I am attempting to build my first enclosure for a 10" sub. I have dowloaded and tried some sealed and ported enclosure spreadsheets. I was wondering what is better, sealed or ported. I have read many who say sealed. Also when I do the calculations I get a result of .50 cubic feet for size. That does not sound right to me. That would be aprox. a 12" x 12" x 6 enclosure. 6 inches does not sound like a proper depth considering the depth of the sub is 4 3/16" . Can anybody give me any help or input?

Thanks in advanced

Here's some info...

http://www.diysubwoofers.org/

that is where I received the spreadsheets.

Thanks

[jpwhaley]

What driver are you using for the sub?

[RichardH]

Have a look at my post here for some comments on ported vs sealed.

Try here


DIY Sub Mk.1 RTP-10

Try downloading WinISD, a free speaker design app - a lot easier than using spreadsheets IMO.

As for your .5cuft design - it's impossible to say without knowing which driver you're modelling, and what type of enclosure your modelling it in.


Personally, I'd stick with a sealed unit first time out - but that's assuming that your driver is suited for that (many can be used in either sealed or ported, while others are really designed for one or the other), if you already have one.

Sealed units are easier to design and build - getting a ported model "right" can be problematic.
However, it also depends on your expectations - it's probably also fair to say that a good sealed unit will be a bit more expensive than a ported one - all things being equal, it really needs a better driver and amp than you can get away with in a ported design.

Bottom line:
Each has advantages and drawbacks - it's really up to the individual as to which tradeoffs hold the higher importance!

All things being equal, I prefer sealed units. However that's not to say sealed is always better - IMO it would be mistake to assume that.
It also depends how you compare them.
Price? Size? Extension? Control? Output level?....... the list is pretty big, and you can come up with different answers every time, depending on which takes priority!


Doesn't really answer your question does it?

Sorry about that, but the reality is that there is no definitive answer to the "which is best" question.

If you post back with more info about what you want to achieve, how much you want to spend, what parts you already have, how big the unit can be, and any other info you might think is relevant, then you'll probably get some more useful feedback

This is a good starting point for DIY sub's, check out Adire's white papers, especially one's on the Shiva and Tempest available at Adire's website.
They have plans which are easily followed