Speaker box venting

[forestb]

I ordered these speakers http://www.kicker.com/44KSC504 and I am building a box for them out of MDF and was wondering if they need to be vented. If so can I vent them out of the bottom of the box? It will be a tube shaped box.

[Dead Parrot]

Not an expert but got curious. Check out the Subwoofer/FAQ from the link you provided. Gives a pro/con of each. Short answer, ported can be better but requires a good design and building process. Poor design can lead to bad results.

[forestb]

Originally Posted by Dead Parrot

Not an expert but got curious. Check out the Subwoofer/FAQ from the link you provided. Gives a pro/con of each. Short answer, ported can be better but requires a good design and building process. Poor design can lead to bad results.

man you just made my life way to complicated

[BIGglaSS]

Vented, yes. Ported, no. Enclosed, maybe. This type of speaker is designed as an infinite baffle install. Not sealed, but the front and back separated. If you seal them in too small of an area, they may not sound good. Porting is used for subwoofers and tuning to a specific frequency.

[forestb]

I am planning to install them on a cup shaped structure that I made out of rings of mdf with a cap on the end. This is because they will be in a location where water might get behind them. What would you recommend I do?

[forestb]

What is te difference between vented and ported?

Originally Posted by BIGglaSS

Vented, yes. Ported, no. Enclosed, maybe. This type of speaker is designed as an infinite baffle install. Not sealed, but the front and back separated. If you seal them in too small of an area, they may not sound good. Porting is used for subwoofers and tuning to a specific frequency.

[ericfallon]

Originally Posted by forestb

I am planning to install them on a cup shaped structure that I made out of rings of mdf with a cap on the end. This is because they will be in a location where water might get behind them. What would you recommend I do?

MDF and water is no beano..
If water is an issue I'd use pvc pipe and glue your mdf ring to or in the end to have something to bolt/screw the driver too. capping the other end just got simple..
With a pvc cap. can add handles if you want also.
You can seal them off they will just use more power to drive them because of it, and the lower bass will be tighter..
I build my boxes if they are holding normal speakers like yours sealed and add a passive radiator (basicly a speaker not wired up) that moves with the air from the driver(powered,wired speaker)
good luck..

[ericfallon]

Originally Posted by forestb

What is te difference between vented and ported?

Sealed box

•Tighter, more accurate bass.
•Smaller box size
•Needs more power for louder bass


Ported /vented box
•Bass is louder and more boomy, less accurate
•Larger box size
•More efficient, doesn't require as much amp power


a port tunes the box to a set bass range to boost it..


you're installing 5.25" speakers there won't be any real bass to speak of anyways..

[Killer Bee]

the 3 way coax speakers you ordered are factory location replacements and do not require an enclosure.. they're also not subwoofers and will not perform in that manner..

and as already mentioned, while MDF is a great enclosure material for audio performance, it does not like water.. wet location special application speakers are available for boat and RV applications that may better suit your install..

if you want to build a high performance subwoofer/enclosure, you might want to do some reading..

http://www.kicker.com/how-to-build-a-subwoofer-box

or these guys are usually very helpful..

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-8tB1ec..._building.html

I'm a big fan of stock car audio but I do have a very powerful audio setup in my family room.. NHT 300w A1/X1 powering a W1 with dual 12" AL drivers weighing in at 71lbs enclosed that digs deep to 26hz.. with a 50lb Yamaha RXV3300 at 130w/ch powering 6 NHT L5 wall monitors, it's blown several lights in my house watching gunfight and car chase scenes.. it runs clean and crisp well above the human tolerance.. check out Super Speedway for awesome audio effects

I understand a fair amount about how drivers work but not well enough to design something as well as audio engineers.. you might consider finding something available in an existing enclosure that you can fit into your mounting location(s)..

you might also consider running the coax style 2 or 3 way in the location you're considering and installing a small subwoofer enclosure elsewhere along with a properly adjusted crossover for the performance it sounds like you're looking for..

a trip to an automotive audio specialty retail store may also answer a lot of questions along with calling the good folks at Crutchfield.. a matched set of speakers, sub(s), and amp(s) will more likely deliver the sound quality you're looking for..

good luck!

[ericfallon]

Originally Posted by Killer Bee

the 3 way coax speakers you ordered are factory location replacements and do not require an enclosure.. they're also not subwoofers and will not perform in that manner..

!

Yes they are not a subwoofer but a sealed enclosure will help them perform better.. Every speaker does.. but at a cost. Less volume as the driver has to work against the sealed box.
Home hifi is another whole animal. loudspeakers are designed with a enclosure and r&d to get the best tone/sound and many use a port of some type, but the enclose size was taken into account, and placement. just moving a loudspeaker 6-8" to or from a wall can make a huge difference..
He doesn't have to seal the enclosure, but in a place that there will be water, less likely to get the voice coil and connections wet.. unless the unit is swimming in water. As most car audio speakers are a plastic based cone with a foam or rubber surround. depending on cost/line of the speaker..
I'd use as little MDF as he can if water is an issue. pvc isn't ideal for a enclosure, but it won't turn to dust when/if it gets wet.
But they are small 5.25" and kickers (not a fan)

[BIGglaSS]

Originally Posted by forestb

What is te difference between vented and ported?

Ported means that there is a tube of a calculated volume/diameter/length used to tune the speaker to a specific frequency range (subwoofers). By vented, I mean a big hole in the box. The front of the cone needs to be separated from the back of the cone (baffle). Enclosed (sealed) in a small volume area, they will likely not sound good. It is common to put this type of speaker in a "pod" where they are not ported or sealed. Simply a big vent, so the speaker is not fighting against an enclosed volume of airspace. An infinite baffle is simply a wall to separate the front from the back. hope that makes sense.

[forestb]

My plan to keep the mdf from getting wet was to coat the exterior of the box with wheel well undercoating.

[County]

They're small and won't put out much bass anyway. Where are you putting them where they'll get wet? If in the doors and such, just order up a couple foam baffles from sonic electronix or Crutchfield and call it a day.

Like others have said, replacement coax's are set up for big space (relative) like the decklid using the trunk as a "box". I've even used foam baffles for 6 1/2 components in doors and cut out some of the bottom. Still have all the air they want, but 95% protected from dripping water or condensation.

I like the new upper end Kickers btw. A lot better than they were a couple years ago as long as you're not entry level. Sound is super subjective though, everybody has their own taste.

[forestb]

They are going to be placed in my kick panel vents. The air comes in from the cowl. Sow water gets in there and drains down the vents and out the bottom of the vent.

Originally Posted by County

They're small and won't put out much bass anyway. Where are you putting them where they'll get wet? If in the doors and such, just order up a couple foam baffles from sonic electronix or Crutchfield and call it a day.

Like others have said, replacement coax's are set up for big space (relative) like the decklid using the trunk as a "box". I've even used foam baffles for 6 1/2 components in doors and cut out some of the bottom. Still have all the air they want, but 95% protected from dripping water or condensation.

I like the new upper end Kickers btw. A lot better than they were a couple years ago as long as you're not entry level. Sound is super subjective though, everybody has their own taste.

[BIGglaSS]

I also put speakers in the kick panel. I think this is one of those spots where you can't have your cake and eat it, too. It is difficult to seal them off from incoming air pressure, and water, have the volume of space necessary, and keep the fresh air vents. Since the fresh air vents are now gone, I will just seal off the cowl intake.

[forestb]

If I seal them off at the top I will not be able to get to my windshield wiper mechanism and if I seal it off any lower the water will just pool up. It's a 62

Originally Posted by BIGglaSS

I also put speakers in the kick panel. I think this is one of those spots where you can't have your cake and eat it, too. It is difficult to seal them off from incoming air pressure, and water, have the volume of space necessary, and keep the fresh air vents. Since the fresh air vents are now gone, I will just seal off the cowl intake.

[forestb]

If I were to create an awning type structure out of the mdf so that the water does not directly contact the speaker. Or would I then have to worry about the moister getting to them. I live in California so we do not get a lot of rain.

[BIGglaSS]

No need to make one from MDF. You can try these. Since it is a small sealed enclosure, the speaker may not sound good. If so, then cut out the bottom and the speaker will act more like an infinite baffle using the volume of space in the kick panel.
https://www.amazon.com/050320-Boom-S.../dp/B0039Z3SPW

[ericfallon]

Originally Posted by County

They're small and won't put out much bass anyway. Where are you putting them where they'll get wet? If in the doors and such, just order up a couple foam baffles from sonic electronix or Crutchfield and call it a day.

Like others have said, replacement coax's are set up for big space (relative) like the decklid using the trunk as a "box". I've even used foam baffles for 6 1/2 components in doors and cut out some of the bottom. Still have all the air they want, but 95% protected from dripping water or condensation.

I like the new upper end Kickers btw. A lot better than they were a couple years ago as long as you're not entry level. Sound is super subjective though, everybody has their own taste.

The foam baffles, we used to cut one in half so a pair of them got us water protection in 4 doors or 2 sets of speakers..
A sealed box/tube won't harm them, and if water is an issue less likely to allow water near the connections .

[ericfallon]

Originally Posted by forestb

If I were to create an awning type structure out of the mdf so that the water does not directly contact the speaker. Or would I then have to worry about the moister getting to them. I live in California so we do not get a lot of rain.

Just return those speakers and get a set of marine ones and call it a day..
using mdf to use as an awning for water protection is, well.. lets just say it would not be my choice.. I'd use a plastic coffee container (folgers bigger can)cut in half and glued together to make a curved awning out of plastic. or a 2ltr soda/tonic bottle.

[forestb]

I sent this message to Kicker

"I have purchased a set of your KS Series 5.25" Coax speakers. I have built a cup shaped sealed enclosure for the speaker. It is made out of 1/2 inch mdf. The inside of the enclosure is 4.5 inches in diameter and around 2.5 inches deep. I am wondering if this will work with the speakers or will it destroy the sound quality."

And this was there reply

"That would be fine. having a sealed enclosure will give them a bit more upper bass and midbass. That will help with output. If you need anything else just let us know."

So I think I will be going with my original plan and use wheel well underlining to seal it from the moisture.