The Woofer Buying Guide is intended to help you select the correct woofer for
your application. Woofers are sorted by size, enabling quick comparisons between
possible options for your particular speaker system. Many woofers can be used in
sealed or vented applications, though there is a tradeoff between enclosure size
and bass extension. Look at the Xmax and sensitivity issues to get an idea of what
the real-world performance of the woofer can be. The higher the XMAX, the greater
the low-frequency output potential; the higher the SPL, the less amplifier power it
will take to achieve a desired playback level.
The enclosure volumes and F3's are based on BassBox calculations of the drivers
in unstuffed, undamped loudspeaker enclosures. These represent "optimum"
volumes that can be adjusted in size according to the goals of the system. For
example, a smaller than optimum vented box is often used for high-output, high-power
applications, while for a home speaker will often use a larger than optimum
vented box for maximum low-frequency extension. By damping the enclosure
(particularly in a sealed box) the recommended enclosure size can be reduced
by up to 25%.
*NR means that the woofer is Not Recommended for the enclosure type based
on its parameters.
*Note: All columns are sortable, just click the column header.
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