Swiss Audio SW101W, Owner'S Manual

Choosing an Enclosure

Choosing an enclosure can be one of your most difficult decisions.  There are several types available.  The definitions 

listed here are for the most common: Sealed, Ported and Bandpass.  This will help you choose which enclosure is best 

suited for you.

Sealed Enclosures:

  This is the most common enclosure to use for several reasons.  They are the easiest to build 

and utilize the least amount of space.  The response of the driver is tight and controlled.  Since the enclosure is airtight, 

the woofer does not flop around or loose control when played at high volumes.  The disadvantage of a sealed enclosure 

is that you need more power to drive the woofer.  Sealed enclosures are perfect if you want a wider frequency bass 

response and the most accurate sound reproduction possible.

Ported Enclosures:

Ported enclosures are generally used with low frequency drivers.  Although they are harder to 

build than sealed enclosures, ported enclosures have a rough estimate of 3 dB (decibels) of increased volume than a 

sealed enclosure.  To gain that kind of increase with a sealed enclosure, you would need to double the power of the 

amplifier.  While ported enclosures benefit from increased efficiency, they are not as precise as a sealed enclosure.  As 

compared to a sealed enclosure, ported boxes suffer from poor driver control at low frequencies.  Ported enclosures 

trade their efficiency for ultimate bass extensions.

Bandpass Enclosures:      

The best way to describe a bandpass enclosure?  They are half sealed and half ported.  A 

bandpass enclosure uses a sealed enclosure and a ported enclosure to amplify the bass response.  The advantages of 

a bandpass enclosure are simple: accurate bass response at lower frequencies.  The disadvantage is that they only 

play low frequencies and the frequency range is very narrow, no more then a 30-Hertz frequency spectrum from where 

the enclosure is tuned.  The worst part of a bandpass enclosure is you will never know when you are overplaying the 

woofer(s). Since the waves are generated in the ported side of the enclosure and then fires through the ports, the 

distortion will remain in the enclosure.  This is the main reason manufacturers do not support bandpass-designed 

enclosures.  We do not recommend using any woofer in a bandpass enclosure unless the woofer was specifically 

engineered for a bandpass enclosure.  

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