196 bass question

[78LS2]

Currently I am running an XMD1, 2 sets of infitity 6.5s with x-overs, and 2 10" JL W0 all powered by two kenwood amps.

My problem is this: The JLs have sh*t the bed after many years of hard pounding, and the heater core leaking all over them... So, it is time to replace them. They currently reside in a sealed enclosure (each woofer is also sealed from the other) in the bow. Even when they were working well, the bass output was much less than when I had the same box in my mustang. I know this is due to the fact that the bow area is pretty sealed, and the boat is an open enviroment as opposed to a car.

If I put two new JLs in the same spot and put a vent / pass thru on the vertical wall to the left of the driver's feet, would this help the bass output? How big would the vent have to be?

I realize that I could glass up a box to fit in the in-floor cooler, but I like to keep as many of my 12oz friends in there as I can!

Thoughts?

[TravisFling]

RE: 196 bass question

You know, this may sound stupid, but I have an Infinity 10" sub in a sealed enclosure on a 520 watt peak amp, probably pushing 250 or so to it, and I turned the sub so it's facing downwards, and put little rubber feet on the box, to keep the speaker off the floor and water off the box, and it overpowers my tops pretty easily. I have 4 Polk DB650's inside the boat and the sub pounds pretty hard. I wish I had a nicer amp for the tops! Anyway, just a thought...

[DanielC]

RE: 196 bass question

Designed correctly, a ported speaker box will have lower bass response, or more sound level output than a sealed enclosure. Designed correctly is the key. The speaker manufacture should have this info.

[78LS2]

RE: 196 bass question

I used the sealed enclosure because that is what I had on hand, and it happened to fit in the bow.

Anyway, will the vent in the side wall help let more bass out?

[TravisFling]

RE: 196 bass question

well... the short answer is yes and no. Ported or unported more affects the delivery of the bass (punchy or flowy), but bass, in general is not only omnidirectional (you can point the speaker any which way and the sound will travel all over) but with lower frequencies the sound should travel "through" whatever it's enclosed in, which is why you can hear the bass in a car driving by and not the highs, which won't go through the glass and metal. So, that being said, it should still hit. Now, if you install the speakers ported and allow the compartment that they're in to act as a "second enclosure" you might get more response, and having a pass through in a side locker might further act as a second ported enclosure. Check the manufacturer's specs, or give them a call, they know how they designed the speaker and what enclosure it should be in. More air, and space around a speaker isn't good, it's the sound being controlled by the envirnment that it's created in that makes it hit. I hope that makes sense...

[TravisFling]

RE: 196 bass question

PS... I have a closed bow nautique similar in size and I really noticed and increase in bass response by having the speaker fire downward. the feet I got for the sub box, to elevate it off the floor so the sub could move and also to isolate it from water, were rubber stoppers I got from the local hardware. should work pretty well.