Who doesn’t love to hear music while driving? The subwoofer box has made it easy for you to enjoy music in your truck. Subwoofer’s sealed and ported soundboxes provide an excellent cad audio experience.
Got stuck between ported VS sealed in truck dilemma? Well, ported sub takes much space, gives louder bass, and requires less power. However, sealed sub takes less space, gives accurate bass, and needs more power to be loud.
Everyone has their unique sound and music preferences. In this article, we will be exploring different areas of ported and sealed subwoofer boxes. It will help you decide which one is the perfect fit for your truck.
Overview Of Ported VS Sealed In Truck
| Category | Ported Subwoofer Box | Sealed Subwoofer Box |
| Design | Has a vent under the cone | No vent for passing air |
| Size | Comparatively bigger | Typically small |
| Bass | Serves loud bass | Gives accurate bass |
| Air-flow | Strong airflow | No airflow |
| Frequency | Low & high based on size | Low & smooth frequency |
| Power | Needs less AMP power | Needs more AMP power |
| Timing | Difficult due to airflow | Adjustable with the power |
Difference Between Ported Sub & Sealed Sub
Air-Flow: The main difference between ported and sealed subwoofer boxes is in their airflow system. As the name suggests, ported sub takes the air from the cone and passes it through the vent.
On the other hand, sealed subwoofers do not have any air space to pass through anywhere from the box. For it’s this air-tight function, it is also called closed sub.
Bass Action: Bass is an essential element in building sound quality. The bass sound in ported subwoofers is typically loud and forceful. In contrast, sealed has tight accurate bass with deep and precise speakers.
Depending on bass response, you will enjoy sealed sub if you like less boomy music with deep bass. Ported will match you if you like music with a punch like rock music.
Enclosure Size: Ported subwoofer box takes more space than the sealed subwoofer box. As we are talking about car subwoofer, length and mounting depth are essential things to consider here.
The ported enclosure takes the cone’s air and passes it through the vent. So, it needs more port area than a sealed one. The sealed sub box does not take that much room, which is better for a vehicle.
Power: As we are dealing with car subwoofers, we need to consider how much power they use. Though ported sub needs ample enclosure space, it uses comparatively less amp power.
On the other side, the sealed sub needs an extra power supply when you try to make it loud. You can get optimum performance by using an amplifier with ample wattage.
Sound Quality: Now come to the tricky part. If you are too sharp in hearing, you will catch the difference quickly. It is hard to define the sounds they provide as good or impaired due to different music tastes.
The sealed box tends to lose the detailed sound of the instrument due to making the bass accurate. Ported one sometime delivers port noise with the sound. The best way to check them is to play the same music in them.
Benefits Of Ported Sub & Sealed Sub
| Ported Subwoofer Box | Sealed Subwoofer Box |
| Spread sounds in a larger form due to direct air flow from inside | Provides nice and rhythmic sound quality in a narrow space |
| In a limited area, provides 6-9 DB more bass than regular | It can adjust the low and high frequency and serves a smooth bass |
| Does not make the box and area hot due to air pass out | Easy to install and does not take too much space of the vehicle |
| Costs less ampere or amplifier power to the car | With an additional amplifier, it can serve premium music experience |
| Loud and punchy bass sets the mood for a rock or heavy metal lover | Deep, and precise bass makes any music sounds better in any air |
Drawbacks Of Ported Sub & Sealed Sub
| Ported Subwoofer Box | Sealed Subwoofer Box |
|---|---|
| Takes too much space to install in a vehicle like truck | Comparatively small to cover large area than regular |
| Sometimes the airflow hits directly on the driver’s face | Tend to become heated up due to no air can pass through |
| Too loud and punchy for a narrowed space like in a vehicle. | Deep bass and low frequency do not give enough loudness |
| Music & sound timing are not suitable due to air movement | Needs extra amplifier power to provide good performance |
What About Bandpass Box?
Bandpass is a combination of ported and sealed subwoofer boxes. They are designed to provide maximum performance also known as a maximum slam. Let’s compare it with our two protected and sealed boxes.
Ported Sub VS Bandpass Sub
| Ported Subwoofer Box | Bandpass Subwoofer Box |
| Large enclosure for vehicle | Even larger than ported |
| One ported chamber | Two chambers= 1 ported and 1 sealed |
| Loud and punchy bass and sound | Loud and soft depended on need |
| Typically High in frequency | Adjustable frequency high and low |
| Takes less ampere power | Works as an extra amplifier |
Sealed Sub VS Bandpass Sub
| Sealed Subwoofer Box | Bandpass Subwoofer Box |
|---|---|
|
Compact enclosure size |
Almost double enclosure than sealed |
| One sealed chamber | Two chambers = 1 sealed and 1 ported |
| Deep and accurate bass | Auto adjustable bass based on the music |
| Typically has low frequencies | Efficient in providing frequency |
| Needs comparatively more power | Must need bigger amplifier |
Now you may wonder, why we are fighting between ported and sealed when bandpass has both? A bandpass box indeed serves better than a ported or sealed box, but it takes a lot. It needs more space and power, which is a more extensive matter for a vehicle.
Secure Your Subwoofer In Your Truck By JL Audio
JL Audio is famous in America for its unique speaker system. This company has served excellent and durable subwoofers for vehicles for many years.
Now we will look at the tips they share to install and secure a subwoofer box in your vehicle, either ported or sealed.
- The primary thing to consider is a well and tightly fastened box down to the car.
- Set ½ inch diameter bolt from the downside of the enclosure and bolt through the floor.
- Try to use silicon or a similar element with the washer to prevent any air leaks.
- For avoiding bolt loss, use locked and flat washers at the bottom of the vehicle floor.
- You can use the ‘L’ bracket to the cargo floor to prevent drilling your vehicle.
- Check before drilling that you are drilling the suitable surface, not the gas tank or brake line.
Common Queries
What Are The Subwoofer Brands?
Skar Audio is famous for subwoofers for cars. We also have Rockford Fosgate, JL Audio, and Memphis Audio which provides subwoofer speaker, box, and related kits.
What Sounds Better In A Truck Ported Or Sealed?
It depends on your music taste. If you love deep and accurate bass. If you like loud bass, the ported one is better. The overall output of the sealed sub is better than ported sub.
Where Do I Put A Subwoofer Box In A Truck?
Where you should put a subwoofer box depends on you and your truck space. Typically most people put it behind the seat. Some people ten to put it under the floor mat and under the passenger’s seat.
Sealed Box VS Ported Box What’s The Difference?
No air can pass through a sealed box, and it gives a deep bass sound. However, air can pass via a vent in a ported box, and it provides loud bass. A sealed box takes less space than a ported box.
Can I Port A Sealed Subwoofer?
It is impossible to convert a sealed into ported car audio. They are not interchangeable. You need to replace the sealed one to make room for ported one. Also, you can use ported sub if you want.
The Ultimate Decision
We have already said that music is a personal preference. Choosing from a ported and sealed subwoofer box for your truck means matching the boxes with your music taste. However, space, sound, and power are some crucial facts to check.
If you are still on the debate of ported VS sealed in truck, you should not be. The ported subwoofer box serves loud bass with less ampere power, and the sealed subwoofer box needs more power to perform loud yet accurate bass.
Compare these two subwoofer boxes with each other and relate them to your music preference. You will get one that fits your truck. We hope our article will save you time and help you decide which one is the best-fitted soundbox for you.
Related Post:
