Ample Audio EXONIC 1000 Owner's Manual - Page 4

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Exonic SUB-manual

2/19/02 2:41 PM

Subwoofer

Enclosure Types

The three most common enclosures used in the mobile audio environment

are; s s e e a a l l e e d d , , v v e e n n t t e e d d ( ( p p o o r r t t e e d d ) ) , or b b a a n n d d p p a a s s s s . Each one of these enclosures has

certain characteristics that may or may not suit your needs. In order to

choose the correct enclosure for your system, it will be necessary to

answer a few questions.

One of the most important questions is space. How much area do you

have to work with? Second, you need to know how much power your

amplifier can produce continuously. Next, decide what kind of bass you

want, tight, boomy, punchy, high sound quality, or extreme sound pressure

(SPL). Finally, decide who is going to build your box and if you will be the

wood chuck that does the work, make sure you choose a box that is not

to difficult for your skill level.

When building your enclosure or if you have a professional build it, make

sure the correct materials are used. Ample Audio recommends the use of

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) as the primary construction materi-

al, a high grade wood glue, premium pure silicone for sealing seams, solid

wood braces for large or high pressure enclosures, high quality fasteners

for assembly (pre-drilled and screwed for high pressure applications or

heavy gauge nailer brads for less demanding enclosures), high quality

speaker terminals, box filler when applicable, and always make sure that

the mounting area is flat and the woofer hole is the proper diameter.

The easiest type of box to build is a "Sealed Enclosure." Sealed enclosure

offer smaller air space, good power handling at all frequencies, linear

response, and they tend to have exceptional sound quality.

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Subwoofer

When building a sealed enclosure, make sure that all of the seams are air-

tight by using a high-grade silicone. Sealed enclosures are generally cate-

gorized for tight or high sound quality applications. If the box volume is

increased, the bass will become deeper and will have a flatter response. If

you want to generate more SPL, simply make the box smaller than rec-

ommended, but keep in mind that the overall response will be inferior.

Vented (ported) enclosures are a little trickier to design and build than

sealed enclosures, but they can offer several advantages as well. The use

of vented enclosures requires 50% to 150% more space; therefore you have

to first determine whether or not you are willing to give up the room in

your vehicle or if you have enough room at all. The reasons why vented

enclosures are harder to design is because they are dependent upon a tun-

ing port. If the port size is to small or to large, the output will be very lim-

ited and there is a strong possibility that you will damage the woofer. If

the port is properly done, there can be a significant increase in output ver-

sus other types of enclosures. Other benefits include excellent deep bass

response, lower power requirements (more efficient), and extreme SPL.

Use vented enclosure for extended deep bass or strong punch.

The most difficult enclosure to design and build is known as a bandpass

box. Described by its name, a bandpass box controls both low and high fre-

quencies. These enclosures are very unique because they allow the

designer to control efficiency. Usually, however, BP boxes require the

most amount of space and cost the most to build. There are many varia-

tions to bandpass enclosures, therefore, it is usually a good idea to consult

your Authorized Dealer or call Ample Audio for designs. However, we

have included a dual chamber, single woofer design for those who want to

attempt a BP design.