How to Increase Bass in a Subwoofer Box?

Can You Make the Bass Loud Through Your Sub Box?

The answer to this question is a definite yes. A box, also known as an enclosure or bass speaker, can amplify the sound quality of your bass and make it louder. Subwoofer boxes are specifically designed for low-frequency sounds, like those produced by a bass guitar, so they are perfect for getting the most out of your instrument’s sound. These boxes are typically compact and easy to install, making them an ideal choice for a home studio or even on the road.

8 Proven Ways to Increase the Bass in a Subwoofer Box:

Many ways can help you loud the subwoofer box. But given below are some of my favorite & effective methods to increase the bass in the subwoofer enclosure.

1. Determine the Right Enclosure Type:

Before making changes to the subwoofer for more low frequencies, we should know your enclosure type. The enclosure type you choose for your subwoofer plays an essential role in the amount of bass that it produces. As mentioned above, the subwoofer box’s type can make a huge difference.

There are three main types of enclosures: sealed enclosure, vented enclosure, and bandpass. Each type has advantages and disadvantages that you should consider when selecting one for your subwoofer.

Sealed Enclosures: Sealed boxes are the most common type used for a subwoofer as they are simple to construct, relatively small in size, and provide tight, punchy bass. However, sealed enclosure tends to be less efficient than other types, so selecting the right size for your subwoofer is essential.

Vented Enclosures: Vented enclosures are more prominent than sealed ones and use a port or vent to increase efficiency. This type also produces deeper bass extension than sealed boxes. However, it also requires more power to make loud bass.

Bandpass Enclosures: Bandpass enclosures are a combination of sealed and vented enclosures that use two chambers to increase efficiency and provide a deep bass extension. This type is very efficient but challenging to design appropriately and may require a professional subwoofer installer.

2. Choose a Bass-Friendly Box (Replace):

Look! If you’re using the wrong enclosure, it could mean that you need to replace it with a low-frequency-friendly box. While choosing the right enclosure type depends on the type of subwoofer and what kind of sound you are looking for. Generally speaking, a ported or vented box design produces more bass than sealed boxes, as they allow sound waves to escape from the rear side of the speaker.

A well-designed vented box can substantially increase bass output while providing a tight, controlled response. You should also remember that larger boxes offer more bass than smaller ones due to the increased air space. The type of material used for the enclosure also plays a vital role in subwoofer sound quality, as it affects the acoustic properties of the chamber and can influence how loud the bass will be.

3. Use Polyfill Inside the Box:

Another fantastic way to increase it is to use a polyfill material ⁽¹⁾ inside your subwoofer box. This one is at the top of my list while making a sub-box. Polyfill material (aka acoustic stuffing) is a type of fabric insulation that sound engineers and audiophiles have used to improve the performance of bass-heavy speakers.

Polyfill works by absorbing extra high frequencies (HF) produced when audio waves bounce off hard surfaces, such as the walls of a subwoofer box. This helps to make the bass tones more consistent and less muddy.

Another benefit of using polyfill is that it can reduce air leaks, resulting in improved sound pressure levels (SPL). Polyfill is relatively inexpensive and easy to install, making it a popular choice for anyone looking to improve the bass response of their subwoofer setup.

4. Determine the Right Box Size:

You need to replace your wrong-sized box with the right-sized one if you have problems getting loud bass. Better for you because it will be a one-time investment to enrich your music experience with the loud bass. As mentioned in the enclosure types, smaller boxes are typically less efficient, producing less bass per watt of power than larger boxes.

A larger box also increases the subwoofer’s low-frequency response and output capability—or “headroom”. Selecting the correct box size for a given subwoofer can maximize its output and ensure you get loud bass from your system.

5. Choose the Right Position to Place Your Sub Box:

Many beginners don’t know how to choose the correct positions for their subs, even though they have perfect subwoofer enclosures capable of producing deep bass. The placement of your subwoofer plays an essential role in the sound quality you can achieve. When it comes to low frequency, a well-positioned subwoofer will produce louder and more powerful low frequencies.

5.1 Placing the Sub Box in Car Stereo:

1. Place the box so that it’s facing the rear of your car. This will help to create a larger soundstage and prevent any noise or distorted sound from bouncing off the back wall of your trunk.
2. Ensure plenty of airspace around the car subwoofer, as this will allow the bass to resonate correctly in your car sound system. Avoid placing the subwoofer too close to walls or other objects that may muffle the sound.
3. If you plan on using an amplifier, ensure it is away from high-heat sources such as the exhaust system. Also, avoid direct contact with metal objects and surfaces, as these can cause interference in the audio signal.
4. However, you should keep experimenting with different placements, as the sound will vary depending on where you place it. Try setting the subwoofer in a few other locations and listen for the difference.

5.2 Placing the Subwoofer Box in Home Sound System:

1. Placing the subwoofer box in the corner of your home theater will boost bass output as waves reflect off walls and corners to create more powerful waves. If you don’t have hubs, placing them close to any wall will help increase the sound output.
2. The subwoofer should be placed in an open space, away from any furniture or other obstacles that might block sound waves and reduce performance.
3. If you use room acoustics such as diffusers and absorbers to reduce noise and echoes, turn them off when increasing their output. These treatments are designed to reduce excess sound energy, which can impede a subwoofer’s performance.
4. When setting up your home speaker system, take some time to experiment with different subwoofer placements to find the one that gives you the best bass sound. Move it around and find out which spot works best for your listening environment.

6. Use Two Subwoofers in an Enclosure (Optional):

This option is for those who can afford an extra subwoofer without any trouble. If you are one of those, this can quickly eliminate poor bass performance. Using two subwoofers in an enclosure can give you a much louder sound than a single subwoofer.

A dual-subwoofer configuration allows for more powerful, balanced sound by taking advantage of how each speaker interacts with the air around it. With two speakers working together, one cancels out any negative pressure waves created by the other, resulting in a more robust bass output.

7. Use Resonant Rubber on the Sub Box:

Using resonant rubber ⁽²⁾ on your box adds extra “spring” to the enclosure, allowing it to move and vibrate more forcefully with each beat. As the fibers of the rubber stretch and compress, they store energy, then release it in tandem with the bass efficiently, amplifying both tone and volume. In addition to providing increased power and clarity, resonant rubber helps reduce noise and distorted sounds.

When placed on the interior walls of your box, the rubber absorbs any extra vibration and dissipates it before it affects the quality. This ensures a more consistent experience and adds to the overall sound quality. Using resonant rubber is easy and affordable, making it an ideal choice for those who want to get more out of their sub-box without spending a fortune.

8. Make Proper Adjustments:

Last but not least! Making proper adjustments can help get you the loud bass you want. In this method, you must adjust the phase switch, crossover, volume, and eq.

8.1 Phase Switch:

Setting the phase switch correctly will cause the low-frequency sound waves produced by your subwoofer to travel in tandem with those from your other speakers. This allows for a clean, tight response and helps create maximum loudness and clarity in your system. You should set the phase switch to “0” or “180 degrees” (which is the same as being in phase).

8.2 Crossover:

A crossover is essential when setting up a subwoofer system, as it allows you to adjust your subwoofer’s frequency response. When properly adjusted, the crossover can help create powerful and loud bass sounds from your subwoofer box. Adjusting the crossover is done by tuning its low-pass filter.

This filter will determine which frequencies can pass through to your subwoofer and which will be blocked. By lowering the low-pass filter frequency, you can reduce the higher frequencies that pass through to the subwoofer, allowing it to focus more power on the lower-frequency notes that create the desired sound.

8.3 Volume:

As you increase the Volume knob, more sound will be amplified, and you can achieve more bass. However, it is essential to note that too much sound pressure can cause distortion and loss of clarity, so finding the balance between loudness and quality is critical.

Setting the Volume knob too low will result in a quiet bass; putting it too high can cause distortion. To get the best sound quality, you should experiment with different settings until you find a level that suits your needs. I recommend you start by turning the volume knob from 0 to around 9-10 DBS and then adjust it until you get the desired loudness level.

8.4 Equalizer Settings:

Adjusting your eq settings is another way to get a loud refined bass from your subwoofer box. For this, you’ll need to determine at what level your bass and treble should be set in your car. Once you’ve identified the frequency range your subwoofer is designed to reproduce, you can adjust the equalizer accordingly.

Most music systems have a bass boost setting that you can use to adjust the frequency range, which will boost all frequencies within this range. Alternatively, if your system has an adjustable equalizer, you can set individual frequency levels to achieve a more customized sound.

Test Your Subwoofer Box:

At last, you’ll need to perform a test by playing music that has low frequencies in it. You can simply play the low-frequency test effect if you don’t know what music has that frequency to ensure your subwoofer box produces more bass.

Connect the amplifier to the loudspeaker and the subwoofer to test your subwoofer box with a bass test effect. Then, turn on the amplifier. You can now test your subwoofer box by playing a low-frequency test tone. Adjust the subwoofer’s volume until it reaches its desired level of loudness.