How to make a homemade subwoofer for a car - types of boxes
Before assembling the subwoofer into the car with your own hands, you need to decide on the layout and type of box.
You can assemble the box in several ways:
- Horn design;
- Closed box;
- Bass reflex;
- Passive radiator (analogue of a bass reflex);
- Bandpass;
- Quarter-wave resonator.
Let us briefly define each of the proposed options and focus on building one of the boxes.
Subwoofer type – horn
Horn-shaped design. Its advantage: the clarity of directional sound in one specific direction.
Subwoofer box
The design does not have frequency emitters on the body. Assembly of the box is simple. The main thing is to adhere to the parameters specified in the drawing.
Subwoofer for car - bass reflex
In this version, a special feature is the arrangement of holes of different diameters on the body of the box. This design allows you to increase the efficiency and allow free flow of outgoing air.
Subwoofer type for car - passive radiator
The speaker body with different holes is essentially an analogue of the previous version of the box. Difference: a small diffuser without a voice coil is built into the body. Assembling the structure will not be difficult if you have the material and tools.
Quarter-wave resonator.
The box is shaped like a pipe. Design presents certain difficulties for a beginner. But the work will pay off with high-quality sound at low frequencies than the other designs described above.
Having decided on possible designs and choosing the required option, let’s use a bass reflex as an example to build a box. Let's find out the order and sequence of production.
How to properly connect a subwoofer
Power wiring
After purchase is one of the most important questions. The sound that the speaker system will produce depends on the quality of installation. Sometimes the user may be intimidated by the number of inputs and wires. In practice, the installation and connection procedure is not so complicated. Enough:
- prepare the installation site. Remove the casing where the wires will be hidden, clean the screws from paint and materials, which will allow them to be installed in place;
- remove the terminals from the battery. All work with electronics should be carried out with the power turned off in the car, which will avoid an accident;
- power wiring. As a rule, this is the thickest cable in the speaker set. It has a fuse that must be connected to the positive terminal of the battery. When laying, avoid kinks and twisting of the wiring.
- connecting the remote wire. This cable is responsible for turning on the subwoofer. It connects to the standard radio installed in the car, to a wire with a similar sound;
- connecting the signal wire. Such a wire extends to the sound source if it has a separate line output for the subwoofer. If it is not there, the connection is made using a high-level input, which is usually included in the kit.
It is worth considering that the complexity of the connection depends on the configuration and design features.
The peculiarities of the perception of music at different frequencies are clearly manifested in closed spaces, which include your own car. If you can install multi-component acoustics of a decent volume at home, then in the car you have to sacrifice free space or install a subwoofer after special preparation of the interior.
Fortunately, it is possible to occupy the trunk with a massive system with its normal configuration without a noticeable “spread” of volume and power in different directions. Giving advice on acoustic equipment is difficult. Everyone has their own preferences. But the models presented in the rating can take their rightful place in the car.
Best models
The rating includes models with the largest number of positive reviews.
Pioneer TS-WX70DA
The device takes first place in the ranking of the best compact subwoofers. It can be placed under any seat. The manufacturer does not declare any special operating conditions. The 15cm diameter speakers are powerful enough to produce deep bass. The positive qualities of the product include:
- no protruding parts;
- small sizes;
- stylish design allowing for open installation;
- rich bass;
- several operating modes.
The disadvantages of the Pioneer subwoofer include the low quality of the installation cables, the control panel on a wire, and deterioration in sound quality with increasing power.
Pioneer TS-WX210A
The model has a minimum amount of internal space. This allows you to place the subwoofer in any car, without taking into account the height and method of installing the seats. The rich bass produced by the 8-inch speaker is adjustable. Other advantages include the following:
- high sound power;
- the ability to change the cutoff frequency;
- increased power;
- small body size;
- reliable fastening.
Negative qualities include the lack of installation cables included, only the bottom part is attached, a wired remote control, and a high price.
Mystery MBS-204A
Low cost makes this model popular among buyers. It represents good value for money. However, installation of the product will require special skills. The advantages of the model under consideration include:
- stylish neat design;
- presence of a built-in amplifier;
- the presence of a separate volume control with an LED element;
- good sound quality.
The following points are considered negative qualities:
- poor quality of cables included in the kit;
- bad fuse;
- increased brightness of the LED component on the volume control panel;
- the occurrence of interference that can degrade sound quality.
Alpine PWE-V80
The model is capable of replacing an amplifier located in the luggage compartment. A power of 160 W is enough to pump the interior of an SUV. The device is not suitable for lovers of soft classical music. The sub produces powerful, rhythmic sounds. The advantages of the model are the following qualities:
- presence of a built-in amplifier;
- stylish flat body;
- high power;
- normal sound quality.
The disadvantages are the harsh sound of the bass (due to a small volume of air), pronounced vibration (installation of feet or a rubber backing is required), and high price.
Pioneer TS-WX130DA
The device is used as an auxiliary component of an audio system. It is not capable of producing rich, rich bass. To obtain the desired sound quality, use the buttons located on the remote control. There are functions for phase shifting and changing the cutoff frequency. This sub for installation in a car contains the following positive qualities:
- neat small body;
- ease of installation and connection;
- presence of an amplifier;
- several operating modes and settings options.
The disadvantages include low power, deterioration in sound quality when choosing maximum parameters.
