Hello all,

I currently have a JL Stealthbox with a 10" W3v3 subwoofer and a JL XD600/1 amplifier.

I recently caught sight of the Fox Acoustics sub box for my truck, which can accommodate not one, but TWO of the woofers that are in my truck...

So, for not TOO much more $, I could ditch the stealthbox and effectively (if I'm correct) double my bass output.

Am I incorrect in thinking this? I know the JL box was specifically designed for my truck with my sub, etc, etc. I haven't experimented with subwoofer systems enough to know the difference in performance of a single 10 in a ported box compared to 2 10s in a sealed box (but I'd assume that adding a second woofer certainly wouldn't make it any quieter...)

Any input on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

Generally 1 ported is louder than 2 sealed of the same sub, but in the end it all comes down to the sub and whether it's designed for sealed or for ported. Does the new box have the correct airspace to run two of the subs you want sealed?

 

The new box would fit 2 10W3v3's perfectly. As far as I'm aware, it's the most popular sub that is used in it. The mounting depth accommodates them without spacers or any such extras (which is rare without a seat lift kit), and there's a bit over the minimum recommended airspace per sub.

These subs are sold by JL in both sealed and ported boxes for various vehicles, so I would assume the performance does not differ too much (I'm not an expert; please correct me if I'm wrong).

As I said, I haven't been able to compare the performance of my sub in a sealed vs. ported scenario. From what people say, the foxbox is supposed to be the absolute loudest box that will fit the F150 without a seat lift. For all I know, however, these sources could have never heard a stealthbox, so I could be misled.

Another issue (again, I could be wrong) is that from what I've read, sealed enclosures are better for speakers that will be pushing tones below 30Hz, so I would likely be able to turn off the infrasonic filter on my amp and push some lower tones that I might have been missing out on...(I do love my low notes.)

I'm happy with what I have, but if adding another woofer would add more oomph to the system, I wouldn't hesitate to upgrade.

I'd prefer to invest in this than something else for the truck at this point, but obviously if upgrading won't really make a significant difference, I'd rather put the money towards a cat-back kit (or maybe new door speakers, idk).

 

Sealed will take more power to produce the same sound as ported, and ported generally can go lower and louder hence why most competitions systems are ported. Sealed generally can give a cleaner tighter sound if that makes sense compared to ported where distortion may be more present but will also have more output. Also sealed is more preferred where space limitations come into play because they require less room than a ported box.

However this doesn't always hold true, some subs are designed specifically for sealed or ported only where the latter will just eat away at performance. Also the right box can make or break the sub for example a poorly designed ported box with a nice sub can sound worse than a very nicely designed ported box with a low end sub.

It's basically a give or take situation/ trial and error situation ha. One of the main reasons when I first got into car audio when I got a new sub I would build a sealed and ported box so I could compare the two and see which one the sub excelled in.

 

I see your point; I guess there's no way for me to personally tell unless I can try out each box... Worst case scenario, I can sell it to one of my friends who has the same truck as me and not be at TOO much of a loss...maybe I'd get full price if I offered installation for free.

I love cars and car audio but man does it cause one to want to spend!!!

 

Haha yea it does, it's even worse when your like me and want to try a different sub every couple months haha.

 

Sealed will also have a more linear volume curve. They give less maximum volume, but over a smoother, wider frequency range. They tend to have a "tighter" sound and will accomodate listening preferences over a wider variety of music styles.

Ported will be very efficient over a narrower frequency range. They giving more maximum volume at a specific frequency, but with a pronounced changes in volume and sound quality as they move in and out of their tuned response range. They tend to have a looser, more boomy sound better suited to music that concentrates on a heavy bass beat (rap, techno, etc).

In vehicles like a truck the determining factor is less one of what you want, but one of what will fit. If you are into the whole max-stereo thing and don't mind losing your back seat, a couple of ported 12s (or even 15s) are an easy fit. In a truck that will be used everyday, including the back seat, sealed boxes are pretty much the mainstay since they fit without intruding into the passenger compartment.

In reality a single premium 12 (like the BM) or a couple of good sealed 10s (like Image Dynamics) are plenty for us mere mortals. Properly setup and driven, they are more than capable of making your eardrums meet in the middle.

Brad