So Im running a 12" x.x.x. with a Ed Nine.1. This is my first system and I had a box made, its sealed around 2.3 cubic feet. Now it hits and is pretty good but Im wondering HOW BIG of a difference it would be to get a ported box made for $150. As people used to tell me it seams like Im choking the subwoofer making it sealed. My friend just got two nasty sony explodes 12" in a ported box and I was amazed thats what 400 watts did. Probably because it was ported? If I do go ported Ill only have about 2.6 cu ft. But anyways just wanted some input on sealed vs ported.
Advantages: of sealed Easy to build, smaller enclosure size, lean tight sounding bass, better power handling vs. ported design and Linear low bass extension.
Disadvantage: Less efficient as compared to ported design.
Advantages: Ported More output at the tuning frequency as compared to the same woofer in a sealed enclosure, higher efficiency.
Disadvantage: Larger enclosure size, Calculating enclosure and port dimensions more difficult,easy to blow woofer if power handling limit is exceeded.
and one more thing about ported. The box itself acts as an amplifier, yielding to more bass than a sealed enclosure (3 to 4 dB). Ported boxes do not have a linear frequency response. If the box is not built according to specifications, it will not sound good. The box design acts as a filter, cutting off lower frequencies.