The Great Subwoofer Debate: Ported vs Sealed - Which Sounds Better? KICKER Comp Gold
#subwoofer #kicker #Bass
Comparison of the 50th Anniversary KICKER Comp Gold 12" subwoofer in both sealed and ported enclosures...which one do I prefer and why?
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KICKER Comp Gold 12" Subwoofer: howl.me/cjeBZJwe06B
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VIDEO INDEX
0:00 Intro
1:27 Sealed Box
3:00 In Vehicle Tests
3:26 Sealed Box Flex
4:27 Sealed Box SPL Tests
6:26 Ported Box Flex
7:10 Ported Box SPL Tests
9:12 Pros and Cons
9:53 My Choice?
10:48 Song Playlist
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For musical accuracy, sealed. For being as loud as possible, ported
Agreed, the energy created by the ported enclosure with some of the song tracks was 👌
Not true at all
I always thought rock music sounded better with sealed box, and rap music sounded better in a ported box. Tighter bass from sealed, more boom from ported has been my understanding.
Question, I understand higher numbers at 50Hz than at 30hz, but how did it do it with less power. Can you explain that for me?
It isnt that black and white.
I’ve always preferred sealed boxes because I agree that the bass is cleaner and tighter. And just love kicker gold subs. I wish they’d re do the k label on the cap.
😅
Me too sealed punch harder
Sealed 10s are good for drag bass and quick bass possibly 2 -10s and 1- 12 to have a well-rounded system. Each speaker has its amp.
I used to think that. And while a good general rule, some woofers just will not work well in a sealed system. That said, if you build a good box and brace it well (best I did was build one out of a very rigid sewer pipe, for real) it is almost as good as sealed. Now I am testing the Ripol and a 4×12 open baffle. Ripol works best probably but cut it at 100Hz absolutely no higher. In the process of drilling some cement tiles to hopefully use it for a new Ripol. I think that will be the golden standard.
Sealed boxes also were nice thing before we had subsonic filter (safer for the woofer)
I am so glad I found your channel. I have been a bass head since the 90's and I appreciate all of your testing methods and conclusions. Thank you for the helpful data!
Thanks for all the work you put in to bring us quality content! I watch a lot of your videos, even though some are sponsored you still do fair and unbiased testing. If it's crap you tell us it's crap regardless of who's equipment it is. But what I noticed right off is that it took more power for the ported enclosure to put out its numbers than what the sealed enclosure needed to put out its! It tells me a lot. I've had debates about this many many times and this video has proved me somewhat right! By the way I only run sealed enclosure!!!
Been a sealed box basshead since the 90's. I just love the PUNCH that a sealed sub gives over a ported box.
Same here. Best choice is you like quality bass
Same here. I don't like the whistling from the ports. I started with a sealed, then a ported, then a bandpass and then back to sealed.
Yep.. me3
I ran sealed 32 years until now and I love it it can go very low and accurate..or punchy....I save space ..sound is better and perfect for me...but respect for my brothers with ported boxes they can be very loud!❤
Same here always thought sealed was the way to go for trunk vehicles and ported for like hatchback type
👌😬👍
Hot take, ported boxes are better when you're limited on space. A ported 10 box will be about the same size as a sealed 12, but will play much deeper and louder.
@@blakebrockhaus347you would have to have a really good box to be able to get super low on ported boxes my guy
Awesome video as always. I always appreciate that you seem to do your best to provide accurate information on anything you cover and also try to be up front about what is opinion vs verifiable information and the ways it can still vary... Good stuff sir!!
I’ve always been a fan of Kicker subs in sealed boxes. Back in the day, I had two 12” Kicker Comp VR subs (01C12VR4) in a small sealed box (1.0 cu. ft. per sub) with loose poly-fil in each chamber. I had a Directed 1100d amp running them and I could play any type of music with no problem. The bass was loud and deep with no distortion.
Best subs I've ever heard kick before. Love the old comps
I've always had a sealed enclosure for my kickers. I recently was interested in maybe getting a ported one now for my 15 in my Armada but you reminded me why I didn't get one in the 1st place. I listen mostly to hip hop, r&b, reggae and spanish music. To me, it just sounds better sealed. More precise hitting for the music low frequency. I appreciate the video my guy. Thanks
I'm a rock rap metalhead and of all the systems I've ever listened to, never had one of my own other than a pair of truck boxes, I always leaned towards sealed for personal listening, If I were competing ported would be the only option, but for listening I always liked sealed
Agreed. I never understood the whole belief that looser, less punchy bass is better for rock. Rock is DEFINITELY ‘tight bass’ music.
I've been enjoying your channel for a Lil bit. I love your OG Components reviews, 80s-90s RF, Orion, OG Phoenix Gold! It's great seeing the 50th anniversary Kicker! Gave me a 1990 flashback! I ran 2-12s Kickers in my 76 Camaro.😂 Super thorough testing! I appreciate your thoroughness and time sacrifice. YOU do A LOT of work, and put out TOP-SHELF Quality content!
I think it's easier to get the desired output from a sealed enclosure by adding an additional sub + power. If you're doing a single sub, go vented. Dual setup, go sealed.
Great video!!I like both but I favor the sealed setup for this sub which is why I believe kicker wanted you to try it since it was designed for Sealed. It just sounds more aggressive flexes more and better quality of bass in the sealed setup that kicker signature sound!
Heres one for ya... 4 sealed boxes.... One at the very beginning of speaker SPEC... one right in the MIDDLE... and the largest one at the big end of Speaker SPECS.... and for the KICKER.... add a smaller PORTED box to add to that ported side.... Smaller spec PORTED boxes are much more controlled and even... "tight" in comparison to larger ported boxes.... So long as they rumble the car! BDBD/2023
I never knew this a debate honestly. Sealed is for deeper,tighter, more accurate bass and is better for Sound Quality builds. Ported is for trying to be as loud as possible. I’ve had both. I prefer a large sealed box over ported and I listen to everything but mostly rap/edm.
Thank you for this!!! I actually hit you up on FB or IG asking for a comparison. I modeled these in WinISD and feel 1.5cf sealed is what I'm shooting for. I think I'll finally pull the trigger on a 12.
For the old Kicker Comps back in the day it was sealed all the way. My favorite was a compression chamber or whatever with two speakers facing forward and two on the sides as far back as possible with an slight angle/taper on the side panels like a horn with top and bottom panels. However bandpass boxes were my favorite box back when amps were expensive and watts were $1 or more a piece, but they needed the right speakers. Even thought they were louder they also were not as tight when it came to heavy metal double bass vs similar sized drivers.
I did competitions for a long time and I have never heard a ported box that sounded better than a properly sized sealed box. Ported is louder, but the bass is more boomy than a nice solid sounding bass thump. Just personal preference, but from a sound quality standpoint there is no substitute for a sealed box.
A neon Williston Audio sign behind that acrylic box would be freakin dope. You could do a lot of cool stuff with those. If you have a really nice system there's no reason not to make it look amazing too.
They also make subs where the cones itself lights up when the bass hits.
I have Alpine type S, i used to have a 30L sealed box and it sounded amazing but for a bit more sound i went to 40L ported box, it is still amazing the stop and go in Alpine subwoofers delivers top sound quality every time in most cases
I’ve experienced great sound from both types of boxes and bandpass. It depended on the type of vehicle I was using. I have two 10 in Alpine type R in a sealed box in my f-body hatchback Camaro. In my tundra, I have two type R in a ported box and they also hit amazingly with no slap or distortion. I have two 12 L7 squares in a ported box made by kicker in 88 caprice trunk that sounds great too.
Sealed all day long!!
A spectrum analyzer would have been a great addition to show just how much roll off there was at the lower frequencies. (indicated in part by the volume reduction at lower frequencies) A larger sealed box would have improved the lowest frequencies a bit at the cost of loss of volume at the natural box frequency. (a broader, somewhat flatter response)
would surely add a more visible and measurable aspect to this NOT a Mickey Mouse Production....LOL.... Yeah... METERS and GRAPHS please!!!! BDBD/2023
Yeah big sealed rolls off LOW man. You can get 21" subs down to 10Hz in a cubic meter or two lol.
Great video as always! I'm thinking about making my first box pretty soon, so this has some good timing. Wish me luck 🤞
Something I found over the years was sealed boxes can cause the subs to overheat and you can get the DB up a little by wrapping the box with rubber padded carpet or anything like dynomat
In my opinion all kicker subs sound better in sealed enclosures
Box design (for ported) and Thiele Parameters play an important role on how each subwoofer will behave, even having the ability to go IB (QTS).
Yes and the manufacturer should also be able to provide box recommendations for the consumer. If they don't know, time to move onto a different brand.
I'm running a older kicker comp vx 15. I had it in a ported box and it fried the voice coil. I rebuilt it with a voice coil from Springfield Speaker and went with a sealed box and so far so good. I'm also running a old punch 150 Amp I don't think that will ever change. Love your video's too keep them coming.
Amp clipped most likely
i always ran ported enclosures as i knew it was louder and more efficient, then i did a set up in a truck that didnt have the room for a ported box, i found that i preferred the sealed box and ran those from that point on... was running the same head unit amp and subs from the last set up
Love the way a JL 13W7 sounds in a sealed enclosure, powerful but tight and clean, it still managed to break the seal on my windshield after a couple years of use.
Can’t go wrong with them or Image Dynamics in sealed breaking stuff. And sounding clean as hell doing it!
How mant watts and what var and age modell size on box Also
Ran a 12 inch rockford punch behind each seat in my pickup in the 90s, sealed of course and was glorious. Fast, accurate, back massaging kicks. Unless your looking for booming bass, I'd go sealed.
My buddy had an S10 (man I miss mini trucks) with a similar setup, sealed wedge boxes with kicker 10's behind each seat. It was awesome! The sub right behind your back is a very unique feel. Another buddy had a ranger, I loved listening to those systems.
@volvo09 so true, miss he good old days. I ran Rockford separates up front and the two subs with a ppi 2150am and a nakamichi td 500 tape deck and it was a treat to listen to.
Sealed is all i will run, ported sounds horrible and washed out!
I've had everything from 6's to 15's and now run a single 1000w old Boston competitor 12 I got given to me. Ported perfectly tuned flat and a bit lower in range for more output, hits mid lower 20's cleanly, it sounds very tight and good with all music. Also had it in my home theater for a bit, deep amazing bass from 1 12, needed nothing more since.
@@stevefox3763 If you get the design right for your tastes, ported can sound tight and fast just like sealed, you just need the right woofer for that. Flipside is sealed is way easier but i get headaches from all the higher hz thumping lol
Depends on the subwoofer. I love some subwoofers in a large sealed. For a very deep detailed sound. While others, such as the old B52 subwoofers do not work in sealed, they want large ported but excel in bandpass. From 1995-2006 I use to be a electronic store manager and we sold kenwood excelon, orion, soundstream, virtual technologies hammer line. ETI sound systems, B52, I've played with a lot of brands back in the day. Kicker, rockford fosgate. We did spl competitions as well. DB drags. Was a fun time for audio. Old school 🚸
Thanks for your input. Im an oldschool fan aswell. I have been fortunate enough to have worked in car audio in the 90s, and 2000s. I have direct listening experiences, with most all Rf punch, and power series amps, subwoofers, and even decks. Eclipse(by fujitsu ten) decks, amps, and subwoofers, models 8600, 8700, the Aluminum 8800 Dvc, and their very innovative Ti= Titanium subwoofers(The Big Boy subwoofer Frames) that are still used by most top tiered subwoofers today. Earthquake D2 shredder amps, and there Magma subwoofers in a small sealed/passive radiator, Mtx road thunder, blue thunder, black golds, Rfls, 7500s, 8500s, 9500s. Memphis power reference, m3s, mojos. Lots of Pioneer, some Pioneer premier, Alpine, Sony mobile Es(digital time alignment setup), Kicker, Concord, Orion, Mb quart, ADS, Boston Acoustics, Ground Zero, American Bass, Precision Power, JL audio, Hi fonics, Sound Stream, im sure im forgetting brands, but Alot to say the least😁! Competed aswell back in the day, aswell as a 2019 Regional champion. Db contests/shows are bigger than ever now, with Db drag, Usaci, Meca Car Audio, Iasca, N.S.P.L., ISPL=International SPL league, just to name the bigger ones off the top of my head.
EXACTLY!
yeah.... In the OLDEN DAZE I was FREE AIR... 15 inch JBL's in back... CV and even JENSEN. Power amps of them times barely 100 watts..... Later, smaller cars dictated away them 2 15 inch drivers in favor of a single 12 that could out perform them at HALF VOLUME. Amplifier design dictated speaker development. THESE DAYS.... WOW... the amount of SOUND generated by a single 12... oh yeah and 2000 WATTS.... Speakers have changed very little. AMPS... Damn... Unreal offerings these days for UNDER 100 dollars American. NJOY! heheheheh. BDBD/2023
Cadence FTW! All day!
The vented box is larger, which means the sealed box could fit in smaller spaces where need, but it also means a larger, eg 15" sealed sub could fit in roughly the same sized box as the vented 12", plus be easier to build or cheaper to buy.
I remember this mini truck back in the 90s when I was in high school. It had two sealed truck boxes behind the seat that were so loud. I think the subs were called stealth but I can't remember what company made them. I was impressed by the level of sound coming from that mini truck. It would rattle the dishes from two blocks away. Lol
Stealth boxes were made by JL Audio for many cars in the 90's. I remember how amazing a Stealth box in my buddies Del Sol sounded and it was basically invisible.
Sealed seems cleaner
This is where box design is critical. You can go with a more complicated enclosure to clean up the uncontrolled movement of the sub which causes a more "loose" sound. Hexi Base has done lots of different ported designs that will blow sealed systems and infinite baffle out of the water in terms of control and accuracy. In other words you can get the performance in ported design that works with every kind of music while keeping the speaker movement controlled for tightened sound like sealed systems produce. Loud, accurate and not too big.
Not to mention folded horn, tapped horn, fourth order, sixth order, series tuned sixth order, series tuned fourth order, wicked one, clamshell, Snailshell, T-line, series tuned T-line, ABC Box.
Im well aware of who Hexi Base is, but "All" ported enclosures drop off below tuning, no matter how they are designed. Also "All" subwoofers, and "All" enclosures exhibit a different sound characteristic, that some people like, more than others. There is no perfect enclosure for "All" subwoofers.
There are a LOT of variables and the title of the video makes a generalization on the subject....It's subjective how something "sounds" but in this case I included the objective SPL data along with my subjective listening results. Would be different in another vehicle, different box, sub, etc.
I put a JL 12W6 in a sealed box man the bass was smooth, tight and controlled. It was definitely SQ.
Sealed box provides a wider range of output whereas the old ported box is pretty much a 1 tone box... you lose all definition with a ported box but do get a higher spl at the resonance frequency. Another advantage to sealed is the power handling, its so much easier to blow a sub in a ported box than a sealed.
Ported enclosures can have a nice wide bandwidth. Definitely not a 1 tone box. I think your mixing up competition boxes that are tuned very close to the vehicles natural peak freq. Like a vehicle that peaks at 50Hz and you build a ported box tuned very closely to that, say 45Hz-50Hz. That's a one note wonder box, but very high output at those frequencies. A musical ported box would be tuned to say 30Hz. Then you will get smooth response from 25Hz to 60Hz.
I think sealed is better for rock and metal, personally. When the double kick hits you want nice tight bass response that punches you in the chest, not loosey goosey ported enclosure that sounds like a giant fart box.
✌💩👍
Sealed to weak too feel in yo chest 😆
@@mrvaj2021 That's why you do big sealed, 18, 21" sealed lol
@@N4CR5 🤣 probably the only way to feel it in your chest
@@mrvaj2021 wrong 😂
Always great videos. *Ya know how them sound waves go* ~
This is actually a test I was really looking for. I have an E46 Wagon - everybody knows the E46s have sound proofing like a shooting range LOL. I was looking for some decent bass, w/o changing much - so I did look into some "free-air" type setup, since there is a lot of space under the boot floor - but went with the cheap option, to just use my existing 12" DLD (Hungarian made, 500 W rms) sub in the enclosed box (I used before) and an amp hooked to the high level input.. The box should be around 45-48 litres (1.6 cu feet, smallest possible for the sub) - with some foam lining in it for the oomph - but works as intended! I still have space in the boot, and it still rattles my boot lid and my rear view mirror above half volume LOL!!
If you're getting at all serious about audio, and are still throwing out plattitudes like sealed/ported/ib is better.... it's time to start modeling your particular drivers/enclosure in software like Bassbox or Winisd. Different drivers have different requirements, and respond differently to the same enclosures. They don't tell the whole story, but you get a huge head start.
I’ll wait for your video and that sounds great!
Thanks for posting this. I didn't see any mention of damping material being placed in the enclosures. Obviously none was in the ported enclosure. Though it was something we always used back in the day, we never took the time to measure any performance difference. Neither SPL, frequency response, or "coloring". The SPL results in this video were as expected. About +3db (or more) with the ported enclosure. I too also like the punchy bass of a sealed enclosure, but man, I like that bottom drop of a ported one.
Why would you use filler in a ported enclosure?
@@timmturner you wouldn't lol. Nor would u in a sealed unless u designed the box too small.
My enclosed Kicker RT 12 sub just kicked it today . But Crutchfield made me proud. The amp I was running was a Rockville DB 12 RMS 500 watts . I loved the low bass sound with the high bass sound . Blown the damn speaker . I bought it in May of last year . It comes with a one year warranty so I'm so happy Crutchfield is honoring the Kicker warranty. I would go bigger but my 2010 Chevy Silverado crew cab needs space and that's why I need the low profile speakers .
I think I may have had 1 ported box over 30 years but ive always just run more power and a sealed set up. baselines with power are reproduced better in the sealed set up. kicker 15in comps running on phoenix gold m100s in my 92 explorer was one of my favorite set ups. Thanks for the video
I'm a big fan of sealed enclosures. Like you say, much more punch to the bass, and better control. I used to be a ported fan, but once I heard a sealed box, my preference has forever changed.
Hell Yea! you put a sealed box with the right frequency OMG you can play any song
@jnew6808 I am currently trying to build a SQ system in my car, and am using a single compVR12, and I want to play everything from Aurora's Runaway, to some rap, and countyr, I am thinking of tuning to 30hz? would that make sense.? It seems so hard to find consistent answers!
If you wanna listen to rock musick the bass drum sounds more realistic with a sealed box. Any genre that requires musical instruments will sound more accurate with a sealed box, music made by electronic devices may give you a better experience with a ported box but you must be aware that what you are listening to is not what the artist heard when he was recording it. I would only use a ported box for a home cinema, justo to feel explosions and other effects in my body. But other than that, if you wanna listen to music as it was heard by the artist that recorded it, sealed is better.
Another banger of a video big bruh. Much respect
For a ported system with sealed accuracy try a ported isobaric enclosure. The back side should be 1/2 of the recommended volume and the port should be tuned to the lowest frequency you want to play. You can put the drivers face to face, or face both to the front with the smallest intermediate volume possible without interference at max excursion. The intermediate enclosure must be absolutely sealed tight. I've built a bunch of them, and they sound amazing.
Got a pair of JL Audio 10W7's. Never heard bass so tight and clear than what Ive heard with sealed enclosures. No drag!
that's what im having installed next month, did you have trouble going back and fourth with sealed and ported or did you know right away you wanted a sealed enclosure? also if you don't mind, what amp are you running for your subs?
I was always taught sealed enclosures for cars with trunks(coupes and sedans) and bandpass boxes for open vehicles(SUVs and hatchbacks)
Small "rooms" usually have insane gain, which describes the insides of sedans and pickups well, a closed box does the job well enough in these cases. For a wagon/SUV you can usually fit a quarter wavelength of around 40-50 Hz, meaning you can design your box to make use of that natural gain for SPL or a really wide band (or somewhere in between).
i used to rock an old school JL in a 1cuF sealed box that demolished the ported bandpass it was in prior. literally no contest for volume and overall boom. and considering how low i like to hit, it satisfied me. the one problem i have with JL these days is that as the wattages go up, the overall lows they hit aren't quite the same depth. they're low, but not where they used to be. an fs of ~26-28 for a 12, vs closer to 20 for the older models. so you can tune the newer ones lower.. but its gonna hurt for space more. much sad.
I much prefer sealed boxes. My first subs were two JL Audio 12w4's, then later two Boston Acoustics Pro Series 12's. Now i've got a pair of Boston Acoustics G312-44 DVC 12" subs. They sound amazing on my SoundStream Reference 1000s amp.
I was a ported fan until I put together a clamshell isobaric two 12" mounted facing each other...the depths this box can reach in this isobaric configuration are absolutely incredible (2.2 cu ft for two twelves) considering the subs are under powered and plain Jane ancient diamond audio drivers. I've had the same box loaded with a single driver with more power and the isobaric isn't as loud but it's more defined and it reaches deeper. There are times where ported sounds better for certain music / movies, but for most non synthesized music, sealed with a little more than rated power is a good starting point.
@hifivega did a build with (2) 12's in clamshell ISO with Savard Pro subs and it was incredible. They sounded amazing and the box was cool as well with the acrylic. kzhead.info/sun/ma6gmdhljneEjI0/bejne.html
There's so many variables, I love deep and low bass, but I listen to such a variety of music that I have found sealed usually is the best route for most. In the end it's just whatever your preference is. Plus your budget, setup and so on. As long as you're bassin' it shouldn't matter. "Bass a holic" for life!
I know ported generally will net you more spl or sound boomier.( one step away from bandpass or passive radiator) but I preferred a sealed for tighter harder hitting bass around 30- 40 hz. plus the safety factor of sealed. it really comes down to what you want out of it. tune ur system to your preferences.
Dyno some old school soundstream amps….back before they sold out…25 years later still love the bass.
I used to think a ported box built right could be pretty tight and clean but ive realized over the years that you cant beat the sound quality, tightness, and smoothness of a sealed box. Plus, if you want more spl but want sealed, get a double box or a larger subwoofer.
I would have to agree. At the end of the day, the pressure sucking the woofer back into its starting point when in a sealed enclosure is either there or not there (in the case of ported). Unless you had some weird or crazy designed subwoofer that will mimick the air physics of a sealed, you will not see that type of controlled base in a ported box
@@Person.555 Anyone over the years, SEALED UP an existing ported box with a zonky labyrinth or folded internal port with satisfactory results?? Of course, we alter the freq response outcome(s) and live with the closed off change with a massive reduction comparatively or, in many cases we tweak the cabinet change by changing the actual sub in the altered cabinet. Of course, the above box change success or failure depends on expectations(!) along with the vehicle cabin.
I wish you did one with a band pass box cause it’s like both worlds but thanks for the vids I appreciate the consumer info you give me thanks bra🤙🏼
Which order?
Most likely 4th order, most popular design out there. 6th order is seldom used.
Yeah the sealed boxes do sound better but I like ported order cuz you can get the SPL I got 2012's and they sound great with a ported box which either box would be great keep up the great work man we love
Great test !! Can you run the same test on your Infinity Perfect sub if you still have it? In the eaely 2000's I used to run the 1st gen Infinity Perfect 12" 4-ohm sub off a Kicker ZR240 in a sealed enclosure, but always wanted to know how it would sound in a ported box. I could listen to all genres of music and the SQ was excellent. Many times I had friends ask why my system sounded better than their dual 12's. I told them sometimes less is more..... It helped having a huge trunk and an Alpine head unit with a parametric bass EQ to really dial the bass in. Keep the great content coming this summer !!
I prefer sealed speakers too.
Totally personal preference thing along with sub, enclosure and vehicle
I love the accuracy and tightness from sealed but I really hate when they can’t play those really low frequencies.
Throw rags, towels etc in it and it will!
@@jraddd3477 Really? That makes a difference big enough to notice?
@@Shreddylife night and day difference, especially if you like the deeps in a sealed compact box
Sealed box play lower frequency than a ported box it all depends how the box it built
@@shottadoglife9988 Correct, a sealed speaker box will not be as loud and punchy as a Vented though.
I like the color matched screws. There's some blue screws at Walmart that matches Orion blue pretty good. Speaker and box is black but logo and screws are blue. *Nice*
Frequency response measurements would've been most helpful, perhaps comparing them (via overlay) to modeling software results (without cabin gain) to determine the effects of cabin gain, then using that information to determine an ideal F3 and Qtc for a sealed system in this vehicle. Then discuss low -pass slopes and crossover points. Doing this would partially demonstrate how to properly select and integrate a subwoofer system in a vehicle. Thanks for posting!
I had this suggested early by a friend, but I don't have a calibrated mic. I will look into this in the future. Thanks for the comment and suggestion
I won't pretend to know any better, but even as a kid I loved that instrumental electronic "bass music" such as Bass 305, Techmaster PEB, Beat Dominator, etc etc. For that super low sub bass, I always felt it sounded better out of a sealed box. The way ported boxes make the excursion appear harder and more intense upon that cone, I feel like it sounds dirtier somehow and may even shorten the life of the sub. Again, I'm sure I'm totally full of it with that thinking, but I stick with sealed.
The excursion of a sub in a ported box would depend on what the frequency the port is tuned to and, what frequency the sub is trying to play. The closer the sub plays down to port tuning; the less excursion the sub will display. That will happen until the subs plays frequencys below port tuning; which will cause it to "unload" and, then you will start to see lots of excursion.
@@Jsims111 nice to see someone on here who knows wtf their talking about bc many have zero clue
Brought back memories! Lol u probably had Orion amps
I prefer the tight & controlled bass of a sealed box. Some band-pass boxes came darn close to the sealed ones, but all ported subs I've heard, had an audible flaw at some point of the reproduction.
Band pass I believe has a sealed chamber firing into a ported chamber.
@@jimbob-nm6xn yes, it can also be vice-versa. The idea is to combine the best of both worlds: the control of the sealed & and the better extension in the lows of the ported. Very tricky to get right in a DIY project.
Had a JL 13w7 in the factory sealed box and upgraded to a custom ported box,night and day difference as far as how loud it got and how hard it hit. Powered by an xtant x1001 Ported>sealed It didn’t effect SQ 1 bit,the ported was just louder and hit the lows better.
In theory, porting increases efficiency and SPL at very low frequencies That's the point of porting. Sealed enclosures tend to have faster, tighter transient response because of the springy-ness of the captive air being compressed behind the woofer. This video confirms that. Thanks!
SPL is increased only at tuning frequency, below that driver is essentially unloaded.
"Transient response" as you are thinking of it is essentially a useless term. if you play the 50Hz tone any faster its no longer 50Hz!
@@kyle8711 No, you don't know what you're talking about.
there is plenty of literature on the topic. unfortunately, youtube videos like the above often spread misinformation. i would recommend Borowick or Eargle's book. both are full of great information. you also may be able to find some AES papers on the topic if you do some digging on google. "intuition" often fails us, much alike the "bigger subs are slow" fallacy.@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt
@@kyle8711Look up the word transit response, it has nothing to do with changing a given frequency but has everything to do with reaction accuracy.. .
I remember old school kicker comp being better and louder sealed. Probably the best sounding sub in my opinion
The old debate rages on... it's all a matter a preference and purpose... What's really important is having a properly constructed enclosure.
I’m an old school bass head. In the 80’s I competed in SPL competitions. I had 18 -12” inch woofer. Orion subs if you wanted to know. All sealed. I loved it.
Till this day I absolutely love running multiple sealed over ported and the kids are like WHOA!!!!! Yup double the power and double the cone area of your available airspace and see what happens. It does cost more but it sounds WWAAYY better. For example if you have four cubic feet available you can run two ported 12s or four sealed, and Iv done the testing to prove it. The 4 sealed is the better setup, because it is exactly twice the coils twice the power and twice the surface area, in the same airspace.
In the mid-'90s the 2 things that were big in the amp and woofer talk in my high school were: Low THD and clean bass. Everyone thought you got the cleanest-sounding bass from a sealed enclosure. It was ingrained in me at a young age, so I've just always preferred sealed enclosures. Also, I still find the 1% THD test to be high THD, because we were all looking for amps rated lower than 0.09% THD. I had the old-school USAmps, I believe they were rated 0.04%, but that's been a long time ago!
Y'all should've been running PPI and Orion amps if you wanted better THD. PPI was down around .01% THD, whilst Orion was around .05% THD.
@@-108- A lot of it had to do with what was locally available. USAmps, MTX, Rockford, and Lanzar Opti were about the main ones around. At that time, I'd never even heard of PPI and only saw Orions in stereo magazines.
@@chrisdeanndavison3626 Yeah, I guess they were waning from the market around then. I was thinking more early 90s.
@@-108- i remember looking in magazines and seeing Cerwin Vega Strokers and Infinity Kappa Subs and those were top of the line back in the early to mid 90’s
Personally, I would've gone bigger for the sealed enclosure. We all know Kickers have always preferred larger enclosures.
Yeah, I have a kicker comp R in a 2.2 cubic foot box and it sounds amazing
I've always been a sealed box guy. I like all types if music and to me it all just sounds better coming from a sealed box with a woofer that's optimized for it.
I tried 8s sealed this time around ,and since I listen to mostly rock , they are nice and tight and seem to react quicker.
It might be a further idea to test the sealed enclosure with polyfill installed (the white fluffy material) this not only tricks the sub it's in a larger space but also removes a lot of the sound the enclosure makes itself further cleaning up the sound quality.
Polyfill has been proven to provide no noticeable positives and more then likely negatives in most cases
Yup and adding no rez or dampening material helps. I built a 12 box and find just screwing it together instead of brads helps keep it solid and while Im sure a bit of bracing would help Im fine with it and it sounds great. Being ported helps too instead of the pressure bowing and bouncing.
Theres science behind poly fill.... Blame SCIENCE.... It cancels STANDING WAVES... You can HEAR it too using EARS..... Hmmmmmmm BDBD/2023
@@jacobmathews-xo4ov false it does make a difference in undersized sealed enclosures. I have several tests done before, as well as tried it myself. if the box is not undersized however you will lose low end.
@@aktionp20 and what recording equipment and analysis software did you use to do these tests because people have done them with DATS and they have seen that the enclosure may pick up fractions of a dB at peak frequency and almost every frequency above peak will lose output
Try sealed enclosure with two passive radiators on both sides
I've always liked the sound of sealed thanks for the video big d
Younger me in high school would take the ported box. Older, current me, prefers the sealed enclosure. They are both great at what they do. Great video!
I 100% prefer sealed.
😬👍
I tend to go for sealed but oversized.
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i’m currently running 4 12s in my car and one box is ported for lower notes and my sealed box is for more punch on the higher notes def works like a beauty best of both worlds
Whaaaa😮 Steve you and I have been in car audio for a loooong time... Now I'm a true hardcore fan of making a sealed enclosure. 1 inch MDF and as long and wide as you can make it.... My 88 king cab Toyota had a wall and the box went from the back of the seats all the way to the end of the wheel wells in back of the bed. Yes like 7 ft long... 2 15's and you could hear me coming ..
Seal is better if you don't blast your system...
Infinite baffle is better than both
I blast mine and believe me ..is loud and lots of pressure....I love it
Totally depends on your goals and SQ preferences
Sub parameters control which box is better for the driver.
@@2002ZRX1200R infinite baffle is the best enclosure.
Sealed subwoofer boxes are pointless they don't put out very much Bass and that's what it subwoofers for
I get the same effect on ported enclosures for speaker columns. On this specific case the difference is made by the speaker wire itself and the damping factor. A thicker wire gives me a higher damping factor which makes the bass more controlled ,focused and punchy. When i use thinner speaker wire letting the damping factor decrease the bass becomes uncontrolled, more resonant/louder similar to the effect of the ported box.
What? Dampening with larger wire, don't understand what you mean.
i think, it all comes down to the specific musical style of the listener.. for the ones who listen to metal, rock, pop, jazz, etc, go definitely with sealed for tighter and more accurate bass ... for edm, trance, trap, rap, deep dnb, ported would be more exciting because of the lower end emphasis and not minding the resonance "roll off"
Good review... You could slap a nice radiator in that sealed inclosure to give it more SPL and low-end...
I'm running a single 15 in a 2.25 sealed and braced MDF enclosure with foam in the voids. I'm only giving it about 220 watts at the terminals, and anything below 24hz causes the windows, sunroof, headliner, etc to flap pretty dramatically. I couldn't do this with a ported 2.75 tuned to 32hz with nearly 800 watts driving it. And the bass hits so much cleaner. D&B music comes through with quick, punchy transients, but low bass stuff that carries also plays deep into the low 20s with a steep rolloff starting at 17hz. I was thinking of building a second one and driving the two with their own sub amp, but for what I've currently got, I think I would have to double up on mids and highs just to keep pace. Excellent comparison video, BTW.
Don’t forget about the mid bass no one ever talks about the mid bass just the mids and tweets can’t have a great sounding system without the bass mid bass that is.
I have a 400w RMS ported Pioneer and sounds REALLY punchy. Love it! It as like 20 years old but sounds great
I just bought Two 10"s Gold kickers and not disappointed they are in a dual ported enclosure from my local audio store and they sound way better than my skar bass tube with a Skar EVL sub in it haha.
Fun to see. Had the originals. Even the round solo-barics. Really fun era to be alive.
Sooooo glad to hear music now ! I listen to music too not test tones lol. My fav is ported. So,e vehicles just sound bettter also with sealed tho
In my experience. A sealed enclosure shakes the car and everything around it, like the roof at the gas station. The windows to your house,easier that a ported enclosure. A ported is louder but it looses its ability to shake things at low frequencies. The only case I remember from back in the day when free air 15's where mounted behind the seat was when everything got shook 🤯
I the closed housing because of the better sound quality and the great precision + small housing only necessary. At that time I always had a bass reflex housing when I was young, picking up the case was fun, but over time you just don't have enough space and would like to simply have better quality because the volume is no longer so important in the low ranges.
No way! Red Red Wine by UB40 is ALWAYS been my first test of a new system since the 90's!!! Nice choice!!!! IMO, the varying bass in it gives you such a good idea of how well you did!! The Unforgiven is a good one too, but if you really want a good test from Metallica, I would use "...And Justice For All", "Enter Sandman" or "For Whom The Bell Tolls", all excellent choices for testing metal and bass, "...And Justice For All" being the best of the bunch IMO =)
Hey guy's so im running a rockford fosgate mono amp on my 12 alpine type s in a ported box in my o2 silverado ext cab sounds clean but would you guys recommend me to use a sealed box instead thanks?
9:15 the box size kills space. I usually build my enclosures out of fiberglass molded into the car to look factory and I’ve always loved kicker. I’ve been through every version since the early 90s.
I went from ported to 4th order bandpass and I think I’ll stay sealed or 4th order bandpass. Love how accurate my bass is on my 4th BP.
I'm running a JL Audio RD 1500 mono to 2 12" kenwood excelion subs. Is my car's battery a sufficient source of power for this set up. Any advice would be much appreciated.