I already have a box built, and my Audiobahns dont sound like they are really performing (actually, they are kinda moody...some days they really hit, other days they distort....I also think my headunit is getting old and might not send out a clear signal all the time)....anyway. I'm building a new box. I'm planning on removing the back seats and using that space back there to put a new box. Now, I'm currently debating about whether or not to keep my current setup (sealed), or trying to do some sort of ported setup (be it that the actual speaker is enclosed, and the port is the only means for air to move in and out, or mounting the speaker so that the cone is exposed, and it also has a port)...anybody have any preference either way? Which is gonna sound better given the fact that my speakers are no longer utilizing the acoustic advantage of being mounted in the trunk?

 

i had a sealed enclosure in my camaro then i ported it and i lost the really low notes, but it was alot louder throughout the rest though. I have 2 15" dvc audiobahn in seperated box. 1200watt mono

 

sealed is the only way to go.. i thought ported was the way to go thats what all my friends have.. we dont have sealed trunks so best bet is sealed box... gives u a tighter thump... even if u listen to rap music the sealed is WAY better... ive tried both.. ported sounded bad...

thats just my

 

Ported WILL sound great and be loud if the sub is designed to work in a ported enclosure AND the box is built and tuned properly. If your just taking a sealed box and cutting a hole in the thing no wonder the it sounds bad, what did you expect? A properly built sealed box will be considerably smaller then a properly built ported box. Then the thing needs to be tuned properly to. Notice that I'm saying properly allot? Just builting a box with a port and not doing any REAL design work and it will sound like crap. You can't just start moving air around and expect it to sound good. Read, listen, learn.

305IrocZ28, you said some days it sounds better then others? What's the make and model of the HU. Some of them have chronic problems with bad connection IN the radio that could cause this, could also be a bad set of RCAs, or a bad connection IN the amp.
I would suggest that you look into this problem before you spend a lot of time trying to work with the box. Other wise you'll have a new box that still sounds better somedays then others.

 

The headunit is an older Pioneer unit...I dont know the model (it might be on the faceplate but I never pay attention to it)...all I know is that the headunit is AT LEAST 4 years old, since it was in the car when I bought it...and it will play burned cds, so it cant be THAT old. About it sounding better on some days rather than others, the chronic problem i notice is that on bad days, the subs sound like they distort at a much lower volume and output level than others. Example: A song with low bass may practically relocate my innards at volume 24 out of 30 on one day, but that same song, on some other day, will not sound as good and will start distorting at say, 21 out of 30....I have a better set of RCAs than the ones in there now, I've just never gotten around to putting them in (the Audiobahn RCAs I got with the wiring kit). Another thing which I'm thinking is that the headunit puts out 35 watts x 4 (somewhat weak by todays standards), and I just put in a pair of Sony Xplod 6x9s, which have a rated RMS power handling of 50 watts, 150 peak.....perhaps I'm just overworking an old headunit......oh, and I dont have a capacitor in the system yet....also beating the hell out of my alternator.

 

Incoming is very mistaken in his findings.

ported boxew will give you more output (loudness) and can be tuned to play higher or lower tones better. It has nothing to do with your hatch being sealed or not.

The general consensus is that ported boxes work better for rap music as they get much louder for long bass notes. However they're often not as responsive for quick punchy hits.

Every audiobahn sub ive ever played with sounded much better in a ported box. The higher you tune it the more SPL it will be, the lower the more SQ

 

305IrocZ28, That sound allot like a bad ground somewhere in the RCA path. Could be in the radio, could be in the amp, or could be the RCAs. I would look into this first. Try swapping out the RCAs as a first easy step. They don't need to be run great for a temporary test, just out of the way. Try wiggling the RCA connectors at the amp, this would indicate a bad solder connection in the amp or a bad connection in the RCA at that end. Are you using the RCAs hanging off of the HU or the ones right on the back of the unit? If using the ones hanging from the unit wiggle the RCA cable and see what happens. If theres a problem there it's probably the RCA cables. If your using the ones right on the back of the unit wiggling them to and see what happens.(anybody got a wiggly smiley?)
The HU should have the model # on the faceplate and it should start with DEH-_____.
Do you have and know how to use a ohm meter?

 

The model of the headunit is DEH-345

 

DEH-345

 

There was more in that post then "what's the model #". Did you try anything? Do you have/know how to use and ohm meter?

 

I do believe I have one lying around my garage somewhere, and yes, I know how to use it. What would i be checking for?

 

while you're palying with the wires you'd be checking for big diffs in ohms.... shorts and the such or really bad wires... that kinda thing.. if you dont find your ohmeter just get a decent multimeter becuase it does that and more

 

Before we get into that, have you tried wiggling the RCA connections at the amp and HU? Did you hear any difference?