When designing an enclosure for a subwoofer, it is important to ensure that the enclosure volume is appropriate for the subwoofer’s optimal performance. One of the most important factors to consider in determining the size of the enclosure is the subwoofer’s Vas.
Subwoofer VAS or Volume of Air Suspension refers to the volume of air that a subwoofer driver requires to achieve its maximum excursion or displacement. In other words, it is the inner capacity of the box required for that subwoofer to give maximum output at a stated frequency, usually bout 80 hertz.
Another way of thinking about Vas is the volume of air that the subwoofer’s suspension and driver assembly can displace when moving back and forth. Since it is a measure of the volume of air, it is often specified in liters (L) or cubic feet.
If a subwoofer has a high VAS, it will require a large enclosure volume to achieve its optimal performance. On the other hand, a subwoofer with a low VAS will require a smaller enclosure.
In other words, each sub needs a certain box size to get optimum results.
What Does VAS Stand For?
VAS, or Volume of Air Suspension, is used as a technical term describing the mechanical properties of subwoofer drivers.
VAS measures how much air each subwoofer driver sees as it travels back and forth – thus being an invaluable parameter when designing subwoofers and determining their performance characteristics.
Vas can be more accurately described in this way:
Vas is the equivalent compliance (inverse of stiffness) volume seen by a given diameter speaker cone, meaning the volume of box air that gives the same stiffness as the driver’s suspension.
It is a measure of the overall stiffness, or resistance to motion of the cone, the surround, and the spider. It is specified in terms of the volume of air having the same compliance as the driver.
A small number corresponds to a small volume of air, which is stiffer than a larger volume of air. Thus, compliance and stiffness are inversely proportional.
Of course, Vas is usually measured in cubic feet and generally is equivalent to the internal volume of the enclosure.
Vas vs Box Volume
Vas and Box Volume are key concepts in loudspeaker engineering. Vas refers to the volume of air needed by loudspeakers drivers at a specific frequency, while box volume refers to internal volumes within speaker enclosures that impact tuning frequency and sound quality
Both concepts share many similarities but nonetheless contain unique distinctions within their design concepts and functionality.
Vas is an essential factor when designing loudspeaker drivers as it can help determine low frequency response and indicates how much air an enclosure or porting box can move; larger values indicate greater enclosure volume required in order for optimal low frequency performance.
For many persons, determining the best box size for a subwoofer considering box, the process starts with selecting a box size. Next, you can model the driver and box size to see what the response looks like in a modeling software.
A good example of such a software is the Woofer Box and Circuit Designer 6.0. Other options include WinISD and Torres Box Tuning Calculator.
Box volume refers to the internal space within a speaker enclosure or box and plays an integral part in determining both the tuning frequency of a system, as well as overall sound quality.
Tuning frequency refers to when an enclosure resonates at resonance frequency which directly correlates with box volume – smaller box volumes tend to result in higher tuning frequencies while larger volumes result in lower tuning frequencies.
Moreover, it impacts other aspects such as frequency response, transient response capabilities and power handling capacities of any speaker system.
Impact on Speaker Performance
Another critical difference between Vas and box volume is their impact on speaker performance. Both Vas and box volume are important factors that affect the low-frequency response of a speaker system. However, they have different effects on the overall performance of the system.
Vas values have an enormous effect on a speaker driver’s low-frequency response. A larger Vas value means more air can move at low frequencies, creating lower resonant frequencies and deeper bass responses; however, larger Vas values also require larger enclosure volumes in order for optimal low frequency performance – thus restricting design options while making optimal performance even harder to attain.
Box volume can have a direct and decisive effect on the performance of speaker systems. Box volume directly determines tuning frequency – that frequency at which an enclosure resonates – which in turn impacts low-frequency response and overall sound quality of systems.
A lower tuning frequency leads to punchier bass response while larger box volumes produce longer bass responses due to decreased tuning frequencies, though larger volumes often make designing systems less efficient or challenging overall.
Importance in Loudspeaker Design
Vas and box volume differ most in their importance when designing loudspeaker systems, yet both need to be taken into consideration as integral parameters in this process. While both parameters play a part in designing speaker systems, their relative levels of importance vary and have distinct impacts upon it.
Vas is an integral component in designing speaker drivers. As its name implies, this measurement determines the low frequency response of a driver and is therefore essential in reaching peak performance. Vas specifications typically include this parameter which helps determine an ideal enclosure volume for its driver.
However, box volume is an integral element in designing a speaker enclosure. It plays an integral role in setting the tuning frequency of the system and ensures resonance at an ideal frequency; furthermore, it affects overall sound quality, so it must be carefully considered during the design processes.
Furthermore, other factors like port tuning, driver placement, and damping materials must also be carefully taken into account during this process.
Subwoofer Vas Sealed vs Ported Subwoofer
Vas is considered separately if you are dealing with a sealed vs ported subwoofer. In the case of a sealed box, you can deviate from the optimal box size by up to 15%.
On the other hand, if you are working with a ported subwoofer, you need to follow the exact instructions for getting the precise size of the enclosure.
Why is this the case?
Well keep in mind that Vas is really the point at which the sub will play like its in a free-air enclosure. For example, if a subwoofer has a Vas of 3.0cft, then a 3cft enclosure (sealed) would be the equivalent of a free air design.
This is because a large box or a ported box does not provide the same air suspension on the woofer cone that a small box or ported box would.
Keep in mind that the air inside the cabinet has its own compliance. As such when you try to compress the air inside a box, you will encounter some amount of resistance. Now, if the box is small, the air is harder to compress and therefore less compliant. On the other hand, if the box is larger, the air is easier to compress, therefore more compliant.
From the above, we can conclude that Vas describes the volume of the air inside the cabinet, where the compliance of the speaker matches the compliance of the air inside the box.
The following therefore also applies:
- If you are designing an acoustic suspension box, the volume of the box will be less than Vas.
- If it’s larger than Vas, it would be an infinite baffle
Vas Calculations and Measurement
Vas can be calculated as follows:
Vas = ρc2Cas
where Cas is the acoustic compliance of the driver’s suspension.
Vas can be tricky to measure because air pressure changes relative to humidity and temperature. This means you would need a properly controlled environment to measure Vas correctly.
Cms is measured in meters per Newton. Cms is the force exerted by the mechanical suspension of the speaker. It is simply a measurement of its stiffness.
Considering stiffness (Cms), in conjunction with the Q parameters gives rise to the kind of subjective decisions made by car manufacturers when tuning cars between comfort to carry the president and precision to go racing.
Think of the peaks and valleys of audio signals like a road surface then consider that the ideal speaker suspension is like car suspension that can traverse the rockiest terrain with race-car precision and sensitivity at the speed of a fighter plane. It’s quite a challenge because focusing on any one discipline tends to have a detrimental effect on the others.
Vas, Qts and Fs Calculations for Sealed Boxes
When it comes to calculations, it is more complicated for a sealed box since you need to consider Vas, Fs, and Qts for a sealed box. Box volume is determined by 2 specs, Vas AND Qts.
On the other hand, how deep a woofer will reach is determined by two specs, Fs and Qts.
Typically, the calculations would follow a procedure similar to below:
- Select the box volume, Vb (use the same units for Vb that you use for Vas
- Alpha = Vas/Vb
- Now Qtc = Qts * sqrt[(alpha^2) + 1] and Fc = Fs * sqrt[(alpha^2) + 1]
Now you are typically looking for a target Qtc of between 0.65 and .90. However you will find that more often than not, the “optimally flat” value for Qtc is 0.71.
Here are some examples:
Vb = 2.65 ft^3 (75 liter)
Qtc = 0.90
Fc = 40 Hz
F3 = 29 Hz
F10 = 18 Hz
Vb = 3.40 ft^3 (96 liter)
Qtc = 0.85
Fc = 37.5 Hz
F3 = 28.3 Hz
F10 = 17.2 Hz
Vb = 4.41 ft^3 (125 liter)
Qtc = 0.80
Fc = 35.3 Hz
F3 = 27.8 Hz
F10 = 16.4 Hz
Conclusion
Overall, Vas and box volume are two critical concepts in loudspeaker engineering that have significant ramifications on speaker performance and design. While they may appear similar at first glance, each offers distinct design concepts, impacts upon speaker performance and levels of significance in design processes – it is therefore vitally important that when designing speaker systems that achieve optimal sound quality a consideration be made of both Vas and box volume as part of this design process.