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Vented & Ported Subwoofer Boxes
Next up are ported or vented enclosures, “ported” &
“vented” are synonymous, it just means the enclosure has a hole in it to let air
escape. You know that guy you can hear from 2 blocks away? Well he is likely
running ported box. This style enclosure will likely be about twice the size of
a similar sealed box since the airspace inside the chamber is much larger.
Ported enclosures are tuned to a certain frequency range which is determined by
the port length, width and diameter. The port can be in several configurations
such as rounded or a slot which is narrower and taller. Each subwoofer will have
a specific frequency they are designed to run at for maximum output. Depending
on what you plan to use the enclosure for it can be tuned to various frequency
ranges by modifying the port.
In general most competition SPL vehicles tune to high
frequencies around 45Hz or higher. This setup would be designed for absolute
maximum output but sacrificing a great deal of sound quality. A ported box tuned
25Hz will still allow your system to hit the ultra low bass notes while still
keeping sealed like sound quality. The disadvantage is the enclosure will then
have a fairly flat frequency range. And then the most common frequency range
found usually in pre-built ported / vented enclosures is around 33 – 35Hz. At
this frequency the enclosure will still deliver much more bass output than a
sealed box but at the same type with still retain most of the sound quality. In
other words you will get the best of both worlds with a ported box run at about
33Hz.
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