It’s hard to go louder with a subwoofer that is less than 10 inches in diameter. Even the best 8-inch subwoofer may not be as loud and bassy as you expect it to be. Of course, only if you don’t know any tricks.
The most common ways for increasing a subwoofer loudness are quite costly. For example, high-quality amplifiers are commonly purchased for this purpose, but they are very expensive. Or you can buy one more subwoofer, which may appear to be even costlier.
Contrary to popular belief, a subwoofer box isn’t just for protection; it can also help the speaker reach its full potential and sound better. The difference in SPL between the boxes is quite noticeable. As a result, many people prefer to create their own custom boxes.
We will tell you how to make a subwoofer box louder by modifying it. And, after that, you may find that you don’t need to buy any expensive equipment to make your subwoofer louder.
Useful Tips and Tricks
The methods for increasing the volume of a subwoofer listed below are either free or require a small investment. They’re also simple to do and can be completed by anyone. However, before you do anything, try adjusting the crossover and phase settings on your sub: perhaps your current sound settings just don’t work right with your enclosure. You should also attempt to fine-tune your amplifier. It should help eliminate sound distortion at high volume levels on lower frequencies.
Subwoofer Box Tweaks
- Sealed. This type of box is preferable by people who like clean, crisp, and tight bass. Such bass is achieved thanks to the prevention of air leakage which restricts the cone’s movements. The sealed boxes are also smaller than the others. You can make a sealed enclosure by filling the inner part of the subwoofer’s box with polyfill, for example. However, they don’t make a significant contribution to the subwoofer’s volume.
- Ported. The cone moves freely in the ported enclosure. And, therefore, the bass appears to be louder and punchier. It works best for heavy music genres (rock, metal, etc.). However, it’s difficult to make a ported box since you will have to do a lot of very precise measurements. It’s also important to make it of sturdy material, so the commonly used wood won’t work in this case.
- Bandpass. In fact, it’s a combination of sealed and ported types of enclosure. Actually, it’s a sealed enclosure with an acoustic filter that serves to limit the upper end of the subwoofer’s frequency response. It’s considered to be more efficient than other types.
As you can see, sealed enclosures don’t do a great job of making a sub louder, so you might want to consider changing the design of your existing box to make it a ported one. If you’re going to make a DIY box, we recommend using a sturdy material and making a ported box (MDF, fiberglass, etc.).
Subwoofer Placement
Searching for the answer to the question “how to make a subwoofer louder?”, you may be surprised to find out that its loudness directly depends on its placement. Typically, the subwoofers are placed in the center of the acoustic setup or in its corner. However, when it comes to bass loudness, placing it in the corner is more preferable. It will allow you to get several decibels of bass boost without an amp. Just make sure not to place it too close to the wall.
It’s also recommended to experiment with the subwoofer’s placement. Depending on the room size, different models sound louder in different locations. You could also try placing your sub in an asymmetrical position with respect to the walls, which could result in louder bass output.
You should also remember not to place your sub on the floor. Subwoofers produce a lot of vibrations, and when they’re placed on the floor, they expend a lot of energy to revibrate through the floor, resulting in a weaker bass. If you still want to keep your sub on the floor, you should isolate it from it. There are several options for doing so, including isolation pads, decoupling material, and so on. They’ll act as a buffer between your subwoofer and the ground. They’ll act as a barrier between your subwoofer and the floor.
Sound Dampening Materials
The vibrations from your subwoofer’s enclosure could be the cause of its lack of volume. Special sound dampening materials can be used to reduce vibrations. They allow making bass louder and cleaner. The use of acoustic foam is recommended. One layer of this foam will help reduce reflections and vibrations, resulting in a more consistent and louder bass. Depending on the size of the box, you can apply it on two or four sides.
Best Size Of the Box for Your Sub
As usual, the manufacturers specify the optimal size of the box to put a subwoofer in. However, you don’t have to strictly follow those recommendations. You should also remember that a larger box will make the bass response lower and may even be damaging for your subwoofer due to over-excursion of free air.
Hi everyone! I’m Thomas Moody, also known as Guitarzan.