How to Use Damping Material in Speaker Enclosures
One of the key elements in the construction of a speaker enclosure is the inclusion of damping materials. Enclosure vibrations can greatly affect the sound of the speaker you're putting into the enclosure by resonating at selected frequencies, thereby coloring the sound. To reduce these vibrations and allow the speaker to reproduce sound accurately, adding damping materials to the enclosure during construction is an important step.
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Fiberglass insulation
- Sharp knife or box cutter
- Hot glue gun
Instructions
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1
Using your tape measure, measure the interior walls of your speaker enclosure. The best time to make these measurements is when the enclosure is completely assembled with the exception of the front panel. Be sure to get measurements of all interior walls, back, side and top/bottom.
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2
Cut pieces of fiberglass insulation to match the interior dimensions you took in Step 1. A sharp knife or box cutter works well for this. Take into account any items or openings on the walls, like port tubes, and cut away any insulation where it would obstruct the flow of air.
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3
Lay your speaker enclosure on its back and apply glue onto the back interior wall with your hot glue gun. It's not necessary to completely cover the wall, but be sure to put a bead of glue around the perimeter and several lines across the remainder of the wall.
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4
Place your insulation on the glue, paper side against the glue. Give the glue time to dry before adding the next piece of insulation.
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5
Add insulation to the sides, top, and bottom of the enclosure, using the method described in Steps 3 and 4. Trim the pieces of insulation as necessary to ensure a proper fit where the pieces of insulation butt up against each other. When you've completed this and the glue is dry, you can complete the construction of the enclosure by adding the front panel.
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