Guys,
I have 2 JL 10W3V3s in the Fox Acoustics enclosure. Driving them with an old school RF 501BD sub amp making around 550-600 watts in a 2ohm load. At high volumes (126 decibels) and bass heavy music I can hear box noise and feel air coming from the seams of the box. I can also smell the wonderful scent of MDF because of the air escaping from the inside of the box. Here are a few questions:

1. Has anyone with the FoxAcoustics box removed the carpet on this enclosure to see if the box is held together using wood/drywall screws or just glue?

2. Has anyone else had issues like I am having? I love the fit of the box and look as well and don't really want to fab my own enclosure.

I think I will remove the carpet, add wood screws, use a bead of silicon on the interior seams and figure some better way to use the caps on the back of the box. They are just screwed onto the top of the carpet which I know has to provide leakage.

Opinions? Ideas? Thanks in advance!

Thanks.

 

Don't waste time with screws. Take the subs out and run a bead of glue all the way around the inner seams. If you can separate the seam slightly and get the glue in there that will help. Put some clamps on it. Let that cure fully. With a properly glued joint, the MDF will fail before the joint. The only reason that some box builders use screws to begin with is to hold the joints together while the glue dries so they can continue building without having to wait for every joint and use a lot of clamps. I personally use a lot of clamps and it takes me nearly two days to glue up a box because I don't use screws.

 

I bought a foxbox about a month ago because it came recommended by several people on this site. Let me tell you what I got was utter ****e. Screws on the endcaps not sunk all the way and BENT, several rather large gaps, and no sealing whatsoever. Took pics and emailed fox and never got a reply. I would be totally embarrassed if product like that ever left my company. I would advise anyone reading this to look elsewhere for a box. I'd post pics but I'm too lazy to upload to photobucket. Send me a pm if your really curious.

P.S. I did get about 90% of the inside siliconed, probably screw my subs in this week and drop the box in the truck the following week. My luck it won't fit... And does anyone know if it will hurt that my subs magnet is really close to the extension cap in the box? The magnet is the type with a hole through the center that leads up into the back of the voice coil I'm guessing... not really educated on speaker parts. It's a Kappa Perfect 10.1 FYI.

 

You ideally should have half the diameter of the pole vent as clearance between the vent and the back of the box.

 

Amen.

I actually advise against screws because it splits the mdf if you don't predrill your holes with a drill bit. I use a brad nailer for mine. I don't have the patience to let the glue dry.

Another thing is just buy a tube of silicone from walmart. You don't even need the gun, get the one in the squeeze tube. Run a generous bead around every joint inside the box, and then just smooth it out with your fingertip. Let it dry for at least 8 hours. More if you can. Those fumes can be a **** on your subs.

 

Problem with using silicone is that it adds no strength to the joint. If the panels are flexing now, they'll still flex with the silicone and it will just break the seal loose.

 

Had a friend come over tonight and decided to drop the subs in the box and see what they sounded like. Box leaked a LOT of air in a few spots, probably just areas I missed sealing the first time around. Sounded like crap and I'm even more disappointed with Fox. I feel like calling Fox and venting about their crap product. Anyway gonna go pick up a couple more tubes of silicone w/ adhesive and lay it down as thick as I can. Actually before I do that I'm going to call Visa and dispute the charge and try to send this pos box back. Probably won't work so I'll just make the best of what I got.

 

I emailed him but go no response, as expected. I guess I'm going to pull it and use wood screws, predrilling the holes, and then try to reseal the interior.