along with deadening behind it... ran 2k rms 6inches from the back of the trunk and still wasn't rattling... My experience with sealing off was it was too much work and not the performance I hoped for. My main concern was losing lows and in my vehicle I was tuned lower while sealing yet it couldn't hit the low notes with much authority as my rear fire setup which was tuned higher. Now don't get me wrong, 2k vs 4k is a huge difference when peak frequency is hit, but as far as low end, I lost it all when sealing :/ but that's my personal experience

[BigManAC]

I didn't notice much of a db gain when I sealed the Saturn off, maybe .25 of a decibel which can win comps. However where I really noticed the difference was in the frequency response of the sub. Before it liked the lows but you couldn't really hear them and they were not "in your face". After I sealed it off my car loves the low end, around 26-29. I probably should do some bracing on my rear doors but idc that much about it. Every time people sit in it they say it moves some air for a single 15". I meter it but I built it for music. It has a nice little range, 25-40hz and it works perfectly for me.

[audiofanaticz]

some of the loudest trunk cars that compete are not sealed off, but they also are built around playing 1 frequency.

[reedal]

If i am wrong I hope someone will tell me, but I always thought it is louder when firing to the rear (towards the trunk, hatch, etc.) because the sound/air has something to load off of before it reaches your ears. Sealed off, it has to reach the windshield first, and there's more distance between the port and what it loads off of, so not as loud. Again, just what I have thought.

Weld the trunk shut, fire into the trunk = no rattle and loud

Boom.

[Mr DeeBeez]

Thanks for all the input! Don't worry about thread jacking, this thread was intended to be a discussion. How much of a difference between facing the cabin not sealed, vs sealed off? My box is in and facing cabin, I just haven't sealed it yet. Curious to know how much of an improvement that will be.

Thanks for all the responses!