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Calculate Sub Enclosure

correct calculation of sub enclosure

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559 views

Calculate Sub Enclosure

correct calculation of sub enclosure

Uploaded by

beryuk
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Learn: Home » How to Build a Subwoofer Box
Free Catalog & E-mail - Click here
How to Build a Subwoofer Box ...and save some money, too.
Erin Blanton — Jul 01, 2003
Article contents

Page 1. Tools and materials

Page 2. Choosing your sub and designing the enclosure

Page 3. Constructing the subwoofer enclosure

Page 4. Finishing and customizing your subwoofer encl


View bio

I
chose the Alpine SWE-1041 10" subwoofer for my CR-
V because it requires relatively little box volume.

1. Choosing your subwoofer.


When choosing a subwoofer, carefully note the manufacturer's recommended enclosure size, especially if you have
limited space in your vehicle. The box volume tells you how big your enclosure needs to be for maximum
performance from the sub. The box shown in this article was intended for my Honda CR-V, so I wanted to make sure
it wouldn't take up too much space. With that requirement in mind, I chose the Alpine SWE-1041 10" sub. The
manufacturer recommends a box volume of 0.6 to 1.25 cubic feet.

2. Designing the box.


To determine the correct dimensions for any subwoofer box, you can follow these steps:

1. Determine the minimum depth of your box. Measure the depth


of your subwoofer and add 2 inches. This measurement is the
minimum depth of your box (in this article, the depth refers to the
front-to-back dimension of the box, with the woofer being mounted
to the front).
2. Determine the minimum height and width of your box.
Measure the frame diameter of your woofer, or check the mounting
template that may be included with the owner's manual, to
determine the minimum height and width for the front of your box.
If you plan to mount a grille, be sure to allow for any additional
space that may be needed to accommodate it.
3. Determine the available space in your vehicle. Measure the
height, width, and depth of the vehicle space that you are willing to
devote to your subwoofer. If the box must be wedge-shaped to fit,
you will need to know the depth at the box's top and bottom.
4. Sketch out your box. Now's the time to sketch your box on paper
using the dimensions you've gathered. The box shown in this article
is rectangular, but you may find that a wedge-shaped box fits better
in your car or truck. Your sketch may look like one of these:
5. For our examples, let's use the following external dimensions:

1. Rectangular box:
Height: 13"
Width: 14"
Depth: 12"
2. Wedge box:
Height: 14"
Width: 18"
Depth 1: 5"
Depth 2: 8"
6. Determine the internal dimensions and volume of your box.
The above steps identified the external dimensions of the box. To
determine the internal volume, just subtract the thickness of the
wood to be used for construction. If you're using 3/4" MDF
(recommended!), then 2 x 3/4", or 1-1/2", will be subtracted from
each dimension.

7. The internal dimensions for our examples:

8.
1. Rectangular box:
Height: 11.5"
Width: 12.5"
Depth: 10.5"
2. Wedge box:
Height: 12.5"
Width: 16.5"
Depth 1: 3.5"
Depth 2: 6.5"
9. Calculate the internal box volume in cubic inches. Based on
the internal dimensions, you can calculate the internal volume of the
enclosure using the following formula:

Height x Width x Depth = Cubic Volume


Let's put some numbers in:

1.Rectangular box:

11.5" x 12.5" x 10.5" = 1,509.375 cubic inches

2.Wedge box: Since the wedge box has two depth dimensions, we
need to find the average depth before we can determine the
volume. To find the average depth, add the two depth
measurements together, then divide by two. Remember that Depth
1 = 3.5 and Depth 2 = 6.5.

3.5" + 6.5" = 10"


10" / 2 = 5"

So, the average depth of the wedge-shaped box is 5". Plug that
dimension into the formula:

12.5" x 16.5" x 5" = 1,031.25 cubic inches

2. Convert cubic inches to cubic feet. Since most manufacturers


will provide the recommended box volume in cubic feet, you'll need
to convert the internal volume from cubic inches into cubic feet. This
is done by dividing the cubic inches by 1,728.

1.Rectangular box: 1,509.375 / 1728 = 0.873 cubic feet


2.Wedge box: 1,031.25 / 1728 = 0.597 cubic feet
3. Adjust your box's volume to match the sub's specifications.
Now, compare the volume of the box you've sketched to the
manufacturer's recommendation. If it's too large or too small, you
can make small adjustments to one dimension until your box's
internal volume matches the manufacturer's recommendation as
closely as possible.

Often, manufacturers will recommend a range of enclosure volumes.


You can get good results with a box that's anywhere inside the
recommended range.

4. Determine the final exterior box dimensions. Once you've


identified the correct internal dimensions, it's time to add back that
1-1/2" we subtracted in step 5, to derive the new external
dimensions. Double check to make sure that these dimensions will
fit properly in your car, and you're ready to move on to construction.

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