So you have been thinking about getting a Subwoofer Enclosure made? Well there is a lot more involved in getting one made than slapping some wood together and putting some holes in it. In fact there are so many variables involved that I can not sum it up in one paragraph.
(ABTEC’s SPL/SQL Enclosure for ABTEC3)
First of all you need to work out what you are looking for when it comes to your bass needs, for a lot of people Pre-fab Enclosures will provide more than enough for their needs. For the rest of us it becomes a little more complicated than that.
For the Audiophile/Basshead/Ground Pounder/Bass Enthusiast or what ever label you have attached getting an Subwoofer Enclosure designed and made is bit more of a personal decision, since you will be looking for a specific sound so the time spent on designing/testing/listening to different Subwoofer Enclosures will be more important than it would be for the general end user.
(Ashley’s Horn-Enclosure for his DD-9912-D1)
Once you have found the sound (Or tuning as some would put it) you are looking for you can almost start on building your Subwoofer Enclosure, before you start you should really have a good think about the material you will be using as this will also change the overall sound of the Subwoofer Enclosure too!
Generally most people will use MDF (Custom-wood), the reason for this is not because it has a good sound characteristics about it but more to do with it being a lot cheaper to buy. Other people will use a Plywood as this does have good sound characteristics (And Strength) depending on the type of Plywood used.
In some cases using Plywood for some of your Subwoofer Enclosure and MDF for the rest can give you a nice solid sound an increase in strength depending on where the veneer is used. Also this will keep your cost’s down a touch!
(ABTEC’s Biggest Enclosure we Designed & Built for ABTEC1)
The most important aspect of Designing & Building Subwoofer Enclosures is experience! Anyone can get some wood, screws & glue but that doesn’t mean that anyone can Design and or Build an Enclosure that will work effectively or give you a clean sound.
On another note, when spending your hard earned cash on a Subwoofer Enclosures you really want to know that the person/company making it has good experience with the type of Subwoofer you are running as different Subwoofer models have different specifications and requirements.
(Ground-Pounder Enclosure Designed by Ashley & Myself for a happy customer)
ABTEC has two very experienced Subwoofer Enclosure Designers & Builders on board, Ashley ‘MADD BASS’ Burrell & George ‘Chopper’ Kaczorowski. Ashley has been in the car audio industry for 31 years and has been Designing & Building Enclosures since 1981. George has been in the car audio industry for 25 years and has been building and designing Enclosures his entire career.
A lot of people use volume/port calculators when designing their Enclosures, this is good for a guideline but this does not add other variables that come into play. Also a calculator can not pick up sounds like the human ear so it is recommend to listen to the Enclosure in your vehicle before finally fully sealing it just in case you want or need to make changes to suit your Bass needs/wants!
(Ashley wasn’t going to sell this till a good friend/customer begged him for it)
We here at ABTEC have over 100 different custom designs that can be adjusted to suit you and also your vehicle, however certain designs are very vehicle specific like the Loaded Horn Designs so a lot more time and effort must be taken into account with these!
If you need or want a Custom Subwoofer Enclosure Designed and/or Built feel free to contact us on 0800 10 10 81 or visit us at 49 Hutt Road Petone and we will be willing you help you with your Subwoofer Enclosure needs!
Lets end this with a sneaky picture of a Design Ashley did when he was around 15 in 1981
