How to make a subwoofer in a car with your own hands? The matter is quite simple. if you understand its purpose and components. A subwoofer is an acoustic system that reproduces low frequencies in the sound range of 20-120Hz. It is necessary to create full surround sound, especially relevant for dance and rock music. The average acoustic system is not capable of reproducing this range, since it is not fully recognized by the human ear.

We hear bass, feel vibrations, in general - this is just right for a car, you can install it anywhere. However, we recommend using the luggage space, there will be plenty of space there and will not interfere with anyone. The dimensions of the future subwoofer are determined by the speakers you selected. As a rule, they have a fairly large diameter.

Making a homemade subwoofer for a car is not difficult: assemble a box and install a speaker in it, the main thing in this matter is to choose a speaker. We advise you to listen to this information. It will help you achieve sound quality and your efforts will not be in vain.

Making a subwoofer with your own hands includes the following steps:

• definition with speaker;
• calculation and design of a box for a subwoofer;
• making such a box;
• decorative design of the product;
• installation in a car.

Speaker selection

Decide on the sizes. The following models are currently available on the market:

Important! Decide on the resistance, a load of 1-2 ohms will significantly spoil the sound, the optimal resistance for a subwoofer speaker is 2-4 ohms.

There has traditionally been a long-standing debate about the power of the speakers; it is difficult to state anything definitely. There is only one rule: the power of the speaker must exceed the power of the amplifier. Why? It's simple: no speaker will last long operating at maximum power, so it needs a “margin of safety” in the form of such a difference. If you already have both a speaker and an amplifier, we advise you to determine this difference and make a mark on the amplifier controls with the maximum allowable volume for the subwoofer. Not a single speaker will maintain sound quality at maximum volume; over time (sometimes immediately), the imbalance will terribly hurt the ear.

Subwoofer Box Layout

Now you don’t need to carry out complex calculations yourself; we recommend using the WinISD 0.44 program. It will create a virtual image of a subwoofer for a car, based on the following dynamics data (can be found on the label), called Thiel-Small parameters:

• resistance (Z);
• maximum noise power (Re);
• mechanical quality factor (Qms);
• electrical quality factor (Qes);
• diffuser diameter (dia).

After entering the parameters, select the option ZY - closed box and you can independently adjust the frequencies of the phase inverters or use the standard parameters.

Based on all the entered parameters, you will receive a sketch of the box; if you stick to the design when making a subwoofer with your own hands, you will get the most optimal and possibly acceptable sound for your speaker.

About materials for self-assembly of a subwoofer

Important! Select materials that meet your objectives: sound insulation, density and strength.

Practice shows that the ideal material is MDF (medium-density particle board); in extreme cases, high-quality plywood will also do. Chipboard is also used, but in all three characteristics it loses significantly. How to make a subwoofer at home without spending money? Use available materials. In principle, with proper arrangement, the doors of old Soviet furniture, probably left in everyone’s closet, will also work.

A subwoofer for a car must be covered (except for the front panel - it is a matter of taste) with soundproofing material; ordinary office-type carpet works well.

Remember - plastic looks nice on subwoofers, but it will be a serious detriment to sound quality. You need to decide whether the subwoofer will become a fashionable interior component or a quality addition to the speaker system.

Manufacturing and installation of the box

So, we have prepared a virtual model, decided on the material and place in the car.

Box assembly:

Installation of a finished subwoofer

In order to independently install and connect a ready-made subwoofer to a car, you will need the following consumables: wiring, including tulips and wires for connecting to the amplifier, fuses, insulating tape and one capacitor.

Carefully install the finished subwoofer in the place prepared in advance. You can use a tie to secure it. That's all, all that remains is to connect it.

The subwoofer is connected to the amplifier, and it is connected to the car radio. It is the amplifier that distributes the radio signals to the high-frequency speakers and subwoofer. Be prepared to run the wires, hiding them under the seats, through the entire cabin from the trunk, where the amplifier and subwoofer are installed (usually), connecting the wires to the radio and battery.

Original “amplifier” for a subwoofer

It happens that the amplifier is simply missing from the car. and even a well-assembled subwoofer with your own hands will not give the desired effect without it. We offer an alternative to purchasing - a homemade subwoofer amplifier.

This is a circuit for assembling an amplifier for a car.

Required components:

• one TDA 2030 A chip;
• two electrical capacitors 2200 uF 25 V;
• three 0.1 µF capacitors;
• resistor e.g. 2.2 Ohm;
• two 22 kohm resistors;
• 680 Ohm resistor;
• one electrical capacitor 22 microfarads at 25 V;
• film capacitor 4.7 µF.

Also prepare the amplifier housing, operating switch, wires, tulip connectors and radiator.

Advice! After the board is ready and the circuit is complete, do not rush to assemble the amplifier, connect the contacts to the speaker and check its operation, starting with the minimum volume.

In order to do everything correctly and quickly, we recommend watching a video lesson on how to make a subwoofer for a car at home:

How to make a subwoofer yourself?

For a true music lover, listening to music through standard computer speakers is a terrible punishment. Everyone chooses a good acoustic system for themselves. But, besides the fact that this pleasure is not cheap, it is sometimes difficult to select speakers with the required parameters. And here the only way out is to make them yourself. Now let's figure out how to make a subwoofer with your own hands.

Making a subwoofer at home takes place in several stages:

• Selection of materials;
• Hull design;
• Subwoofer assembly.

Selection of materials

Before starting all work, it is necessary to collect the necessary materials for making the case. In order to make a subwoofer yourself, you need to purchase:

Having decided on the necessary materials, we move on to the tool that we will need to make a subwoofer with our own hands:

• a hacksaw for wood, preferably with fine teeth;
• electric drill;
• jigsaw;
• chisel;
• file;
• compass, pencil, ruler;
• a screwdriver or a screwdriver (both are possible);
• sandpaper, from coarse to fine.

Housing design

WinISD 0.44. allows you to design four types of subwoofers. Of these, the optimal box that will work with maximum efficiency is a bandpass. Its speaker is attached to a jumper inside the box, it has two chambers and two bass reflexes. For bass reflexes, trimmings from a plumbing pipe are suitable. The program will calculate the length itself, but for this you need to know the diameter.

Now let's get down to making the subwoofer box. The main rule here is to take your time. An error in measurements can lead to everything having to be done all over again.

Subwoofer assembly

Before assembling the subwoofer, you need to cut out the box.

If you still have questions about how to make a subwoofer with your own hands, watch the instructional video that will dispel all your doubts.

In order to fully enjoy modern music in the car, you need a good sound system, and the subwoofer plays a fairly important role in it. Of course, many cars are initially equipped with high-quality acoustics, but they cost quite a lot. Therefore, many are interested in how to assemble a subwoofer into a car with their own hands, because now this is the best option that will allow you to get good quality . In this article we will talk about this.

The reason why a subwoofer is necessary in a car is quite simple - it is designed for the highest quality reproduction of low frequencies, which is extremely important for a number of musical genres. At the same time, we must not forget about the need to complement the sound of the subwoofer with a high-quality acoustic system that reproduces mid and high frequencies.

Choosing a speaker for a subwoofer in a car

In order to make a subwoofer in a car with your own hands, you must first choose the right speaker. This is quite important, because it is this choice that will affect the size of the box and the spectrum of reproduced frequencies. The following speakers are currently standard options:

• 6 inches - used as a mid-bass source (in combination with larger subwoofers);
• 8 inches - used to reproduce front bass;
• 10 inches is an excellent option for speakers whose internal volume will be from 15 to 20 liters;
• 12 inches - give very high-quality sound, but they require a box from 25 to 35 liters;
• 15 inches - give very powerful bass, but require a fairly large case with a volume of 60 to 90 liters.

Also, if you want to assemble a subwoofer in a car with your own hands, then a fairly important parameter is choosing the correct voice coil resistance. In this case, you need to remember the following relationship - the lower the resistance of the amplifier, the higher its power. But this does not mean that you need to choose the minimum values, because with a resistance of 1-2 Ohms, the sound quality will be much worse. An acceptable option would be a resistance of two to four ohms.

Experts do not have a consensus on the optimal speaker power. One thing is certain - the best option would be if the power of the speaker is slightly higher than the power of the amplifier. After all, most systems are not designed for long-term operation at maximum volume, which can lead to a decrease in sound quality and the appearance of nonlinear distortions.

Designing a subwoofer for a car

In order to make a homemade subwoofer for your car, you need to understand exactly what its future housing will look like, what size, shape it will be, etc. The best option for this would be to use the WinISD program, which will allow you to virtually make a subwoofer for your car in accordance with its main characteristics.

To do this, you need to know the following speaker parameters:

• Vas – equivalent volume;
• Qts – speaker quality factor;
• Fs – acoustic resonance frequency in open space;
• Z – speaker resistance;
• Pe – maximum noise power;
• Qms – mechanical quality factor;
• Qes – electrical quality factor;
• Dia – diffuser diameter.

Standard speakers already have certain preset characteristics. For example, the equivalent volume:

• For GDN35 – from 40 to 50 liters;
• For GDN50 – 90 liters;
• For GDN75 – 80 liters.

For other models, these characteristics can be found on the original packaging or the official website. In addition, the parameters of most branded speakers are already in the WinISD database.

The most important parameter when sizing a speaker box is Qts, which describes the speaker's efficiency at resonant frequencies. When calculating the box, it is necessary to take into account all possible values ​​of this parameter.

After entering all these parameters, the program will calculate one of three types of box for a car subwoofer, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. These types of box are:

• A standard closed box is simple to manufacture and design, but has a fairly low efficiency in terms of sound reproduction. In addition, such boxes must be airtight, which is a bit of a problem when assembling them;
• A bass reflex is a more complex case to calculate and manufacture, but will give a sound that will be better than that of a conventional box;
• Bandpasses of the 4th and 6th order. The most difficult to manufacture and design, but they have the ability to dampen high frequencies and emphasize low ones. Accordingly, they give the best sound.

In order to start making a subwoofer project for a car, you must first create a new speaker in the program and load its parameters into the database. To do this, you need to click “New”, select “Own drivers”, select “New” again, and load your parameters, confirming the download by clicking on “OK” and “Close”.

After this, you need to create a new project based on the selected case type, to do this you will have to repeat this procedure described above, using different types of box. The design process itself consists of changing the box parameters, adjusting the bass reflex frequency using the diameter and length of the pipes.

Depending on this, the frequency graph will change. It will be optimal if the graph crosses the line at -3 dB, at a frequency of 25-35 Hz, and then passes along the line at 0 dB, and goes down at a frequency of 150-200 Hz. Next, it will be necessary to adjust so that the permissible deviations are within the acceptable range.

As a rule, the subwoofer is located in the trunk of the car. However, the sound pressure inside the car depends on where exactly it is located, which can fluctuate within one and a half decibels. If you are planning to compete in a car audio competition (SPL), the correct placement of the subwoofer can make the difference between defeat and victory.

How to make a box for a subwoofer in a car

So, now let's figure out how to make a subwoofer in a car with your own hands. To do this, we first need to prepare the necessary materials. Straight walls are made of plywood, chipboard, and very rarely solid wood. Curved surfaces are made of fiberglass, which is glued in layers to the desired shape. It is very important to observe the dimensions as accurately as possible.

Directly assembling the subwoofer into the car is done using glue and self-tapping screws.

When you are going to make a subwoofer in a car with your own hands, the housing for the subwoofer should be as sealed as possible. This is necessary to prevent moisture from condensing on the speaker. In addition to treating the seams with sealant, it would not hurt to additionally coat the walls with nitro varnish, which will not allow moisture to pass through.

After assembling the housing for a car subwoofer, you can cover it with leather, leatherette or furniture fabric.

In addition, it would be useful to take care of protecting the speaker from mechanical damage, moisture or dust. This can be done in two ways:

• Protection with a special acoustic fabric is not the cheapest method, which provides excellent protection from dirt and dust, but cannot prevent mechanical damage;
• Protection with a metal grill is a relatively inexpensive option that helps prevent mechanical damage, but will not save you from dirt and moisture.
• A rather important point is that at low frequencies the direction of sound is practically not felt. This means that the location of the subwoofer in the car is not particularly important.

DIY stealth subwoofer for a car

The main advantage of a stealth subwoofer in a car is its invisibility, while still providing the highest quality sound possible. As a rule, it is located in the trunk behind the rear fender arch, where it does not take up much space. Since a good car subwoofer requires a box of decent volume, which can exceed 18 liters, you may need to remove its panel, thus taking up the volume intended for the rear wheel. The floor may also need to be trimmed.

Of course, in order for such a subwoofer not to be very noticeable, it will be necessary to take care of its finishing, which in appearance will coincide with the design of the car.

LED lighting for a subwoofer in a car

Of course, high-quality sound will go well with spectacular lighting effects. The simplest option would be to use an LED strip that can be glued around the speaker. Also quite an interesting solution would be to use a neon equalizer, which reacts to the peak amplitudes of the subwoofer and makes the luminous liquid rise up the columns.

Modern sound technologies are developing at an active pace and having your own cool subwoofer for the home no longer surprises anyone. The main purpose of this audio system component is to reproduce the low frequency range (not higher than 100 Hz), which cannot be reproduced by conventional speakers. Which model should you prefer? What parameters to consider when choosing? Let's try to figure it out.

Main purpose

A subwoofer is equipment that provides high-quality sound, for example, when listening to music or watching a movie at home. Such devices quickly gained popularity and became an important component of a powerful speaker system. When choosing a subwoofer for your home, you need to take into account indicators such as power and purpose. Note that there are two main types of these systems:

• Active. They are ideal for home theater use due to their flexibility and ease of installation. Such devices are cheaper.
• Passive. Subwoofers of this type are initially designed in such a way that they can only be used in combination with an amplifier. In this case, the amplifier must have sufficient power.

An active subwoofer for home is a more convenient and correct solution due to the built-in filter and low-frequency amplifier. Thanks to this, the sound acquires higher quality at any frequency. At the same time, using an active subwoofer, you can improve distorted sound throughout the entire range.

Rating of the best

Modern manufacturers offer various models of subwoofers that are suitable for home use. They differ not only in cost, but also in a number of options and functions. If you want to choose the best subwoofer for your home, we suggest you familiarize yourself with several of the most popular models.

YAMAHA

YAMAHA YST-FSW100

This subwoofer has a power of up to 80 W and is inexpensive, thanks to which it quickly gained popularity among buyers. High quality, minimum sound leaks, correct direction of sound - all this distinguishes this model. The design of the device is such that there is no blockage at low frequencies. As a bonus, the manufacturer offers magnetic protection that will prevent sound distortion if monitors or TVs are located nearby.

YAMAHA YST-SW012

Another Japanese subwoofer for the home is a floor-standing accessory that is already equipped with a built-in amplifier. The bass reflex filling makes the device sensitive to any frequencies in the operating range, creating high-quality sound in the room. Among the advantages of this model are the minimum number of settings and adjustments, small dimensions and affordable price.

ONKYO SKW-770

This model, despite its small size, has a power of up to 150 W and is distinguished by high-quality sound and functionality. Its compactness allows you to place the model both on a shelf and on the floor - the choice of location depends on the acoustic characteristics of the room. The frequencies are easily adjustable, so you can adjust the sound of several speakers at once. The highlight of the model is the Standby mode, which uses a minimum of energy.

MJ ACOUSTICS REFERENCE 100 MKII

This home subwoofer is more expensive than the models described above, but it boasts an optimal functionality and high-quality sound. High quality sound reproduction is noted at all frequencies, and it also reproduces ultra-low frequencies. In addition to good sound and small size, the model attracts attention with the presence of a control panel.

VELODYNE IMPACT-10

This subwoofer is worthy of attention for its optimal price-to-power and functionality ratio. active type operates without additional equipment in a wide frequency range. The maximum power is 250 W, and the device can be used in areas of any size.

We have described the 5 most popular subwoofers, on the basis of which you can create a high-quality

Connection features

A subwoofer is an important component of modern acoustics, allowing you to experience every sound. Before you buy this or that model, you should find out about the parameters of the sound card on the device to which the sub will be connected. How to connect a subwoofer at home? It also depends on the type of devices. For example, a 5.1 system consisting of five speakers and a subwoofer does not fit into a laptop. You can try connecting the sub to your computer, but also only if the number of inputs on the sound card matches.

Selection options

The task of the subwoofer is to “finish” the lower part of the sound spectrum, which conventional speakers cannot cope with due to their low power. When choosing the optimal model, proceed from the following parameters:

• frequency range;
• crossover frequencies;
• maximum sound pressure;
• system sensitivity;
• diameter of the woofer.

These are key terms when it comes to subwoofers, but knowing them will ensure that you select the right component for your speaker system.

Features of connecting a car subwoofer

Very often there are situations when owners sell their car, and use a subwoofer from it to create a home speaker system. How to connect a car subwoofer at home so that it works stably? To create such a device, you need a power supply and speakers, as well as the subwoofer itself. To power the car amplifier, the easiest way is to take a computer power supply that has all the necessary characteristics. The steps for connecting the subwoofer to the power supply are as follows:

• yellow wires are connected to the terminals on the car amplifier (“-” - to the GND terminal, “+” - to +12V);
• a special input with a blue wire is used to connect a subwoofer or external amplifier;
• The source of the audio signal can be a regular MP3 player with an adapter.

When creating a do-it-yourself subwoofer for your home, remember that a car amplifier can consume current above 40 amperes. In this case, it is advisable to use copper wires with a cross section of 6-10 mm 2 to connect it. To improve the sound, you should pay attention to the input signal level control, which is located on the amplifier panel. Thus, there are no special problems with adjusting the sound when using a car subwoofer.

How to make it from scratch?

A subwoofer is a powerful addition that can easily become part of a home theater. But what if you don’t have the money to buy ready-made equipment, but want to enjoy high-quality sound? In this case, you can try to make a subwoofer for your home with your own hands. To do this, you need to perform a number of actions:

1. Buy speakers and a case (wooden is best).
2. Calculate the sizes of the boxes. To do this, you can use computer programs that require you to specify a number of parameters - the dimensions of the speaker and bass reflex.
3. Make parts. After the calculations, you can begin to create the details of the future subwoofer. It is best to use high quality wood, plywood: in addition to naturalness, they are ideal for a wide variety of processing.
4. Assemble the body. After all the parts of the future device are cut out, they need to be connected to each other. For greater reliability, it is most convenient to fasten the walls with self-tapping screws.
5. Connect the speaker to the amplifier and power supply. To do this, you may need drawings of a subwoofer for the home, which indicate all the nuances of connecting the main elements. The structural diagram of the entire sound system plays an important role, which means that close attention must be paid to this side of the assembly.
6. Insert the finished and already amplified speaker into the housing. Sheathe it. Route all wires out from the back of the box through special connectors.

That's it, the subwoofer is ready for use, you can check it. If suddenly during operation unpleasant sounds or rustling appear, it makes sense to check whether all the holes in the box are closed. They must be sealed - for this you can use glue or sealant. In any case, you can make a subwoofer for your home yourself, if you understand the diagrams and drawings.

A subwoofer is a low-frequency speaker used to improve the sound of music. Reproduces sounds at frequencies from 5 to 200 hertz. That is, the bass is enhanced and music, especially rhythmic, sounds much better and louder. A sub can be installed in a car in a workshop, from specialists, but you can do it yourself.

First you need to decide on the speaker, based on the free space in the car.

Types of speakers

• 6" speakers - used as an additional source of mid-bass
• At 8 inches - used to obtain front bass
• 10-inch - high-quality sound in a 15 - 20 liter “Closed Box” housing, resulting in a compact subwoofer with good sound pressure
• 12-inch speakers are the best option, good for a subwoofer with a volume of 25 - 35 liters

The basic principle of the difference in resistance in a voice coil is: the lower the load resistance of the amplifier, the higher the power. It is recommended to select 2-4 Ohms.

Also, we can say for sure that the speaker should be chosen more powerful than the maximum power of the amplifier. But you shouldn’t take a speaker that’s too powerful either, as there won’t be enough power to “drive” it.

Designing a virtual image of a box is best done in the WinISD 0.44 program.

Choosing a subwoofer

By design, subwoofers are divided into:

• Horn
• Closed box - simple to design, but has minimal efficiency
• The bass reflex is the most difficult to calculate, but also the most productive as a result
• Passive emitter. It does not have an amplifier and is connected to a separate channel
• Bandpass is also difficult to calculate, but produces the best low-frequency sound

How to make a subwoofer

The subwoofer can be made of fiberglass or plywood. As a rule, it is installed in the luggage compartment. But it will be quite difficult for a beginner to cope with fiberglass. Therefore, we will consider in detail the manufacturing process from plywood. This is one of the simplest models of a closed-type subwoofer with a bass reflex, which you can make yourself.

What we need to make a subwoofer:

• Plywood, at least 20 mm thick
• Sealant and gun for it
• Fabric or carpet
• Screws and self-tapping screws
• Jigsaw and screwdriver
• Stapler, staples, glue
• Sandpaper
• Space

If you can’t find such plywood, then any thicker than 10 mm will do. But the greater its thickness, the less it will vibrate and, accordingly, the less additional subwoofer sound interference there will be.

• First of all, we calculate the displacement of the box for the speaker. To do this, you can use the speakershop program. After this, we draw out the plywood sheets according to the drawing
• Then, use a jigsaw to cut along the marked lines.
• In order to bend a sheet of fiberboard into a tube, it is enough to steam it. Once the cylinder is formed, it must be fastened along the edge with self-tapping screws using the internal strip
• After this, bottoms are attached to it on both sides. To do this we use glue and a stapler. But it’s better to use the same screws for this purpose. All joints must be treated with sealant
• The next step is to cover the box with the selected material. It could be fabric, leather or something else

And, finally, a bass reflex pipe, an amplifier are installed and the terminals are soldered in order to connect the wires.

Rectangular plywood box

Also, the subwoofer box can be trapezoidal in shape. And it’s even easier to make than the previous one.

The set of tools remains the same as for a cylindrical box.

• Using the same speakershop program, we calculate the volume of the future box
• We draw sheets of plywood and saw them
• After the parts have been cut out, we screw the front wall to the bottom of the box with self-tapping screws. And then, in the same way, we attach the top panel
• The next step is to mark the bevel line on the MDF panel. From the bottom edge of the box, subtract the thickness of the plywood sheet and draw. Remove excess with a plane or jigsaw
• After this, you can insert the side parts and attach them with self-tapping screws
• All joints must be treated with sealant. All that remains is to deal with the back panel, on which you need to cut holes for the bass reflexes. Before doing this, you need to use a compass to draw their diameter on the plywood. Also, this hole can be made on the side wall
• The bass reflexes themselves can be made from the remains of a plastic pipe of the appropriate diameter. All that remains is to connect them
• Now you can cover the top of the body with fabric. Before this, it is advisable to sand the body with sandpaper and then wipe the outside and inside with a damp cloth.
• You can insert a bass reflex and an amplifier. The work is finished