# Sealed 10s vs Ported 8s



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

As I have posted recently, I am trying to work out my install on my xB. I won't go into all of the details, but the plan to to put about a 0.6 cf enclosure under the driver seat and a second under the passenger seat. My focus is more on SQ than out and out big bass. 

Originally I was planning to do sealed, down-firing enclosures with a 10" subwoofer in each. They have to be fairly shallow (5"+/-) and be able to work well in that size enclosure. Drivers I was considering were the Image Dynamics CTX10, Arc Audio KS10, Elemental Designs 11Kv.2, or Polk MM10. 

After visiting a very reputable local shop, they have me considering going to 8" ported in the same size down-firing enclosure. Tuning frequency would vary, depending on subwoofer chosen, but would be in the mid-30s Hz. In the 8s, I have been kind of eyeballing the Hertz ES200 (dealer's recommendation), Image Dynamics ID8V.3, Arc Audio ARC8, JBL GTO804, or JL Audio W83v3. 

The dealer was sharing with me some graphs plotted with Bass Box comparing a pair of 10s sealed to the ported 8s, and it seemed pretty impressive. The 8s seemed to roll off pretty steeply on the bottom end, but had higher output and fairly flat response. 

My biggest concern is the very bottom end on the ported 8s. My favorite type of music is rhythmic rock and metal. Bands like Tool, Mudvayne, A Perfect Circle, etc. But my tastes extend to classic rock, acoustic music, reggae, some R&B, and even some rap and old school. I know the 8s should do well with my primary listening, but I don't want them to fall flat if I decide to throw on rap. 

So with all that, what does the DIYMA collective think? Is the shop just trying to sell me on the 8s, because they can charge me more to build the enclosure? Will the 10s give me lower extension than the 8s? Anyone with experience or recommendations on the 8" subs?


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## pjc (May 3, 2009)

I have a single JBL gto8 ported and love it. Its in a ext cab f150. I also tried it sealed in the recommended .3 and it was impressive. I listen to the same type of heavy rock u do. We also have an xB and I have considered buying another 8 for it. Not sure if this is helpful. Bur it's my two cents. Good luck.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Thanks pjc. It is at least good to hear what others have experienced with some of the drivers I am considering. 

I'm afraid my inability to self edit has probably once again led to an ultra long post, thereby reducing responses. Guess I'll give it some time, them repost a more condensed version.


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## Gary S (Dec 11, 2007)

The answer is simple: More wattage on the sealed tens can give you as much or more output as the ported eights without compromising sound quality. Amps are very affordable today, and most stock electrical systems can handle 2,000 watts or more.


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## pjc (May 3, 2009)

I have Pleanty of power to my 8... Alpine v12 pushing it. And I will probably go back to sealed. I will play around with it today and give u more input.


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## SoulFly (Mar 15, 2011)

Gary S said:


> and most stock electrical systems can handle 2,000 watts or more.


really? i was worried about mine pushing 1200 watts, after a year or so my battery crapped out so i temporarily replaced it with a 300 watt one recently:mean:


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## 08Raider (Jun 17, 2010)

I tried a lot of combinations trying to get what I wanted from my sub stage. 
I have a Mitsubishi Raider quad cab pick-up which has no room behind the rear seat. I had a max 6" bottom depth 5" top depth and only about .8 cu ft to work with.

I tried RE Audio 8's sealed in .7 cu ft.(I got bad subs so decided to change my subs, and really did not get to see how they would have performed)

Then I tried 2 JBL GTO804's sealed in .6 cu ft. They were very impressive in SQ but lacked a little bit in the output for my taste. (I wish I would have had the space to try them ported)

I then tried several shallow mount subs, including the Memphis, Tang Band, Dayton, MB Quart, and the SI BM MKIII. The BM MKIII was the best of the bunch, and the SQ was amazing, but if you have ever heard shallow mount subs, you know that most of them will bottom out before reaching "rated" power. So while it did get loud for a shallow mount sub, I was still looking for a little more. 

So then I broke down and got 2 JL 8w3s( I was hesitant because of the price). They are ported in .7cu ft.(3.5 each) tuned to 32hz, and they are running off a JL Slash 500/1 and they slam for 8's. Most people who listen to my truck think I have 10's or 12's. There are a couple of songs where you can miss the low end extension of a larger sub, but over all I am extremely happy with my 8's.

If you are limited mainly by the mounting depth and the shop thinks you can fit 2 10's then you could probably even go with 3 JL 8w3's ported. The 8w3's seem to work the best in small ported enclosures, while the JBL and several other brands need almost 2x the airspace that the JL does ported.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

GaryS...

While just throwing more power at a pair of sealed 10s seems like an easy fix, for me it really isn't. Enclosure and budget limitations keep me in fairly inexpensive and shallow 10" subwoofers. Most of these can't handle much more power than the 8s could. So what I am trying to determine is what size/model drivers in what sort of enclosure at about 0.6 CF sealed is going to give me the cleanest sound with the most output and lowest extension. 

pjc...
You get to play around with the JBLs this weekend? Any preference on enclosure for the GT08?

08Raider...
Thanks for all the great info. Looks like you actually have experience with a lot of the drivers I have been looking at. I was intrigued by the SI BM MKIII, but with no availability, I had pretty much written it off. 

The W3s are definitely a consideration in an 8" woofer. I'm just not sure why every other 8 I am looking at is recommended in around a 0.3 - 0.4 CF sealed enclosure or about a 0.6 CF ported enclosure. Then the W3 is about the same size sealed, but much smaller ported. What sort of magic fairy dust is JL using? Or is it just marketing to recommend it in such a small ported enclosure? 

At this point, I may just contact a manufacturer or two to see what they might recommend.


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## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

For your application, the sealed 10" subs are probably going to be ideal. You will get better impact and lower extension out of them than the ported 8's, and the SPL should be very similar. Besides, a half a cubic foot is not enough space to properly vent the 8's anyway. The surface area of the ports would either have to be very small, or larger but way too long to be practical.


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## 08Raider (Jun 17, 2010)

rton20s said:


> GaryS...
> 
> While just throwing more power at a pair of sealed 10s seems like an easy fix, for me it really isn't. Enclosure and budget limitations keep me in fairly inexpensive and shallow 10" subwoofers. Most of these can't handle much more power than the 8s could. So what I am trying to determine is what size/model drivers in what sort of enclosure at about 0.6 CF sealed is going to give me the cleanest sound with the most output and lowest extension.
> 
> ...



From my experience, a lot of the 10's out there like a little more than .5 or .6 each for their best low end frequency extension. Smaller sealed enclosures are usually not the best for the low end.

With the JL's, I on occasion, have noticed some songs where I miss the low end with the ported 8's, but keep in mind I am using the smallest recommended ported enclosure. If you gave the JL's a little more room to breathe that alone could help with some of the low end extension.(possibly .45-.5 cu ft each.)


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Get a TC Sounds Epic 8" from partsexpress... done 

Kelvin


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

While the TC Sounds Epic 8 looks nice, it is just too deep to fit in the enclosure I am considering. 

Xtreme... that would be great if you could model a comparison. I have downloaded WinISD, but I am really not sure I am imputing all of the parameters correctly. 

I'm looking at several different brands, but Arc Audio seems to have good representation in both 8 and 10 and is available from several local sources. So in a 10", I have been looking at the KS10D4 and in an 8" the ARC8D4. Both would go in a 0.6 CF enclosure. The 10" would be sealed. The 8" would be ported and tuned to 34 Hz. Either way they would probably get the same power. Between 150 and 200 watts RMS.


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## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

WinISD is simply a purpose-built calculator. All you have to do is enter the published parameters in the correct boxes, and let it auto-solve for unknowns.

It's not perfect, but it will give you a baseline to compare cone excursion, impedance, group delay, SPL and relative enclosure sizes for different subs.


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