LazyAlex

whts good? im planing to get the 12" alpine type r sub..but i dont know wht kind of box sounds good? any info would help..thanks

Xeeeeeem

I'd go with sealed. I once had 2 type Rs in a prefab SUBZERO ported box. Sounded like i bought these subs at wal-mart. Perhaps they were in a prefab box and weren't designed for that type of box/size.

I'm not dogin the TYPE Rs and i know they have great capabilities but MAKE SURE you get a box that is the correct size for the sub!

Just my 2 cents

LazyAlex

mm..k..thanks fa the info..=0)

tqlla3k

iTrader: (1)

Seal gives you better bass extension and generally cleaner bass. However you sacrifice Ouput. (Its weaker) If you have a more powerful amp then you are fine.

Ported gives you more power.... but has less Bass extension

Band pass, gives you the most SPL. but less clean bass, and less bass extension

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

If you like your bass clean, go sealed, esp. if you listen to jazz & rock. For hip hop & dance, ported tends to be better, esp. if your amp is underpowered or your sub not very efficient.

vsynergy

2005-2006 Type-R + sealed enclosure = no no. The Type-R's sound great in a vented enclosure, it gets very loud and maintains decent sound quality. It all comes down to what kind of music you listen to and how well the box is built.

kratos

I prefer a VENTED box. Why?

1) Free output. Generally 2-5db louder. How can that ever be bad?

2) Lower useable frequency output. A vented box is typically louder between 25 and 45hz than a sealed box. This makes it sound like it 'plays lower' and with very little information below 25hz, I'm willing to make that trade. Look at the F3 point of a sealed and a vented box for the same driver. The F3 point is where the response of the box is down 3db from the reference level. The lower the F3 the 'deeper' the box will generally sound.
Sealed boxes hover in the high 30s to low 50s range, in general. Vented boxes often run high 20s to high 30s.

3) Flexibility. Oh you want deeeeep bass all week and a little SPL comp on the weekend? No problem. Run a 30hz vent all week and swap it for a 55hz vent for the show.

4) Power Handling. Vented boxes generally handle more power than sealed ones. The exception is at very low frequencies below tuning but this is an easy workaround.

Those are the 4 major reasons. The sealed camp wins in respect to enclosure size - but this to me is a minor concession and in more than a few instances one can go with a smaller sub or fewer subs and go vented and have the same performance as a larger or more sealed woofers. The topic of 'group delay' comes in as well. Most people don't understand it and figure 'more is worse'. Technically it is but most boxes, sealed or vented, are not a problem.

I will give sealed enclosures one for sure advantage: If you have some random woofer or like to change woofers a lot without changing boxes, get a sealed box. They are way way more forgiving this way.

EDIT: If you have a pre-2005 Type R then run a 1.6 cubic foot box with a 4"X10" port. If it is 2005 and up then run the box a bit bigger at 1.8 cubes with the same size port. A slot port would be even better.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I say sealed for all around simplicity. Unless you know what you're doing, a sealed box is more forgiving when it comes to mistakes. A prefab sealed box will most likely sound better than a prefab ported box.

LazyAlex

thats for all the good information..=0)

sk72

I would truely go for vented if i had a SUV cause it sounds a lot better but surely a sealed box for a car.. since it is more forgiving ... and it does sound a lot better than the vented in the car... but to be true.. it's your EARS... listen to it and do what you think is best for your ears...

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

That's only because the extra bass that you get from a ported box fills the larger SUV cabin better. You can achieve the same or better with an extra woofer driver in a sealed box, or a woofer with a larger excursion.

350g

Kratos makes some very good points . . . just remember, your sub is only as good as its enclosure. Ported boxes should be tailored around its sub to take advantage of its mechanical properties, whereas, a sealed enclosure can be a prefab (larger margin for error).

On another note, if you go sealed, try to find an enclosure with at least 3/4" MDF . . . some ebay prefabs use the cheaper, less thick material (sometimes they might use particleboard--not good). If you're lucky, you may find an enclosure with internal bracing, but it tends to be 20-40% more in cost. Also, if you go prefab, be sure to apply sealant (internally) around the terminal cups. Most companies simply slap the terminal in and rely on the carpet / hole size to keep them in place . . . which is not good. You want a sealed enclosure to be airtight and rigid.

Hope that helps.

G