i got an apline E on ebay and i dont have a box for it yet so i was wondering if it would be better to build my own or buy one....

i know that the prebuilt ones are probably good quality, but theyre not to cheap....


if i build my own, i can custom make it for that little lip in the extend cab part, and i can double up the MDF on the font piece...

ive got the tools and knowledge to make one, i was just wondering which would be better?

 

if its a 12" i have a custom box made for the ext cab of the truck..

 

building your own would of course be better! there's a good few of us here that can help ya out along the way if you needed.

 

shipping would prob be to much for it... but pm me with pics and ill see...


i heard that its better to hav ported boxes, the sealed because of the way that the sound bounces through the cab, that it wouldnt sound as good as a ported would be better...
can i use just any port tubs or do they have the be a certain lenght?...

also were would be the best place to put the ports if i made it a downfiring sub?

 

if you decide to build a ported box, make sure to follow the manufacturer specs on box size and port length. a vented box may be a better option if you wanna go ported. It also depends on what you want the sound to be like. a vented box will be louder probably, but will be a "sloppier" bass sound. a sealed box tends to be punchier. The vented/ported boxes also need to be larger in order to be most effective. like i said, look for specs on the sub you got. There should be a listing on the alpine website of suggested box sizes depending on what type you want. I think custom building a box will be cool though and will look better than a cookie cutter box. Good luck!!

 

it all depends on what you're going after. ported will hit lower notes, and be louder, but you loose quality and accurate reprpduction of whatever you're listening to. with our trucks, either type of box sounds pretty good. personally, im keeping with sealed. ive built many of both, and in the end, i just like the quality of a sealed better.

this is where it gets fun! there's alot of measurements needed, along with accurate specs for the sub... there's a few simple math equations you'll need to follow for the size of the box, and the length of the port. you cannot create good results by guessing on what size/length port to use. building a ported box with no numbers to follow is very dangerous for the sub, and wasteful of your time and money. if you feel up to it, and want to really follow thru with a ported box, make sure it's built to spec properly!

if you're down firing the subs, people normally either have their ports routed out the front or the rear of the box.. id say sides too, but, it depends on where the box is sitting, etc, etc.. under different circumstances though, with the correct engineering of the box layout, your port could almost exit anywhere (i'll stress that it takes work to have it exit in some places and work right!). i had a down firing ported box in my ranger, with slot ports facing forward.. they came out in between the seats perfectly. everytime the bass hit, you'd get a nice strong breeze of air against your elbows on the arm rests!

and before you do anything, look for the sub's EBP.. that right there will tell you if its even recommended to be in a ported box or not.

 

what i heard about proted and sealed, is that your supposed to use sealed in trunks because the sound bounces around the truck so it comes out sounding better, where as in a truck if it were to bounce around the cab, it wouldnt sound as good, which is why your supposed to get a ported one so that the sound comes out better...all things ive heard soi dunno whats true...

but this is gunna be on hold for a while because all/most of my money is going towards paying off my loan, so it might be a little bit untill i can get it in unless i can find a cheap, quality amp...

but im gunna keep seraching for deisgns and such...

 

nah, thats a little misleading.. bass is bass... its all low frequency, which is not linear at all. you're not going to hear it bouncing around, instead, it'll fill the area it is in. dont pick the type of box based on that thought.. its all about what you're going after! either very loud, deep bass, or loud, accurate bass. either way, you'll be proud of the outcome when you build your box!

 

The reason I ran with sealed is the following:
Ported boxes are better suited to "rap" type bass, 808 style.
Sealed boxes are better for the bass drums notes.
Bass guitar is kinda split, it really depends on how it is played. Overall Rock = Sealed, Rap = Ported.

Sealed also has higher inherent power handling because it uses the sealed in air as a suspension system. Ported is essentially free air.
Buy two 300 watt RMS subwoofers and feed them 600 watts each. Put one in a sealed box, and another in a ported box, the ported box sub will probably break first (surround failure, overall suspension wear, or even cone damage)



Look for a box design program out on the net. I forget the name, but it was an beta version (and free) that input all the theile/small stats for your sub, and the basic dimensions of your box. Then you tell it how much power you'll be using and it will give all kinds of comparisons on output. It may help you decide.

However I just say do it. Start with sealed because they are easier. It's a rare thing for someone to build a box, and not think of a better design shortly thereafter. Sometimes it's just fun to try new stuff. But ported boxes are harder to construct, and are less forgiving of any mistakes. Sealed just have to be air tight and be reasonably shaped.

 

WinISD

www.linearteam.org/winisd.html

 

That what I use. Works awesome.

 

Dont mean to hyjack but i am also building a down firing sub box and i want it to be ported but how do i know what size port to use? I know the cubic ft of airspace in the box etc. just need to know how to calculate what size port i need. I just want to see if it will sound better than the sealed one i have now.

 

That's the one! Thanks for locating that channing... I couldn't for the life of me remember the name.

Dale, what sub do you have(is it that kicker?)? It should be included with any manual included with the subwoofer, or you can probably find it online. You can also call up the company's tech line (that's what they are there for) and request recommended port size/length. Heck they may even be willing to fax over blueprints, but that depends on the company. Most it should cost you is a long distance call, or maybe 30 minutes searching the net.

That program Channing linked will help you tune it, but the actual mechanics of doing so I've little experience in (past theoretical that is).

 

After you put in the T/s parameters, the program will automatically have the best tuning/box size for your subwoofer. If you want a peak in the response go for a vent and use something like a 4"x8" port or bigger and increase the box volume. Then the port will really short. If you want to tune for low frequency response, then use a smaller port 1"x10" or so and you will still probably have to use a big box. Especially for the Kicker L-series. For the Alpine, it raelly shouldn't be that big. That's all just from playing around with every subwoofer i've ever contemplated buying. Also from building speakers for my room. Hope this helps out.