# 36Hz Too High of a Tune for "SQL"?



## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

Finally ready to pull the trigger on getting a box built for my Infinity Kappa. At 1.0 Cuft sealed it sounds pretty clean, but I am definitely looking for a bit more in terms of bass. The tight, yet powerful response I receive with electronic music is great, but I wouldn't mind more bass. Rap is a bit frustrating, though. Fairly often, the bass just seems a bit weak to me. Although, I really enjoy the bass response from TI and Young Jeezy songs (quite deep). Rock/country is a toss up, either plenty of bass or just enough to blend, but not to feel. I was recommended a 36hz tune by a box builder over the recommended 30hz by Infinity. He said this would improve bass response across all genres, and would not compromise on SQ. Yet, I have often heard tuning for good SQ is around 28-33Hz. Is 36hz a happy medium for SQ and SPL in the trunk of a sedan?


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## beerdrnkr (Apr 18, 2007)

I typically stay around 32hz but 36hz should be fine. My current box is 36hz and it's perfectly fine for rap, I get the low end I was missing when running sealed.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## naiku (May 28, 2008)

My current enclosure is also 36hz and plenty fine for rap and anything else I throw at it.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Why is the installer recommending 36hz over 30hz if the sub is capable of it?


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

Thanks and how does 32hz tune perform generally? And no, this guy isn't an installer (that I know of) he just designs/builds boxes for people. Since my sub is capable of 30hz, how does 30hz sound? If it is like sealed, but louder that'd be perfect.


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## nineball76 (Mar 13, 2010)

Typically the lower you tune, the more bottom end You'll get with less overall output across the bandwidth. Higher tune, more output with a smaller bandwidth, less bottom end.


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

I like a mid 30's tune in the cab of a truck. Not sure how it would do in the trunk of a sedan. But I bet you'd like the outcome of a 36hz tune. Use a subsonic filter. That said, I ran a pair of older Fi x10's ported in my Ram quadcab for a bit tuned around 35hz and was fine without one. They were overpowered too, but this is Fi we're talking about. Their subs are built like tanks!


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

A 36Hz tune will be just fine due to cabin gain. But Hillbilly nailed it. You really need to run a subsonic filter once you go ported just as a safe guard for your sub. That will keep it from unloading under the tuning frequency and going in to over excursion/damage territory. Not that regular music has much information in the 20Hz range, but better safe than pregnant as my boss always says. 

Cheers,

Zach


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

Thanks especially hillbilly and Zach. I will be using a 30hz subsonic filter from Harrison Labs off of Parts Express. Will this 36hz tune still give me fairly tight and controlled bass? Keep in mind, much of the rap I do listen to is newer stuff, so it does dig deeper. I'm just trying to get an idea how it will perform with my limited knowledge. This is only my second setup haha


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## AyOne (Sep 24, 2016)

My last sub box was tuned at 36hz and I liked it a lot. It was in a sedan and I listen to mostly rap too. It should be fine.

Never mind, I went and checked again and mine was tuned at 32hz. Oops.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Sure 36hz would work fine, but to what advantage is he going against the suggested 30hz tune of the manufacturer? Saving a little space? A little extra bump in reponse? Has to be something other than just choosing an arbitrary number.


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## Weigel21 (Sep 8, 2014)

Depends on the sub, but I've seen many enclosures used with a tuning of upwards 40Hz for SQL geared setups. At 40Hz, one often gets a good bump in output and it doesn't usually drop below that of a lower tuned enclosure til 35Hz or so, in which there isn't a lot of music out there with bass below this region. One often has to go with chopped/boosted music to get a fair amount of bass below 35Hz. Sure, some Rap/Hip Hop has bass below 35hz, but it's not as common as one may think. 

I'm willing to wager that a 36Hz tuned enclosure could still play down into the upper 20's without loosing all that much authority. 

Just depends on what your end goal is with the setup.


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

Bayboy said:


> Sure 36hz would work fine, but to what advantage is he going against the suggested 30hz tune of the manufacturer? Saving a little space? A little extra bump in reponse? Has to be something other than just choosing an arbitrary number.


The reasoning is because I wanted more "bump" with rock and metal. Some songs can be completely underwhelming in the bass department. From what I have read and heard in this thread, that 30hz tune would be purely SQ. If it would still be louder than the current 1cuft sealed, I could still consider it.




Weigel21 said:


> Depends on the sub, but I've seen many enclosures used with a tuning of upwards 40Hz for SQL geared setups. At 40Hz, one often gets a good bump in output and it doesn't usually drop below that of a lower tuned enclosure til 35Hz or so, in which there isn't a lot of music out there with bass below this region. One often has to go with chopped/boosted music to get a fair amount of bass below 35Hz. Sure, some Rap/Hip Hop has bass below 35hz, but it's not as common as one may think.
> 
> I'm willing to wager that a 36Hz tuned enclosure could still play down into the upper 20's without loosing all that much authority.
> 
> Just depends on what your end goal is with the setup.


My end goal is powerful bass, but fairly tight and controlled. I have heard 40hz will be boomy lol


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## Weigel21 (Sep 8, 2014)

40Hz was a fairly common tuning for guys seeking SQL over on the SMD forum where most are bass heads, so yeah, I could see it as being boomy, but it's entirely driver dependent.

Have you played around with the sub in various enclosure using winISD pro? It can give a guy a fair idea of what to expect.


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

Weigel21 said:


> 40Hz was a fairly common tuning for guys seeking SQL over on the SMD forum where most are bass heads, so yeah, I could see it as being boomy, but it's entirely driver dependent.
> 
> Have you played around with the sub in various enclosure using winISD pro? It can give a guy a fair idea of what to expect.


Yeah, a little boom isn't bad with rap, but I listen to everything haha. My favorite kind of bass is the kind where it doesn't overpower the music, but the mirror and everything is shaking like crazy and you can feel it well (guess you'd call that deep bass?) Not the best at description haha. I haven't tried WinISD, but am well aware of it. My lack of experience worries me that it'll make it difficult to understand the response graphs. If it isn't hard to learn, I'm willing to


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## MikeS (May 23, 2015)

PVC pipe is cheap so you can try different tunings if you get enough..

Then theres these things too Speaker Cabinet Port Tube 2" ID Adjustable


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

MikeS said:


> PVC pipe is cheap so you can try different tunings if you get enough..
> 
> Then theres these things too Speaker Cabinet Port Tube 2" ID Adjustable


Thanks for the link! I like the adjustable idea. Round ports seem like the easiest approach, but why are slot ports, etc more popular? I just find it hard to grasp the extra effort of slot porting vs just cutting the proper tune length from a tube


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## MikeS (May 23, 2015)

Atleast you don't need to get pipe and you can insert a long port easily inside the box if need to. I have a factory box that uses the entire backside as a port inside the enclosure. It's tuned to ~40 something and I don't like it, bit too high.


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

MikeS said:


> Atleast you don't need to get pipe and you can insert a long port easily inside the box if need to. I have a factory box that uses the entire backside as a port inside the enclosure. It's tuned to ~40 something and I don't like it, bit too high.


 I was going to slot port, but idk why I haven't just planned a round port from the get go with the ease. By factory box, do you mean prefab?


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## sqshoestring (Jun 19, 2007)

You should hear it, get some tones and listen to 30-40 and you will see where you are at. Don't blow your stuff up, just listen to the tones and its easy to recognize the difference of 30 to 40, then tune for what you like (or what you can get).

I run IB 15s until this car is gone, it pumps down to 25 great and below that even. I love it, its the best for me. I hate 40, give me 30 or else and give me under 30 if I can get it but difficult with a box. Best yet I only run 500rms and it shakes the car. I don't know why people say there is no lows in music, near all pop music has 30 and below and lot of rock station stuff has it now too. I hear the thunder in my car all the time, you don't know what you are missing if you can't hear it, but then again I like the thunder. Sometimes I dial on some trap just to hear the drops. But I also listen to near anything '70s and up.

Far as level you will NEVER get that right. You need a bass knob for your sub amp. Its the biggest problem I have with good subs. Music is not created equal and unless you want to re edit all your music to have the same bass levels you will never get the same levels from one album to another. I use the sub level on my HU all the time because of this.


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## HOTT_SINCE_81 (Jul 16, 2016)

WDPinit said:


> Thanks for the link! I like the adjustable idea. Round ports seem like the easiest approach, but why are slot ports, etc more popular? I just find it hard to grasp the extra effort of slot porting vs just cutting the proper tune length from a tube




Hey OP, I've got several lengths of that exact tubing from Parts Express along with the flanges and a few couplers. You can have it if you need it. Just cover the shipping. 

Wife's getting tired of it rolling out of the closet every time we open it in our storage bedroom. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

sqshoestring said:


> You should hear it, get some tones and listen to 30-40 and you will see where you are at. Don't blow your stuff up, just listen to the tones and its easy to recognize the difference of 30 to 40, then tune for what you like (or what you can get).
> 
> I run IB 15s until this car is gone, it pumps down to 25 great and below that even. I love it, its the best for me. I hate 40, give me 30 or else and give me under 30 if I can get it but difficult with a box. Best yet I only run 500rms and it shakes the car. I don't know why people say there is no lows in music, near all pop music has 30 and below and lot of rock station stuff has it now too. I hear the thunder in my car all the time, you don't know what you are missing if you can't hear it, but then again I like the thunder. Sometimes I dial on some trap just to hear the drops. But I also listen to near anything '70s and up.
> 
> Far as level you will NEVER get that right. You need a bass knob for your sub amp. Its the biggest problem I have with good subs. Music is not created equal and unless you want to re edit all your music to have the same bass levels you will never get the same levels from one album to another. I use the sub level on my HU all the time because of this.


Ok, so I should just listen to some test tones or a sine sweep and see where the bass kind of dips out? And wherever that is, I should shoot for that tune? I have seen a couple IB installs on the Acura forums and think they're pretty cool and crazy efficient. 1 15" IDMAX IB through the ski pass on only 200-250w. It just really isn't my thing though lol. I don't know if my sub is made for it, I don't really need under 30hz, and I have heard it doesn't play as high. If I were to swap out for some really strong mids, I may try it though!

I actually have that remote for the LC7i (I know, I need to shell out the $ to get a dash kit and real HU in). It is called a level control, but I doubt it is as good as a true one hooked up straight to the amp. When it is turned up anything less than halfway, it sounds like the sub is off lol. Hopefully a ported box will make it more sensitive to changes, thus more useful.


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

HOTT_SINCE_81 said:


> Hey OP, I've got several lengths of that exact tubing from Parts Express along with the flanges and a few couplers. You can have it if you need it. Just cover the shipping.
> 
> Wife's getting tired of it rolling out of the closet every time we open it in our storage bedroom.
> 
> ...


Good looking out, thanks man. I will take you up on that offer if I plan to build soon


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## MikeS (May 23, 2015)

WDPinit said:


> I was going to slot port, but idk why I haven't just planned a round port from the get go with the ease. By factory box, do you mean prefab?


Yes, prefab. Quite well built but the response drops quickly under the tune.
Theres massive output at 40hz or so, great if you like that sort of "sound".
It sounded a lot better with towel in port.. I'm going to sell it for two more seas 8"'s. That should take care of the output problem.


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## WDPinit (Nov 1, 2016)

MikeS said:


> WDPinit said:
> 
> 
> > I was going to slot port, but idk why I haven't just planned a round port from the get go with the ease. By factory box, do you mean prefab?
> ...


See, I tried some test tones today, and it looks like I'm getting a resonant frequency of around 38 or maybe 40hz. This is of course taking into account the fact that it is in a trunk. It actually doesn't sound too boomy at all. Still, I wouldn't tune to that considering I would like to not sacrifice the low lows lol. I bet that 40hz tune sounds great with rock, tho!


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