Which 18" Subwoofer enclosure should I buy???

[MTGKING]

I have a Dayton Audio UM18-22 Ultimax DVC Subwoofer and need an enclosure to put it in. It is for a home entertainment system, and not for a car.

I just have the driver and the amp, so the enclosure is next. I want a vented enclosure if possible because I have the space for it.

The spec sheet says optimal volume for vented enclosures is 11.79 feet, so anything within a foot or two of that will be perfect. Resonance frequency is 20hz

Also, i don't want or need a super complex enclosure, just a simple box with an air hole will do. I don't have access to a wood shop, so I need a kit.

Any suggestions on good brands or building tips will be greatly appreciated.

 

Spec sheet for my sub: http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-um18-22-18-ultimax-dvc-subwoofer-2-ohms-per-coil--295-518

[Enderman]

I haven't seen any ported 18" enclosures anywhere, so you either need to build it or pay some audio shop to custom make you one.

[MTGKING]

2 minutes ago, vinyldash303 said:

as @Enderman said you will need to have one made or build it yourself. You should also for sure tune it. It will help with sound quality. 

 

5 minutes ago, Enderman said:

I haven't seen any ported 18" enclosures anywhere, so you either need to build it or pay some audio shop to custom make you one.

You can find them on amazon and other places, I just dont know if they will be any good. Do you guys think I should get a sealed or ported enclosure? I know that is the age old question, but i'm curious about others opinion on it. Thanks

[Enderman]

Btw I hope you know how large 12 cu ft is...

[MTGKING]

1 minute ago, vinyldash303 said:

Sealed will make it sound crisper and clearer, ported will make it be boomy. Depends on your taste. I like ported enclosures, that's how I have my subs in my truck and I love it, but I love music when it goes boom. If you want it clear and crisp, with such a large driver, you'll need good power to make it crisp in a ported box. 

I have a iNuke NU3000DSP, so power is not a problem. I think I have to go with a sealed just because of space, even though I said space wasn't an issue lol.

I found this one. What do you think?http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-18-ultimax-subwoofer-and-cabinet-bundle--300-7099

[MTGKING]

6 minutes ago, vinyldash303 said:

A ported one won't be that much bigger. Looks fine? Can't be that bad of a match because its made by the same company I would think.

 

@Enderman found pics of the box I built. Worked with my grandad on it which was fun. Had to go back and add a thin baffle between the final chamber of the port because it didn't work out how we wanted.

 

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NICE! I used to have a Champion W3003D4(I think thats the model #) in my truck, and man it packed a punch! What amp are you using?

[MTGKING]

8 minutes ago, vinyldash303 said:

Its a mono 300 watt pioneer. I got the subs, amp, and about 5000 feet of wiring for $100 from my buddy in a moldy best buy box. It powers the subs at 1/2 their rms rating so its underpowered and you can kind of tell. Its muddier than my 10" PowerBass sub was in a 1.2ish cubic foot ported box, which could shake the rearview, but these can shake the sideview mirrors. Still sounds pretty good and is for sure boomier, and the box turned out well and it works good which helps a ton with how much it punch it has. Its not going to break any sound pressure records, or impress anyone with accuracy, but the price was right and the box came out good so im happy with it. 

Thats still an amazing deal! Plus, you don't really need a deafening amount of noise to have nice bass. I still dont know why I'm putting an 18" Ultimax in a room the size of a college dorm. I just enjoy overkill I guess.

[Enderman]

33 minutes ago, vinyldash303 said:

A ported one won't be that much bigger. Looks fine? Can't be that bad of a match because its made by the same company I would think.

 

@Enderman found pics of the box I built. Worked with my grandad on it which was fun. Had to go back and add a thin baffle between the final chamber of the port because it didn't work out how we wanted.

 

 

That's about 3 cu ft., so imagine 4x of those.

Are you sure it will fit in your living room?

[MTGKING]

12 minutes ago, vinyldash303 said:

Fitting it in rhe door might be the biggest issue. 

 

20 minutes ago, Enderman said:

That's about 3 cu ft., so imagine 4x of those.

Are you sure it will fit in your living room?

Oh I'll make it fit. I may have to build it in the room itself instead of the garage to get it through the door, but It'll fit.

Why am I doing this...

 

Actually cabinet dimensions are 23" x 20" x 20.75" so it should barely fit through the door.

[MTGKING]

18 minutes ago, vinyldash303 said:

Fitting it in rhe door might be the biggest issue. 

 

26 minutes ago, Enderman said:

That's about 3 cu ft., so imagine 4x of those.

Are you sure it will fit in your living room?

The bigger problem will be all of the noise complaints filed on my house. I live 2 houses from a cop too...

[klh2000]

17 hours ago, MTGKING said:

 

The bigger problem will be all of the noise complaints filed on my house. I live 2 houses from a cop too...

The bundle is the way to go if you are going sealed, and need a kit. It will save you some money over buying something separate. If you had access to even just a circular saw , wood glue, and some clamps, you could build either a full or mini marty enclosure, those will be the best if you want maximum output from the subwoofer. Many members over at the AVS forum have used them with great success.

[MTGKING]

14 hours ago, klh2000 said:

The bundle is the way to go if you are going sealed, and need a kit. It will save you some money over buying something separate. If you had access to even just a circular saw , wood glue, and some clamps, you could build either a full or mini marty enclosure, those will be the best if you want maximum output from the subwoofer. Many members over at the AVS forum have used them with great success.

I'm thinking about building my own vented box, but I don't think it's a very good idea because of the space I have and the portability if I ever need to move it. Plus it will probably already be extremely loud in a sealed box, especially in a small room. Plus i'm lazy and don't want to do any cutting. Would you recommend putting acoustic foam of some sort in it or no?

[klh2000]

36 minutes ago, MTGKING said:

I'm thinking about building my own vented box, but I don't think it's a very good idea because of the space I have and the portability if I ever need to move it. Plus it will probably already be extremely loud in a sealed box, especially in a small room. Plus i'm lazy and don't want to do any cutting. Would you recommend putting acoustic foam of some sort in it or no?

You want to use acousta-stuff or poly fill in the cabinet,  I'm not sure how much you will need if you purchase the kit from parts express, rule of thumb is about 16oz of poly fiber fill to 1 cubic foot of cabinet. So you will need about 4 lbs of poly fiber fill in that sealed cabinet.