tips/tricks for increasing SPL?

[Dustin_S]

are there any little-known hints, tips, tricks or secrets to getting the most SPL out of what you've got?

Every little bit helps, thank you.

[Haibane]

All I can think of is, wavebox works well, try 2 guage or lower wire. make sure everything is well hooked up. Use good connections.

[sr20de4evr]

deaden everything, large box tuned about 5Hz under the resonant frequency of the car (if you're going for a true SPL setup)

[Dustin_S]

whoa....couple of questions. I know only the basics as far as system goes- only what they tell you in the installation manual...

Anyway, questions-
What is Wavebox?

How do I determine the resonant frequency of my car? it's a 93 Nissan 240SX hatch, for what it's worth, but I'm a drummer first-over, so I know that resonation can vary from two objects of the same type/size and such. so, how do I determine the resonant frequency of my car? and that of the box?

[sr20de4evr]

well first, are you going for a daily driver setup, or are you going to use this to compete in SPL comps?

[Haibane]

A wavebox is a HUGE ported box tuned to what will make it the loudest frequency of the sub.

[Haibane]

Here is something I found "The Wave~Box, it's just like the Virtual Technology boxes, tuned very low because of such long length vents.

There's a guy here in GA by the name of Les Hudson, he builds these so-called enclosures. If you want to check them out if you're ever around the area goto Sound Sensations of Marietta, GA. I would not recomend buying from him, because he is a liar and a cheat. And if someone wants to call this slander... they can't because it is true Anyways, he charges anywhere from $250 to $1,000 for these enclosures, and they're nothing special. Just a big box tuned extremely low, way too low, cause it's below the Free-Air Resonance. Woofers have essentially no bass output below their fundamental resonance frequency. A closed box has a relatively high resonant frequency so yeilds to support the deep bass. To try to improve the deep bass, designers tend to use very massive cones with soft suspensions to try to lower the fundamental resonance.(ask Don, see if he's familiar with this) Although this does make it possible for the system to have deeper bass, the increased mass degrades the transient response even more.

He claims that you only need 100 watts of power to make (1) 12" woofer in one of his boxes to out-preform (3) 12's sealed w/ 300 W a peice. Which is a lie, cause it's no where near a TRUE Transmission Line enclosure.

A true transmission line enclosure is an enclosure with a long length, mazed vent & is computer designed, so don't waste your time and MDF trying to build one of these, and these boxes aren't small... for one 12" woofer I've seen one in a Dodge Ram take up 21 cu. ft. of internal air-space volume(used in a bed cut). It had an Adire Audio Shiva, and did 143-144s at the dash legal w/ an Alpine 200Watt(Total) amplifier.

In a transmission line enclosure, the back wave of the woofer does not "hit" off the interior wall and then radiate back into the room through the thin cone of the woofer as in sealed or ported enclosures. These multiple echoes color the sound and can only be demolished in a transmission line enclosure. There is absolutly no pressure in a transmission line enclosure to excite strong enclosure resonances. In a sealed or vented boxes, enclosure resonances can usually only be controlled, not eliminated as in a properly designed transmission line enclosure.

My advise, forget it. Build a large slot vented enclosure tuned above the Free-Air Resonance of the woofer(s).

-Andrew
[email protected] " I have heard good stuff about wave boxes if they are done right. You can get it louder than 3 12"s, I know a few people with them.

[Haibane]

"There is no "best box for every subwoofer". You have to go by the spec sheet on the particular sub you have. Each manufacturer makes a specific woofer for a specific application. Every sub will not work in the same type of box. Subs with a Qts of less than 0.4 generally work good in ported boxes, while those with higher work good in a sealed box. Most subs perfer a ported box. A sealed box(on the same sub) versus a ported box will give you less out put but, a wider frequency range. While on the other hand, a ported box does give you more output but, less frequency range. Because a ported box is ported which tunes the box to a certain frequency, you get more output at that tuning frequency but, you lose low frequency extention. If you want to go bandpass, it will work just like the proted box but, it will give you an even more limited frequency range. There is a thing though called a "transmission line" or "wave box" that works like a ported box and gives you incredible amounts of bass with very little power. The catch is that the box is pretty damn huge! Most subs(300-400W) in this type of box will max out at over 130db with only 160-200 watts of power. Cheap sub, small amp,big ass box and you get a lot of bass. If you have a beefier sub, use this type box with a larger amp(300+) and you may not be able to take the results. This box design is the reason why guys with (12)12" subs(Mmats Juggernauts) can waste someone with (48)10" subs(PPI flat piston in a sealed box). The 10's were the first to break 160db. The 12's were the first to break 170db. Not all subs can work in this type box though. I would say figure out how much space you are willing to give up and find the best sub that will work in that space. Some car audio shops have a computer program that will determine this by punching in a few stats."

[Haibane]

Buy a brahma 15" hook that bad boy up, and I will drive to go hear that, or rather I wouldn't have to

[Dustin_S]

Wow...I never knew how much of a poser I was...I knew none of this stuff. I'm totally in over my head.

[Haibane]

LOL, it is a good hobby to get into, always keeps my mind off of problems when I want to get away. It's fun to do research on it too. Think you actually are learning for fun.

[Dustin_S]

OH yeah, this is a daily driver setup..but I like watching my rearview miror shake at long stop lights.

[Haibane]

well then, go for an sq setup with a single e15a.22 ported, should do the trick. I have 2 audiobahn 15"s sealed getting at most 300 watts each and it shakes the rear view mirror into oblivion. A e15a.22 handles 1000 watts, more than twice what I am pushing and it would be in a ported box, think about that. The xmax on one of those is insane too.

[sr20de4evr]

If you just want the rear view mirror to shake get yourself a good set of components, my Focals can do that

The 15a is good, but it might be a bit much for what you're looking for, especially ported. My ported 12a is enough to hurt my ears and blur my vision on rap, or kick me in the nuts on the kick drums of a good rock song. The 15a is also on an indefinite backorder right now, some people predict a 3 month wait but no one really knows for sure.

[Dustin_S]

thanks for the help so far guys, I'm experimenting with box sizes and locations as well as ported and sealed, and I'm noticing some changes...for better and worse. One more question- how do I determine the resonant frequencies of the box and the car?