Drilling hole in Subwoofer

[Gamingphreek]

I have a pair of Logitech Z-640's, if you have used these speakers you know that the bass is very boomy and not clean and clear. I believe this is because there is no exhaust vent in the sub.

Since I don't have class anymore, my friend and I thought it would be fun to drill one ourselves.

First off, good idea or bad idea?
Second off, is there an optimal place- A place where we wont hit any circuitry or anything?

-Kevin

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Right now it's enclosed, right?

 

[Gamingphreek]

Yes right now there is no ventilation to the sub and it is completely enclosed.

-Kevin

 

[davestar]

a sealed sub enclosure typically produces the tightest bass of any enclosure configuration. definitely DO NOT drill a hole.

the reason your sub is boomy and not clean and clear is because it is from a "cheap" set of computer speakers (as compared to a sub used in a home theater application)

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: davestar
a sealed sub enclosure typically produces the tightest bass of any enclosure configuration. definitely DO NOT drill a hole.

Then why in the world do Klipsch and Mackie and high end models have ventilated subs. It was my impression, that a closed unit with no exhaust produces deep boomy overwhelming bass, not a sharp clear bass like it is supposed to.

-Kevin

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Then why in the world do Klipsch and Mackie and high end models have ventilated subs.

Take a look at the respective pricetags and you'll find your answer.

- M4H

 

[deerslayer]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Then why in the world do Klipsch and Mackie and high end models have ventilated subs. It was my impression, that a closed unit with no exhaust produces deep boomy overwhelming bass, not a sharp clear bass like it is supposed to.

-Kevin

Your impression was wrong. Ported = Boomy. Sealed = Tight and Responsive.

Edit: BTW, I thought you were going to drill a hole in the cone of the woofer when I read the title.

 

[davestar]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: davestar
a sealed sub enclosure typically produces the tightest bass of any enclosure configuration. definitely DO NOT drill a hole.

Then why in the world do Klipsch and Mackie and high end models have ventilated subs. It was my impression, that a closed unit with no exhaust produces deep boomy overwhelming bass, not a sharp clear bass like it is supposed to.

-Kevin

Some research material

from the above link: "[Sealed enclosures] are usually the subwoofer system of choice for audiophiles because of their excellent transient response (i.e. no boomy sound) characteristics when designed and built properly."


ported enclosures are designed in such a way that the port is tuned to a certain frequency. you get a response bump at that frequency and steep rolloff and distortion below that frequency.

decent sub manufacturers are careful to mate their driver (the speaker itself) with the proper enclosure. altering the enclosure is a definite no-no

 

[AlienCraft]

It's too "boomy"? it could be because most music is mastered with the "new" 21'st century eq curve that places emphasis in the low bass / sub bass region, the most difficult to accurately reproduce on a consistent, system to system basis.
Boomy comes from a variety of causes, room reflections / nodes / speaker placement / quality / integrity among the few that pop into mind.
Mastering (or lack of it) and producer discretion also come to mind.
Most music today comes off of a digital source, and generally spaeking the frequency range is extended beyond the ability of most audio systems.
Since in the past, most music was on vinyl, there were certain technical restrictions as to how much bass frequency region one could actually get onto the vinyl without causing left wall groove overexcursion into adjacent groove "real estate".

As for the hole theory....
go for it realizing that you are experimenting.
You may want to research a little, the differences between acoustic suspension cabinets, and bass reflex cabinets, what the free air resonance is and why we need to know that for the driver under observation. Also, a little on what the duct length is doing and why it's similarity to a pipe organ pipe is not a coincidence.


Or not, just start with a small hole and go up in diameter until it does something you like.
You

 

[jtvang125]

A sealed enclosure properly built to the subwoofer's specs will produce tighter and cleaner bass than other enclosure designs. A ported enclosure (with a hole) will generally be louder than a seal enclosure but the bass will not be as tight and clean. The bass is more of a boomy type of bass.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: davestar
a sealed sub enclosure typically produces the tightest bass of any enclosure configuration. definitely DO NOT drill a hole.

Then why in the world do Klipsch and Mackie and high end models have ventilated subs. It was my impression, that a closed unit with no exhaust produces deep boomy overwhelming bass, not a sharp clear bass like it is supposed to.

-Kevin

You have it backwards.

 

[DayLaPaul]

Everything the people above me have said is true.
If you still want to port your sub, it won't be as simple as drilling a hole in it. You would need to caculate port area and match it with the size of your box. If you really want to mess around and do this, we would need the specifications for that particular driver (speaker) that's in the sub so that we can make the calculations. One benefit of using a ported box is increased efficiency, allowing the sub to go lower/be louder. But don't expect any miracles, given your setup. It would be more of an experiment than anything.

 

[manowar821]

The higher quality "ported" boxes you speak of are most likely not simply ported, they're probably mathematically tuned BANDPASS boxes. If you size the holes and chambers well enough to match the sub, and if the sub is high enough quality, you can get that boom, along with the tightness of the sound.

It's expensive.

Back to your question. If you want to port the box, you'll want to look up your speaker specs and see if they're rated for sealed boxes only, or if they can be used for ported or bandpass as well. If this is true, you may then make ports for your box, but you'll want to look up the equation to measure how long your tubes should be based on how many cubic inches of air is inside your box. Get it as close to the mark as possible, but being a little bit off is okay, and you should get some good results.

Yes, there are different types of sub woofers, built for different types of enclosures. It's VERY important to know what kind you have, otherwise the sound will suck, or worse, the sub will get damaged.

I prefer airtight boxes, I've gotten the measurements down to a science, and I like sound accuracy over the BOOM. I do change it out once in a while, though. It's always fun.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Thanks for all the replies!

Well I can turn down the bass on the back of the sub itself, but then I just get lower bass over all. My problem when bass is needed it isn't a hit or anything its a constant BMMMMMMMMMM. Like the LF Crossover is turned way way too high (Like some mids are getting redirected to low channel).

-Kevin

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: DayLaPaul
Everything the people above me have said is true.
If you still want to port your subcorrectly, it won't be as simple as drilling a hole in it. You would need to caculate port area and match it with the size of your box. If you really want to mess around and do this, we would need the specifications for that particular driver (speaker) that's in the sub so that we can make the calculations. One benefit of using a ported box is increased efficiency, allowing the sub to go lower/be louder. But don't expect any miracles, given your setup. It would be more of an experiment than anything.

fixed

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Thanks for all the replies!

Well I can turn down the bass on the back of the sub itself, but then I just get lower bass over all. My problem when bass is needed it isn't a hit or anything its a constant BMMMMMMMMMM. Like the LF Crossover is turned way way too high (Like some mids are getting redirected to low channel).

-Kevin

I'm at work, so I may not see, but what is your system wired up like?

I mean, everything from the head unit, wires, amp, sub.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Thanks for all the replies!

Well I can turn down the bass on the back of the sub itself, but then I just get lower bass over all. My problem when bass is needed it isn't a hit or anything its a constant BMMMMMMMMMM. Like the LF Crossover is turned way way too high (Like some mids are getting redirected to low channel).

-Kevin

More correctly is that too much low is getting into the mids.
If there is a slope or Q control, try switching that.
Realize that music eq may be totally different than a movie.
If you have a graphic eq on your system, try dipping the low low bands and see if you can find the offending region and then try a little judicious eq, that way.
I'm talking no more than a 6 or 8 db cut.

 

[Howard]

It's probably boomy because 1) your room isn't treated, and 2) the box is too small. Drilling a hole will only give you a whistling sound during transients, at best.

 

[Gamingphreek]

The system is a computer speaker system running off an Audigy 2 PCI card, so there is no designated amp.

The sub is on a ceramic tile floor in my dorm, under my desk. My desk is under my wooden loft. On the loft I have mounted each of my channels in their proper locations (L, R, LS, RS). The center channel is placed under my monitor, directly in front of me, on my desk.

Is there an equalizer program I can download for windows that will govern all sounds?

-Kevin

 

[radioouman]

Do you have carpet in your room? The floor may make it boomy.

Placement in the room will have an effect too. Try putting it under the bed.

Maybe you should just install a cross over to prevent high bass frequencies from reaching the sub. A cut off around 100 hz or 80 hz may be what you are looking for.

 

[NanoStuff]

You're not getting 'boomy' sound because your subwoofer doesn't have a 'hole'. You're getting it because your subwoofer is a cheap piece of ******. That's all there is to it.

As for what you can do about it, you can buy/rent an SPL meter/spectrum analyzer, learn how one works, and use it to calibrate the subwoofer to your room. It won't make up for the fact your subwoofer is ******, but it would help.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
You're not getting 'boomy' sound because your subwoofer doesn't have a 'hole'. You're getting it because your subwoofer is a cheap piece of ******. That's all there is to it.

As for what you can do about it, you can buy/rent an SPL meter/spectrum analyzer, learn how one works, and use it to calibrate the subwoofer to your room. It won't make up for the fact your subwoofer is ******, but it would help.

Gee thanks that helped a lot -_-

 

[Jeff7]

Inner workings of the Z-640

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
The system is a computer speaker system running off an Audigy 2 PCI card, so there is no designated amp.

The sub is on a ceramic tile floor in my dorm, under my desk. My desk is under my wooden loft. On the loft I have mounted each of my channels in their proper locations (L, R, LS, RS). The center channel is placed under my monitor, directly in front of me, on my desk.

Is there an equalizer program I can download for windows that will govern all sounds?

-Kevin

FIRST MOVE THE SUB.
Sub performance is much related to room geometry/ sub cabinet placement as is the xover parameters.
try elevating it a few inches more off the floor, or placeing a carpet pad between it and the tile if it stays there.

 

[davestar]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: NanoStuff
You're not getting 'boomy' sound because your subwoofer doesn't have a 'hole'. You're getting it because your subwoofer is a cheap piece of ******. That's all there is to it.

As for what you can do about it, you can buy/rent an SPL meter/spectrum analyzer, learn how one works, and use it to calibrate the subwoofer to your room. It won't make up for the fact your subwoofer is ******, but it would help.

Gee thanks that helped a lot -_-

he was a d*ck about it, but he is right. don't expect super hi-fidelity sound from any set of computer speakers. anyone raving about how amazing their logitech z34853027's sound only appreciate the fact that logitechs can get kinda loud (in small room) and pump out some flubby beats at 80 Hz