So you’ve decided to get a subwoofer for your car. The question is, which subwoofer enclosure should you get? Or more specifically, what kind of enclosure should you get for your car?
Finding the right subwoofer box for your car is not always easy, but thankfully the options at your disposal are more straightforward than they are complicated.
When it comes to subwoofer enclosures, there are two main options: sealed and ported.
A sealed subwoofer box is airtight and uses the trapped air to control the sub, providing accurate and punchy bass.
A ported subwoofer box is tuned to the frequency range of your choice (within limits outlined in the manual), as well as having holes/ventilation for better air flow. All this makes your sub sound a lot louder without using more.
A properly designed ported enclosure can sound clean while producing more output around its tuning frequency. Typically you can double the output that a sealed box would make if made correctly. So while a sealed sub isn’t as loud, the sound can be less boomy, making it a good choice overall. That makes a ported subwoofer ideal for those who value volume over accuracy, such as those who prefer bass heavy music.
Then there are bandpass boxes.
These enclosures place the subwoofer inside a specially designed chamber and direct the sound through one or more tuned ports. In a common fourth order bandpass design, the subwoofer is mounted between a sealed chamber and a ported chamber, with the bass exiting through the port.
These enclosures can produce very high output within a specific frequency range, but they are more complex to design and tune than sealed or ported boxes. Because the enclosure must be carefully matched to the subwoofer, a professionally designed or preloaded bandpass enclosure is often the best option.
So now that you have an idea of these different types of enclosures, you might still be wondering which one is best for you. At DS18, we have a variety of sealed and ported enclosures, including:
SB212: This loaded sealed compact enclosure comes with two slim dual 12 inch subwoofers. The subs feature a power rating of 700W RMS, a frequency response of 30Hz to 250Hz, and 93dB sensitivity.
JL-SUB10 and JK-SUB12: Made for 4-door Jeeps, these sealed enclosures are sold in pairs; the JL-SUB10 is designed to fit 10” subs while the JK-SUB12 fits 12” subs. Both enclosures are UV-protected and come with a 1-meter, 6-core input wire for both speaker signal and RGB LED integration.
ZR212LD: This loaded ported enclosure comes with dual 12” ZR12.2 subs, featuring 800W RMS, 1600W peak power, and tuned to 29Hz. It delivers immense sound, combining the construction of the enclosure (crafted from ¾” MDF for strong acoustical resonance) and the power of the sub.
GEN-X210LD: If you’re all about the bass, this loaded ported enclosure has what you need. The enclosure is made from ½” MDF with a port tune of 35Hz for deep and powerful bass. The GEN-X210LD comes with two GEN-X104D 10” subs, featuring a 2” voice coil diameter, 90dB sensitivity, and a power rating of 800W RMS / 1600W MAX.
No matter what type of subwoofer you have or what type of enclosure you’re looking for, DS18 has what you need to make the most out of your car audio. We have plenty of subwoofer boxes, both loaded and empty, letting you pick from a large variety of options for upgrading your car’s sound system.
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