Subwoofer Enclosure fabric ?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Camaro823

British Colu... Canada

Post Number: 70
Registered: Jun-05
Hey, I'm in the process of finishing up my box and I was just wondering, why do people put that fabric onto the boxes. Is there a specific purpose this has over just painting the box ?
 

Silver Member
Username: Big_oso

Post Number: 166
Registered: Jun-05
personal preference i guess never really thought it was anything more than cosmetic but i could be wrong
 

Gold Member
Username: Subfanatic

Ky

Post Number: 4414
Registered: Dec-04
actually i believe that carpeting helps a little with the structure of the box if done right
 

Silver Member
Username: Mixneffect

Orangevale, Ca. USA

Post Number: 291
Registered: Apr-05
Carpeting is terrible for acoustics, unless it is used to dampen. IMO the carpet cover is just so that it matches the trunk lining (black/black).
 

Gold Member
Username: Subfanatic

Ky

Post Number: 4423
Registered: Dec-04
could you please explain how it is terrible for acoustics
 

Silver Member
Username: Araknid

BOCA , FL U.S.

Post Number: 836
Registered: Nov-04
Yeah I really don't see how it could affect anything other then the way it looks.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Shawnomak

HB, SK Canada

Post Number: 89
Registered: May-05
i was thinking of using that textured spray paint. has anyone ever tried this? its a stupid color tho so ill put a coat of black over it. it should look pretty good when im done.
 

Silver Member
Username: Mixneffect

Orangevale, Ca. USA

Post Number: 293
Registered: Apr-05
Yeah I used spray texture on a system I had about 5 years ago. It is very expensive i speant like $75 for two subs(4cf each) and two bookshelf boxes(1cf each). I used the gray one. They looked good. Different but good.

Carpet is bad for acoustics because it dampens sound. Take a quarter and bounce it off of your coffee table (wood) and then bounce it off of your carpet. Yes I know, it is going to dampen the midrange and highs more than it would in the bass frequencies, but bass frequencies are not exempt from this at all.

Bass frequencies are non-directional, but can be altered/muffled by baffles or any other anti-reflecting surfaces.

Take an enclosure for example:

If the box is empty it will sound hollow, and boxy. It will boom because the inner walls reverbrate at a different frequency than the woofers cone. It then adds to the sound. If an enclosure has wall lining, it will reduce wall reverbration, but it will not eliminate it completely. Just use your imagination of what sound does in relation to its surroundings.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Camaro823

British Colu... Canada

Post Number: 74
Registered: Jun-05
mix, so in your opinion what would you use to make the box look better ?
 

Silver Member
Username: Geekbike

Post Number: 345
Registered: Dec-04
I know exactly what you are saying mixn, but in a car enviroment, I'm not sure if it would make a huge amount of difference.

How much of a car is made up of carpeted, absorbant materials? You'll be getting absorption from the top and bottom while getting reflection from the sides, front and back. It is also not a perfect rectangle either; seats, consoles, people, etc are all interfering with sound paths. There are so many variables within a closed car system that it is very difficult to do properly.

Unless you are going for a competing SQ (and willing to spend many, MANY hours fine tuning) it won't be worth it.
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