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The most powerful subwoofer box. DIY subwoofer: from entry-level to high-end. Tools and materials

I decided to write this article specifically for those who want, but for one reason or another cannot afford to purchase a subwoofer. This article contains step-by-step instructions on how to assemble a subwoofer with your own hands.

I will try to explain it in an accessible language for inexperienced people, and if possible, show it - that a subwoofer is not at all difficult as it may seem at first glance. If you really want to, but you can’t, then you can!

Many people have this word on the tip of their tongue, but not everyone understands what it is.

SUBWOOFER comes from two words SUB and WOOFER - literally translated - subwoofer, i.e. speaker system for reproducing sound at lower frequencies (from approximately 20 to 200 Hz). Many people call it a “bass speaker”. Subwoofers can be active or passive. Active means that the speaker body houses an amplifier and power supply, Passive means it needs an external amplifier.

The following abbreviations are also used in the text:

AC is an acoustic system, or simply a “speaker”.

A speaker is also a loudspeaker, but a “dynamic head” would be more correct.

LFO - low frequency signal generator. (low frequencies mean frequencies from 20 to 20000 Hz)

ULF - amplifier of low-frequency signals.

Step one.

Tool and material.

To make a subwoofer we need to find:

1. Self-confidence, the desire to relentlessly go to the end and be ready for material costs (maybe it will work out well!).

2. A good, proven tool, namely:

Wood hacksaw;

Chisel;

A set of files of various calibers and types: flat, triangular, round;

Skins (from small to large);

Electric drill;

Screwdriver (you can also use a screwdriver);

Jigsaw (even better - jigsaw);

Ruler, pen, pencil, sheet of paper and other office supplies;

A compass (preferably with a “wingspan” of 20-25 cm);

PVA glue, auto sealant, wood glue;

Building materials, namely: plywood with a thickness of 10mm to 20mm, chipboard - possible but not advisable, wooden blocks 20x20, 30x30, 40x40, etc.

A mountain of self-tapping screws from 10mm to 50mm, we will need a lot of them!

3. a computer on which it is highly desirable to install the JBLSpeakerShop program.

Step two.

Loudspeaker (speaker) parameters.

Each of us has a first name, last name, and patronymic. Each of us has unique facial features, eye color, fingerprints, and retinal patterns. There are no identical people in the world. In the same way, no two speakers are the same; each of them has its own unique parameters. Even if you take two identical speakers made at the same factory on the same day, their parameters will differ, of course slightly, but this small difference can be important. What I mean is that before we start making a subwoofer, we MUST calculate the main parameters of our speaker. Whether you bought it in a store, unscrewed it from an old speaker, or a friend brought it from the garage, in any case you need to measure its characteristics. In the future, based on these parameters, we will choose the type of box for the subwoofer.

We will write down the parameters necessary to calculate the subwoofer on a piece of paper and save it until the moment when the sound quality of the manufactured “boom box” is completely satisfactory.

So, let's begin. Since most of the currently existing programs for calculating AC boxes use the Till-Small parameters, it is these that we will calculate.

In order to start calculating the box, we need the following parameters:

Pnom - Nominal power of the speaker, given in the brand of the head (75GDN-1 75W).
Fs - Self-resonance frequency of the speaker in open space.
Fc - Resonant frequency in a closed box.
Qts - Total quality factor at resonant frequency.
Qes - Electrical quality factor at resonant frequency.
Qms - Mechanical quality factor at resonant frequency.
Vas - Equivalent speaker volume.
D - Effective diffuser diameter.
Xmax - Maximum diffuser displacement. It will be good to read about all the parameters of T-S - read.

In principle, other parameters may be needed, but these are already enough to start calculations.

To measure the parameters you will need a calculator, a voltmeter (preferably a digital multimeter), a low-frequency generator, a hermetically sealed box of 20 liters, and you will also have to make a simple device.

Low frequency generator - you can take any one, for example G3-109 or similar. If there is no generator, then you can use a computer. We connect an amplifier to the linear output of the sound card, and from the output of the amplifier, through a 1KOM resistor, we connect the speaker under test. The resistor power should be 2W or more, otherwise it will get very hot. In principle, everything is ready. If we use a computer instead of a generator, then we need to download a program - LFO, there are a huge number of them on the network.

So, let's begin.

We hang the speaker on a rope in the center of the room to the ceiling, perhaps by a chandelier or in some other way, the main thing is that there are no objects nearby, this can affect the accuracy of the measurement.

Everything is connected, we launch the LFO program, set the frequency to 1000Hz. On the computer, set the volume to the middle position to eliminate distortion of the signal shape. connect the multimeter to the output of the amplifier. By adjusting the volume on the amplifier we set the voltage to 20V.

We connect the voltmeter directly to the speaker. We set the generator frequency to approximately 5-10 Hz and gradually increase the frequency and monitor the voltmeter readings. We need to find the resonant frequency of the speaker, at this frequency the voltmeter will show the maximum voltage, then it will begin to decrease. So the voltmeter showed the maximum value - we write it down on our sheet as Umax. Then we record the frequency of the generator at which the maximum voltage value is recorded, this will be Fs - the resonant frequency. Now we need to find the minimum amplitude value. We again begin to gradually increase the frequency relative to Fs until the voltmeter readings stop changing, write this value as Umin, with a further increase in frequency the amplitude will increase again, but this is no longer important to us.

Now we know several parameters of our head, but this is just the beginning. Using a generator and a voltmeter, we can plot the frequency response graph shown on the left. It shows Umax - corresponding to the voltage at resonance, as well as Fs - the resonant frequency - the peak on the graph. We also found Umin, but what is Usr, you say, and what are these F1 and F2?

These are the frequencies with which we will determine the quality factor of the speaker. Previously, I calculated these parameters manually, calculated them using the formulas Uav, Qts, Qes, Qms. Now there is a useful program TSCalc, you need to download it right now - download it. Working with it is simply simple; we substitute the values ​​and get the result. First you need to find out Rmax, to do this we multiply Umax by 1000 and write the value on a piece of paper. You will also need to measure the speaker's DC resistance using an ohmmeter, write it as Re.

Now let’s substitute the values ​​of Rmax and Re into the program and find Rx. Divide Rx by 1000 and get Uav. Now let's find F1 and F2. We begin to reduce the frequency relative to Fs “down” and when the voltmeter shows the voltage Uav we write down F1, now the same thing only “up” from Fs and write down the value of F2. Now we substitute the values ​​of Fs, F1, F2 into the program. And we get the values ​​Qes, Qms, Qts.

It's time for the pre-prepared box. We take our speaker and screw it to the box with the magnet facing outwards, there is no fundamental difference in this, it’s just more convenient. Now we find the resonant frequency again, but write it as Fc. We substitute the value of Fs, Fc and the known volume of the box, we get the value Vas - the equivalent volume.

Well, that's basically all. The effective diameter of the diffuser and its maximum displacement are measured using an ordinary ruler. Don't forget to write down the values ​​on the sheet.

Step three.

Types of boxes.

Now we have a speaker, we have its real parameters, we can start choosing a box.

I want to disappoint you right away. It is based on the parameters of the speaker that the type of housing is selected. I’m not saying that you won’t be able to assemble the box you want with it, it just may not sound the same as it would in the “native” box.

So, types of boxes, or options for subwoofers.


Option one - Free emitter or Free air.

This option may be suitable for speakers with Fs above 100Hz.

It still won’t make a traveling subwoofer, since its parameters are close to mid-frequency speakers. For example, it can be built into the rear parcel shelf of a car.

Of course, you can try to make something else out of it, but it’s better to look for another speaker.


Option two - Closed Box or Closed Box.

Select this box if Qts<0,8...1, оптимально 0,7

product Fs/Qts=50

It’s easy to calculate, all you need to do is calculate the volume of the box.

A lot of power is required from the speaker, and the likelihood of it failing is very high. In most cases, the box turns out to be bulky, which is completely unacceptable for a home or car.

The inside of the box is filled with sound-absorbing material, cotton wool, felt, or others.

This version has the lowest efficiency.


Option three - Bass reflex or Vented Box.

Choose if Qts<0,6, оптимально 0,39

The speaker must have a flexible and durable suspension, because... performs a gigantic amount of work; at maximum power supplied, the diffuser vibrates a huge amount of air, most of which “flies into the chimney”


Option four - Passive Radiator.

A passive radiator is like a bass reflex, only instead of a pipe there is an emitter-membrane.

Although you can use the old speaker, remove the magnet, basket, diffuser. And glue a plate made of getinax, plexiglass or other material to the rubber suspension. Screw a weight into the center of the plate - a bolt with a nut. This weight can be used to adjust Fc.


Option five - Band Pass or Band Pass

Band Pass can be transported as a Band Pass.

Band Pass 4th order - Band Pass 4th order.

Worth choosing if Fs/Qts=105

In principle, of all the other housing options, this one is the most efficient.

But at the same time, the most difficult to manufacture, two cameras and two bass reflexes.


Band Pass 6th order A - Band Pass 6th order class A.


Band Pass 6th order B - Band Pass 6th order class B

Any of these housing options can be assembled with either one or two speakers.

You know the parameters of your speaker, what will come out of it, you have already determined it, it’s time to calculate the box.

Step four.

Box calculation.

Unpack the downloaded JBLSpeakerShop program into the root folder of the disk. Then run the setup.exe file from the DISK1 folder. The installation will begin, enter the path of the second part of the DISK2 archive. Installation completed.

Launch the program Start => Programs => JBL SpeakerShop => SpeakerShop Enclosure Module.

I won’t tell you in detail about the program, it is very simple and in principle everything is clear.

First, go to the Loudspeaker menu and enter the parameters of our head. Then, having selected the box type, click - Box - Parameters - and then click on the selected type. All that remains is to enter the volume and frequency of the desired resonance; you need to experiment with these parameters, observing the resulting graphs. After you have selected the box parameters, click Vent, here we enter the parameters of the pipe (bass reflex), if of course there is one. All that remains is to calculate the dimensions of the box, go to the Dimensions submenu, choose the shape and size to suit your taste. In the Graphs menu - select the types of displayed graphs.

To the fullest, print out the graphs, parameters, sizes - Ctrl+P.

Step five, final.

Making a box.

Now, having rested a little, let’s get down to making the box. At this stage, in order not to translate precious material, you must strictly follow the rule, “measure seven times, drink once.”

We take out the prepared tools, material, patience. When choosing plywood or chipboard (whoever has what), you need to take into account that the higher the power of the speaker, the higher the thickness of the box walls and the more rigid the fastening. The best material is, of course, plywood (you shouldn’t use old, dried-out plywood - it will simply crumble), much stronger than chipboard, I don’t even understand how you can make a good subwoofer from sawdust.

We took out a ruler and a pencil, and first of all, let’s draw all the sides of the box on a sheet of plywood. Try to save money, in case you make a mistake somewhere, you will have something to correct.

Now let's cut, a good tool would be a hacksaw with a guide and fine teeth. You need to cut slowly and preferably at an angle, you don’t want the plywood to delaminate and crack. You can also use a jigsaw, preferably with a speed controller, for the reasons already stated. Saw smoothly, don’t rush, you’ll have a hard time using a file to straighten the humps and depressions.

After cutting, you still have to work with a file, you need to remove all the protruding pieces of wood, otherwise splinters, iodine, bandages.

Take out wooden blocks, choose their sizes yourself, but of course not too small or huge. Place the walls together as they should be and measure the required length of the bars.

Another crucial point in making the box is the huge hole for the speaker. First, using a compass, we mark a circle for the speaker, slightly larger than the diameter of the diffuser along with the rubber surround. And another smaller circle, equal to the radius of the drill and adding another 2-3mm. Here are a few ways to make holes in a piece of plywood. Don’t look for a drill, there are hardly any drills with a diameter of 100-300mm in the world, and you’ll need a giant drill. Take a drill with a diameter of 10-15mm, a regular electric drill. Drill by laying your piece of plywood on some other scrap piece of wood, this will save the bottom surface a little from cracking. Now we drill holes along the inner circumference at a distance of 1-2 mm from each other. When finished, take a narrow chisel and a hammer and punch the bridges between the holes, then knock out the resulting pancake. We take the largest round file, or better yet a rasp, and slowly, again at a slight angle, align the circle along the drawn line. Sharp corners on the front side can be rounded. In the same way we make holes for the bass reflex. Another way: draw a circle with the radius of the diffuser and a hole inside, and then use a jigsaw to cut along the line. Faster, but more chips! Attach the speaker to the hole, if the “hole” suits you, drill holes for fastening the head, and for fastening you can use screw-in metal double-sided nuts, they are used in the furniture industry.

Don't forget the plug! It is better to use concert acoustics - more reliable and practical.

Well, we’ve made all the walls, holes for the speaker and bass reflex, cut the bars, and we’ll assemble them.

Using the drill again, we place a drill half the diameter of the screws and drill through the sheets of plywood in the places where it will be attached to other sheets and bars. Now take PVA glue or wood glue and spread it thicker at the joints. We connect the walls together and screw self-tapping screws into the holes made; it’s okay if they go right through and are not visible inside, but strength is important to us. The glue will play two roles, increasing the strength of the fastener and sealing it. Make sure that the structure is not warped, that the corners are even, there must be beauty and neatness.

Do not screw the back wall yet, it will still serve us. Attach the speaker, from the outside or from the inside, as you like and depending on the design of the speaker. Coat the junction of the plywood with the speaker with autosealant, being careful not to get it on the diffuser. Auto sealant - will ensure tightness and can be easily removed if you suddenly want to change the head for another one or during repairs.

Bass reflex - you can use a piece of plumbing pipe, an aluminum pipe, or basically any pipe you have (except for metal water and sewer pipes). In the program, enter its dimensions and get the length. The bass reflex can be square, then you will need to show your imagination in its manufacture. It will also need to be secured, but not tightly yet.

How to make a damper. The damper material can be: felt, hard foam rubber, cotton wool, thick fleece, etc. The most affordable material is cotton wool. But you can’t just stuff it inside! Here our beloved women will come to our aid, who all the time of our efforts grumble about garbage, noise and a bunch of tools mixed with pieces of wood, etc. How will they help us? Yes, it’s very simple, women’s tights, you can stuff cotton wool into them and make sound-absorbing “sausages”, which we will glue to the walls of the box.

Setting up the bass reflex. After damping, we put the back cover in place, but so that it can be removed later. Although if your speaker is pulled out, then the back wall can be firmly fixed with glue and a bunch of screws. We connect the unit to the low-frequency generator through an amplifier, and a voltmeter to the contacts of the subwoofer (i.e., the speaker located inside). By changing the frequency of the generator, we find the resonant frequency Fc using an already known method. If the resonant frequency differs from the calculated one, we will adjust it using a bass reflex and the amount of damper inside the box. The bass reflex pipe will need to be either shortened or lengthened; in some cases, the pipe may be longer than the dimensions of the subwoofer, in which case it can be bent in the shape of the letter “L”. You also need to experiment with the amount of damper, remove or add, decide on the specific situation. When the resonant frequency suits you, you can firmly fix the bass reflex or damper.

Turn on the music, the louder the better, listen for any extraneous noise, whistling, or rustling. If it whistles, it means there is a hole or gap left unclosed somewhere in the drawer, cover it with putty or sealant, and fill it with glue. If it rustles, the damper may be touching the moving speaker cone.

Now the final external processing of the box, the corners can be rounded, thoroughly sanded, and the cracks and holes can be covered with mastic or putty.

In the end, you can cover the subwoofer with vorsonite or some other material, put decorative grilles on the speaker and bass inertizer, screw on the legs if you are going to use it indoors, your imagination will tell you here.

Well, that seems to be all! I hope all my writing has helped someone! Thank you for reading to the end, all the best to you, success!

Send your comments, corrections, questions to: [email protected].

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How to assemble a subwoofer box

How to assemble a box for a subwoofer so that the speaker in it plays with all its power?
This question is of interest to many admirers of good sound who want to improve the audio system of their car. In our article we will learn how to assemble a box for a subwoofer, exactly the way it should be.
To begin with, before starting manufacturing, it is recommended to determine the type of speaker that reproduces low frequencies. As a rule, experts recommend choosing speakers with 10-12 inches. They are the ones that are popular today and are most often used as subwoofers.

Subwoofer boxes and their types

Today it is customary to distinguish between several types of subwoofer boxes (see). As you know, the quality of the sound obtained at the output directly depends on the type of box and its design.
So:

  • The box is a closed type, the most common type in manufacturing and design. In such a box, the woofer will “feel” good. Its acoustic characteristics will improve significantly. In addition, such a box will be much easier to build yourself.
  • Bandpass box. It is also called a fourth-order box. This design implies the presence of divided chambers inside. Typically, these same cameras come in different sizes. In one chamber there is a speaker (see), and in the other there is a bass reflex or air vent.

Note. The advantage of this type of box is its special design, which is capable of limiting frequencies.

  • 6th order bandpass box. It is noticeably different from the one described above, in particular in that it has two more cameras inside.

Note. There are two types of level 6 bandpasses. Bandpass with one bass reflex and bandpass with two bass reflexes. The latter is the most difficult to design, but is capable of delivering excellent efficiency.

  • Bass reflex box. It has a special tube inside.
    It removes air, providing additional sound. As for the complexity of manufacturing such a structure, it is something between a bandpass and a closed box.

A music lover will immediately say that it is better to opt for a bandpass. But this design will be a little complicated for a person who has taken up homemade production for the first time.
There are many parts in a bandpass type box, the creation of which involves design and careful calculation. If you have time and desire, then you can choose them.

Note. Nowadays, computers can be trusted to calculate and design dimensions and designs. The special WinLSD program will help you find the right size, estimate the volume of the subwoofer, calculate the dimensions of parts, etc.

On the other hand, the program described above is certainly not for a knowledgeable person and will require highly specialized knowledge. And why so much pain if you can start making a simpler box of good quality. This is a bass reflex device capable of reproducing the lowest frequencies.

Making a bass reflex box

So, we’ve decided on the choice of box and it’s time to move on to the manufacturing process.

Materials

First of all, we will need materials. As a rule, this should be a component that is a durable material that perfectly insulates sound. Multilayer plywood is best suited for these purposes.

Note. As a last resort, if it is impossible to find plywood, chipboard will also do.

Also, will prepare this:

  • Self-tapping screws in the amount of 100 pieces, preferably 50-55 mm.
  • Some kind of soundproofing material.
  • Liquid nails or silicone.
  • PVA glue.
  • Sealant.
  • A piece of carpet 3 meters long.

Tools

As for tools, the following accessories are suitable:

  • A screwdriver or drill as a last resort.
  • Terminal block.
  • An electric saw and preferably the same plane.

Process algorithm

So, we make a bass-reflex box for a 12-inch speaker. In this case, it is recommended to make the volume of the box equal to 40-50 liters.

Below is the calculation table:

Note. It is very important to pay careful attention to the length that runs from the cabinet wall to the speaker. This parameter is calculated, like the cavity of the entire box, based on the surfaces inside.

So:

  • We make a hole for the speaker and for the bass reflex slot.

Note. To make all the holes, we use an electric jigsaw, which is very convenient to work with.

  • Assembling the bass reflex slot.
  • We attach it to the subwoofers (see) - to the front panel.
  • It is advisable to go over all joints with silicone, or better yet, with liquid nails. After this, tighten the screws.

Note. It is highly recommended to tighten the screws tightly so as not to leave any voids. Leaving them on may affect the sound quality. Resonant vibrations will occur, interfering with normal sound.

What is the best way to make a subwoofer box?

What is the best way to make a subwoofer box with your own hands? Readers often ask. Let's try to figure it out.
This article was written precisely for this purpose. In addition, the reader will receive valuable instructions on how to make a cabinet for this speaker with their own hands. Having found out what would be the best material to make a subwoofer box from, you can safely proceed to the operation.

Which material is better

In principle, there are many materials from which a housing for such a speaker can be made. It can be plywood, MDF, chipboard and so on. Each of these materials has not only advantages, but also disadvantages.

Note. The best material for making a subwoofer enclosure, according to many experts, is shipboard laminated plywood.

Finding ship plywood is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Construction sites and other manufacturing enterprises have such material.
Formwork is often made from this plywood. This material is always moisture resistant, very durable and tough. In a word, for a subwoofer body this is what you need.

Note. It will be useful to know that in the West, where the manufacture of homemade enclosures for subwoofers is highly encouraged, they prefer MDF. They don’t have any marine plywood at all, and many experts see this as the reason for their love for MDF.

Chipboard is also a good material, but it doesn’t like moisture at all. In addition, when processed, chipboard tends to crumble. On the other hand, if you take thicker material, the problem can be solved.

Some experts also recommend other materials, but they are, as a rule, not so popular - for example, glued laminated boards.

Purchased or made yourself

Let's get started:

  • The first step is to determine the size and shape of the future box. It will be useful to find a suitable housing drawing;
  • We determine the material from which we will assemble the box. As mentioned above, marine plywood is considered the best material. If we couldn’t find it, then we use MDF or multilayer plywood.

Note. When choosing plywood, the main thing is to pay attention to its thickness. Try to select thick plywood, because the rigidity of the entire structure will depend on this, which will ultimately affect the sound.
Thus, the optimal thickness for a subwoofer box is considered to be 18 mm. This is quite reasonable: you won’t have to spend a lot of money (the thicker the plywood, the more expensive it is) and the quality will remain at the same level. On the other hand, everyone decides for themselves and sometimes the weight of a homemade box can reach more than 50 kilograms.

  • You don't have to cut plywood in your own garage. You can do this right in the store if you ask the seller to observe the appropriate dimensions. In many stores, cutting is completely free;
  • We prepare the necessary materials: glue, preferably PVA, brushes, self-tapping screws or furniture screws, liquid nails and much more.

Note. Don’t forget to buy a piece of carpet, which we will use to cover the box at the last stage of production.

We are building a building

First of all, we start making the body of the box.
Started:

  • It is advisable to make the front part of the box, where the head will be fixed, double. We just put two sheets of plywood here and that's it.
    If the thickness of the plywood sheet is chosen to be 18 mm, then in this part the thickness should be all 36 mm, which will provide greater rigidity. This is very important, because it is this part of the box that receives the greatest impact.

Note. You can do it differently. A hole of normal size is made in the first sheet, and a larger hole is made in the second sheet, which is on the outside. Thus, the subwoofer head will be recessed into the body, which has a positive effect not only on technical capabilities, but also on aesthetic components.

Let's continue:

  • We glue the plywood sheets together and then secure them with self-tapping screws. It is important not to skip screws, but to attach them to every 1 cm2 of wall area.

Note. In other words, it is advisable to tighten the screws every 3-5 cm.

  • We connect the walls of the box body not with self-tapping screws, but with special furniture screws. To do this, we arm ourselves with a drill and drill holes for the screws. Then we drip glue into the hole we made and tighten the screw. Unlike self-tapping screws, screws will provide better fixation.

Note. Over time, furniture screws do not become loose, even from constant shaking and vibrations.

  • A triangular strip is glued into the inner corners of the box if it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the structure. You can even install stretchers inside, which will prevent deformation of the body.
    This is recommended to be done only for large speakers (see) with prohibitive power, since for medium and small ones this installation does not make sense.

We protect and modify the hull

Let's get started:

  • A special varnish applied to the surface will help protect the plywood from moisture;
  • We glue vibration-insulating material inside the case. It will not only protect the body, but will also significantly increase the rigidity of the entire structure;
  • Some experts recommend protecting the subwoofer housing with vibration-insulating material on the outside as well. This will make it possible to obtain pleasant and high-quality bass;
  • We glue all the joints and connections, paying special attention to the place where the wires come from.

Note. It is believed that a closed type of subwoofer box should not have any holes at all. And some experts even recommend checking the tightness of the box by pouring water inside. But this is already overkill and it is unlikely that this should be done.

How to make a box for a subwoofer

At this point, the process of making a subwoofer box with your own hands can be called complete. The instructions should not be ignored under any circumstances.
Video reviews and photos are of no small importance - materials that also need to be given attention (see). Thus, the price of the subwoofer housing will be the lowest, since you will only need to spend money on consumables.

I figured it out, calculated it, and then drew a box, and at the same time I learned how to sketch. Nothing complicated. I made the settings lower. I can’t say exactly what it turned out to be yet, I didn’t have time to measure it, but I was aiming at 31Hz. You just need to measure it, but there is no time on weekdays, only on weekends.

When making it, I tried not to rush, so that everything would be neat.

I calculated the box myself, based on the size of the trunk, manufacturer’s recommendations, musical preferences and amplifier. Manufacturing material - 20 mm plywood. The top cover and the second layer of the front wall are made of 24mm plywood, because There are no 20 mm left, and there are no stores in the city.

The coils on the sub are 2+2, connected at 1 Ohm.

PVA wires 2*6 sq.mm.

Assembly in progress

Everything is standard, joints with liquid nails, screws every 5cm

The joint did not fit because the cover was made of thicker plywood, so I had to straighten everything with a plane.

Milling a seat for the terminal

The second layer of the front wall is temporarily fixed. Preparing for milling the hole for the sub.

Milling process. The speaker is recessed by 17 mm. The depth of the rubber ring is 15mm.

It’s so cozy here...))))

I secure the mortise nuts from the inside. Hex bolts 40mm long.

I glue the front wall and secure it with self-tapping screws. In the thinnest part of the cutout I applied several layers of varnish to strengthen it a little.

We do the final fitting before fitting. You never know, maybe it won’t fit. Everything is perfect!

I cover everything with carpet

The port was painted white, the plywood was pre-varnished a little

The leads at the terminal are no good, we find a solution to the problem.

It’s a pity that there was no crimping or heat shrinking... But there was a hammer and electrical tape! May the car audio gurus forgive me for this mistake...))))

Comparison with ChV on 10 Ural

Well, the final look

Plays for now from Kix 600 in 1 ohm. Kix will be replaced later, but that will be a completely different story...
Well, happy upcoming year to everyone! Wishing you plenty of bass in the New Year! Well, just plenty!

Most car owners pay a lot of attention to the audio content of their car, install multifunctional head units that are in no way inferior in performance to modern computers, connect powerful sound amplifiers, and make special audio podiums to improve the sound quality of the speakers. An important role in a car's sound equipment is occupied by a subwoofer - a special low-frequency speaker that reproduces the bass components of a musical composition.

Regular car speakers can be installed in the standard sockets of the car, but the subwoofer needs a special box in which it will be installed. You can make such a case yourself, and if you take into account the size and shape of the trunk during design and manufacturing, the subwoofer will fit perfectly into the luggage compartment and will not take up much space.

Calculation of the required volume, type of housing

Making a cabinet for a woofer begins with determining the type of cabinet we need. The boxes are:

  • with open body;
  • with a closed body;
  • with bass reflex;
  • bandpass housing.

The type and volume of the case is quite easy to determine. To do this, you will need to know three speaker characteristics (the optimal speaker size for a car subwoofer is 12 inches), they are indicated on the subwoofer box or in the instructions, you can also find these characteristics on the manufacturer’s website:

  • Fs – natural resonance frequency;
  • Qts – total quality factor of the speaker;
  • Vas is the equivalent volume of the speaker.

The housing type is determined by dividing the resonance frequency Fs by the speaker quality factor Qts:

  • Fs/Qts>30 – open case;
  • Fs/Qts>50 – closed housing;
  • Fs/Qts>85 – bass reflex;
  • Fs/Qts>105 – bandpass.

So, we have decided on the type of case, how to calculate the required dimensions based on the given volume Vas? It is best to calculate the subwoofer enclosure using special programs such as Perfect Box 4.5, Blaubox, VASCalc. Using such programs, you can calculate boxes of any geometric complexity. These programs are shareware, so no problems with the law. To ensure that the subwoofer fits well in the trunk and does not take up useful space, approach the measurement process with all seriousness; the future box should fit where you intended.

Housing materials

Subwoofer enclosures are made mainly from chipboard with a thickness of at least 16 mm, or plywood, preferably birch or shiplap. If the thickness of the material is not enough, you can fold 2 sheets together, fastening them with glue or self-tapping screws. Also during the manufacturing process you will need silicone sealant or wood glue, contacts for connecting the audio wire to the subwoofer and a round bass reflex, if the appropriate housing is selected.

You can buy a bass reflex in specialized stores or make it yourself from a piece of plastic pipe. To protect the wood from moisture and condensation, the body must be painted inside and outside with nitro enamel. The outside of the body is sheathed with carpet in the color of the trunk trim.

Stealth Corps

Well, if you don’t want to lose space in the trunk and bother with body calculations, you can make a stealth type box. This is a box hiddenly installed in one of the niches of the trunk, for example, on the side of the fender. This subwoofer enclosure is good for speakers 12 inches and below. The principle of making this case yourself is quite simple.

The niche for the subwoofer is cleared and completely covered with masking tape, preferably in a couple of layers. Cover with film or newspaper those parts of the casing and body that may accidentally get epoxy resin, otherwise it will be very difficult to remove it later. A thin layer of epoxy resin is applied on top of masking tape; after drying, the base of the stealth body is pasted over with epoxy resin with pieces (10*10 cm) of fiberglass over the entire surface. After applying the first layer of fiberglass and completely drying, the workpiece can be carefully removed from the trunk.

Fiberglass fabric is pasted over in 2-3 layers for strength and the required thickness. After drying, we try on the future body in the trunk niche and mark the cutting line of the edges with a marker. We cut off the excess with a grinder, and we are left with an almost finished housing for the subwoofer. We make a washer from chipboard or plywood into which the speaker will be attached. Please note that if the speaker is 12 inches, then the seat for it must be appropriate, try it on right away. We fasten the landing ring at the desired height inside the future housing using epoxy resin and stop rails.

We cover the top of the case with Lycra and coat it with epoxy, then we cover the top part of the case with fiberglass in 2-3 layers, without sealing the hole for the speaker. Particular attention should be paid to the junction of the upper and lower parts of the body; it is best to glue them inside and out. After drying, holes are cut for the bass reflex (if necessary) and for the subwoofer terminals. The body is covered with carpet, connected and installed in the trunk niche.

Advantages of a home-made case:

  • The case will fit perfectly into the trunk, because all dimensions were taken into account individually during design.
  • The efficiency of a homemade enclosure will be at the same level, if not higher, than that of standard models sold in stores, because your enclosure is designed for a specific speaker, and not just for the size of the seat.
  • The stealth case will not take up space in the trunk and will provide high-quality sound.
  • You choose the color of the upholstery yourself, and you can choose materials that perfectly match the interior.

The body of the bandapase is much more difficult to manufacture. The design includes several cameras and bass reflexes, but the sound quality with the correct calculations of such a box will be at the level of professional equipment. Although, if you try hard, even the most complex subwoofer enclosure can be made with your own hands.