Today's market is inundated with woofers that offer respectable performance and great cosmetics at affordable prices. The variety is terrific for consumers in terms of buying options, but the sheer quantity makes it difficult to pick a speaker. Things are further complicated by the issue of enclosure style. This is one of the more controversial topics in car audio. Everyone has an opinion as to which kind of enclosure is best, but some people like to think there is only one truly superior box design.
In fact, there are several styles to choose from and each has its upside. In the end, the issue comes down to what you want to do or the kind of music you listen to. The focus of the following tutorial is to elucidate the popular enclosure designs, discussing THEM in laymen's terms, so even passing enthusiasts will find it easy to UNDERSTAND. I'll also explore the various pros and cons; explain the trade-offs involved in a given enclosure design; AND providE a brief history of "making boxes for speakers" (a simple way to describe something that has become somewhat complex).
Everyone wants a clear-cut response to the following question: "What speaker enclosure produces the best sub-bass performance?" I'm asked that a lot and, to this day, I have not arrived at any kind of absolute answer. While I have developed my own opinions on the various styles of enclosures, I would have to say that for the most part the good and bad aspects of the different styles tend to cancel each other out in the end.
Like I said, this is perhaps the most controversial area of car audio. Of course, that's because you have competing methods or technologies at work and no single enclosure design that provides users with all of the benefits the various boxes offer with none of the shortcomings. Many enthusiasts swear up and down sealed enclosures produce the best performance, while others are equally adamant about the benefits of ported and bandpass designs. Most of these people are well-intentioned in recommending enclosures they have had success with, but anyone who says a given enclosure type is superior in every way is always wrong.
Infinite BaffleInfinite baffles (IB), often termed "Free Air", are possibly the simplest enclosures to build, and a great way to conserve space. This design is defined as an enclosure that contains a greater volume of air than the Vas of the speaker. Applying an infinite baffle system in an automobile is relatively easy. The concept behind an infinite baffle is to isolate the sound wave produced by the front of a speaker from the back wave. This normally involves mounting the speaker(s) on a board that seals off just behind the rear seat, while using the trunk of the vehicle as the enclosure. When all is said and done, an IB enclosure is truly quite large.