What would I gain from a sealed 6x9?

Let me start by saying I don't plan on doing this, I'm just interested to learn a little more than I currently do.

I have infinity kappa 90scx (6x9 components 2.3ohms) in my front doors on a Kicker IQ500.4 amp (125w x 4 @ 2ohms). My Doors have a dynomat in them.

Currently it sounds pretty good. Bass wise, It does a really good job even down into the 40Hz range. I did some rough calculations and found that if these same speakers were in a sealed box with a Qtc of π/2, I would need a box just over 1 cubic foot. Maybe this would be possible with some really clever fiberglass and a balloon inside the door but like I said before I'm not planning on doing it, I'm just curious what could happen.

Has anyone actually put a door speaker in a box of this size? Should I expect better bass? Maybe a more linear response?

 

Used to rock 3-way 6x9s in my old hatchback with the speakers in boxes. Yes, improved bass response is possible, but for the space utilized, a sub is a better option.

 

What size box/boxes

 

Probably a little over 1cu.ft. total. Both 6x9s shared a common space. Honestly I’m not positive on the size. It was before I cared about sound quality. I just wanted LOUD!!

 

the simple answer is, yes, it would sound better, but no, you likely couldn't do it without significant modifications that would make normal life/day-to-day use much more difficult.

vehicle speakers are really a host of compromises. first, the locations are generally terrible, and the most ideal locations-- at ear level, facing the listener, the ideal speakers wouldn't fit into anyways, or there's those pesky visibility issues that must be dealt with. so we relegate the speakers to the doors or in spare space on the dash where a bunch of hard surfaces reflect the audio signal like a bowl of spaghetti in a toddlers hair. then, getting back to the doors, the windows must roll down, because opening the door all the time is inconvenient. but because the windows roll down, there are gaps that water can get into, so there must be a way for water to drain out. but because there's a gap at the top and bottom to allow rain water through, the door is no longer sealed. there's also the numerous audio reflections from the different, but necessary metal things in the door, which make for a really noisy, lossy box.



https://audiojudgement.com/sealed-enclosure-closed-box/

any speaker makes sound waves in 2 directions. forwards, and backwards.
every enclosure(except infinite baffle) will not only restrict or manipulate the movement of the sound pressure, but depending on shape, will reflect the sound waves back into the speaker, which can either add or detract from the preferred end result. generally, a box will lower the speakers 'Q', by reducing the amount of air behind the speaker vs. the amount of air that would be behind the speaker if it was just mounted on a board with nothing behind it(infinite baffle). if done right, it's beneficial as that air acts as a spring which can further control the cone movement, the same way as if the speaker had a more rigid spider assembly. but with a more rigid spider/smaller box, larger movements are more restricted, which can restrict output level as well as raise the frequencies the speaker can play--there's a million compromises in speakers as well. a high-q speaker/box will play lower frequencies, but will lack delicacy and refinement. it will be 'sloppy'.

there's also the sound reflections, like shouting in a gymnasium, behind every speaker. manipulation of these waves, either by reduction with padding or coatings, or re-direction with shaping the wall the reflections bounce off of, can also lead to a different result. all while not changing the overall volume of the enclosure.

thousands of people have dedicated their entire lives to understanding, quantifying, and documenting all of this stuff. if you're interested in it further, there's an entire internets-worth of info available from millions of sources that dive into all of this even deeper than an obsessive idiot like myself has only gleaned from basic google results.

it's a fun road to go down, but it can stretch on for eternity if one wishes

 

"Liked" for solid, objective information.

I will add that 6x9's are pretty much designed for infinite baffle applications.