which is better?

[MiguelACA]

im getting new subs and new amp, woofers are 10'' kicker comps (05C104) and the amp is and Xtreme 500 watt monoblock

im curious about a couple of things

which is better, ported or sealed box?

also, some friends have there subs facing the front of the car, and some facing the back. some have the boxes way inside the trunk, while others dont, which is better and why? thanks!

[SpooldUp]

There is no right answer here. More of a science. In a nutshell: Sealed box will have a broader frequency response but not as much gain over a narrow frequency range as a (correctly!) ported design. If you're not really sure then don't mess with ported. Just get or make a sealed box with the proper volume for the speaker (listed on speaker spec sheet). You can build seperate chambers or a single chamber box if both subs are getting the same signal (from the monoblock amp).

As far as box placement goes. Not a *ton* of difference here. Best bet is just to place the box in the front of the trunk (by the seats) so the subs fire rearward. You can experiment and move it from there, but with a small trunk car and basic set-up, that will be the best bet.

BTW, this site has been and always be the god of free car electronics info. :
Basic Car Audio Electronics
Very good reading there.

[da_bull]

Yeah the Comps will work in either box, and they should have specs on both styles of enclosures. A sealed box is a little smoother (not as peaky). The ported box typically is louder at the tuning frequency of the box, but falls off quicker as the frequency rises. A ported box has to be a little more precise on the sizes, whereas the sealed box can be off by as much as 10% or so.

Like SU said, start with the box at the back of the seat facing backwards, and move it around from there. I, too, dont think you will notice much difference. My car has a ski hole and I built a 5th order box, and located the port in between the seats, so that my trunk wouldnt rattle. All the sound is being fed into the cabin. Downfall: the rear armrest has to be down all the time, not so good if there is three people in the back seat.

[MiguelACA]

kool, thanks alot, the thing is the box i have right now is ported, so i didnt know if i should leave it like that or seal it, so i guess ill just seal it off

[da_bull]

Take some REAL good measurements (box width, height, length, and the diameter and length of the port). Then compare them to the spec sheet on the Comps. BTW, measure the inside dimensions not the outside (i.e. if the outside measures 32.5" and the box is made out of 1/2" material, your inside is actually 31.5. Subtracting 1/2" from both sides.). That is the important measurement to figure box volume.

[SpooldUp]

Yeah, don't just plug the port - measure like da bull said. The ported enclosure volume and the sealed enclosure volume will usually vary. Did the subs come in the ported box? If so, it could be the correct dimensions already. The sub spec sheet will list ported box volumes, port lengths and diameters to compliment different frequencies. Compare these to what you have, or just fire the thing up and see how it sounds!

[MiguelACA]

my cousin bought these subs and amp and box, a combo, for 260, i dont have that much cash so i just bought the subs online and will be getting the amp wheni get the subs, and i dont want to spend more on a box because i already have one that im using on my current subs, ill take measurements tomorrow, but wut im probably gonna end up doing is using the same box and listening to the difference when its sealed or not and keep the better setup i guess