Opinions of Free Air Subs? Do they really need an enclosure? Free Air in a pinch?
05-22-2006, 01:07 PM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 10,540
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Opinions of Free Air Subs? Do they really need an enclosure? Free Air in a pinch?
Just wondering for my Mercedes ML320, wanted to mount a sub in my trunk wall area. It is SO easy for me to build just a plate to install the sub on, and Infinity sells a Kappa Perfect VQ which is an Open/Free Air sub, so it does not NEED an enclosure. My question is really, do I believe that? Does it really need an enclosure to sound good, or is it pretty much that the sub sounds like crap but won't messed up if it is installed in an open air enviornment- ie infinite space?
05-22-2006, 02:01 PM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 7,817
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Free air or infinite baffle still needs to have separation between the front wave and back wave.
There needs to be a baffle that isolates the air in front of the cone from the air in back of the cone. Usually the trunk acts as the enclosure in an infinite baffle install. The cone would fire into the cabin while the back of the sub is in the trunk space. A good seal must be made so that no air leaks from the front to the back otherwise you'll get bass cancellation.
Actually free air can be thought of as a really big sealed box. I think anything bigger than 8 times VAS (T/S parameters) is considered free air. You can also look into aperiodic membranes to accomplish an infinite baffle installation. I don't have to much experience with those but from what I remember, the membrane acts as a barrier between the front wave and back wave. Maybe some of the other experienced guys here like avincar can elaborate on that.
Actually free air can be thought of as a really big sealed box. I think anything bigger than 8 times VAS (T/S parameters) is considered free air. You can also look into aperiodic membranes to accomplish an infinite baffle installation. I don't have to much experience with those but from what I remember, the membrane acts as a barrier between the front wave and back wave. Maybe some of the other experienced guys here like avincar can elaborate on that.
05-22-2006, 05:23 PM
#4
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 10,540
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thats exactly what I was thinking about doing, also one where the CD changer is/was
<center><img src="http://www.benzworld.org/forums/attachments/w163-m-class/85676-installed-custom-trunk-20-inch-rims-cimg1857.jpg?thumb=1&d=1148252400"></center><p>Think I am going to build something like this...
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
