by theprodigy79 » Sun Sep 11, 2005 10:03 pm
It's all in the quality of the box... you can build / buy a crappy sealed box and it will sound horrible, or you can build a good quality sealed box to the sub specs and it will sound excellent. The smaller the sealed box, the higher the SPL and punch but the less the "roll-off" on the lows... The larger the sealed box, the lower the SPL and punch but the smoother the roll-offs. In general, when moving from a ported box to a sealed box (assuming both boxes are of good quality build) you will lose around 3db (approx with two 12"s) and lose some efficiency, but gain power handling and gain clarity / tighter bass response... Ported enclosures are more "efficient" down to their tuning frequency, and also allow more air agitation than sealed (you get more resonance around the tuning frequency)...
All in all, with two 12"s, the most noticable differences will likely be a slight loss in SPL and punch of the subs but a gain in tightness and roll throughout the entire musical spectrum. Sealed enclosures are good general enclosures overall, and they are very simple to build a good one. Either way, if you build or buy one, make sure it meets the specs of the subs. Also, take a little extra time to seal the seams of the box with some wood glue, spray paint the interior of the box, and stuff it around half to 3/4 full with poly fluff (synthetic pillow stuffing, easily found at Walmart or wherever).
Good luck,
-James
'04 Solara SE Sport V6, all TRD + CP-e, gone but not forgotten... '09 G37S Sedan and '88 Supra Turbo project
