[Jordiggity]

So Im putting 2 JL audio 12's in my trunk. Im torn between which box to use. I have an normal dual 12 box & I have a dual 12" bandpass box. Ive read good & bad things regarding bandpass boxes. What are your guys experiences with bandpass boxes?

 

[Joshuaroyce]

i had a bandpass in my old truck, it wasnt ported and it had a plexiglass housing so you could see the speakers. overall it produced a lot of bass but it wasnt what i was looking for, it wasnt tight at all and eventually the front started rattling. i prefer non ported tight boxes...

 

[FJchema]

i'm using a sealed box with two 12's also. it sounds very good in the FJ since it's in an open area as opposed to a trunk.

 

[BLUE TONKA]

No on the bandpass, on my tastes that is. I like punchy, crisp, clean bass.
Listen to a lot of metal, hardcore, rock, etc.

 

[Briman42487]

well first off, what models are they? and second, what do you listen to?

 

[Jordiggity]

I dunno what model it is.....Its a dual box where the (2) 12's face each other. Mostly sealed except for a small plexiglass front. It looks like a quality box to me. I listen to everything. My tastes vary from classic rock to Dr. Dre. Lately ive been bumpin alot of Dre 2001 & Classic Snoop & Dogg Pound since its spring & we can finally roll our windows down up here Minnesota.

 

[Jordiggity]

My custom car audio shop I go to says stay away from bandpass boxes as it tends to eventually blow your subs. ALso you cant hear when your sub is having problems until its too late. Im leaning towards returning my bandpass box because ive read alot of horror stories online today.

 

[Briman42487]

that 300 watt amp will lead to some trouble as well. that isnt nearly the power you need for one of them. you are going to run into a lot of clipping issues with that little of power. especially if you like things to be loud.

 

[Jordiggity]

the 300W amp is for my components. The 775W MTX Amp is for the subs.

 

[JTAP]

The best situation for a bandpass is to use one in the trunk of a car. With an FJ I would not use the bandpass because you want a tighter cleaner bass sound since the box is not in a diffrent compartment.

 

[bangincaraudio]

What you have is most likely a prefab bandpass enclosure. These in general have a very peaky response usually around 50 - 55hz and drop off like a rock below 45, usually causing damage to the speakers if an SSF isn't utilized.

What model JL woofers do you have? How much space are you willing to give up in the cargo area? What is your desired response? The EPB of your woofer could make it a poor candidate for a 4th order design and lean more towards a 6th. This is not to say that the EPB is a 100% surefire sign, but its somthing to look at right off.

 

[Briman42487]

What you have is most likely a prefab bandpass enclosure. These in general have a very peaky response usually around 50 - 55hz and drop off like a rock below 45, usually causing damage to the speakers if an SSF isn't utilized.

What model JL woofers do you have? How much space are you willing to give up in the cargo area? What is your desired response? The EPB of your woofer could make it a poor candidate for a 4th order design and lean more towards a 6th. This is not to say that the EPB is a 100% surefire sign, but its somthing to look at right off.

i know what you are getting at, but you need to remember that this isnt an audio only forum. a simple, your woofer might not be well suited for whatever kind of enclosure will work.

 

[chancefj]

I just couldn't resist this one... I've built many high SPL and more recently focused on sound quality systems and there are may factors to consider. Yes sealed boxes give very tight bass great for Metallica but it would not be the choice for Bob Marley and to get the equivalent SPL you will need to supply alot more power to a sealed box than a quality bandpass unit. I personally used and bandpass box with a JLW6 and it work very well for Classical, DnB,Reggae and Classic Rock even Bjork. Bandpass boxes with multiple ports can be tuned as well to give a more rounded and less peaky response curve.
I guess the point is sound quality is VERY subjective. Solid ground connections, power wires routed away from speaker inputs will go along way to getting good sound. Tune YOUR system to your ears and you will be very happy with it.:cheers:

 

[Briman42487]

I just couldn't resist this one... I've built many high SPL and more recently focused on sound quality systems and there are may factors to consider. Yes sealed boxes give very tight bass great for Metallica but it would not be the choice for Bob Marley and to get the equivalent SPL you will need to supply alot more power to a sealed box than a quality bandpass unit. I personally used and bandpass box with a JLW6 and it work very well for Classical, DnB,Reggae and Classic Rock even Bjork. Bandpass boxes with multiple ports can be tuned as well to give a more rounded and less peaky response curve.
I guess the point is sound quality is VERY subjective. Solid ground connections, power wires routed away from speaker inputs will go along way to getting good sound. Tune YOUR system to your ears and you will be very happy with it.:cheers:

bandpass boxes and SQ dont mix. SPL and sealed dont mix. bandpass boxes are difficult to design right, yield mediocre results, and are generally one note wonders. all audio is a compromise.

 

[chancefj]

bandpass boxes and SQ dont mix. SPL and sealed dont mix. bandpass boxes are difficult to design right, yield mediocre results, and are generally one note wonders. all audio is a compromise.

My point exactly, sound quality is very subjective... not all bass in music is tight and crisp some music has very deep muddy bass and a sealed box can't reproduce that. I've found either a simple ported box best for most accurate reproduction of most music and a bandpass tuned for more than one resonance point good to fair. Sealed boxes seam rather limited in the types of bass they can produce.:cheers:

 

[bangincaraudio]

bandpass boxes and SQ dont mix. SPL and sealed dont mix. bandpass boxes are difficult to design right, yield mediocre results, and are generally one note wonders. all audio is a compromise.

Sorry if I got a little technical before -- was trying to help him out. I think the largest issue with audio in general is that there are so many stereotypes, misinformation, and "general rules of thumb" that go around the net.

Such as the statement "generally one note wonders". I agree if we are talking about prefabs, they are horrible designs. However, if you are talking about a properly designed bandpass the range can be TREMENDOUS and far better than sealed or ported alignments. The last 3 blowthroughs I have done were designed to be completely musical, +-3dB from 35 - 60hz (my definition of musical). Two more of these coming up in an old big body chevy truck and an Avalanche on Friday.

Hell I probably really don't belong here, I don't own an FJ I just love car audio and popped my head in on a thread after backing up my buddy from hexibase forums.

 

[COOKN]

Sorry if I got a little technical before -- was trying to help him out. I think the largest issue with audio in general is that there are so many stereotypes, misinformation, and "general rules of thumb" that go around the net.

Such as the statement "generally one note wonders". I agree if we are talking about prefabs, they are horrible designs. However, if you are talking about a properly designed bandpass the range can be TREMENDOUS and far better than sealed or ported alignments. The last 3 blowthroughs I have done were designed to be completely musical, +-3dB from 35 - 60hz (my definition of musical). Two more of these coming up in an old big body chevy truck and an Avalanche on Friday.

Hell I probably really don't belong here, I don't own an FJ I just love car audio and popped my head in on a thread after backing up my buddy from hexibase forums.

I for one appreciate your knowledge---we can all learn from one another. No one person has all the answers.

Welcome to the forum!!

:cheers:

 

[Briman42487]

Sorry if I got a little technical before -- was trying to help him out. I think the largest issue with audio in general is that there are so many stereotypes, misinformation, and "general rules of thumb" that go around the net.

Such as the statement "generally one note wonders". I agree if we are talking about prefabs, they are horrible designs. However, if you are talking about a properly designed bandpass the range can be TREMENDOUS and far better than sealed or ported alignments. The last 3 blowthroughs I have done were designed to be completely musical, +-3dB from 35 - 60hz (my definition of musical). Two more of these coming up in an old big body chevy truck and an Avalanche on Friday.

Hell I probably really don't belong here, I don't own an FJ I just love car audio and popped my head in on a thread after backing up my buddy from hexibase forums.

maybe musical in one sense, but it wont be as diverse as other enclosures. i try to get my stereo as dynamic as possible. i want to throw 18 different types of music at it and be pleased with all of them. i rarely touch my EQ.

please elaborate. +-3db....? is that just your idea of trying to make flat response sound cool?

 

[bangincaraudio]

maybe musical in one sense, but it wont be as diverse as other enclosures. i try to get my stereo as dynamic as possible. i want to throw 18 different types of music at it and be pleased with all of them. i rarely touch my EQ.

please elaborate. +-3db....? is that just your idea of trying to make flat response sound cool?

Bandpasses do tend to lack the attack ability of other alignments so they are definitely hindered in that aspect. Again this isn't always true -- but it is for the majority of the ones I've designed and built.

+-3dB is my way of avoiding subjective terms. Simply saying "flat response" is not quantifying anything and can be interpreted in lots of ways. 3dB is considered when a change in audible loudness is first noticeable by the majority of human ears (though many can detect 1dB differences).:bigthumb:

 

[chancefj]

Bandpasses do tend to lack the attack ability of other alignments so they are definitely hindered in that aspect. Again this isn't always true -- but it is for the majority of the ones I've designed and built.

+-3dB is my way of avoiding subjective terms. Simply saying "flat response" is not quantifying anything and can be interpreted in lots of ways. 3dB is considered when a change in audible loudness is first noticeable by the majority of human ears (though many can detect 1dB differences).:bigthumb:

So would do you think a 'good ol' ported box sized appropriately for the speakers and filtered appropriately would be the best all around solution?
:cheers: