The 6th Order Bandpass Subwoofer Enclosure

A 6th order bandpass enclosure is one option to be considered when looking for a box for your subwoofer. Quality bass does not depend solely on the speaker you choose, it also depends a lot on the enclosure you decide to house your speaker in.

There are several choices for subwoofer enclosures and the single most important factor when selecting one for your speaker is the intended purpose of the subwoofer. The sealed subwoofer enclosure is ideal for tight high quality bass with almost no unwanted sounds to speak of, making it perfect for types of music that do not require a booming type of bass. Classical or big band music is generally, what draws people to the sealed subwoofer enclosure because of the tight sound it provides. The 6th order bandpass enclosure is designed less for music and more for added sound effect to something like a home stereo surround system for watching movies or television with bonus bass.

The 6th order bandpass enclosure is similar to the 4th order bandpass enclosure. However, the 6th order bandpass enclosure is ported, meaning has vents, in both the front and rear. This is unlike the 4th order bandpass enclosure because the 4th order bandpass enclosure has vents or ports on only one side of it, leaving the rest of the box completely sealed. The additional porting of the 6th order bandpass enclosure diminishes the quality of bass that is provided and makes it less suitable for high end audio sound. That is why the 6th order bandpass enclosure is much better matched as a reinforcement component to a multi-media system like television rather than as an enhancement to a superior sound system designed for listening to music. A great deal of unwanted sound is produced from the ports and because the 6th order bandpass enclosure has two sets of vents, even more sound is compromised from the reverberation between the vents.

So if you are looking for a subwoofer to beef up your home stereo surround system and want that extra boom in an explosion you see in the latest Vin Diesel movie then the 6th order bandpass enclosure is the way to go. It will not deliver high quality sound for a person who is mainly interested in music only and wants to replicate ideal sound as close to perfect as possible, but it will add loud tight bass that is anything but tight. A better choice for the hard core music listener is definitely a sealed subwoofer enclosure that provides completely tight and superior bass to a high end system. Even the 4th order bandpass enclosure delivers a tighter and less booming bass than the 6th order bandpass enclosure as only one side of the box is vented, leaving the remainder of the enclosure totally sealed. However, if the 6th order bandpass enclosure will provide the proper bass for your needs in a home multi-media system, shop around carefully before purchasing one. There are many choices between vendors and manufacturers and some people even build them on their own to create a custom piece that suits their needs perfectly.