the Automotive Hall

Subwoofer Selection Tips From The Pros

When deciding to upgrade your audio system adding a subwoofer can produce massive results. Adding volume at sub frequencies is like adding a third dimension to your music. Whether you’re considering building a new audio system or just adding one or more subwoofers to your factory system this addition will give you the single largest sonic improvement. Simply adding even a little bass will make a HUGE improvement. You can also get free advice on choosing a subwoofer system from the pro’s at www.apexaudio.com.

Choosing a car audio subwoofer can be confusing. There are a few questions that you should ask yourself before actually running out and buying woofers.

What type of sound are you looking for?
There are two main camps in the sound world: Sound Quality SQ or Sound Pressure Level SPL.

Sound Quality alludes to just that a very linear response that’s not boomy and is very controlled especially when listening to complex software. An SQ System generally uses a smaller woofer and requires a smaller enclosure. A sealed enclosure would typically work best for this application.

SPL alternatively is for you “Big Bass Lovers.” If you’re like me and like a lot of impact with your music extended bass response and 3 dB more efficient gain then you’re probably looking for a ported enclosure.

Sealed enclosures are also known as “Acoustic Suspension” enclosures. When a speaker is put in a sealed enclosure the pressure becomes trapped in the box and restricts the cone movement so the air inside the enclosure acts as a spring. The smaller the enclosure the more pressure is exerted against the cone under movement. With a sealed enclosure of predetermined volume we can also predict the cutoff frequency and Q* of the system.

Sealed enclosures will also forgive minor mistakes in design up to 10 percent without major effects on sonic performance.

The real advantage is that they just consume less space not to mention they’re simpler to design and construct.

Ported enclosures are very close to a sealed enclosure in construction but feature an additional opening for an attached port. This allows the rearradiated energy to be phase inverted matched in time and to become in phase with the energy from the front of the speaker cone essentially doubling the effective cone area.

The main disadvantage with a ported enclosure is that the design and construction are not very forgiving of mistakes. Unlike a sealed box you must determine a number of parameters: the box volume tuned frequency port area and port length. But the advantage is great you’ll get more output with the same number and size of woofers.

However with all of that extra output there’s always a trade off. More bass naturally means more space.

You’re probably thinking can a ported enclosure sound as well a sealed enclosure? The answer is yes but it’s different in that it will have a slight peak around the tuning frequency 35 Hz and roll off very quickly. Both types of enclosures have true supporters. What you use really boils down to your application and how they load in your vehicle.

How much space are you willing to give up?
Now that you’ve clarified your music tastes you’ll need to decide which one of the enclosures will fit your needs and your vehicle.

Before you make your purchase it’s also a key to find out how much air space and what type of enclosure is required for your dream woofers. Most manufacturers will have both specifications for sealed and ported applications. This information can be found several ways: through your local dealer via the Internet or by calling the manufacturer’s technical department. When in doubt ask your dealer to help you determine the best woofers for your application.

How much money should you spend?
This can vary according to your personal needs. Many believe that the more you spend the greater the bass you’ll get. There surely is some truth to that but I found that a lot of people get hung up on specs that really are not vital. This is a personal decision. Don’t believe that spending more gets you more. Don’t get hung up on specs that are not important.

Does the installation matter?
Absolutely. In a home system installation where the installation is essentially plugandplay installation accounts for a very tiny percentage of the sound quality and is pretty impossible to screw it up. Most home receivers have everything built into a single unit and the engineers have taken most of the guesswork out. There’s no level matching between components and definitely no subwoofer enclosure building. In a vehicle it’s much different the installation takes a lot more finesse and accounts for about 80 percent of the success of how the system will sound. This is why it’s so important to spend the time and money on how it’s put together.

In fact the installation is everything. Think of it this way: If you build a house with a poor foundation the house will always have a poor foundation and will never be able to support the house. If you’re installing it yourself or if you’re going to have your local shop put it in do a little homework and it’ll go a long way. Make sure you calculate the correct volume for your enclosure and use good quality materials like MDF or Fiberglass.

If you follow these tips you too can reap the rewards of great bass from your car audio subwoofers..

About the writer:  Professor Apex is an Expert In Car Audio and Mobile Video. He has more than 13 years of experience. You can find him here: Wholesale Car Audio

So Is AWater To Fuel Conversion The Real Deal?

If we the general public can accept that a major change in the fuel system of our vehicles is available to us NOW then why are governments all around the world not joining in the fray in support especially so considering that delegates from the majority of countries 180 around the globe made such a fuss about attending a huge “freebie” on how to combat global warming and carbon gas emissions on the paradise island of Bali in Dec ‘07.

Just one little point here every taxpayer in those 180 countries has been paying tax each year to send those delegates to these conferences held in various locations annually around the world since the 1997 Kyoto meeting. While all this talking at conferences has been going on how has it affected most people so far; whilst fuel prices have had a dip or two over the years we are now paying record prices at the pumps for our motoring fuel while carbon gas emissions and global warming still go on regardless.

Cars have been around now for approx. 100 years the engine of the car has hardly changed its basic conceptthat it requires either petrol or diesel to operate.
While there is new technology being discovered every day in all fields:medicine aerospace food manufacturing agriculture etc: why on earth do we not accept that the technology of the car engine moves on. Basic answer governments and big business the oil companies do not want any change. Well on this ocassion they have one big problem that makes opposition to the waterfuel conversion movement more difficult in that its no one person holding a patent or registered design because its all open information. It doesn’t need development money as its here with us NOW.

When watertofuel conversion companies can tell you for a very small price how to make your own kit or you can purchase a full diy kit and have it fitted for a reasonably small sum how are the big boys going to substantiate their argument for not getting on board and for not only reducing the financial burden of owning a vehicle but also to play a major part in improving and not further destroying the environment of our planet.

One should not be naive and underestimate government thinking. Who knows if they do think that the waterfuel conversion system is the “Real Deal” they will already be planning to make up the lost tax revenue resulting from less fuel purchased at the pumps.

The only way to win in this situation is to take advantage of the technology involved in the waterfuel conversion system and enjoy the benefits of much improved fuel consumption for your motor for years to come while making a positive contribution to the enviroment by causing less climate change through reduced gas emissions. It should be carefully noted that governments worldwide are now reviewing imposing draconian taxes on vehicles emitting above limit carbon gas emissions.

About the writer:  Bill is now retired but as a keen motorist has driven on most continents of the world and has a keen interest in environmental issues these account for only a couple of his many varied interests. For further info on the Water4gas fuel conversion system please visit..http://www.thecarhub.co.uk/