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I have read many times that the smaller the enclosure the higher the wattage needed to get the subwoofer to perform. Is this true or it just another urban legend? All opinions are welcome.

Enclosure size does affect power handling. Remember, though, that there's mechanical and thermal power handling.

I don't think thermal power handling changes a whole lot, unless you've got the pole right up against the side of the box.

Mechanical power handling, however, changes drastically based on box type, size and tuning.

The smaller a sealed box is, the more power it's going to take to reach xmax. You can actually get an idea of how much power it's going to take to reach xmax using WinISD. Model it up and check out your excursion with different amounts of power. At that point, you're also going to have to worry about power compression and added distortion from the air in the box being compressed.

Just my $0.02. :)

this boy is smart :) honestly couldnt have said it better myself. food for thought. i can put 2000w on a sub that is rated for 400w in a sealed box but i couldnt put more than 800 before the sub reached mechanical limits.

Also, FWIW (and I'm not trying to be cocky), what I said (to my knowledge) is fact, not opinion. Audio isn't magic, it's science. :happy055:

We've taught him well

William from NOLA wrote:We've taught him well

Indeed you have.