Kicker 10" Free Air's - question about box/no box

**JeremyM** · 02-03-2006, 09:23 PM

Hey, I have some old Kicker 10" freeair10's. Two, to be exact. I want to know if they need a box in order to pump out bass. They are in a box right now, they sound decent for 10s, but someone told me that if they are free airs, then they don't even need a box, can just be sitting anywhere and will still deliver the same amount of bass.

I'm doubtful of that, though. So, can someone please clarify?

If not, I guess my only choice is to actually take them out and just sit them on my back seat and see if they are actually the same.

Thanks in advance!
- Jeremy

**RedGTiVR6** · 02-03-2006, 09:29 PM

if subs are designed to be used in a free air environment, they will work best in a free air environment

you can still use them in a sealed box, but it will need to be a HUGE box

with free air subs, the spider is designed to be very stiff to provide the speaker with suspension

that's essentially what a sub box is for, to provide suspension to the speaker

you can't just sit a free air sub out in the open, you have to have a difference between the front and the rear

the technical name for a free air sub is 'Infinate baffle' meaning the baffle (aka: the board the speaker is mounted to) is infinately large (in theory) which eliminates the possibility of the rear wave of the speaker interferring with the front wave. Make sense?

**JeremyM** · 02-03-2006, 09:31 PM

Ahh, yes.

Perhaps I was a little loose with the word, "box." My "box" is just an MDF box that is partitioned and the speakers face outwords and there are 2.5" port holes on each corner, one for each side.

I didn't mean sealed box, sorry.

Thanks for the reply and info though!

**RedGTiVR6** · 02-03-2006, 09:54 PM

even still - that's probably too small for a set of free air subs

**JeremyM** · 02-03-2006, 10:09 PM

Really?

That's how they were sold to my step-father.

Then again, he doesn't know much about car audio.

So, what do you reccomend I do (other than get new subs)?

Get rid of the box and make a "wall" behind my rear seats?
Leave them in the box?

The box, I'd say, is about 24 inches in depth.

**kirbycope** · 02-04-2006, 01:49 AM

Get rid of the box and make a "wall" behind [your] rear seats

**RedGTiVR6** · 02-04-2006, 08:15 AM

If they are free air - you can put them in your rear deck...if you have one.

Otherwise, get new subs

10 year old subs will sound like crap anyways, even if they haven't been used, they will be deteroriated

And, the person who sold you the subs in the box, needs to be shot...that is if they truely are 'free air' subs

**JeremyM** · 02-04-2006, 04:40 PM

No, my step dad gave them to me. I never bought them. All I bought through my whole setup was the deck.

**schreibers** · 02-05-2006, 09:50 AM

You could easily use them by replacing the partion between your trunk/behind the seats using an MDF baffle. I would use fiberglass and dynamat to ensure everything is sealed and fits perfectly.

...or you could do what I did which was mount the IB speakers in your rear deck but if you do that you'll probably have to do some reinforcing and hacking as the sheet metal usually isn't very thick there.